6 month old baby won't take sippy cup or bottle - help!

[@llli*hfla]

my baby is now 6 months and i've been trying to give her a bottle since 10 weeks. she used to take one every few days of expressed milk then one day she just stopped doing it. i should have pushed harder back then but i always wussed out when she got really upset and hungry. i've tried everything from various types of bottles to others trying to feed her when i leave the house. so far nothing has worked. i started a month ago trying sippy cups since she is getting older but it's the same problem as the bottle; she just plays with the spout but won't drink.

i'm thinking maybe i should try a regular cup but i have no clue how to start cup feeding a baby i'm so depressed and really just need a break every now and again. i'm not trying to give her formula, just expressed milk. does anyone have any tips on how i can get her to take a cup or sippy cup?

[@llli*mommal]

I think your best friend in getting your child to take a sippy or open cup is time. Just keep patiently offering. One of these days she'll decide the cup/sippy is more than just a toy.

At 6 months, your baby is probably starting solids, right? Pretty soon you'll be able to leave baby with dad and a bag of Cheerios or a cup of blueberries and know that she'll be okay for an hour or two. Meanwhile, think about what a "break" means to you. Is it a long walk by yourself? A trip to the mall? An hour at the gym? Dinner out with friends? All of those can be combined with breastfeeding, even if your baby doesn't take bottles and sippies. You go for a walk, but you take your cell phone and scoot back if baby is suddenly desperate for you. Or you all go to the mall, and dad puts baby in a sling and walks around looking at iPhones while you try on shoes, bringing baby to you only if desperation sets in. You go to the gym, while dad and baby to for a walk or take a swim, and again, if baby gets desperate you get off the treadmill for 10 minutes, feed her, and then get back on. You go out to dinner, but you choose a place that's close by.

[@llli*karrieperry]

Meanwhile, think about what a "break" means to you. Is it a long walk by yourself? A trip to the mall? An hour at the gym? Dinner out with friends? All of those can be combined with breastfeeding, even if your baby doesn't take bottles and sippies. You go for a walk, but you take your cell phone and scoot back if baby is suddenly desperate for you. Or you all go to the mall, and dad puts baby in a sling and walks around looking at iPhones while you try on shoes, bringing baby to you only if desperation sets in. You go to the gym, while dad and baby to for a walk or take a swim, and again, if baby gets desperate you get off the treadmill for 10 minutes, feed her, and then get back on. You go out to dinner, but you choose a place that's close by.

totally , I have the same situation (no bottle/no sippy baby is 5 months) and had to rethink what a "break" meant. This is what we do, organize breaks for me with baby or with Dad and I'm a mile or two away. Luckily we live in an urban area where shopping/food/friends are just a mile or two away from our apartment.

I know it's intense, believe me! But remember, you're at least halfway to being able to leave her with a few solids that Dad can feed her, if not closer. I'm trying to just remind myself that this super intense phase will pass and I try to enjoy it as much as possible. We just took a trip with my family and I spent most of the time feeding baby in the bedroom (she will only lie down with me and feed) but I did enjoy the brief moments I got when she was asleep. Tried to remind myself that next year will be a different story!

[@llli*maddieb]

My daughter (9 months) still will not really take a bottle or sippy cup. We don't try very much either, as the only thing I want her to drink usually is a little water with her solids and it's not that important to me. So our experience may not be typical.

If I go out and my husband needs to give baby my expressed milk, he cup feeds her. I am going to link the video we used to teach him, it shows a very tiny baby but you can get the idea. If you go to youtube there are videos of daddy cup feeding baby but I am not sure of their 'technique.' this one, it is a lactation consultant teaching cup feeding so I know the technique is good, but FYI the mother has her breasts exposed as this was done during a lactation help session. http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...id=6&Itemid=13 it's the 4th video up from the bottom.

How long can baby go without nursing? I would think with a 6 month old you could get break of 4-5 hours at least even if baby will not take cup. Enough for a quick dinner and a movie if you time it right (my dream mommy night out- ymmv!) These articles include comforting ideas that will help your caregiver with a fussy baby. http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...ybabyideas.pdf

http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...t_partners.pdf

[@llli*hfla]

we just started cereal this week but she isn't really taking to it yet. my sister is saying i waited too long to give it to her and she will have a hard time learning to eat because of it, but i thought the guidelines were 6 months? oh well.

it's tough because my girl gets hungry every two hours during the day. i haven't tried to stretch it more because she does sleep through the night and has since 10 weeks, so i don't want to do anything that would disrupt nighttime. I'm already having issues with insomnia of my own so i'd like to not disrupt her sleep by changing anything in the day.

i would love to spend an evening out with my girlfriends and actually have more than the 1 drink and waiting 2 hours. i know it's selfish but i really want some cocktails and relaxation with some friends.

thank you for the cup feeding videos! i'll see if my hubby can try this out.

[@llli*sprocket]

i waited too long to give it to her and she will have a hard time learning to eat because of it

This is nonsense, pure and simple. It is (and should be) a gradual process.

[@llli*maddieb]

it's tough because my girl gets hungry every two hours during the day. i haven't tried to stretch it more because she does sleep through the night and has since 10 weeks, so i don't want to do anything that would disrupt nighttime. I'm already having issues with insomnia of my own so i'd like to not disrupt her sleep by changing anything in the day.

It's normal for your baby to nurse this often. What I meant was, I imagine you could take a 5 hour or so outing and your baby won't starve. She and your husband will survive! If you wait until your baby naturally and regularly takes that long between sessions to go out, you might be waiting a very long time.

i would love to spend an evening out with my girlfriends and actually have more than the 1 drink and waiting 2 hours. i know it's selfish but i really want some cocktails and relaxation with some friends

It's not selfish to want 'me' time. It's healthy!

I don't know where you heard you can only take one drink and then have to wait 2 hours before you can nurse. How much alcohol you can drink and how long you 'should' wait before nursing your baby is going to vary from woman to woman. Basically, when you no longer feel buzzed, you can nurse without any concern.

And frankly, how you handle drinking alcohol and nursing is going to be up to you and your own comfort level and judgment. Alcohol drinking and breastfeeding have co-existed perfectly healthily for thousands of years. If this were the big deal everyone paint it, there would be an awful lot of alcohol impaired breastfed babies, and there simply are not. It is actually very rare for this to be an issue.

Your baby is 6 months old, not a tiny fragile infant. I assume you are talking about going out once in a while and having a few cocktails, not drinking to excess several times a week. With occasional light social drinking I doubt you are going to have a problem nursing your baby. Use your judgment.

I will caution you this way-if you are truly depressed, drinking alcohol is something you might want to avoid or keep very rare for your OWN health. Alcohol gives a high in the immediate, but it is a depressant.

[@llli*mommal]

This is nonsense, pure and simple. It is (and should be) a gradual process.

Starting solids earlier than recommended does not guarantee that your baby will be a "good" eater. Let your sister think that way if it makes her feel better about her mothering choices, but don't buy into such a silly and discredited myth.

If baby sleeps through the night, would it be possible for you to nurse her, put her to bed, and then go out with the girls? Maybe on a Friday or Saturday night, when you could (perhaps) nurse the baby in the morning and then hand her off to your spouse while you get a bit more shut-eye?