How do I get my 11 month old to drink water, juices and milk from the bottle or sippy cup?

Question

My 11 month old won't take the above. I tryed giving him the sippy cup but he keeps throwing it on the floor. I tryed the bottle he spites the water and juices out. He eats lunch and dinner and my milk at night time only but I am concerned about getting enough liquid into him. Help! any advise

Answer 1

Only offer water, juice is unnecessary and will fill him up with sugar.

Get two sippy cups that are the same. One is for him and one is for you, that is what you are drinking out of at meals. Monkey see Monkey do.

However, even if he won't take anything other than your breast he should be fine. You are supposed to limit water to less than 2oz per day in a breastfed baby until after age 1. Too much water can be bad for the young system. They need the electrolyte balance of milk.

If you are nursing on demand at night he is getting more than enough liquid. If he is making enough wet diapers and the urine isn't dark, he is getting enoug liquid. Babies of that age can get all their milk in 5-6 nursings at that age, (do not LIMIT nursings, I am just saying if they CHOOSE to they probably do not need more). Remember some (few) babies sleep 12 hours at night without food at that age, so 12 hours during the day and making up for it at night (it is called reverse cycling if you want to get technical) works just as well.

"If baby is taking significantly less expressed milk than the average, it could be that baby is reverse-cycling, where baby takes just enough milk to "take the edge off" his hunger, then waits for mom to return to get the bulk of his calories. Baby will typically nurse more often and/or longer than usual once mom returns. Some mothers encourage reverse cycling so they won't need to pump as much milk. Reverse cycling is common for breastfed babies, especially those just starting out with the bottle.

If your baby is reverse cycling, here are a few tips:

Be patient. Try not to stress about it. Consider it a compliment - baby prefers you!
Use small amounts of expressed milk per bottle so there is less waste.
If you're worrying that baby can't go that long without more milk, keep in mind that some babies sleep through the night for 8 hours or so without mom needing to worry that baby is not eating during that time period. Keep an eye on wet diapers and weight gain to assure yourself that baby is getting enough milk.
Ensure that baby has ample chance to nurse when you're together. "
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

Answer 2

theres the "nuby" cup that has a plastic mouth piece but not a nipple its a good transtition from the bottle. and i did that with my 10 month old and of course it took a few tries but by a year he was compltetly off the bottle. also i introduced juices that were warm at first same with milk. i warmed it up and then eventually just gave him cold. your son is still ok with the bottle but i would definitely try the "nuby"cup and my son is also on reg. sippy cups but i still use the nuby sometimes only be cause it wont spill. just keep pushing the cups over the bottle and if hes used to a bottle before bed give him the cup isntead, he might be so tired to fight with u about it. just a suggestion not really sure if that will work. GOOD LUCK

Answer 3

thats a tough one, you should have been giving him a bottle from the start with water even if you were nursing just so that this didn't happen. His pediatrician needs to be aware of it so he can advise you on how to watch for dehydration.

Perhaps if you used the breast as a treat for drinking from the cup or bottle.....just an idea. Have you tried a cup as opposed to a sippy cup or bottle, some kids prefer that. It has to do with the sucking not being on you. It sound to me like he wasn't given juice or water from the start....that can be a real problem, he doesn't have a taste for it or really know what it is. Have you tried warm milk with a little sugar and a touch of vanilla in a bottle? That is closer to the taste of breast milk than either juice or water....if he will do that you can slowly add less sugar and omit the vanilla....then you start adding water to dilute the milk further until he is drinking water.

Answer 4

Find a flavor he likes, they have bottles with sippy nipples this will get him used to using the sippy part of it with a old favorite a bottle. and of course it's all trial and error. just keep trying and he will eventually get the idea.

Answer 5

have you tried one of those cups w/ straws. Act like it is his big boy cup. He may be a little young for the straw, but amany times people are giving them drinks out of their cups earlier that htis anyway. Like I said though, make a big deal out of it as his big boy cup. If this still doesn't work, make sure he is getting plenty of fruits. Fruits actually have a lot of fluid, also yogurt, or pudding, applesauce, popsicles, they all have liquids in them.

Answer 6

Keep on making this available to him and offering it, it is a big change and eventually he will get used to it.

Answer 7

i find if u put a little honey on or in the water or juice they get the hang of it jst a tp spoon is all to much will fill the pants