How to get 11 month old baby to drink milk from a cup?

Question

My son is almost 11 months old and can drink juice and water from a cup with no problems at all. He still has a handled cup, but I will chage soon. However, as soon as I put in his milk, he throws it away and spits out the milk. I have tried putting handles on his bottle but he won't touch it, he prefers me to do it. I have read in all the books that babies should be off the bottle by 12 months, but he refuses point blank!!

I would like to point out that I read to books for advice as I do not have anyone else to ask, and I am a first time mum. I know that every baby is different and does things at different times.

Answer 1

my daughter will be one tomorrow. She drinks milk from a bottle and everything else from a sippy cup. We first had to get her to drink her whole milk. She's been drinking only whole milk for 2 weeks. I told her that the day after her birthday, the bottles go bye bye. I will still hold her and everything, but the milk will be in a cup, not the bottle. She won't go thirsty and she'll probably refuse for a day, but once she knows the bottles don't exist anymore, she will give in and use her cup.
Also, don't try to switch from breast milk/formula AND from bottle to cup at the same time. It's easier to switch one thing at a time.

Answer 2

I have a daughter that turned a year a week ago. I have been going through the same struggles. My older children did great with the transition. I took away the bottle on their 1st birthday and gave them stage 2 sippy cups that were NOT the same as the ones they had been using for small amounts of juice/water for the few months prior.

She might be associating the cup with juice, so try buying a few different kinds of stage 2 cups to see what she likes. My daughter hates the Nuby kind, but seems to do much better with the Playtex brand. It took about a week to adjust to the spout (think saturated clothes, milk drops on the floor).

I am still nursing, though, twice a day, so if she is refusing the milk in a cup, I will give it to her in a bottle. Our kids are still young, so forcing them to adjust in my opinion is a bit over the top. Babies need transition and comfort still. I do everything in increments and it suits her well (all babies have different personality types and some do better with transitions than others) and things get accomplished fairly quickly.

Good Luck! I would take her shopping and let her touch all the different types of cups to see what she hangs onto the most - then give them a try! It will happen soon. :)

Answer 3

I had one that acted that way. I took him off the bottle for a month or two still no milk in a cup.

I gave him back one bottle a day after dinner and before bed. He slept well got some nutrition, and everyone was happy. Not enough bottle time to hurt the teeth.

I cold turked him from that at 2 and he's doing ok now. Drinks some milk usually in a cup with some dry ceareal in a bowl at brekfast.

Answer 4

It says in my book that all children should be able to sleep through the night by 12 months too. Pity my 19 month toddler can't read isn't it?

Pretend that the bottle is a breast. Anything a breast can do you are allowed to do with the bottle. In other words the ONLY time that your son is allowed to have his bottle is when he is sitting on your lap. NEVER EVER let him have the bottle in his highchair or to wander around with. Conversely let him have the cup anytime and anywhere. In time his curiosity and drive to explore will win over his desire to have the bottle and he will gradually stop using the bottle in favour of the cup.

Or at least that's the theory..... ;-)

Oh and don't be in too much hurry to ditch the handles - it takes quite a lot of co-ordination to get a cup to your mouth. If you mean that you are intending to stop him using the spout in favour of an open cup then simply take the lid off and continue using the base with it's nice grippy handles as an open cup.

Answer 5

I was successful with a silicone spout cup that closely resembled a bottle. It was called Nuby. The main difference is that the spout has a much faster flow and is more oval in shape, plus the cup is tapered in the middle for an easier grip. My daughter took to it pretty well. Once she was really used to that for milk and all beverages, I moved her to cups with hard plastic spouts. The other day I gave her a bottle just to see what she would do- she was so frustrated at how slow the milk came out. So, your son's preference will adapt!

Good Luck

Answer 6

Get a reg cup that has a nipple attachment to it and for about 2 months he will get used to drinking milk from the cup. Then graduate to just the spout top. Also let him see you drink your drinks out of the cup. For the next couple of weeks drink your afternoon drink out of the same cup as him( minus the nipple). He will not refuse the drink if all you give him is milk in there he will give in. Try adding choc syrup in it also. I had 2 baby boys 13 months apart I understand.

Answer 7

I presume you've been trying a cup with a spout? If so, it sounds as if he just loves his bottle. I would forget about milk in the cup for a month or so, then one day try it again and see if he's ready. No need to turn it into a battle - babies need to suck, and they don't always do what it says in the books!

Answer 8

Have you tried a spout cup? although you do state he drinks juice/water from a handled one which I assume is a normal teacup. He may not like milk though and as I feel he needs this perhaps you could try some flavoured milk shake(obviously a healthy type). GoodLuck

Answer 9

You should have started him on milk in the cup before anything else - now he has the idea that the cup is only for water or juice. As Linda D. said, offer milk and nothing else in it until he gets the idea.

Answer 10

You cannot read a book and then expect your child to fit what it says!!!! If he can drink juice from a cup, he can drink milk from a cup. Don't put ANYTHING in a cup for him except milk and he WILL start drinking it when he gets thirsty enough! You are going to cause yourself lots of problems in the future if you think you can use some book to raise your kid by! Use your instincts for God's sake and you'll do much better!