Weaning from bottle and jealousy issues.

[babyonboard]

I posted all of below in breast/bottle feeding but have no response as they all seem still engaged in the breast over bottle, early weaning, sterilising type debates (yawn) so hope i get some joy here...

My DS is 17 months and was doing well with cups until his sister was born (she is now 5m). We had cut him back to just a nightime bottle of milk and during the day he had sippy cups or assisted drinking from a 'proper' cup/glass. Now he wants DD's bottle whenever he sees me feeding her, and refuses to drink from his cup.
I've had some success with giving him straws to drink with, but he still seems fixated on her bottles.
I understand this may be a more complex jealousy problem, but am not sure how to deal with it.
We have tried explaining to him that bottles are for babies, but he is too young to fully understand.
She has a dummy, which he also had until 3 months old and he is not remotely interested in that, so I just can't see why the bottles are causing us so much fuss.
Should I try weaning DD onto a cup, she seems too young but my HV has suggested this!?
If anyone has experienced something similar, or may have some input otherwise I'd be really grateful

just give him it it is not a big deal. He is still a baby really. it is because you are holding her and giving it to her, the dummy she does herself.

he wants to be the same and get the same attention. Why fight about it?

I second that, just give it to him, he's not that old nd the novelty will wear off

I just don't want him 'regressing' as such, and going back to having every drink in a bottle, especially as he mainly has juice/smoothies these days which though healthy are pretty sugary and surely bad for his teeth if he's sucking on a bottle all day!?.

I try to spread the attention, by playing with him much more intensively just before DD is due a feed, then chatting with him whilst I feed her, or trying to make him involved, i.e he sits on my lap and 'helps' by holding the end of the bottle as she drinks it, but it doesn't always work and he's getting to that age where he can tantrum, but isn't old enough to really understand when we have to stop him doing things.

I'm so used to him grabbing the bottle from her that I now always make two so when he steals it I can just get another immediately. He then proceeds to just chuck it on the floor, so it's not like he wants it, he just wants 'the same' iyswim.

I know it shouldn't be like that but he's so young I can't really explain to him.

special toy that only comes out when dd feeds?

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea, though it may only be a short term solution.

DP and I discussed this last night and he suggested feeding DD from an avent magic cup with a teat in it, as DS used to have those so may be 'fooled' into thinking he's got the same, and if not can have one just with a spout. We will try.

tommee tippee makes a small beaker with one single hole in the spout. the spout also folds down. it makes a good first beaker and i have seen it recommended for bf babies who won't take a bottle.

i think your hv has a point. 1t 5 mo. babies can learn to take a beaker. worth giving it a try. it won't be an overnight success but you can definitely get her off bottles long before a year and i am sure that has its advantages.

i don't think you have anything to lose by giving it a try.

I was going to suggest the avent magic cup. Perhaps you can let him have a bottle but tell him milk or water only in a bottle like his sister give him the choice - I had a small age gap and the baby had to give up the bottles completely (went onto magic cup with spout) at 10 months so I could ditch the bottles for my 24 month old (she was very sad!).

I have to say it's not worth getting too hung up about but I can understand about the teeth worry!

the difficulty with the majic cup may be the valve. maybe take it out?