What Age to Start Holding Baby Bottle

Updated on July 23, 2008
C.L. asks from San Francisco, CA
8 answers

I'm not quite sure if this was the place to post my question but since it's about bottle feeding, I thought this was the best place. Well, anyway, what age do they start holding their own bottle?? My son is over 10 months old and still doesn't and every time I try, he either tries it for bit but then let goes or just doesn't want to do it at all. Should I be forcing him to do it?? What kills me is that he's able to hold an empty water bottle to his mouth (granted it's not tilted all the way) but still. The bottle we used are the Born Free bottles and he can hold it but I just that he's so used to me doing it, he doesn't want to. What do you think??

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

My son is 6 months and is able to hold his own bottle. Now granted he only gets water occasionally from the bottle. The rest is fresh from the tap so to speak. According to some milestones website I subscribe to... it usually happens around 6 months.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

C.,

I suggest switching him to the born free sippy cups. They have training handles and he may be encouraged by it to hold it for himself.

Molly

1 mom found this helpful
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S.F.

answers from Chico on

Just hold him while you are feeding him and enjoy it!!!!! It won't be too much longer and he will be feeding himself.

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D.C.

answers from Sacramento on

well i think it all depends my son did the same thing but i just stopped doing it and he caught on real quick like u said he is just used to u holding it hope this helps

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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter didn't hold her own bottles at all. We never pushed the issue because I figured it would be easier to transition her off of the bottle at 12 months if she wasn't too attached and holding it herself. Which worked, she didn't even notice they were gone.

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E.Y.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter was the same way. She absolutely refused to hold her own bottle. She could definitely do it but just chose not to. One time when she was about 11 months old, I handed her the bottle and she started to drink from it and then she looked up at me and threw it on the floor. It was as if she was saying she'd rather starve than feed herself. Anyway, she never really did end up holding bottles herself. It wasn't until we made the switch to sippy cups at 12 months that we didn't have to hold her and feed her.

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D.P.

answers from Sacramento on

My son was the same way, sometimes I propped it and sat next to him, just to show him I can't always hold it! After a while he caought on and would grab and hold it himself, I knew he could, he just wanted me to do it for him He has always, still been quite a needy child, I think he was showing that back then, he just like mom doing things for him, even though he can do it himself. Good luck, he will catch on, right now he probably just wants mommy, it gets frusterating, but enjoy it soon enough they don't need mommy as much and then we miss it, actually my girl hardly ever let mommy do anything, glad my son did and still does! GOOD LUCK!

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T.S.

answers from Sacramento on

I think it really just depends on the child and their temperment. There's something very luxurious about being fed by someone else. Your son may just enjoy the devotion/attention/pampering of having you hold it for him.

My son has always been obsessed with independance and started holding his bottle at 3 months (he is now a 2 year old who insists on pouring his own cereal, microwaving his own nuggets, watering the plants himself and making his own bed) but that's just always been who he is!

As long as he is able to pick other things up, I wouldn't worry about it from a motor skills perspective. Enjoy your wonderful little guy (the days of worring about him NOT doing things will fly by faster than you can believe)!

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