Weaning to Sippy Cup.

Hi! both of my girls went right to a bottle sippy of sorts - buy the Gerber juices and then go to Wal-Mart and buy the 2 pack of lids - about $2 - one red and one yellow right by the baby foods and juices - the have to suck fluid out but no leaks - a nice transition I think - good luck!

Hey K.

If he can use the sippy cup then go for it! No reason to have to use a bottle if he already likes to use a sippy! Just put whatever you are letting him drink in there. I still hold my daughter and rock her while she is drinking from her sippy cup at night while we read a story and get ready for bed.

K.,

My daughter is 7.5 months old and I think we're in a similar place right now. She's definately not as interested in nursing as she once was because she's too busy trying to figure out what's going on in the world around here. I offer frequently but she usually either won't latch on or will only eat for a few minutes. I try to get better sessions in when she's either falling asleep or waking up. So far though, her diaper count remains good.

Are you planning to continue pumping for his bottles or switching him to formula? My personal preference is for my daughter not to have formula. Especially with all the other prices that are rising - not buying formula is a huge deal to us.

We also introduced a sippy and are working on becoming more competent with it. As soon as she is consistenly taking it and not spitting so much, I'm going to put away all her bottles. DD only gets the occasional bottle, maybe 2-3 times per month, but I still can't wait to be done with them. As long as he is comfortable with one, I don't see any reason why you couldn't just go right to that - it's what we plan to do.

We've also started working on nursing manners. I plan to nurse until Taylor self weans which I'm hoping will fall in the 18 month - 24 month range. She's definately started to try chomping down a few times - and she doesn't have any teeth yet. We also just worked through an extremely painful change in her latch. Every time gets lazy and I can feel her latch start to be painful, I pop her off and relatch her. If she pops off more than 3 times to look around, the session is done. If she's "biting" she gets one warning to be gentle, then the session is done. It's rough right now, but I know that laying this groundwork now will make for a better relationship down the road.

Good luck to you,

S.

We moved our 8mos old twins to the Born Free bottle with a sippy cup nipple. Worked great. They also sell a sippy cup version, but we already had the bottles. The nipples don't leak, and they are harder than a regular one... great for teething.

Good luck.

Hi, my child refused the bottle completely. At 6 months, I started with a sippy cup and was successful. I think you are right, you're going to have to ditch those bottles eventually, this is your opportunity to go right to a sippy and skip the trauma.

when they seem less interested go with the flow. i would give him his formula in a sippy cup since he already drinks from it. why put yourself throught he torture of having to also wean him from the bottle? give him some teething toys and medicine to relieve discomfort from teething. my son chews on his sippy cup time to time while he is teething. my son was less interested in the bottle when he was about 7 months old. he has been doing the sippy cup since then and is doing well. he eats baby food and table food which your son should be doing by now. it is a natural transition from liquids to solids. if you like doing natural stuff homeopathic try hylands teething tablets which they sell in pathmark,rite aid and walmart.

K.--- Please feel free to call one of the LLL leaders in the area. You can talk it out with them and give much more info then you can typing- Plus they may have a number of ideas to help him continue to get the wonderful benefits of breastmilk but still be comfortable for everyone involved.

Andrea Kirkham ###-###-####
Tiffany Beckwith ###-###-####
Laura- ###-###-####

These are all experienced leaders in the Moon Township/Beaver Area they can also refer you to a leader closer to you as well. Or you can check out llli.org to find one.

It's okay to call- It's okay to ask!!!

You should be very proud that as a full-time working mom you are still breastfeeding -- YOU GO GIRL!

Also put the pumped breastmilk in the sippy/bottle whatever instead of formula---still getting the benefits but drinking out of what he 'seems' to prefer

DEFINIELY wean to the sippy cup. I nursed 3 children and weaned straight to a sippy cup with all three. (NONE of my kids ever had a bottle....not because I think they are bad but just because breast to cup worked for us.) You might waste a lot of formula and/or expressed breast milk at first but it will work. Babies do not know thre are other "options" out there. So, if you just offer the sippy, it will work.....especially if your child already drinks water and juice from the sippy. If you go to the bottle, you'll just have to wean from that eventually. Good luck!

Hi K.! I hear you! My son is now 13 months old. I'm still breastfeeding, but he takes one of those sippee cups with that sturdy built in straw that goes down to the bottom of the cup. 1st I went to a regular sippee cup but at the time he was interested he was 9 months, and he had trouble holding on to it and tippign his head back at the same time so whenever he wanted a drink I had to help him hold the cup (b/c he wanted to hold it himself) and tip it for him which he wasnt' getting. Then I tried the one with the straw so he could hold it and drink by himself which is what he wanted without having to tip it back since the straw extends to the bottom of the cup. Now he's a pro!!! Hope this helps (don't go to a bottle, a friend of mine said it's really hard then to wean them from that, in addition if you're still breastfeeding that might literally be a little rough if he's used to biting down on a bottle nipple!)

I gave my son a sippy at 8 months old I don't think that is too early. By 9 month he was off the bottle, so I would go right to the sippie.
L. f

I agree that going to a sippy now is fine. What's most important is the nourishment he's getting, not in what form (bottle/cup) he's getting it! Good luck!

Go for it!! If your son does well with the sippy cup then thank your lucky stars and have fun!!

Hi,
I agree with trying the sippy cup. He may or not take it, but I would keep trying. Don't force it though, you don't want to upset him. Good luck to you.
C.

Hello
My grandson now 10 m/o has been using a sippy since 5 m/o @ 4 months he had a sippy that was like a bottle. My daughter uses the one's that milk only comes out when he sucks on it

I always introduced a sippy when they started table food - 6 months. I tried to follow their lead as well and we never had an attachment to bottles (well not with my first 2, but my third is still nursing. She doesn't seem to care a bottle either). You will want to either pump milk for the sippy or do formula in it though -- they really still need that nutrition for the full first year. No real need to give it in a bottle though.

I do not think it is too early. I totaly agree with your thoughts about the bottle. If you have a pump, give him the breast milk in the cup...

Hi K.,

I would let him go right to the sippy cup. No, it's not too early. It's not that your pushing him to take the sippy cup he's asking for the sippy cup. This will make things alot easier for you!

I hope this helps?

A little about me: I'm a stay at home Mom of 4 with my own home based business. www.trisharaycandles.scent-team.com
I. B.

my daughter now four was weaned to a sippy cup at nine months she took to it well if your son is already takeing water and juice from one then its better to just put his milk in it as well rather then go threw putting on a bottle and the cup.offer him plenty of refrigerated teething toys and he should do just fine.

problem might be the feeling of sucking on a nipple. Sippy cups not the same thing. 24-28 oz of formula a day.

I breast fed both of my daughters. I was able to feed my youngest right until she went to a sippy cup. She went to the cup at about nine or ten months. She was completely weaned by about a year. Good Luck. CINDY

I would go straight to the cup, especially since he's already used it with success. Doctors have always told me through the years that there's no need for a bottle if a child can hold a cup. So I say go straight to a cup! It'll save you one step, lol.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

My oldest daughter was 9 months old when she stopped nursing all on her own and I had not choice but to wean her. I went directly to a sippy cup. The only problem I had was that she wouldn't drink formula or pumped breast milk...even if I tried a bottle. I called the pediatrician and ended up having to go straight to whole milk with her.