Sippy cup for 3 month old (refusing bottle)?

CubbyMama · June 2009

So I've read that some babies just never take a bottle, and that you can feed them with a sippy cup. Isn't 3 months really, really young for that? Are there special sippy cups made for this purpose, or do you just use a regular one (with or without the valve)?

I left Ellie with DH for 3 hours this afternoon (and she was about due for a feeding when I left), and she really didn't drink from the bottle at all. DH squeezed out some formula into her mouth while she played with it/chewed on it, but it's not like she got ounces of it or anything. I'm thinking we need a Plan B if she's just flat-out not going to take bottles when I'm back at work.

isabella22 · June 2009

Did you try the breastflow?

Have you tried BM in the bottle so that it is only 1 thing different at a time?

magnoliablossom · June 2009

What type of bottle/nipple did you use?

Rebekah1021 · June 2009

My niece who is almost 4 mos hates the bottle too. My mom uses the Nuby soft spout cup to feed her when she watches her.

CubbyMama · June 2009

We couldn't find Breastflow (ChristyNCole offered to send me hers, so we'll try that if I can get ahold of her), but I got the Adiri one and the Playtex one that are both wider and supposedly more like the breast. We've also tried Dr. Brown's, Avent, and...one or two other kinds that I can't think of right now. We've offered 3 kinds of formula, breast milk, and even apple juice in the bottles (I read that some babies will at least learn to use the bottle with a little apple juice to motivate them, and then you can switch to formula/BM), and tried dipping the nipple in sugar water first.

In every case, she just plays with it in her mouth and doesn't ever really suck on it. I'm not sure whether she's "refusing" it or just doesn't understand what to do--she has done it once or twice and drank maybe 1/2 ounce or less those times, but then she'll go back to days on end of not drinking from it at all. We've been trying bottles at least once a day for almost a month now, but no luck so far.

DesignerMama · June 2009

S never took even one ounce from a bottle, so we had her on a sippy by 5 months. But I don't remember when exactly we started. We had to try a few different sippys too, but only like 3 or 4, compared to every. single. bottle. invented. It was MUCH easier than fighting with the bottle. GL!

isabella22 · June 2009

Ugh... I'm so sorry

I hate to tell you this, but a friend of mine could never get her son to take a bottle. Even if she left him for a while and the bottle was the option, he wouldn't take it. She ended up using a sippy when he was older, but I don't see why you can't try it now? Maybe one of those Nubby ones?

CubbyMama · June 2009

What exactly do you do with the sippy cup--try and get her to suck on the spout and drink from it, or just take out the valve and pour it into her mouth?

We could also try the medicine dropper thing, which we haven't done yet...

DandelionMom · June 2009

Does she take a pacifier? Sometimes finding a bottle nipple that is similar to the paci nipple can help.

My SIL did syringe feeding for a while -- I wonder if that could help?

I guess I'd try a Nuby or a straw cup. GL!

CubbyMama · June 2009

DandelionMom:

Does she take a pacifier? Sometimes finding a bottle nipple that is similar to the paci nipple can help.

She does take a Soothie pacifier--she doesn't LOVE it and suck on it constantly, but when she's tired or fussy, she does take it most of the time. I don't think there are any bottles/nipples similar to that, though, are there?

DandelionMom · June 2009

I think Soothie makes a bottle -- if you can find those, maybe they'd be worth a try?

isabella22 · June 2009

One other thing, have you tried all the different combinations of feeding her with the bottle?

hungry, not hungry, really hungry, kinda hungry, you feed her, others feed her, etc?

bythesea · June 2009

DD refused the bottle from us. When I was to return to work I was so nervous but they assured me she would take it. I delayed returning to work by a week so I could leave her for less hours. They assured me she wouldn't starve. By day 4 they had her taking a bottle like a champ. I remember them telling me they just kept trying different positions and people until she ultimately accepted it. It could be she won't take it from you or your husband and will need someone else to break her in. I know babies will drink from regular cupes but I suspect you will get her to take it. You could call the center you plan to use and ask for suggestions. They may tell you to try a few transition visits that only last a few hours while you are still on leave. Once DC takes the bottle from a stranger it should be easier for u to offer it.

HisBetterHalf · June 2009

Soothie does make a bottle.

HisBetterHalf · June 2009

https://www.learningcurve.com/soothie/Bottles/p1?locale=en_US

CubbyMama · June 2009

Huh--maybe I'll look for a Soothie bottle. If nothing else, it'll complete our Every Bottle On the Market collection!

Yep, we've tried it in the middle of a nursing session (that's what worked with DD1 at first), when she's hungry, when she's not hungry...warm EBM/formula, room temp, cold...I feel like the only thing left is standing on my head! LOL

She'll be home with DH when I work--he's off the days I work and vice-versa--so it will be him most of the time and then one of the grandmas every once in a while, when our work days overlap.

Thank you guys for all of your ideas/suggestions--I appreciate your effort in helping me figure this out!

CubbyMama · June 2009

HisBetterHalf:
https://www.learningcurve.com/soothie/Bottles/p1?locale=en_US

Sweeeet! That's worth a shot. Now, the question is, will these nipples fit any of the bazillion bottles we already have, or am I going to have to order entirely new bottles? I wonder how I could find that out...off to google!

DandelionMom · June 2009

And one more thought, Kate wouldn't take a bottle unless it was really warm, like almost too hot. And warming the nipple under warm water helped too.

jnicks19 · June 2009

Target carries the Soothie Bottles!! Good luck!

AnneUCSB · June 2009

My Target carries the Soothie bottles. And, I have some BreastFlow bottles that I could send your way if you want them. Let me know. My email is aneucsb at aol dot com

Good luck. I went through the exact same thing with Kyle. I know how frustrating it is. We tried the Nuby sippy cup at 5 months... he took a little but did better with the BreastFlow bottle. I would stick with breastmilk only. Formula tastes god-awful- I don't blame her for refusing it

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