Our 11 month old doesn't care for her bottle any more. If she could only figure out how to use her sippy cup, I'd just give her that! But she hasn't figured out how to use her sippy cup (but does hold it) so we have to struggle through bottle feeding. I don't like to see her get so mad at the bottle, but at the same time, she kind of needs to eat at least some of it. And she's not taking to finger foods very well yet, but that's all we offer her at dinner time. (She eats something like chunky oatmeal and mashed bananas very well but the finger foods aren't there yet.)
Anyway, real question is, any suggestions on sippy cups? Looking for something easy to transition to, I'm new at this stuff! :) Thanks!! I'll try anything, really! :)
Try using the sippy cups with the softer spouts. They are in between and nipple and the plastic head. I transitioned all my boys with those. You can find them at Wal Mart or Target. I like the Playtex ones that are spill proof. You can try a faster flowing nipple as well, but I recommend going ahead with the next step sippy cup. Children should be off the bottle by 1 years old because of tooth decay. Good luck!
Teach her how to use a regular cup. Kids can actually learn this faster than a sippy since they don't have to learn a new suck, plus you won't have to wean her from the sippy later! Start with small amount in a cup with handles. Help her tip it up slowly. Be prepared for a bit of a mess at first, some of it will go all over her. But some will get in her mouth, and she'll figure out how to help that along. Once she gets used to it, you can put more in at a time. I bet she'll catch on quickly (I was instructed to start teaching my kids at 6 months, and they learned pretty quick even then).
My son weaned himself about 11 months and never did take a bottle. He was drinking just from a cup. So it can work :)
I agree - we used this version of the Nuby cups - it was easier for him to have something shaped more similar to a bottle - the handles were difficult for him. We still use these on the go and it made the transition from bottle to sippy cup to real cup much easier. Good luck - she'll get it!
We tried several sippies. I think the one he finally used was the Dr Browns sippy. I've heard that drinking from a straw is a good start too. My son didn't get the hang of that though.
The only real trick I found was that you have to keep giving it to them...over and over and over! She'll figure it out. I think it's fine that you're only offering her finger foods for dinner but just make sure you're offering them all day long, even if it's in conjuction with purees. Give her all kinds of stuff, it doesn't just have to be bland, squishy stuff, just make sure it's small. My kids loved (still do) peas at that age b/c they are just the right size and shape and they can pop them right in their little mouths. Cut up carrots with a little honey and brown sugar (cooked, of course), green beans, and edamame were all faves around here....also cheese. Honestly, with both of these things it's more about exposure than anything else, I think. My daughter would have nothing to do with purees by 8 months but my son took a little more coaxing and we offered him these things day in and day out and then one day it all clicked for him!
My friend swore by the "Nuby" brand sippy cups.
I taught my son with the Take N Toss brand sippys, as I was still nursing him and he chewed on the soft-tipped sippys. I did not want him chewing on me!
To SH..why is she not ready for finger foods? Try different foods? I NEVER have a daycare child still on anything resembling baby food at pushing a year old. Never in 14 years, nor my own child, who is almost 17. Just keep offering things, eventually she will get it..and once she does, likely it will be a quick escalation to ONLY finger foods!
I have 2 daycare kidlets right now...one just hit the first birthday this past weekend..the other a month ago. I haven't offered baby food or mushy food to them for months. They get mostly what the other kids get..chopped small, made softer (like our grilled cheese today...lightly toasted for them)..along with blueberries and bananas. Mine eat sandwiches and wraps and soups (the drained out chunky parts..perfect for them..soft, etc)...fruits of all sorts (berries and melons right now!) and veggies.
Today we are cold turkey with no bottles. It will be a rougher few days, but they will be fine.
As far as a cup..try other ones...soft nipples, firm ones, ones with or without valves...I would give each one a few days exclusive use (I prefer the no valve ones..less to wash..milk/formula flows right to their mouth without needing to suck it out). More mess, but I get kids off sippys about 18-20 months at my house (and potty train totally at 24-28 months without exception).
Currently I use the Nuby rubbery ones (easy grip no spill cup http://nuby.com/en/nuby/cups-spouts/889) Inexpensive, easy to wash, etc.
Good luck!
My sister was actually younger, about 9 months, and absolutely refused bottles. We had a red plastic cup with a handle, no top, no sippy, we put milk in it and she drank from it from that day forward! So just keep trying until you find one that works : ) The same with food, keep offering finger foods and her spoon and fork so she can learn to eat on her own.
For my last one we liked the Nuby cups the best and I bought them at Target. He seemed to do better with the ones with no handles, that he held like a bottle:
http://www.nuby.in/basicprintedcupsnuby.php
you could try the cups with a straw ... it teaches them to hold their cup down ... when mine were little rubbermaid made small juice box size ones ... now I think there are all kinds of them.
Babies are very capable of transitioning if we let them. put a very small amount in a regular small cup and let her experience the juice coming gently to her mouth. After feeding her the bottle, put her favorite drink in the sippy cup and she will manipulate it until she can get her favorite juice without being in a frenzy because she is hungry or thirsty. I notice you said "eat some of it". If that is correct solids/semi-solids should not be given in a bottle at all, but fed with a soft babyspoon, even if it is messy. I used to buy a cheap shower curtain and spread it under the highchair and let her have at it. Then give her a bath. Just rinse the hair with conditioner so it doesn't dry out.
Try a kiddie straw cup.
Or, put a faster flowing nipple on her bottle.
She's probably outgrown the infant nipple.
They get frustrated if the milk comes out slow.
She is not ready for finger foods.
