How to can i drop feeds if he wont drink water or milk from a sippy???

[kirsty_167]

HI
My son is 8 months old and will not drink water or even milk from a sippy cup.He gets so mad.I have tried and tried for 2 months now and no progress.I have tried and continue to try everyday.He gets furious at me and refuses outright. >:(All i manage to do is tip a few drops into his mouth before he slams his mouth firm shut!

He is at an age now where i can start to look at dropping another bottle but how on earth can i do that if i cant get fluids into him any other way??

Please can anyone help me?
Thanks
kirsty

[LŠuren]

Kirsty - quick reply
Have you followed TBW guide sticky about using a sippy/trainer cup?

[kirsty_167]

hi...you mean the one under bottle feeding forum? I have read that and i do all those things...nothing works.I have tried every day with each meal/snack...no progress at all...i am soooooooooo stuck!

Kirsty

[tylersmommy]

Is there a particular reason you're looking to drop a feed? Unless there is, it really isn't necessary. Tyler would only take little sips from the sippy so I never bothered dropping a bottle. He stayed on 4 bottles a day until we started whole milk at 1 yr. It really does take time for them to get the hang of the sippy. I don't think Tyler even came close to drinking out of it until 9-10 mo. Just something to think about!

[kirsty_167]

HI ...thanks tylers mommy.the only reason i was looking at dropping a bottle was because i was told they should loose the lunchtime one arouind 8 or 9 months.................i guess everywhere u go different people tell you different things!! I am at a loss at to when to move to 3 bottles...then 2 etc etc..............

Kirsty

[LŠuren]

Kirsty

I think it is usually the LO's that instigate the dropped bottle 

[kirsty_167]

Hi callums mum...yes i agree with you totally.

I went to an appt with the plunket nurse (who in new zealand look after/monitor our babies up to 5 years)It was her who said i need to drop a bottle soon.I think as he starts decreasing the amount he will take then i will go with his cue.I have only dropped feeds before by his cues.He has started leaving 50ml at lunch bottle and 3pm bottle,hence why i thought he was getting close to dropping one altogether.

My main question is though.....what do i do when jakob wont drink anything except his bottles? If he doesnt drink water or milk from a sippy how will i drop a bottle when he shows he no longer wants it?wont he get dehyrdated?

Kirsty

[LŠuren]

I am assuming you are on 4 bottles a day, by dropping a bottle you would go to 3 per day. Something like 7am, 1 or 2pm and 7pm - the middle bottle will be dependant on Jackob's nap. He would still get his 3 meals during the day.

I only offer a sippy during meals with formula in it, do you give Jakob yogurts, cheese, etc he will be getting calcium for these as well.
I forgot to ask how much formula does he get during the day? You may find that he will take more at each feed if you go to 3 bottles. Dropping a bottle doesn't necessarily mean having to put it in a sippy.
Lauren

P.S
I hope you got on OK next week 

This is a bit dis-jointed Calum keeps waking from his nap 

[kirsty_167]

Hi calums mum
Thank you for taking time to help me.
Jakob is on 4 bottles at present.I am posting his routine so maybe someone can advise me what to do  in regard to going to 3 bottles ie when to feed to fit around naps etc and what time i should feed lunch if he gets up at 10,30 from 1st nap )

Current routine
7am up
7.15 bottle (240ml)
8.15 (breakfast) has to wait until  when he gets to daycare
9.00am nap (usually an hour and 1/4)
10.30 up snack and sippy of water (refuses but may have one mouthful)
11.00am bottle (220ml) but drinking about 160-70 ml
11.45 lunch
12.30/1pm nap
2.30 up snack and sipy (refuses still)
3.15 bottle (220ml) drinks about 180-200ml
4.30 catnap
5pm up
5.30 dinner and sippy (refuses sippy again!!!)
6pm bath
6.30 bottle (240 ml)
7pm bed

Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Kirsty

[Onewoman]

Hi,
I haven't got a lot of time to write as lo is about to wake up, but I would drop the 11 am bottle since there would be 3.5 hours then between breakfast and lunch. As far as the sippy cup goes don't worry too much about it. I would leave it for a week or a few days then just leave it in your lounge where he can get to it so he can have a go if he wants to. You may have to buy a new one as he may have negative thoughts about the one you have. Also, if he sees older children drinking from a cup then he will want to as well. He will do it in his own time 

Take care xx

[KellyC]

Hi Kirsty

We've just dropped Zander down to 3 breastfeeds because he was refusing one or both of his daytime feeds and he's eating loads more than before!  We've dropped the 11am feed and I give him the old 3pm feed at about 2 or 2.30 or just work around when he naps because they're still pretty inconsistent!

Have you tried letting Jakob sip water from an open cup?  Zander hardly gets anything from a sippy but loves his doidy (which is a special type of open cup).  I don't know if you get them there but any old beaker would do.

Must go - his lordship is awake!

Kelly x

[LŠuren]

Kirsty,


I was just reading Kellys reply and agree,
7am up
7.15 bottle
2.30 bottle
6.30 bottle
7pm bed


8.15 (breakfast) has to wait until  when he gets to daycare
11.45 lunch
5.30 dinner
Keep persevering with the sippy, I don't know what types of solids you give Jakob, however rice and pasta are thirst inducing. Also try a open cup, with you holding it or else it will be everywhere 

[tylersmommy]

I've never been able to find a valid reason why babies "should" drop a bottle if they're happy as they are. I know many doctors and nurses advise it, but I've never been able to figure out why. 8 mo is still pretty young...consistently drinking from the sippy is a skill that some babies don't master until they're a bit older. I don't think Tyler did anything but chew on it until 9-10 mo, and he didn't drink any significant amount from it until we ditched bottles at 1 yr. If Jakob and you are happy with his current routine, I don't see much reason to change it. When he does show that he's ready to drop a bottle, he'll probably still be fine even if he still isn't taking much from a sippy. Some babies start to take more from each bottle at that point, so they're getting the same amount of formula from fewer feedings.

[*Natasha*]

I believe you should follow your babies cues when it comes to dropping a bottle, most people drop to 3 bottles when babies start fussing with 1-2 bottles a day. My DD dropped her 4th bottle at 5 months  much to my suprise but it has worked really well for us. You find alot of babies start to drop bottle 4 around 8/9months but as Tylersmommy said with Tyler some are happy to keep having 4 up until 12months old.
As for the sippy cup just keep offering it to him with meals you will find he will take a little more over time. I offered a sippy cup from 4 months when my DD started solids and am only finding now she is taking around 2ozs at each feed.

[kirsty_167]

Wow...thanks everyone for your valued advice.

I have been trying jakob with an open sipper (ie no lid on it) to see if that would make a difference...but not really.I think i will take your advice kelly and buy a new one as he may have bad vibes about this one now!!!!

He has started fussing over 2 bottles,the 11am one and the 3pm one.This is why the nurse advised me to drop one so he would take one good one at 2.30ish.Im not sure if im ready to try him on that yet or not.he sleeps soooo well at night im scared to muck that up lol!!! I think i will gradually reduce the 11am one and see how we go that way.This is what i did with his dreamfeed and by the time we got down to only 60ml i dropped it altogether.Sometimes i think maybe slowly slowly works better...well it has for jakob and he is the one whos' cues im following.

I am wondering that once he has dropped the 11am bottle he may start taking  his sippy as he may be more thirsty. Perhaps at the moment he gets so much milk he simply doesnt want anything else?

Oh one question at 8 months he is having his dinner before his last bottle.Should i start feeding him lunch first now if im going to gradually reduce the bottle...ie  feed him lunch at 11.30ish and then offer smaller bottle after? That way he learns to fill up on soilds at lunch and not rely on the bottle? Soory if thats a dumb question    i have no idea what i did with my daughter (shes 10 years old)the long dely between children has rendered me a new mommy all over again!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for taking time to help me!!!!! MUch appreciated!
Kirsty