Persuading an 11 month old to drink from a cup?

[ThursdayNext]

DD 11months is exclusively BF and won't drink milk or water from a cup. I'm back at work part-time in a couple of weeks and will be out the house for 10 hours, so although she eats well she will really need some fluids! She is only having one daytime breastfeed at the moment. Have tried sippy cups, straws, and an open cup, she will sometimes take one slurp from an open cup but no more.
She's never had a bottle so I don't know if she would take one (I doubt it, somehow). I wanted to skip bottles and just go straight to a cup, which worked fine for DS who preferred the Tommee Tippee first cup, but DD is not impressed and just bats it away.
Any ideas?

Hi - my DS was exclusively BF and didn't seem to know what to do with a cup I expressed and put the milk into his Tommee Tippee cup and held it up to his mouth for him and he eventually got the idea (can't remember how long it took, sorry).

I think all you need is patience . My dd was bf and wouldn't take a bottle. When I had to get her to take liquids because of her being at nursery we tried her on a TT first cup. She now drinks from that or an open cup no probs (she's 10 months). But it didn't happen immediately. We went through a few weeks of tipping beaker/cup up and wearing most of the water or taking one drink and then batting it away or just playing with it. But in the end she got it - slowly but surely. And I bet she'll drink better away from you anyway -they always do!

Just keep trying it and I'm sure she'll get it eventually. It's a new skill she has to learn.

With an open cup, have you drunk from it first and then offered it to her? My dd would always prefer to partake in grown-up things - in fact, we used to let her drink from a pint glass (us holding it!) until she got teeth .

I wouldn't offer a bottle. You'll only have the problem of withdrawing it later...

Both my DSs were exclusively b-fed and both took to the Tommee Tippee fist cup after a while.
Just keep offering it to her (or just leave it on the table/highchair) with water/diluted juice etc and she will work out what its for.

Just keep trying different cups and something will click. Patience required (hollow laughter).

We have been patient, honest. Have been trying her with a cup for months casually, and for the last few weeks have tried quite often. She's no better at drinking if I go out for a while and leave her with DP. I don't really want to go to work for 10 hours and hope for the best though, it seems pretty harsh to me.

julietbat, she was interested in my mug of tea so I tried water in a mug, no success though. Will try drinking and then offering her the same cup tomorrow, thanks.

Any more ideas?

Have you tried a doidy cup?

Only thing my DS will drink water from and he loves it!

My dd is always interested in my mug of tea and has a good few gulps every time! (We drink decaf so am assuming it's ok for her!) She probably figured out that you offered her something different from what you had - they're not stupid

You say you've tried quite often over the past few weeks - we offered it to her every mealtime. You might want to try it with that sort of frequency if you're not already doing so.

Also, not that this is a solution but it might put your mind at rest a bit in the short term - you'd be surprised how much liquid a baby can take in their food. If you make sure she's getting food with a high liquid content that will really help. (I'm amazed sometimes when I defrost food how much of it is water - particularly veg).

HI THURSDAY.
POOR YOU. WORRYING, HAVING TO GO BACK TO WORK & NEEDING THIS BABY PROB SORTED OUT.
YOUR GAL WILL DRINK WHEN SHE IS THIRSTY.
IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT YOU ARE WORRIED
....ANYONE WOULD BE.

MAYBE,TRY MAKING HER WAIT A LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL FOR HER FEED...GET THAT HUNGER BUILT UP.
SITTING HER IN HER HIGH-CHAIR (WELL STRAPPED IN!) PLACING A "SIPPY" CUP IN FRONT OF HER..YOU KNOW..JUST MAKE HER WAIT THAT EXTRA HALF AN HOUR OR SO.
WHEN SHE STARTS YELLING...PERHAPS SING A SONG (OR 10) TO YOURSELF..WHATEVER YOU LIKE FROM YOUR LIST OF FAVE SONGS..(AIR GUITAR EVERY NOW & AGAIN WILL HAVE AN ASTONISHING EFFECT!LOL!)
HAVE YOUR BACK TO HER.
SCRUB SOME CUPBOARDS/THE FLOOR.
PEEL SOME POTATOES.
WHATEVER NEEDS DOING.

...DON'T MAKE TOO MUCH EYE CONTACT, (ESPECIALLY WHEN HER TONE REACHES GLASS-BREAKING LEVELS)...SMILE,WHEN YOU DO LOOK AT HER (DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP IF YOU DO "BREAK" & LOOK HER WAY...JUST LOOK AWAY AGAIN & CARRY ON) & DON'T WORRY.
WHEN YOU ARE AWAY FROM HER AT WORK,MAKE SURE THAT HER FOOD IS GOOD & SLOPPY! PLENTY OF MILK OR WATER ADDED.
KIDS ARE STUBBORN LITTLE BUGGERS...BUT,THEY GET THE MESSAGE IN THE END.
YOU SOUND LIKE A GOOD MUM.
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.X

Slightly different topic but my breastfed baby would only take first years bottles (from mothercare or internet). Tried loads of others at great cost!

Also likes doidy cup now but no others - recommend you try it in the bath first few times - it goes everywhere.

Good luck

Thursday, you could try an eggcup or an espresso cup (sorry, ponce alert )
If she's interested in your cup of tea, if you offer a miniature version for her - the espresso cup - it might make her more interested? My DS just drinks a lot better out of thing that have a smaller diameter, they fit his mouth better and don't look so overwhelming.
We started him off on these and then started offering a sippy cup and he eventually worked out how to use the sippy (still prefers the eggcup/espresso cup though )

Thanks, folks, good to have some ideas. Tried DD with some Innocent smoothie today, and she seemed to be able to slurp that up OK! So I guess she does know how to drink, she just doesn't want to drink milk or water.

julietbat, no luck with the 'here, try some of this delicious water from my cup, mmm, look how yummy it is' ploy, I think the baby is smarter than she looks!
juliet and kellymg, I know, you're right, lots of food does have a high water content, I will drown her weetabix in milk.

Will try a doidy cup.

Ladybee, I am clearly not as poncy or ladylike as you as I don't actually own any espresso cups or eggcups! Will borrow one though, got to be worth a try. Or I might buy myself some lovey new china and try to up my ponce rating !

DS (also exclusively BF) would not take bottle or sippy cup or sucky cup or anything really. First time I gave him a doidy cup (aged 8/9 months -ish) he took a big swig of water I was SO excited about it that now everytime he sees the doidy cup he gets a thrill! I only put a tiny tiny bit of water in it for the first few weeks or he would tend to drown himslef and get a bit scared. He now drinks happily out of most open cups (he's 10 months). Good luck