We have had a love-hate relationship with bottles since Silas & Zoe were born last October. Physically breastfeeding the babies was a no-go from the beginning and I was very disappointed to end up 100% bottle feeding. Both S&Z were so sleepy when they were born that we had a very hard time getting them to eat enough (recall Operation Fatten the Baby and OFB Part II). Zoe had terrible reflux and went through a period of time where she would scream for at least an hour every time we tried to feed her a bottle. Having two babies, feeding also takes over your life at a certain point. Between pumping, making pitchers of formula, 8-12 bottles, and 4-6 tandem feedings per day (depending on their age), we are ready to be done with this stage! I am also ready to get the top shelf of our fridge back!
Most pediatricians recommend that around 12 months parents start to transition kids from bottles to sippy cups. Around this same time, kids also switch from breastmilk or formula to whole milk. That is a lot of transition at one time! As S&Z's first birthday is around the corner, we are starting to think about being done with the bottle.
There is quite a learning curve in mastering a sippy cup, so many people start to introduce water in a sippy cup around 6 months. It can be hard for some babies to figure out how the valve in sippy cups works, so cups without a valve can be helpful for this (i.e., "take and toss").
Since we've been using sippy cups for awhile now, I have also managed to procure almost every kind under the sun! They love to drink water with meals and throughout the day, especially ice water! Over the summer I have stopped carrying bottles in the diaper bag and now carry cups and bottled water.
Last Saturday I decided that we would drop the two daytime bottles, and start adding a few ounces of whole milk to the formula. This change has gone over like a ton of bricks. For 5 days, they drank their entire 6:45am bottle, refused milk in the cups all day long, and then drank the 7pm bottle like they were ravenous wolves. Clearly there is no problem with the addition of the whole milk, and they continue to drink water out of any sippy cup offered. Zoe in particular has been very upset about the milk in cups. She pushes it away, puts her forehead down on the ground and cries in protest. Silas on the other hand just ignores it and does his own thing.
Apparently these kids are stubborn. As Derek's uncle commented on FB today, "Being stubborn is a very strong Dutra trait. You should know that by now! Good luck. They have strong spirits from very spirited parents". I also recently heard someone say, "my mother always said she wouldn't give 2 cents for a kid without any spunk". Well, there is definitely no lack of spunk & spirit here, I guess!
Today I tried to approach the usual daytime bottle break as snack time. We changed up the venue in which the cup is offered, and I set them up with a high payoff snack (i.e., cinnamon teddy grahams, something they NEVER get!). I also "casually" offered a cup of milk like it was no big deal, just set it down by the teddy grahams.
Zoe eventually took a few drinks, and then I offered it again a little while later with lunch. At last it seems that Zoe's streak has been broken!! Silas still didn't touch it.
But he did take a few drinks at dinner when the same approach was taken following an afternoon snack!
So, after 6 days it seems the stalemate has been at least partially broken. I'll start working on the morning bottle next, and I think this one should be easier. They are so thirsty after 11 hours of sleep that I'll just stick them straight into the booster seats after the wake-up diaper change and give them a cup of milk with breakfast. The nighttime bottle will be another story...
Most pediatricians recommend that around 12 months parents start to transition kids from bottles to sippy cups. Around this same time, kids also switch from breastmilk or formula to whole milk. That is a lot of transition at one time! As S&Z's first birthday is around the corner, we are starting to think about being done with the bottle.
There is quite a learning curve in mastering a sippy cup, so many people start to introduce water in a sippy cup around 6 months. It can be hard for some babies to figure out how the valve in sippy cups works, so cups without a valve can be helpful for this (i.e., "take and toss").
Since we've been using sippy cups for awhile now, I have also managed to procure almost every kind under the sun! They love to drink water with meals and throughout the day, especially ice water! Over the summer I have stopped carrying bottles in the diaper bag and now carry cups and bottled water.
Last Saturday I decided that we would drop the two daytime bottles, and start adding a few ounces of whole milk to the formula. This change has gone over like a ton of bricks. For 5 days, they drank their entire 6:45am bottle, refused milk in the cups all day long, and then drank the 7pm bottle like they were ravenous wolves. Clearly there is no problem with the addition of the whole milk, and they continue to drink water out of any sippy cup offered. Zoe in particular has been very upset about the milk in cups. She pushes it away, puts her forehead down on the ground and cries in protest. Silas on the other hand just ignores it and does his own thing.
Apparently these kids are stubborn. As Derek's uncle commented on FB today, "Being stubborn is a very strong Dutra trait. You should know that by now! Good luck. They have strong spirits from very spirited parents". I also recently heard someone say, "my mother always said she wouldn't give 2 cents for a kid without any spunk". Well, there is definitely no lack of spunk & spirit here, I guess!
Today I tried to approach the usual daytime bottle break as snack time. We changed up the venue in which the cup is offered, and I set them up with a high payoff snack (i.e., cinnamon teddy grahams, something they NEVER get!). I also "casually" offered a cup of milk like it was no big deal, just set it down by the teddy grahams.
Zoe eventually took a few drinks, and then I offered it again a little while later with lunch. At last it seems that Zoe's streak has been broken!! Silas still didn't touch it.
But he did take a few drinks at dinner when the same approach was taken following an afternoon snack!
So, after 6 days it seems the stalemate has been at least partially broken. I'll start working on the morning bottle next, and I think this one should be easier. They are so thirsty after 11 hours of sleep that I'll just stick them straight into the booster seats after the wake-up diaper change and give them a cup of milk with breakfast. The nighttime bottle will be another story...
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