Straight to finger foods and a ? about whole milk

[marensmama]

My 9 1/2 month old daughter went very quickly through the pureed food stage and will not let me feed her anything with a spoon (except cottage cheese which she can't shovel in fast enough).  She eats very well by herself, but only finger foods.  I make sure she gets adequate nutrition through this, but I'm concerned she won't really develop the feeding herself with a spoon skill.

Also, I will be unfortunately returning to work in two months and she'll need two feedings of whole milk or formula.  She's never taken a bottle, she's been strictly breastfed (refused a bottle about 3x and I didn't want to bother pumping breastmilk to waste it when she'd only ever take the breast anyway).  She drinks small amounts of water from a sippy cup - I think she likes the novelty of it as opposed to quenching any thirst.  Do I give her whole milk or formula, and do I try to introduce a bottle only to break her of that later on or do we try the sippy cup?  And when do I start?

Thanks in advance!

[*Natasha*]

First of all i think it will be a while before our babies will be eating with a spoon be thanksful your DD is eating lots of finger food my DD still hasn't got the hang of it yet but we will get their (she prefers to play with her hers  )
My opinon is to change straight over to cows milk in a cup when you return to work. I wouldn't bother with bottles and formula especially if she has nevr taken to a bottle. You are lucky you don't have to worry about weining your baby from a bottle 
Good luck.

[CanadianMom]

Liam is also a big fan of feeding himself, but not with a spoon.  He loves finger foods, and is after everything I ever have (especially coffee cups) anyway, in a attempt to keep giving him his food, I have been using what I call "the distraction technique"  where I give him a wooden spoon or a toy or something to play with as I shovel food into his mouth.  Without a distraction, he buttons up his lip tight and shakes his head no. 
As for the whole milk, Liam is on whole milk, I switched all three of my kids at 9 mos ( all are above average size and we have no food allergies) 
If you can, I would try to go right to the sippy cup it makes it an easier transition if you can do it.  Nuby makes one with a soft top that Gemma liked, however, Liam likes the hard top ones ( he takes a bottle though)
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
Lisa

[tylersmommy]

I agree with the other gals, skip the bottle and go straight to the cup. Tyler didn't drink much from the sippy either until that was ALL he had to drink from after we dropped bottles. Then he adjusted quickly and really seemed to understand what the sippy was for.

I wouldn't worry about developing spoon skills at this stage of the game. Most babies prefer finger foods around that age for a few months, then suddenly go back to eating from the spoon just fine. Like Natasha said, it will be awhile before your LO is ready to start using the spoon herself...it's a skill that most babies don't master until well after their first birthday.

[marensmama]

Thanks for all the input.  I think I will skip the bottle, and I have an inkling that she'll like the sippy cup more when there's something besides water in it for her... We haven't introduced juice into the equation and and are hoping to hold off on that for a bit.

Now, maybe this should be in the Breastfeeding forum, but when I do start giving whole milk as a breastfeeding replacement for two feedings a day, do I start out just trying milk with meals so she gets the idea that there's something other than water and then once she hopefully likes/accepts that replace one feeding at a time?  And how long should I give it?

Thanks again!

[*Natasha*]

Yes i would start with giving her small amounts in a cup with meals to get her use to it and over the weeks slowly increase the amount in the cup and you will probably find she will start having shorter BF's. How you wean from breast completly i don't know as i am bottle feeding but perhaps others can help.