Tweet
I have a 15 month old who was born 6 weeks early. He still has a bottle at home and refuses a sippy cup. I don't use a bottle here and offer him a sippy cup that he won't drink out of, so I give him drinks out of a regular cup which he is fine with. DCM doesn't want him off the bottle because she says he's a preemie and needs it. Her doctor told her he needed to be off it too. I told her right up front that I didn't agree and don't give him a bottle. I think she gives him a bottle because she doesn't want to listen to him scream and that is what he does. When I am feeding the baby sometimes he screams when he notices the bottle. Do you think that it's mean that I won't give him a bottle. Plus he drinks 8 ozs on the way here and 8 on the way home and 8 before he goes to bed. I think that is a lot of milk.
-
-
If the dr told her he needs to get off of it, that's what I would go with too.
Has she considered that since he was a preemie he might need some therapies? He might be able to get him some help if he is having oral aversions. -
I think your right about the oral aversions. The roof of his mouth is almost u shaped and I don't think that he gets anything out of a sippy cup and he gets frustrated and throws it, that's why I give him milk in a regular cup and he drinks okay. I'll suggest for her to bring it up to the doctor. I think she uses the bottle whenever he cries.Comment
-
Don't feel bad. I don't allow bottles here eaither. They have a cup on the drink table in a sippy cup! If he gets thirsty, he will drink it or its nothing at all.Same with food, if they get hungry enough they will eat it. I had a kid that was 14 month at the time, and mom gave him so many bottles a day that he would't even eat food. It got to a point where when he got here it went in the fridge, and didn't come back out again until mom picked him up because I was done dealing with it. The kids is now over 2 and STILL on a bottle at home. Some parents are just lazy and don't want to deal with it.
I promise that after a few days, as long as its constant, he will get used to it at your house. But I'm the provider that is loving, and caring, but I don't bend for any child. Not even my own so my approach may be harsh but it works for me. Good luckComment
-
Being born at 34 weeks isn't really all that premature considering that 36 weeks is considered early but term.
By 15 months of age his abilities based on his "corrected age" should have more than caught up with the rest of his peers.
If his doctor says there is no reason for a bottle then there really isn't, and moms behavior is based either on her own lack of initiative or her own desire to coddle him.
You are correct that that much milk is not only unnecessary, but could very well be detrimental to his overall health.
I'd print of literature detailing how much milk is approprite at his age (1/2C at breakfast lunch and dinner) as well as make it clear that she needs to get on board with consistently using a cup if thats what you plan to do there. Be kind, but firm that you will not participate in any practice that is detrimental to his health or development.Comment
-
The shape of the roof of his mouth is fine. If he can **** from a bottle he can **** from a sippy. It would make no sense for him to have ability with one and not the other.
He has obviously learned that when he pitches the sippy he gets attention either by someone fetching him a bottle or sitting beside him with a regular cup.
If he's learned to manipulate beyond the point of turning things around check into getting him a "Reflow" cup. It taoers flow like a sippy but acts as a cup.
I would absolutely require he drink on his own in any event. Thats just ridiculous that you have to aid him through each and every sip.....
Comment
-
Being born 6 weeks early isn't really considered premature... anything after 37 weeks is pretty much considered full term. The kiddos that would come at 33-37 weeks into the NICU, unless they were born with brain bleeds or other severe medical issues were usually released within a week.
My daughter was born almost 15 weeks early. She was on special preemie formula until 8 1/2 months and now at 10 months is on solids and regular formula. She drinks water from a sippy/regular cup on occasion, and we plan to start weaning her off her formula between 12-15 months. If she was full term, we'd have it done for sure by 12 months, but because at 12 months she will really only technically be 9 months we want to ensure she's still getting the nutrition she needs for growth and brain development. Keep in mind she was born at 2lbs 4oz and dropped down to 1lb 5oz during her first few weeks of life - we almost lost her. Now, she's about 20lbs. We work very close with a preemie nutritionist.
My daughter was VERY sick for her first three months of life and we were told to at the very least expect severe delays for the first few years. She's 10 months now - sitting up, crawling, pulling herself to standing position, beginning to walk around furniture, saying "dada" for her dad, drinking from a cup, stacks large lego blocks, etc. She's a bright little girl and we don't anticipate any delays...
We don't treat her like a preemie though - we treat her like an individual and encourage her to be independent... unfortunately a lot of preemie parents keep their kids in a bubble and use the child's prematurity as an excuse, and perhaps this is what's happening here.
What was this child's weight at birth?Comment
-
Oh, I did not catch that he was a 34 weeker. That doesn't mean he cant have oral aversions but it makes it a lot less likely.
My own DS was 33 weeks and he transitioned fine.
My oldest was A 23 Weeker and he did have problems. But, the difference between 23 and 34 weeks is huge.Comment
-
Willow is spot on.
At his age he should be more than corrected to the norm.
I would NOT give him a bottle, and I would recommend to mom to do the same to make adjustment easier.
If she would stick with it, in a week, he'd be fine.
You have every right to do what you know (and he dr said) is correct and put the issue back on mom.Comment
-
I think that dcm is lazy, she claims she is trying to get him off it. I provide the older sippy cup that doesn't have a plug in it, after he throws it twice I just take it and give him a couple of drinks out of the cup when he's done eating. I am far to busy to sit next to him giving him drinks. When he is here he drinks maybe 4The shape of the roof of his mouth is fine. If he can **** from a bottle he can **** from a sippy. It would make no sense for him to have ability with one and not the other.
He has obviously learned that when he pitches the sippy he gets attention either by someone fetching him a bottle or sitting beside him with a regular cup.
If he's learned to manipulate beyond the point of turning things around check into getting him a "Reflow" cup. It taoers flow like a sippy but acts as a cup.
I would absolutely require he drink on his own in any event. Thats just ridiculous that you have to aid him through each and every sip.....
ozs of milk or water. dcm always says that he's a preemie that's why he won't
use a sippy cup, with never having had a preemie before I thought maybe I am being to hard core about it. I move all of the to sippy cups at a year and a regular cup around 18 months. Thanks everyone I feel better about it.Comment
-
Be consistent about your expectation, if he throws it once take it and thats the end of it...no getting it back, no alternative of you then giving him another option with a regular cup. He can wait until the next meal or snack to have another drink if he chooses to pitch what he has access to.
Call her on the fact that using a sippy is absolutely no different than using a bottle, and that his birth has nothing to do with his abilities now (emphasize that even his doctor has expressed that).
I would point blank tell her that you will not partake in holding him back. Thats not you being hard on her, that's you doing your job by advocating for his best interests!Comment
-
My son was born at 34 weeks. I know all babies are different, but other than spending 2 weeks in the NICU and SCU he was beyond caught up as far as size goes by the time he was 3 months old. As far as any physiological he does have some behavioral issues, but those are directly related to my parenting techniques in the earlier years.
All that to say that mom needs to step up and let her child grow.Comment
-
I would insist mom leave any bottles in her car. Do not bring to your day or try to sneak into daycare. You will be doing cups only, per her doctor's orders and you will not offer a bottle at all during daycare hours. Now he wont ever see a bottle at your house and get upset.Comment
-
Preemies & preterm babies can & usually do lag behind, but I think 15 mos not taking a sippy is a bit odd as well, but not super weird. The kid's adjusted age could be around 13 mos, which I don't think is weird to still be transitioning to a sippy cup at all. The markers for full-term pregnancy were recently (last month) declared to be between 39-40.5 weeks. Anything before 37 weeks is now considered an early birth. My son was born at 35 weeks & has yet to catch up weight & height wise. At age 3, he's the size of a one year old, but we've many tests down to discover the cause & he's under the care of a geneticist, an endo, and our naturalist MD. Aside from being slightly lagged in gross motor, he's ahead of the game on everything else for both his actual & adjusted age. Maybe mom's lazy, but I'd work witht he parents to try & figure out what's going on. Since the kid takes a regular cup fine, maybe he's just having a hard time mastering the straw **** motion or confused by the spout.Comment
-
My daughter came 4 weeks early, and I watch a girl that came 6 weeks early. We all transitioned them normally to cups when it was time.Comment
Comment