Just to add that my second LO refused completely to take bottles. But she drank successfully from a cup from about six months. She liked straw cups, but also the doidy cup (not sure if that's available in Australia), and open cups quite quickly from age one. So don't despair!
Also, depending on your work hours, you may not have to worry too much about when he feeds during the day. There are several mamas around who went back to work and continued to bf successfully with bottle refusers. He may also be happier to take a cup of whatever kind from someone who is not you
Don't panic. About the drinking or the eating. A few weeks is a world of time to an 8 month old, and a different setting will help him adjust to different things he needs to do. Above all, try not to let him see you are stressed about it, he'll pick up on any insistence and react to it. And definitely don't try to force anything. 8 months is still very young in the grand scheme. He doesn't "need" to be eating three meals a day at this point or anything like it. Have you been spoon feeding him? Just wondering because if he doesn't like bottles in his mouth, then he might not like spoons either (mine didn't, unless she was holding them!). You might like to post on the feeding solids board to chat about that.
Feeding Solid Food
