How do I get him to take the bottle?

[mommymel]

My son is now over a year old...one year and one week. He has taken the bottle in the past but it has been at least two months. He won't take it from my mom at this time. She's only tried it with ABM so far. I tried to give it to him today with breast milk and he took a couple of sucks but wants nothing to do with it. I am not sure I will be able to pump enough milk out at this time for a breastmilk bottle. I really need some suggestions because I need to get back to work and life etc. and my son will need his milk while I'm gone. he doesn't really take the sippee cup much. He will swig some water out of it on occasion. I tried to give him some organic whole milk in it today. He took a few sips and seemed to like it but I don't feel it's enough to leave him with anyone for long periods of time.

[The4OfUs]

I don't know if by sippie cup you mean straw cup, or the tradition spout kind - neither of my kids would take a spout type sippie...but they both were drinking out of straw-cup type sippies before they were a year old. Maybe that will work, maybe he doesn't like the 'tilt head back and suck' mechanism, I think that's what bugged my kids too about it.

[alegna]

How long will you be away from him?

Many toddlers over a year don't need milk when away from mom as long as they nurse plenty when together.

-Angela

[mommymel]

He's using the Born Free sippie. It's a soft spout that he sucks out of. He's taking drinks out of it, but only a few then he's uninterested. I'm thinking I should just do the milk with the sippie and skip the bottle thing. Hopefully he will eventually take more.


I may be away from him up to 8 hours if I go back to work. That may not happen immediately but it will in the very near future. At the moment the longest will be about 5 hours. The longest he has gone without nursing so far has been about 5 1/2 hours. He was more than ready for it when I got back. (He started food closer to 8 months so he may not be eating like the average one yr old. I'm not sure.)

[mommymel]

Originally Posted by The4OfUs

I don't know if by sippie cup you mean straw cup, or the tradition spout kind - neither of my kids would take a spout type sippie...but they both were drinking out of straw-cup type sippies before they were a year old. Maybe that will work, maybe he doesn't like the 'tilt head back and suck' mechanism, I think that's what bugged my kids too about it.

Which kind is the straw kind. I will try that too. What brand?

[The4OfUs]

We have this kind (which I use only for water),
http://www.thermos.com/Product_detai...&ProductID=738

Which is not plastic (except the straw obviously)

And this kind (which I'm phasing out as they get ratty):
http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ..._sku=sku300959

But I started them both with this kind:
http://www.farm-home.com/mn/t7_ssidi...20-5073~~~~~~~

But I don't know the BPA status of those, so I'm not sure if you'd be interested in them.

I didn't pump much so they got water in it, but both of them took to it really quickly. To teach them I sucked water up the straw myself with it out of the bottle, ut the straw in their mouth and let the water kind of go in as they started to suck on it - did that a couple times, then put the cup together and let them have it, and htey both had it figured out in short order; DS started around 7 months and DD around 9.

Good luck!

[mommymel]

Wow! Thanks for the links! The thermos looks great. My son learned how to suck out of a straw a couple of months ago when I was drinking a smoothie. I wonder if he remembers how. I bet this will work well for him. I'm not sure he likes the taste of cow's milk yet but I will try and if not I guess I can give him something else. ??
thanks again!

[The4OfUs]

Originally Posted by mommymel

I'm not sure he likes the taste of cow's milk yet but I will try and if not I guess I can give him something else. ??
thanks again!

Not for nothing, but my DD does not drink cow milk at all, never has liked it. Kids don't *neeeeeeed* cow's milk, they can ge those nutrients from other places, especially if they're still nursing. You can find calcium in other sources, and if he's nursing I'd worry about cow milk nutrients even less. DD ate yogurt and cheese, and broccoli, and I sneaked a liquid vitamin in her evey couple days, and she's had no problems; she's a sturdy, healthy little girl without drinking milk.

Now the rest of us in the family? We LOVE cow milk, especially DH and I.

Just thought I'd mention this, you don't have to sweat no cows milk if you get other sources of the nutrients in him.

[veganone]

DD much prefers the straw sippy, but has gotten better with the Born Free one with practice. She started with just water, but gets EBM and oat/rice milk in them.

I agree that at this age you don't need to worry about milk during the day. As long as LO has some water and eats while you're away and nurses at will when you're together you're good. I just cut out pumping this week and don't use cows' milk at all.

We use the iplay straw cups.

[D_McG]

Originally Posted by alegna

How long will you be away from him?

Many toddlers over a year don't need milk when away from mom as long as they nurse plenty when together.

-Angela

agree. I wouldn't worry about it!

[SwanMom]

I pumped milk for DS2 to drink until he was 16 months. Our daycare doesn't allow bottles in the 1-year-old room, so he drank out of a cup. Now (at 21 months) he still nurses, but doesn't have milk while he's away from me.

[mommymel]

Great!!! thank you for the info. Good to know about him not having to nurse during the day so much. He wants it frequently when we are together so I figured he may freak a little while I'm gone and he doesn't have his mama milk. I guess he will get used to it when the change occurs. Thanks again!