Bottle Vs. Cup

Updated on October 07, 2008
J.S. asks from Fayetteville, GA
20 answers

My daughter doesn't want to drink for a sippy cup. I feel she is getting to old to be sucking on a bottle. I have offered the cup of several occasions. Even going as far as to not give her a bottle all day. She chooses to be thristy. She'll drink from my regular cup, but no sippy cup. I am also trying to break her off the pacifer. I'm having a hard time with that one as well. Has anyone else faced this problem and over come it?

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the great advice everyone!!! I have gotten her off of the bottle!! My daughter will drink from her cup now with no problem. I just started to give her the cup, and no bottle. I guess she got tired of being thristy!! I am only giving her the pacifer if we are out in public and she gets fussy. She doesn't even need it to go to sleep anymore!

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M.D.

answers from Atlanta on

I had to give my son a sippy cup/bottle looking thing. Its made by Nubby and I can only find it in one Wal-Mart so far. It looks like a large, long sippy cup (without handles) but the top is sort of like a nipple but a sippy spout but soft. I also started using the playtex soft nipple cups with handles that he likes also. He does NOT like the Gerber sippy cups. Also, I just had to wait until he was ready. Don't worry about it. She won't go to school on a bottle!

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N.C.

answers from Atlanta on

I have to say something about the both, I am actually now on my third day off the pacifer for 18 month old son. I had his doctors visit the other and day and he told me that, I needed to take myself off the pacifer, more than him. He said that it had become a cructh for me, more than for my son, and I was the one who started him on it, and I need to be the one to take him off. So I just did, I started at night, he just got so tired he feel asleep without it. The next day he woke up it was just gone, he did not already start his day with the one he had the night before. And, it has been some fussing but not as bad as I thought it was going to be at all. As far as the cups go I tried everything he did not want anything to do with his sippy either. I was in Wal-mart one day and saw the stage things made by Sassy. Get the tall ones, it is a sippy that starts out with a nipple like a bottle, the to one a little different and then finally to a sippy cup. He transitioned great with these. I hope that helps at all.

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S.W.

answers from Atlanta on

I was advised to try and break the bottle habit at around 12 months. I just went cold turkey. No giving in. My daughter used her pacifier at night until she was almost three because I had such a hard time taking this away from her. In the end I told her we'd lost it and didn't allow caving in to be an option... and she was fine. Then again she was three... maybe you could try limiting it to naps/sleep if you don't already. I'm not sure I'd try and break bottles/pacifier at the same time. That might be kind of stressful. She's still pretty young... maybe let it go for another month or two and try again.

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C.H.

answers from Augusta on

U probably shouldnt take away the botlle till 12 months and as far as the paci, my son was attached to his till he was 2 1/2! I slowly told him over a period of months how nasty a paci is and told him he'd have to give it to the trash man. one day he threw it down and we threw it out! He didnt ask again for it for 6 months..by then it was a memory. if it gets to bad to where ur ped says it could start damaging his teeth and still no end in site for the paci then try cold turkey..just throw it away..he will adjust.

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M.F.

answers from Savannah on

Have you tried putting water or a beverage she does not favor in the bottle, and one that she does in the sippy cup? It takes some time. Start placing her sippy cup in front of her during meals, so that she will be used to its presence. I'm not sure if this will help you, but I'm trying it with my 9mos old, and it seems to be working for me! As for the pacifier, I never gave her one, so unfortunately, I have no advice there.

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S.

answers from Atlanta on

We cut the nipple off the pacifer and my daughter thought they were broken but she was a little older. I am trying the sippy vs the bottle with my 9 month old - if we hold the sippy he takes it. Best of luck

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M.

answers from Atlanta on

I think 10 months old is too early to expect her to give up her bottle. Introducing a cup once they start solids is a good idea but peds don't tell you to start trying to get rid of the bottle until at least 12 months. My daughter will be one next week and her ped. said to just keep giving her a cup with every meal. Whether she drinks from it or not just to see it and try it. Eventually she will start using it regularly and then you can try replacing one bottle at a time with the cup. My first child was so easy. He was breastfed until 9 months when I had to go back to work and never really took to a bottle so we switched him to a cup and it was no problem. So this is the first time I have to wean from a bottle and I have a feeling it won't be so easy. My daughter really likes her bottle. Also, I wouldn't try to get rid of her paci and the bottle at the same time. They are both comfort items and it will probably be really hard for her to have both gone at the same time. Good luck!

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M.W.

answers from Columbus on

I just went throught the exact same problem. My son will be 15 months old next week and we've been successfully off the bottle for 2 weeks now. I tried everything. I tried to cut him off cold turkey and he actually got dehydrated and couldn't use the bathroom because of it. The only cup he will take now is a cup with a straw. Some people say the Nuby cups work really well but my son was too stubborn for those too. Now that the straws work, thats what he takes. And my son also still has his pacifier. I'd try to cut one thing at a time so it doesn't seem so overwhelming for her. Good luck.

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D.H.

answers from Atlanta on

With everything I have read and with guidelines from my pediatrician, the bottle doesn't need to be eliminated until 12 months. With my daughter, she was using the Avent bottles and Avent has a sippy cup top that slips into the regular bottles and I introduced this top throughout the day once my daughter neared closer to the one year mark. I made sure to use the nipple during her night bottle because it was comforting to her. She soon only wanted the sippy top and I switched to a different cup easily. Don't rush them! They are only little for so long!

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N.A.

answers from Savannah on

Your on the right track! My daughter is 15 months old now and just started drinking full time on a suppy cup when she was 13 months old. You were right when you took her bottles away completely and let her go thirsty. Do the same with her pacifiers. Just throw them out entirely. Out of sight out of mind. At first she'll wonder "Where the heck is it?" but eventually she'll move on. Honest to God, thats what you gotta do, its the only way. My daughter would cry and cry for a bottle and I'd say "well look, here's a SIPPY cup" and she'd just grab it, throw it on the ground, and cry for the bottle. Kiddos dont really listen to reasoning at this age....or any age for that matter, lol.
-N.

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A.W.

answers from Columbus on

Jonave,

Have you tried the Nuby sippy cup? My daughter wouldn't drink from a regular sippy cup until now, but at 10 months old she switched over to the Nuby. It has a softer "nipple" to make the transition from bottle to cup a lot easier. As for the pacifier, mine still has hers when she sleeps at naptime and bedtime. I'm going to wait a little longer so she can understand. Before a year though I've heard is much easier and that it usually just takes a day or two if you go cold turkey. Although I would recommend limiting it first before you take it away.

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S.F.

answers from Atlanta on

Hello,
I have an 11 month old, and I have the opposite problem;he would never drink from a bottle(he's still breastfed), but he would also never go for a sippy cup. I did, however, find one that he is ok with. The brand is Nubi and it has a soft sipper, and he seems to like that better. But even better than that is a cup with a straw. Have you tried that? I thought he was too young for that and I heard it's rare for a baby to be able or willing to drink from a straw, but that is what works best for him. Maybe one of those options will work for your daughter. Good luck!

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M.B.

answers from Savannah on

Sure! My kiddos are ebf until around a year. Two of my kids used bottles as their cups- it was just easier- then after they got the hang of that they went to a hard or soft top sippy. I had one child who wouldn't take the bottle either as a cup but would drink out of a straw so she got a straw sippy cup.
There is no right way or wrong way to all this- just use what works!...M.

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

No offense but why the big hurry to "grow up"? 10 months isnt that old...while I can understand the idea of introducing her to a sippy it shouldnt be a major problem. Maybe put some juice in it and leave it on the coffee table or in her playroom. I bet when your not looking she will get curious and pick it up herself....you know how they never preform on command..:0)...

pacifier's are a subject with me...mine literally put theirs down the day they began pre-school at 3! and I could have cared less! It sure beats buck teeth or worn out thumbs from sucking it!! I would rather see a child with a binky any day! and when she is ready she will give it to her baby dolls just like my daughter did as she went off to "big school".

slow down before you know it they will be in 3rd grade and you will want to give them the binky back! :0)

just my two cents
J.

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C.K.

answers from Columbus on

I'm not sure if your 10 month old is ready to give up so soon. At not yet one year old, it might be just too difficult for her to drink out of a sippy cup.

You might just keep trying to introduce it to her with her FAVORITE drink in it a few times a day. This might motivate her to get to it. :)

If not, you could wait a few weeks and try again. At that age, a few weeks is like a lifetime and may just make the difference.

I'm not sure about the pacifier.

HTH,

C.
www.parentingincolumbus.com

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A.C.

answers from Atlanta on

Try skipping the sippy and let her use a regular cup when she's at home. If she can drink from a straw there are several straw "sippy cups" that you can use (for traveling purposes and/or to avoid spills).

Both my kids skipped the sippy cup and went from bottle to straw cups. I've got a 3 year old and a 1 year old.

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A.A.

answers from Columbus on

My daughter was the same way with the sippy cup. I started her when she was 6 mos. just to introduce her to it, but she always preferred the bottle. When she turned a year old, I didn't wash any more bottles, when they got dirty we just threw them in the trash, until they were all gone. About the pacifier, I can't help you there, my daughter will be 2 next month and still has hers only for naptime and bedtime. I don't think 10 mos. is too old for a bottle or a pacifier, but that's your call. good luck.

A.

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H.F.

answers from Atlanta on

My son wouldn't take a sippy cup either, but his speech therapist said that was a good thing! Apparently the hard sippy cups (and one of the softer ones) are bad for developing muscles in your child's mouth! Our therapist told us to avoid the hard sippy cups as much as possible and to get him to suck out of straws. The straws help build more muscles in your child's mouth, which will help her be able to form the 'oo', 'oh' and 'w' sounds. Our therapist also said to get our son drinking out of regular cups as much as possible too. He could drink from a regular cup with no assistance (except putting it back on the table without spilling) at about 15 months. Once again, a regular cup helps build special muscles. There are some really cute and fun straw cups that you could let her play with without water so she could get used to them. One thing that helped my daughter start using cups was having her babies get 'thirsty' and she would take care of them with a toy cup. Good luck dear!

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K.B.

answers from Atlanta on

My little girl was 10 months when i took her off the bottle. She started showing signs of disinterest, she would only drink a few sips, throw it down and come back to it later, so i was like, "hmm..let's give this a try!" I took it away, cold turkey, and she was absolutely fine. I started trying to get her to drink from a sippy at like 5 months. It was really hard at first and i was convinced she would NEVER catch on. But then i discovered the Nuby sippy cups, with the plastic (bottle like) nipple shaped the same as a sippy and she took to it fine. So if you haven't tried those cups i'd try them. If she drinks from YOUR cup that's a good sign, maybe she'll skip a sippy and go straight to a regular cup or even just drink from a straw. Whatever gets her off the bottle. GOOD LUCK!! :)

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B.M.

answers from Atlanta on

At 14 mos, I had to get my daugther from breast to cup, and she hated the idea. It took just not giving her the breast at all. She didn't drink much for 3-4 days, but she had enough, and finally got used to the cup. It was hard, but she never would take the bottle and I wanted to stop nursing!

I am not sure about the pacifier, but I am not sure I would do the cup and pacifier together. Maybe try to limit it to bed. I tried that with thumb sucking (didn't work for me, but then again, the kids had their thumbs with them at all times!!!!).

B.

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