how to switch baby off bottle ..... if she wont take a sippy cup?

Question

my 16mo old wont eat unless its a bottle.... hates sippy cups. what do i do

Answer 1

I spent lots of money on the fancy sippys with handles and such, and my 8 month old daugther still did not like them. I tried Nuby, Playtex, Gerber, etc. Then I was just fed up and bought the cheap-o ones that are about 3 for 94 cents at Wal-mart that just have the snap-on plastic top, no handles, and aren't no-spill. Like the ones I my mom gave me when I was a baby. Problem solved! She didn't like having to suck so hard to get her juice or milk, and drinks just fine from her "old school" sippys and picks them up by herself with no handles and doesn't make a big mess. I would suggest trying these if you'd like, it made a world of difference for me!!! Good luck!
(I believe the brand of cups I have are actually Nuby, but not the soft, spouted ones with handles. They are just old-fashioned sippys)

Answer 2

Sippy cups and bottles are really close together. It could be the closeness, but not really, is confusing or upsetting her.

Suffer through the transition from bottle to a regular cup or a straw (if she gets it).

Get several cups (regular or the ones with lids and straws). You can find them now with characters (we have Dora, Spongebob, Elmo, Spiderman, I know I've seen Strawberry Shortcake and Winnie the Pooh and all other kinds), and play up her "cool big girl cup!"

I'm sure you've noticed, there are sooooooo many kinds of cups. Some tall, some short, all different kinds of spouts, some with handles, some without. Try a few different kinds to see what kind she will take.

The thing is to make the other unavailable to her. If she pitches a fit and doesn't want the sippy cup, and you give an exasperating sigh and get her bottle, well, she's only learning that all she needs to get what it is she wants (which you know she'll have to give up soon) is to just pitch a fit. Make sure she knows there are no bottles. Maybe have a thing where you talk to her and she helps you throw away the bottles, and you pull out the big girl cups at the same time.

I don't know what you do, but I know with my youngest, I usually handed him the bottle during the day, but before bed, we'd cuddle and he'd drink from his bottle. Make sure she understands that making the move to the big girl cup doesn't mean she's going to have to give up any cuddle-mommy time she may associate with her bottle. It may help her to actually go back to the drink-and-cuddle time (even if it's not currently a major part of her day) for a little while. When she drinks from her cup, cuddle her close to you, help her hold it, put the attention you once put into her feeding times into these special times for her. At that age, it won't be long before she's off and running and probably won't want to stay in your lap all that long unless she's sick or tired, but since lots of her bottle time has probably been closely associated with closeness to you, comfort, and other positive feelings, there's probably more to the attachment to the bottle and the resentment of the cup than just preferring the rubber nipple.

I know, this has been kinda here-and-there-and-everywhere. The best advice I can offer came from something my mother once told me when I worried about my oldest son not doing something "on time." She reminded me that he would not be the only kindergartener not in "big boy underwear". I tell you tonight: your daughter will not be the only little girl in kindergarten drinking from a bottle. 16 months is a little older than your average bottle-to-cup-changing kids, but it's certainly not unheard of. If she doesn't get it now, after a serious attempt, you may want to put the cups up for a couple of months and try again when she's a little closer to 2-years-old. Bottle use for a few more months won't have a negative effect on her either emotionally, developmently or dentally.

Good luck in whatever you decide! She'll get it. :-)

Answer 3

Well, it is not going to be easy at all, my daughter was the same way. One of the things I did was to get the sippy cup with the soft spout on it like the bottle, I would put things that she didn't like very well in the bottle, & then put the things that she loves in the sippy cup, & I let her pick the one that she wanted, & I would do this during the day, all day, & then I would give her a bottle at night,it was very frustating for about two weeks. But she then got used to the sippy cup, & didn't want the bottle anymore...not even at night. But every baby is different, sometimes you have to try a number of things to see what works for your baby, but the main thing is DO NOT GIVE IN to the crying and tantrums, because if you do, it won't matter what you try to do to get her to give up the bottle, NOTHING will work....Good Luck.

Answer 4

Put the good stuff (chocolate milk, juice, etc) into the sippy cup, and ONLY give them water in the bottle. It will take a while, and you will have to be patient. But I tell you, it works! My sister did it with both of her sons (now 10 and 14, and drinking out of cups like the big boys they are :) ). Our daughter took the sippy cup with little issue, but we still do the bottle for her final water bottle of the night before bed. But that is the only time she gets a bottle now, and she is 14 months.

Good luck!!

Answer 5

This is how I did it. Put juice in the sippy cup, not milk. My child took it, because it was sweet. Also when you feed your child have a sippy cup at meals, might need to leave the lid off. They will get used to it.Also eliminate all of the bottles except for one. Also as a mother you have to be strong willed when it comes to it and not give in. And I know that is hard when they are crying. Also have you tried using a small nipple on the bottle where they can't suck the milk out well. You can tell them the bottle is broke and need to put it in the trash and then tell him to drink out of the sippy. Good luck!

Answer 6

You really need to toss the bottles and let your child cry it out. I know it sounds terrible, but, a child will eventually give in to hunger. Try the old school sippy cups that just have the elevated spout (no spill-proof lids) and experiment with different drinks. The newer style sippy cups often require majoring sucking and kids hate that!

Answer 7

This is how I got my son to take a sippy cup... Take the stopper out of the top ( I don't think it really matters what sort of beverage you use, because I just use water and he loves it now). For about a month at every meal have the sippy cup on the tray and offer her sips of it (again with the stopper out so it just flows into her mouth). You may have to hold it for her at first. Once she regularly sips from it with the stopper out try putting it back in, she will know that her beverage is in there now and will be more likely to get the hang of it.
Good luck!

Answer 8

Buy sippy cups that are shaped like bottles. Or not to sound mean but take all the bottles and get rid of them and only keep cuppies in your house, eventually she'll learn that it's a sippy cup or nothing, do not give in and give her a bottle or she'll never learn. I never took my kids bottles away till they where two. Some might say it's to old, but it worked.

Answer 9

she will when she is hungry,, maybe you let her get what she wants just cause she throws a tantrum or cries,, who's the boss huh??? she won't starve thats for sure.Just throw away the bottles and only offer sippy cups.. she will cry scream blah blah but in the end she will eat and drink,, sounds harsh , but thats what successful weening really is. EIther that or you end up with a 6 yr old sucking bottle cause mums lets child rule the roost.All the kids in my family went straight to a straw, we introduced it when they were about 6months old, and they love the novelty of it . They had the breast or bottle as well but just threw away bottle when the time came and on average most of them only carried on for a day or 2 , then forgot about the bottle, just have to put up with the exttra noise..lol

Answer 10

let her play with the cup first so she can learn how to suck from it. second add a little milk or other drinks at a time. even though she might still resist it keep trying. I'm going through the same thing with my 16 mon old and the more I offer the sippy cup to him the less he is with his bottle.