13mo DS suddenly choking on his bottles

[notaflamingclue]

I've been trying to wean him off the bottle and on to a cup for several weeks now - absolutely no interest whatsoever. We offer a cup of milk at morning milky time (not a bottle), he doesn't want to know. So please don't tell me he shouldn't still be on bottles... I know

But my more immediate problem is that he's now started choking on his bottles too. Every few seconds, he splutters about like a loon. He had a terrible teething weekend but is now back to normal - could that be why? Starting to wonder if he will ever drink properly...

Have you tried giving him fruit juice in the cup?

I was trying to get my baby to drink water and milk from a cup for about 3 months with no success. Bought several different cups and he was totally uninterested in drinking from any of them.

Then a couple of weeks ago gave him fruit juice and straight away he actually drank from the cup. Now he's happy to drink from it several times a day - even when its just water (he's 1 yr old).

I know that you're not supposed to give too much fruit juice for their teeth, but I guess he just needed something he liked to spur him on.

The choking thing - not sure - maybe he's not thirsty so is just chewing / sucking on the teat for comfort, rather than drinking and swallowing. Mine is often pretty dribbly when he's not wanting his milk.

Well that's the weird thing, he's quite happy to drink water / juice from any type of vessel. It's just milk that comes in bottles and ONLY bottles, apparently.

Meantime he's choking his little guts up every time he has milk. He is definitely drinking. I tried slower flow teats but that didn't help, so now I'm going to try a fast-flow (variflow) teat, in the hope that he's trying to suck in more than the teat will allow. He's in nursery today, so we'll find out tonight!

Why don't you take him off milk then? Stop the bottles altogether, just give him water, but give him option of milk in a cup if he wants it.

I'm sure he'll come round to it in a few weeks. In meantime, lots of yoghurt, cheese etc to keep his calcium up.

Agree with pootles

Stop the bottles. He won't starve or go thirsty. Offer cup with milk. Unless he needs bottle to get to sleep.

I say this as mum to 2 bottle refusing ebf babies who had to transfer to a cup of formula at 6m for my return to work. Believe me they weren't keen. Both had several thirsty days having to be offered formula off a spoon til they figured it out. Babies aren't daft, they'll use a cup if nothing else is on offer.

I'm quite happy to let him have a bottle of milk at bedtime if that's what he wants though. I know the advice is to wean them off it around 12 months, but tbh it's not top of my list, especially as we've dropped 2 bottles in the past 6 weeks or so as his appetite's improved.

As I've said - it's not the bottle that's bothering me, it's the choking.

No I know, but if you don't give him a bottle, he won't choke will he? I don't see issue with bottles for older babies generally, but it seems a no-brainer in this instance.

Yes, I see your point. As it was, we tried a variflow teat - complete transformation! He's taken all of his much-loved bottle every night since Saturday except for last night when he vommed it all up, plus his tea and some of his lunch. C'est la vie

Oh I'm glad you've cracked it! I didn't realise you could get them.