Weaning Off Bottle: Tips for Transitioning to Sippy Cups for Milk Intake"

[AJPratt]

So, we are trying to wean mary off of the bottle. We only give her a bottle 3 times a day, with milk in it. The rest of the time she has a sippy cup with water. She would never even miss the bottle if we didn't give it to her, but we want her to get the milk she needs. The problem comes in when, I tried to put milk in her sippy cup and she won't drink it. She doesn't really drink juice from it, either. I am not sure what to do. I know it won't happen over night, but I want to take the right steps to move her along. I thought if I only gave her the milk she would eventually drink it from the cup, but she didn't.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Does the brand of bottle you are using have the sippy cup lid attachment available? That's what I had to for my son. He wouldn't take a sippy cup. When I put the sippy cup attachment on the bottle he took it right away, was a little curious at first though. Then I was able to move him to other sippy cups after he got used to that one.

 

[AJPratt]

I don't know. Its a Dr. Brown's bottle.

 

[NooraK]

We started Markus with these Munchkin cups:

http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.html?section=prodCategories&ID=10021&pID=1102

The sippy part is silicone, so it's hard like a regular sippy cup. Also, it's only 3 pieces, so there's no little valve piece to get lost.

At 18 months, he now prefers straws better:

The First Years Take and Toss Straw Cups - 5-Pack 10 oz. - Learning Curve - Babies "R" Us

These will spill if he leaves it on its side on the floor, or turns it upside down and shakes it, but not quickly if he just knocks it over. And they are CHEAP!

Markus never did a bottle in the first place, so I don't know how much it'll help in switching, but these are what we use.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Micah wouldn't use a sippy cup - until I discovered sippy cups with straws...THAT was the ideal solution for us!

Here is a good explanation of them, with some recommended types.

The Mom Crowd » Product Comparison: Straw Cups

 

[jwpamp]

Where is the Kitchen Guy when you need him? :-0

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I'm here...I thought this was a thread about 12-step programs.

 

[JAE]

Very funny KG. My kids wouldn't use sippy cups either. I gave them water in the tupperware ones that drip. At meals I gave them milk at the table in the dripping ones. Eventually, they started drinking out of the dripless ones, but I don't remember how. I just know that I remember them drinking from the dripless ones at some point in the toddler years. I wouldn't let them walk around with the drippy ones. Maybe that's how I got them to switch, by only letting them walk around if they used the dripless one. Who knows? I'm stubborn and took the bottles away at a year, cold turkey. I don't remember it being an issue, but that was way too long ago for me to remember.

 

[doughmama]

when my son was one, I took away the bottle. cold turkey, just like Jae. My son had a red sippy cup for milk and any other color for juice. the first day he fussed a little. the next day when he saw the cup, he cried once, and then that was it. weaning it slowly seems like more torture and confusing for a child.

 

[Melissa78]

I'm here...I thought this was a thread about 12-step programs.

Now that's funny!

 

[chefmoseley]

I'm assuming that Mary is over 1year old...you could put a little syrup in the milk. Like chocolate or strawberry just enough to flavor it. It worked for both my girls and it was easy to not add the syrup after they had been on the cup for a little while. Dr Brown's bottles do not offer a sippy attachment (I used to work at babies r us) the only ones that do are Avent. Gerber has a two handled sippy that has a softer spout than most of the other cups. It is still shaped like a sippy but soft like a bottle. I'd offer the sippy for her to play with while she is in the high chair at meals also so she gets used to it..

 

[Pampered_Ashley84]

We tried every sippy cup out there when we were transitioning our son off his bottle. The only one he would take was a cheap one from Walmart that has the spout in the middle, it's hard plastic, but still seemed like a bottle to him. After that he went on pretty willingly with the cup that is until we got the call for our daughter 6 weeks later and bottles were reintroduced to our house.

 

[AJPratt]

Mary has no problem with the sippy cup. She took right to them. My mistake was still giving her a bottle 3 times a day 11am nap, 3pm nap, bedtime. Now, she just turned 16 mos. She doesn't like the milk in the cup. I have really only given her water in her cup, so she even makes a funny face when I give her juice. I figured if I put milk in the cup that at some point she would get thirsty and she would eventually drink that. Nope. She went a good part of the day with nothing to drink when she would normally have had a sippy or two. I just don't know how to get her to drink milk from her cup. We have a bunch of different sippy cups. Haven't had much luck with the straw cups, even with water, but have done OK with others.

 

[AJPratt]

I am sorry I forgot to say THANK YOU for all of your input, but I still need help!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

It sounds like you possibly have a strong willed child! (I have one - so I can relate!) As long as Mary knows that a bottle is still an option, she'll hold out for one. She may go a day without drinking any milk...but eventually, if the sippy cup is the only option, she'll use it. You just get to be the big meanie for a day or two! (fun fun fun!)

 

[PCMomto4]

Is she a good eater? I had the same problem with my first and not drinking milk out of a sippy cup and my ped finally said she doesn't really need the milk because she was getting the nutrients from her food so we just got rid of the bottles and like Becky said once we threw them away she did start drinking milk from a cup. Even a week or two with no milk isn't going to hurt her.

 

[AJPratt]

She will drink water from a cup. So do I just put milk in it and that's it?

 

[PCMomto4]

I would just start giving her milk in the sippy cup and she will eventually drink it. As far as the bottles go I recommend throwing them away when you decide you are taking her off of them, otherwise if she spots one up in the cabinet or where ever else they are hidden you might be back to square one. Also if you throw them away you aren't tempted on a day that she is testing your nerves to give one to her for whatever reason. And any mother will tell you there are days that you will do whatever just to get them to stop crying or whining, etc.