I need to get DS to take milk from a bottle, please help

[SirBoobAlot]

DS is 7.5mo, breastfed with three meals a day. He will not take much water (if any) from a beaker or a bottle (have been trying to get him used to the bottle). Today in desperation I added some orange juice to the water, and it made no difference.

I have a day out without him in three weeks and really do not want to have to cancel

I have tried Medela and Avent bottles and various teats but no joy. He won't take it from me, from DP, or from either of my parents. He did used to take it when he was younger.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

At 7.5mo, don't bother with teats, surely? I don't think they get enough flow of liquid from them.

I had the same issue, although mine were a bit younger, and we went straight from bf to the sipper/anywayup cups. I just kept trying, every time a feed was due I had a go with a cup beforehand, eventually they caught on but it did take a couple of weeks.

Keep trying!

Will he drink from a normal glass/cup? If he is teething teat/spout could be hurting his mouth. At 7 months my DD went from 6am to 5pm on just one bottle and water whilst I was at work and then reverse cycle fed all night to make up for it . You could add breastmilk to food/cereals so that he gets his quota if he likes his food.

I have been trying for a few weeks now. He would glug from the side of one of his food pots but my mum told me I shouldn't let him do this as it was bad for his development later on, so I don't don't know if he still will.

Eh? He's 7.5mo! If he drinks from a dog-bowl, who cares! As long as you are getting liquid down him, that's what is important.

I can't see how drinking in an "adult" way (i.e not through a spout) can possibly harm his development. Be guided by him, don't set yourself any rules.

But don't bother with teats, really, you'll have another battle ahead getting him off again!

Can I give him milk in the same way, then? I am going to mix it with the cereal and he will probably have something that I can add milk to for his lunch.

Whether my mother will feed him this way is a whole 'nother thread

But seriously - is it not worth trying to given him a bottle, then?

Try a beaker with straw, honestly. My DS would drink from a straw very early especially innocent smoothies.

Will need to hold the cup though, gets a bit messy. I would skip the bottle either way, keep going with a freeflow beaker in the meantime.

He will probably take it from someone else if he is hungry/thirsty Just not you, because he knows what's in your bra

Seriously, don't bother with a teated bottle at this age - once he's "upright" there is no point - you are past that.

Try him with a sipper cup or plastic beaker, the problem will be at first he'll want to tip it down himself or will take too much and choke, but hold it for him and he will get the hang of it soon enough.

I think you will need to offer liquid on its own as well as mixed into food, though.

Mothers, eh? Think they know it all! I had a job stopping mine from putting dcs to sleep on their fronts!

I'll keep going with a cup then thanks What about night feeds though? Just in case.

No idea; mine stopped night feeds at 3 months!

Still on three feeds a night at times here... Though last night was only one Have asked the HV to come to have a chat so hopefully she will have some suggestions...

and LOL at the baby drinking from the dog bowl.

I assure you this is not uncommon .

Seriously, SirBoob, it really is a weird idea that babies have to drink from a bottle or teat...mega-strange idea. And that this affects their development? How??

Food pots are fine (a little girl in my family learnt to drink from a cup with one of those teeny little milk sample pots you get in cafes - she was about 10 mths. Obv a grown up needed to hold it for her).

Your mum will just have to learn to keep her daft ideas to herself

Mum also refuses to let me do BLW when she's around, doesn't like me BF in company / public and tells me that if DS doesn't crawl before he walks he will be delayed... But that's a whole 'nother thread

So keep going with the food pots? I think he takes more in out of shock but still! Should I keep putting water in or try it with milk?

Also (seeing as I'm on a roll here ) what should I do for snacks? And night feeds?

Remind me, SirBoob.

Whose baby is this??

Tell me about it!! I think its because I'm young she think she can tell me how to do it all... Or maybe its because she's my mother