Sippy cup vs bottle

[aamia]

DS is three months. He was combi/mix fed from about 4 days till three/four weeks due to tongue tie and him not being able to bf properly. After that we reverted to mostly bf (has the odd bottle). He has a bottle (ebm if I have it or formula if not) when DH/friend has him so I can do the horses, so a few times a week. Recently he's started really fussing with the bottle and not wanting it even when he's so hungry he's sucking on his clothes/hand/anything within reach. Doesn't seem to like the teat in his mouth but does want to try (DH showed me at home yesterday with a little milk). Would a sippy cup be better?

[FadBook]

He could be teething so not liking the teat in his mouth perhaps ?

At 3 months he has probably worked out he prefers mummy to feed him than have a bottle/teat in his mouth.

Trying a sippy cup is worth a go. You can also get those doidy cups like this They for the between stage of bottle and sippy cups (normally around 3-5 months)

Babies who have previously taken bottles do refuse them later on down the line. They start to work out that Mummy is more than just food/drink and also a security blanket (I'm not implying in any shape or form that bottle feeding can't be bonding time, just that breastfeeding does have this benefit as it is a constant security that mum is there to meet the needs of the baby, where as a bottle sometimes means someone other than mum is feeding iyswim) My dd took a bottle from 3 weeks and then later refused from 12 weeks. She just preferred milk from mummy. I've got friends whose babies just want milk, in any shape or form (mummy, bottle, cup, however!). My dd was and still is a boob monster!

Try the milk a little warmer than normal (my dd used to like it very warm / borderline hot!)

Try wrapping the bottle in your pj top or nighty that you've worn and have baby in quite close to DH to replicate you.

Good luck, hope this helps - someone else may be able to offer more advice

[aamia]

Fadbook that is exactly it. Poor DH had screaming angry baby for ten min before DS would drink yesterday. Tried cup and bottle, but neither was better.

[FadBook]

I wouldn't force it Aamia, he may begin to have negative associations with the bottle/cup.

Have you tried when he is less hungry? Kind of that middle between just being fed and the next feed.

[aamia]

Thank you for the advice Fadbook, will try that . What did you do when your dd refused bottles? Do they get past this phase and settle again? For now he could just wait the four hours till I get home but he won' t be able to go all day when I go back to work!

[FadBook]

She just refused them and never had milk out of a bottle or sippy cup (not what you want to hear). My nephew would take milk out of anything but my dd won't - even now, she'll only take a bit of cold cows milk out of a cup, but if I'm around, she'd rather have breast milk (she's 16 months now).

I still went out and left her and DP was fantastic; remained calm and still offered milk but never forced it. He'd bring her downstairs (if I was out for the evening at my sports matches) and she'd just wait for me, this was from about 4 months. I'd have fed her before and I'd be back again within 3 hours normally.

Once weaning started at 6 months, food intake would keep her settled for longer. She also started learning to use a sippy cup from then so would take water with her meals, so I knew she'd never go dehydrated. My mil would also offer her watery foods like peaches, pears, oranges to ensure she had water (if I worked for a whole day)