Any experience on breast to sippy cup at nearly 8 months??

[Georgena]

Hey everyone. Wasn't sure if i should post this on Bottle feeding board or not, feel free to move if need be!
 So, LO is 7 months and 3 weeks and im thinking about combination feeding, shes been EBF until 6 months when i introduced solids. I tried a bottle with her many times and she just never took it! So now she getting the hang of the sippy cup, takes water from it well and has taken some BM from it too. Recently ive been thinking about giving her formula for her day time feeds and continue BF for the others, ( she still wakes at night so BF'ing is much more convenient) 
Do you think its possible that i can wean her off the breast in the day?
Can they take full feeds from a sippy cup?
Also ive no idea how much she would take,or should take,her feeds in the day are getting a bit quicker.
Any advice and tips would be really appreciated!! Im a bit clueless when it comes to formula!! Thanks ladies!! 

[Violet's mom]

Interested too!

[Katet]

Long time ago, but DS2 was taking milk from a sippy (didn't take a bottle) from 6mo, by 8mo he would take about 100ml (of Expressed BM) in a sippy, it was great as I could do a morning feed for him when out & about, he'd drink from a cup in the stroller & that made life easier as we could get to places for DS1 to do activities. He still had a first thing in the morning feed & a feed after his second nap, but first one we dropped pretty easily, I think he probably took less at that cup feed than the rest of the day, but it balanced out I think.

[*Ali*]

Average intake for a breastfed baby is 25oz so maybe divide that by the number of feeds to get a starting point. So if she has 4 day feeds and a NF then that might be about 5oz per feed. That's only a rough guide of course and I believe most LOs take less from a sippy than a bottle or breast so she may take less and make up for it at the other feeds. 
I think you do need to consider how heavy the cup is as well though so it might be an idea to start with just a couple ounces and build up if she is finishing it.
You can also count any breast milk or formula in her solid foods (on cereal or in cheese sauce for example) towards the daily count.

[Georgena]

Do you think i should try the bottle again or just stick with the cup?
And if she only takes a couple of ounces or refuses do i then offer the breast?
At what age do they start having snacks with/instead of the day feeds?? I know im a long way off but just to get an idea where im heading. Thats for the info on the amounts 

[*Ali*]

I guess it depends on what your reasons are for switching the feeds to formula and how quickly you need to stop breastfeeding at those feeds.
If there is not mad rush then I would offer the breast a few minutes after she refuses or if she only takes an ounce or so and build up slowly at her pace.
We only started offering snacks at 12mo when we started dropping daytime feeds.

[Maria14]

I introduced sippy cup at 4 months-free flow-as haven't had any luck with the bottle.
DD is well established on solids,three meals a day-she is 7.5 months.
Can drink a 100 mls from sippy when she really wants too,most of the time it's about 60 mls,but she has cut right down on her milk and I feel that she actually takes less from the breast as she isn't that interested in it anymore.
I substituted late morning feed with sippy cup done time ago and have stared also giving it to her before bed as she has been refusing breast altogether on some occasions-others she would suck for a minute and that would be it..she has had 60-80 mls from sippy last couple of nights but I think it's still more than she would take from the breast..

[Maria14]

I also had bottle-sippy debate with myself when DD was 6 months but persevered with sippy.

[Katet]

If it was me & the age there is no way I'd be going for a bottle. I'd say if you get 100ml (about 3oz) in from a cup & she gets 3-4 good BF at other times & she does ok with solids then it will be fine (at least it was with my DS2)
Because I had an older child, my DS2 was having a snack with his 10ish cup because he had to do what his brother was doing.

[Georgena]

Thanks everyone, im not under any pressure to get her off the breast i just am getting a bit,well,feel a bit tied down. Im very lucky as i don't need to worry about getting back to work,we moved here when i was 8 months pregnant so no job yet!! So i am completely free to continue BF but im wanting to stop at a year, was originally 6 months, and thought maybe weaning in the day would set me on the right track, but im definately having doubts and questions and also feel a bit guilty, if i can, why would i stop BF!!!  Sorry to ramble!!   

[Maria14]

Georgena,I could have written your last post!..
Now that DD is having formula from sippy cup for some of her feeds I feel quite guilty.
But I guess she is growing and the independence does have to start somewhere so its probably for the better..also she has one tooth now and is trying to bite me occasionally which isn't helping BF,so it's probably a good time for us to start weaning gradually..

[*Ali*]

Milk is still the main source of nutrition until 1yo so if LO is not taking much (less than 20oz or 4 good breast feeds a day) then you probably need to cut back on the solid foods. They can't get all the nutrients in the right balance that they need from solids at this age. I had to do that with my DS1 at 7mo but was able to build back up a couple weeks later without it adversely affecting his milk intake.

[Georgena]

I think her milk intake is ok,i did cut back a bit on solids and shes taking good feeds now, when she doesnt its more down to being so distracted,and when we are out and i need to BF then forget it! So that makes it hard to be out if she doesnt feed properly I've just signed her up to start nursery when she is a year old so she will have to be off the boob in the day by then!!   

[Violet's mom]

Yes I have to go back to work when she is just shy of a year - I have four months to train her - wish me luck!!!  Love the easily distracted phase...  Hope sippy cup works out for you.