Transitioning to Milk/Cup

[MNMum]

I have looked at previous threads and found many dcp follow this pattern:

Sippy w/water at meals/snacks - 6 mo
Off of bottle at 12 mos - milk in sippy with meals

How do you handle transitioning? When do you introduce the milk in the sippy? Do you start with mixed formula/milk? Do you offer formula in sippy prior to a year.

I have an 11 mo old, I would like off the bottle in one month. She is a great eater (feeds self).

I also have a 19 mo old that is refusing milk from her sippy. She hardly eats anything. She drinks water beautifully from a sippy. Mom still gives milk in bottle at home. Up until 2 weeks ago, she was giving milk many times per day in bottle. I had been encouraging her to get off the bottle since she started here in March. 2 weeks ago, I put my foot down and said no more bottle here and explained milk intake expectations for an 18 mo (I had previously been giving her only 1- 5 oz bottle before nap, and offering milk in sippy with every meal). She also wakes at night and mom gives her a bottle.

Mom is having a difficult time with this. On Monday, she asked that I limit her naps to 2 hours (previously, she asked me to cut out morning nap, and allow a 12:30-3:30 nap). Mon and Tues she slept through the night. Last night she was up three times.


I try to be reasonably flexible, but now I see why providers adapt a rigid schedule - for everyone!

Okay ladies, give me your thoughts!

[harperluu]

I find that lots of parents (including myself!!) tend to do things the same way if it's working. They get stuck in a rut. And then it moves past the time when the transition would be easiest. It is easiest to transition an infant off of a bottle rather than a toddler. With the 19 mo old, I'd simply only offer a sippy with any type of liquid. If she can drink water from a sippy, then she can drink milk, as it's not a matter of mechanics. In fact, in my home I typically start the transition from a sippy to a cup around 20 - 24 mos. I've never had a child that is unable to effectively drink from a cup at 2 years.

As for the infant, when you offer table foods on a tray, include a sippy cup with breastmilk/formula (unless parents have begun the transition to whole milk) on the tray. Get them familiar with it being there. If they make an attempt to pick it up, or drink from it or use it in any way, I am right there with encouraging words and excitement. If they are having difficulty mastering the angle of the tip for liquid to flow, I might gently tip the cup as they hold it so they get rewarded for their effort. If done consistently at each meal, by 1 year, they should have mastered or nearly mastered using a sippy cup.

Hope this helps.