Help going from formula to whole milk...bottles to cups.

My ds is days away from his 1 yr bday B"H and I have been trying to introduce cups to him. I can't figure out if a sippy cup is easier than a straw cup but I prefer he use a straw cup so I give him that more often than the sippy. But he doesn't use either, he tries for a second and then gives up. He also doesn't seem to like or want milk. I ended up putting milk in a bottle today and he took 2 sips and pushed it away. So I combined it with formula and he drank a small amount.
I feel pretty lost about what to do. I do not want him on bottles past a year (now) and he should not be on formula anymore so do I cut both out cold turkey and he will eventually start drinking milk from a straw cup? And what is eventually....a few days or a few weeks?

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 18 2004 Posts: 2600

IMO no problem to keep giving formula past a year.

The cups with a straw are harder to use, I would try a regular sippy cup. The only thing I would put in a sippy cup is water. Milk is really not necessary and not good for most children.

Gold Member Joined: May 05 2009 Posts: 1204

I can't really help with the bottle part, as my dd 1 is still using them, and wont take a sippy yet either, but I can tell you what our peditrician said about whole milk.

she said that you should introduce the milk (in a bottle or cup) by giving it to dd once a day for the first few days, and then increasing it slowly (two bottles a few days later, three a few days after that) and so on, until you have fully transfered to it. she said if dd doesn't like the taste to do half formula and half milk for a while, slowely putting in more milk then formula till dd gets used to the taste and then move to only the milk.

hope that helps.

hatzlacha.

Senior Member Joined: May 14 2010 Posts: 102

We never officially switched my dd from bottles to cups, but when she saw my dh and I drinking from cups, she wanted to do it too, so it'll happen sooner or later. She still has bottles at night though. And when she started dumping her cup of juice all over her high chair tray, I quickly reintroduced bottles during mealtime.

About the formula-milk: My pediatrician suggested mixing formula with milk and slowly increasing the milk:
Day 1: Put 1/4 formula and 3/4 milk
Day 2: Put 1/2 formula and 1/2 milk
Day 3: Put 1/4 formula and 3/4 milk
Day 4: All milk! Yay!!

If your son seems sensitive to the taste, you can go slower. Lots of luck!!

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6431

my daughter is still on formula but we transitioned her from one formula to the other by mixing different proportions for a few days. she doesn't really drink from a sippy cup,she learned to use a regular cup before starting on a bottle. she gets regular drinks in a cup, formula in a bottle, before that she would nurse or drink with a straw

Op here back again.
DS is off formula - he's taking whole milk. But only from a bottle - and warmed up - just like his formula used to be. I was rushed this morning and gave cold milk in a bottle and he didnt like it but warmed up he will down 5-7 oz. a bottle (I gave him 3 today). He basically takes bottles right when he wakes up, after the afternoon nap, and before bed.
He does not hold his own bottles, he prob could but I think he likes to be fed as its baby-ing him and he just sits back and relaxes.

I REALLY want to get him on cups. I have no idea how to do it. He has a routine and today when I was late with his morning bottle, or tried to just give a cup of milk in the afternoon, he screamed till he got the bottle.

Gold Member Joined: Dec 21 2008 Age: 27 Posts: 1519

If you want to get somewhere you gotta be determined. I think a one year old is too young for a cup. A sippy cup might be a better idea but that's also hard when they come from a bottle. Try to introduce it at other times in the day, not davka when he's used to getting his bottle, it might help.

Ok that is a good idea. I will keep him on his 3 bottles when he is used to them but other times fill a cup with water and offer it - I cant figure out if I should do sippy or straw.
Anyway, if you think 1 is too young for a cup....when do you introduce cups? 1.5 yrs?

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6431

Gold Member Joined: Dec 21 2008 Age: 27 Posts: 1519

I can't remember exactly when I introduced my kids to a cup, definitely at an early age but probably not at 1 yr. I let them have their bottle before going to sleep and before nap time until around the time I train them, other times it was a sippy and then a cup.

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6431

I think I mentioned it, my daughter was drinking other liquids from cups long before she was drinking formula from a bottle. its a skill, however the morning/before nap 'cup of coffee' for them they prefer in bottles, more comforting.

OP here
VERY frustrated with this whole process. I had made progress and eliminated all formula. DS was taking milk - in bottles - 3 times a day and not having much luck with any of the cups I tried. But now on top of refusing cups, he's refusing the milk from the bottles. He's literally not had a drink in 2 days!!!! His diapers are not so wet today. I cannot get him to take anything. I tried apple juice and chocolate milk and water aside from regular milk and he's not interested. I do not know what to do now that he doesnt even want his bottles anymore

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 22 2008 Posts: 6431