https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 15 May 2026 12:24:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2780913 Fri, 20 Oct 2017 07:13:01 +0000 hellobeeboston 2780913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, with my first, this was the same story. I'm pretty sure I bought all the same exact sippy cups with the same results! </p> <p>We let our son have the bottle longer than the PED advised so he would still get milk when he was very young. BUT they said not to do milk in the bottle before bed/naps, so we phased that out since that was the real concern. We transitioned to water in the bottle then that just went away before sleep.</p> <p>Honestly, after the bottles were gone he never drank milk out of a cup, but we made up for it with yogurt &amp; cheese... He's almost 5 and will only VERY rarely drink milk anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2780891 Thu, 19 Oct 2017 21:03:06 +0000 LCTBQE 2780891@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2PeasinaPod: thank you! I'm glad to hear you guys made it out the other side :) mercifully my baby never got into paci's, so at least we only have one habit to break, wheee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2780890 Thu, 19 Oct 2017 21:01:53 +0000 LCTBQE 2780890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: @pinkarmadillo: hi guys, I'm sorry I missed this--I think I must have deleted the alert emails and then forgotten to write back :meh: so we have the other kind of Dr Brown's, not the kind compatible with this sippy. Thanks for telling me about it though gingerbebe, it wouldn't have tricked him but I think it might have confused him into submission? haha. pinkarmadillo, we were actually making decent progress with both the Nuk and Thinkbaby cups, and then daycare said he hated them and that *they* were making progress with milk in the munchkin weighted straw that he also uses for water, and they told us that he was confused and suggested we all get on the same page with the munchkin. then he was sick THREE times in seven days and it all went to hell, I just wanted him to be hydrated (ear infection, then fever, then stomach bug). we'll get back on the wagon soon though.</p> <p>@catlady: thank you for this thorough answer, I could see us doing the same (except I already weaned at 12m). dude gets plenty of dairy in his diet, and he is getting to the point when he's starting to be frantic about getting his bottle that if offered food, he'll calm down and take that instead. I hear that with kid #2 you don't join them when they start to freak out quite as much?? :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2779250 Thu, 12 Oct 2017 12:15:34 +0000 catlady 2779250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had this issue with LO1. I was still nursing her morning and evening but I had weaned during the day and she'd only drink milk from bottles. She would drink water from a zoli cup but not milk. She wouldn't drink from any other type of cup, whether straw or sippy.</p> <p>We waited and by the time she was around 15 months (I think) at which point our pediatrician said it was fine if she didn't drink milk at all, as long as she was eating dairy in other forms. So at that point, we gave up bottles cold turkey and even though we kept offering milk in cups, that basically ended her milk consumption. I kept nursing 2x per day until she was 1.5 and then 1x per day until she was past 2, and we made sure she kept eating lots of dairy.</p> <p>Eventually she started drinking milk again on her own, but she was much older by then, maybe 2.5 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2779241 Thu, 12 Oct 2017 11:54:59 +0000 pinkarmadillo 2779241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used the NUK soft spout sippy to transition and it worked pretty well. I offered it for her last feeding one night and once she finally accepted it we never looked back. It wasn't easy and it took her a while before she was ready. We just now broke the NUK habit once she turned two. She never took a paci but loved her "babas" I snipped the nipple of the NUK one day and told her it was broken and daddy couldn't fix it, haha. Don't rush it but this is coming from someone who definitely let their little one take their time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2779079 Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:55:53 +0000 gingerbebe 2779079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: Which Dr. Brown's bottle does your kid use?</p> <p>They make sippy tops that go on the Dr. Brown's Options line bottles. Do you think if you got him one it would look/feel similar enough to his regular bottles to fool him?</p> <p><a href="https://www.drbrownsbaby.com/products/sippy-spouts/" rel="nofollow">https://www.drbrownsbaby.com/products/sippy-spouts/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778568 Tue, 10 Oct 2017 09:23:22 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2778568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: We did...it was hard for the first 3 days. He would freak, and we let him know that the cup was his only way to milk. He eventually just refused the cup and we took the bottle out of the equation, and he started drinking more water. We had to do the same with the pacifier once he turned 2. That was a little easier to explain since he understood more. It was a rough first 3 days, but it's worth it in the end to stay consistent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778502 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 22:43:35 +0000 LCTBQE 2778502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: haha, thanks for the tip, I'll proceed with caution with those. it can't be worse than the time I tried to give him milk in a real cup :) I just bought them and three other cups recommended on this thread, we shall see. and mannnn, I wouldn't want your particular problem, either. how come babies never stick to the plan? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778497 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 22:01:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 2778497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: heads up- if he throws a take and toss cup the lid will come loose or pop off. I r ally like them but just something to watch out for in the beginning! </p> <p>Otherwise I can’t help since we had the opposite problem where both my kids refused bottles in the first place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778493 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 21:16:29 +0000 LCTBQE 2778493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: we have the Nuby cup without the transitional nipple and he hated the sippy nipple thing, but maybe if he got used to the cup with a bottle nipple I could switch it out after a week or so?? see what sticks, right?</p> <p>@gingerbebe: @SweetiePie: nice tricks with the bedtime snack idea! gingerbebe you sound like a master of persuasion :)<br /> @Shantuck: ordering this on amazon, too. I don't even care about the money anymore. I've actually already been giving him the sippies in the same environment he gets his bottles in, and wondering if that's part of the problem--like if I turn it on its side and give it to him in a different room if it would be a new thing instead of the old thing but wrong? gah. </p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: omg, I feel like it was just a couple months ago that you couldn't get her to take a bottle!! one thing after another, huh? :) </p> <p>@LBee: PS did you have the baby yet?!! how are you? hahaha re: waste of money.<br /> @2PeasinaPod: so, did you guys ever have a situation where he was just frantic for the bottle, or did you trickle it out (pun intended) slower so you never encountered a full-fledged freak out? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778489 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 21:00:05 +0000 LCTBQE 2778489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>this is wonderful and it's such a relief to hear I'm not the only one! thank you so much for your thoughts, everyone. I think I'm going to drop the morning bottle completely, then work on dropping the day bottles, and try introducing a couple of the transitional sippies that you guys recommended here to see if he'll do that for bedtime. if it just doesn't work in the next month or two, going to regroup and see what happens if we go cold turkey. I'm hoping this doesn't become a battle of wits. </p> <p>@Littlebit7: @LBee: @Mrsbells: @gingerbebe: @SweetiePie: @ShootingStar: I really hear you that cold turkey might be the only way to get him to let go of Dr Brown's and that it might get harder instead of easier. my day care won't tolerate (nor would we want) the baby to still be insisting on milk in a bottle for too much longer. It wasn't the case even in August, but at this point his eating and water drinking is so good that I'm not worried about him needing milk for nutrition, it's mostly a comfort thing. He gets plenty of full-fat yogurt and loves veggies and isn't a picky carb lunatic, which is great. After a bit of soul searching tonight I realized that I'm less worried about the morning and afternoon bottles, but what I'm really afraid of is if he won't get the pre-nap and bedtime bottle or milk in any capacity when he's expecting it (he literally pants for that bottle), I think he's going to freak out and wail and it WILL be an insane CIO battle, and I'm worried he won't be able to sleep. When I did actual CIO sleep training, the baby was *extremely* stubborn and determined--he's really happy and cheerful and bright, but he's definitely stubborn. </p> <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: your story is so cute :) I wish it was a preference instead of an insistence with our boy. We keep the bottles up in a cabinet, but what happens is when I give him milk in a sippy, he screams NO and then starts searching around desperately for the bottle, and every time so far, panic just escalates :meh: </p> <p>@Mama Bird: yes, exactly--milk comes from the tap or the bottle, and anything else is completely wrong :) glad you made it out the other side (almost?)</p> <p>@Dahlia: @2littlepumpkins: I'm going to try the take n toss cups, I've seen other people mention them before. they sound good for water regardless.<br /> @kiddosc: I really like this approach and it makes so much sense, thank you--I wonder if he'll be easier about dropping the bedtime milk session once it's cut out otherwise.<br /> @Portboston: @MrsBucky: this is kind, thanks ladies :heart: I didn't think to talk to him about it--he is just starting to understand us, I think--his vocabulary is exploding right now--so definitely not too soon to explain to him what's going on. And we're just getting into the character thing, he learned who Elmo is at daycare, maybe that'll be motivating. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778468 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 18:07:51 +0000 Littlebit7 2778468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I vote cold turkey. Have you tried think baby? They make some transitional tips for sippy to straw and they are bottle shaped, sort of.<br /> I didn't have this issue but most of my friends did. Those who waited it out had a much harder time and they regretted it. Cold turkey was harsh but it was only for a very short period. They bulked them up with other forms of dairy during the transition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778447 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 16:32:34 +0000 ShootingStar 2778447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would completely drop the bottles and just offer water in a sippy. Make sure he gets plenty of yogurt and cheese and call it a day. He doesn’t need milk and the longer you put off getting rid of the bottles the harder it’ll be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778432 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 15:01:58 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2778432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first never liked the soft sippy cups- I think they were too bottle like and confusing. At the time playtex made hard plastic ones and we also got her to use take n toss (mostly straw) and IKEA ones (they look like dogs, I don't know if they sell it anymore.) We also barely used valve ones, it just wasn't necessary and she didn't like it. Just something to try! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778427 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 14:37:33 +0000 looch 2778427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son isn't a cold turkey kind of kid, he'll do things on his own terms, when he's ready. As a result, I had a kid that was taking a bottle for a really long time (but always with his teeth brushed before bed) and at the age of almost 7, he still drinks about 6 ounces of milk in the morning and at night, through a straw in a regular glass.</p> <p>I had the advent bottles where you could replace the nipple with a spout of differing softness. Worked well because I never had a variety of cups around, just the bottle, with the different spouts. The function was similar to the nipple in that you needed to suck, but now looking back, it was a total comfort thing for my son. I was never into giving milk via a straw cup because I had a very difficult time keeping them clean. Now we just use disposable straws and I force water through them after every use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778426 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 14:32:30 +0000 Mrsbells 2778426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: haha I am in a similar boat. my son has that first cup that you posted. he is also weird about drinking milk out of sippys. sometimes he will drink it out of a take n toss cup but not always.<br /> My only advice is to stop giving it to him in the bottle. Its tough but thats the only way to really get him to accept it in any other form </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778425 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 14:27:12 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2778425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son didn’t have a strong attachment to his bottle when we transitioned, but he definitely preferred it if thought he had an option. Have you tried hiding the bottles? </p> <p>I still remember the sheepish look LO gave me when he took milk from his straw sippy when he thought that was the only option all to discover I moved the Boon lawn to a different counter and his bottle was in it. After that I showed them away completely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778414 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 14:09:20 +0000 LBee 2778414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tried every cup in the world. My son had the exact same dislikes as your kid - I tried the same cups (replace Zoli with Lola though) and went through the exact same struggle except we were DONE with bottles and had no back-up plan. </p> <p>We ultimately just gave up and he eventually started drinking milk from the Take 'N Toss. He had yogurt every day for lunch and I decided not to worry about it. </p> <p>In other news, while going through all my boxes of stuff for the new baby T has discovered all the other cups and is loving all the variety now. So at least it wasn't a total waste of money? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778410 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:53:41 +0000 Dahlia 2778410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Take n' toss straw cups worked for us. They're really cheap and at the grocery store, so maybe it's worth buying a pack to try? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778408 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:52:25 +0000 gingerbebe 2778408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My ped said that really 8oz of milk a day at 1 year old is plenty and if they are eating plenty of food and getting milk and yogurt, its not really that vital anymore. I don't think my eldest drank more than 8oz of milk for a LONNNG time after we dropped bottles and then suddenly at like 18 months he decided it was fine and drinks plenty nowadays.</p> <p>I'm more team cold turkey in your situation. Basically, I think of it as comfort eating. Its not that he needs the calories or nutrients from the milk itself, its the comfort of the bottle and the sensation of the nipple, etc. I'd stick to the Munchkin straw cup since you know he drinks out of it (its also my 16 month old's favorite) and just put milk in it. I'd drop the afternoon bottle completely and replace it with yogurt for a snack. If you want to keep the bedtime bottle for a little while longer, fine, but I'd try to distract him with a fun bedtime snack instead (Teddy Grahams and sips of warm milk out of a coffee mug that you can share, etc). We did the cup switch with my youngest but offered him warm milk in the morning and the evening for while. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778402 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:37:36 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2778402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: I didn't mean you sounded too intense! I just know how these things are, if it's not one thing it's another. I bet this is in my future, I am sure this next baby is going to be obsessed with bottles since my first refused and only wanted boob! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778398 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:36:05 +0000 Portboston 2778398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I vote to wait.<br /> My guy was pretty attached to his bottle as well. After he turned 1 we tried randomly to offer milk in a sippy and he would cry. Eventually, close to 2, he started chewing on the nipples and breaking them. We were down to our last one and I explained to him that it was breaking and once it broke there would be no more bottle. The day it finally broke (he gagged on the milk) we went to target and he got to pick out his sippy cups. He was super excited and the transition ended up not being a huge deal AT ALL!!!!</p> <p>I would start talking about how big boys don’t use bottles and soon it will be time for him to drink his milk like a big boy, etc. he’s a little young right now but maybe by 18 months he’ll get excited about a character sippy (that’s what worked for us)<br /> Good luck! It’s tough when everyone else is pushing their schedule and your child isn’t ready. Give it some time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778395 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:30:35 +0000 kiddosc 2778395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll say at 1 I stopped worrying about how much milk they drank completely. I offered milk at meals and water throughout the day in sippy cups and they drank what they drank. Since he still really depends on his bedtime bottle, I'd just let that be... but maybe just try to eliminate extra "meals" of milk throughout the day which eliminates the need to have a bottle battle at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778393 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:29:00 +0000 SweetiePie 2778393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: Hi :-)<br /> We did this by 14 months and dropped one bottle at a time, definitely with bedtime being the last one.<br /> He doesn’t need milk in the same volume at all anymore. So what my ped said is that if he’s drinking water and getting hydration there, the only major benefit of milk is calcium. As long as you make sure he’s getting yogurt and cheese and other calcium rich things, I would say don’t offer the bottle at all and If he doesn’t drink milk from a cup at all, who cares? He’s drinking water no problem. I would just keep offering it and one day he’ll take it.<br /> I also offered special treats at that age to encourage. Like teddy grahams. Just to get him used to it and to encourage him and really after a few times he didn’t even need them anymore. </p> <p>But I wouldn’t do the bottle much longer at all. If you think it’s hard to separate him from it now, just wait till he’s getting closer to 18 months. That’s really a major reason why pediatricians say to drop it around a year - the older they get the harder it is. Just like with sleep training ;-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778392 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:28:45 +0000 avivoca 2778392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: My 12-month-old has really taken to this cup: <a href="https://www.nuby.com/usa/en/3-stage-grow-with-me-nurser-8oz240ml-2" rel="nofollow">https://www.nuby.com/usa/en/3-stage-grow-with-me-nurser-8oz240ml-2</a></p> <p>It has a bottle nipple, a sippy nipple, and you can remove the handles. She will drink both water and milk out of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778391 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:28:11 +0000 Mama Bird 2778391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had massive trouble getting both kids to drink milk from a cup at first. I think in their mind milk was something that came from the tap (or a bottle) and that's that. If that's the problem, working on drinking other things from a cup first may help. </p> <p>As for the milk? I tried to sneak it into food (cereal, dishes with dairy), and kept serving it in bottles at least once or twice a day until their other fluid intake was more reliable. And they ate lots of soup also because it was the only liquid they'd have without tantrums. </p> <p>It was a long and pretty nerve-wracking process. One of them stopped bottles at 15 months and has no problems drinking enough now, and loves milk. The other one insisted on a bottle until two :shocked: and is still not too good about drinking, but we're getting there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778390 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:27:15 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2778390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: Just commiserating because we are in the same boat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778389 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:16:26 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2778389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel you. LO1 still doesn't drink milk to this day and he's 5. He wouldn't drink any milk outside of his Dr. Brown's bottles, and after speaking with his doctor about it, we gave up. He loved (and still does) yogurt and cheese, so we made up for calcium loss there. I say keep trying and cut the bottle completely. It's what we did with LO, and he eventually just wanted water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778388 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:15:59 +0000 Shantuck 2778388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yikes! I'm sure the last thing you want to do is try buying another cup but we transitioned my now 5 year old onto the Nuk learner cups with the silicone spout (<a href="https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/nuk-learner-cup-silicone-5-oz/ID=prod6211724-product" rel="nofollow">https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/nuk-learner-cup-silicone-5-oz/ID=prod6211724-product</a>). It kind of resembles a bottle and has the soft tip and also needs to be tilted back like a bottle. Maybe this would be worth a $5 investment to see if he takes to it. You could even try feeding it to him in the same manner you do the bottle (i.e. sitting in your nursery on your glider, etc. until he gets used to it). Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sippycup-hating-bottle-monster-advice-needed#post-2778386 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:13:07 +0000 MrsBucky 2778386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I want to say we did cold turkey at 15 months, so I’m on team “give it Time” too :). Maybe pick a date a few months or week out, and explain what’s happened, even if it seems like he doesn’t understand. “I’m a few weeks, the bottles are going to go away and you’ll be a big guy who drinks your milk out of a big guy cup if you want to have milk.” Maybe keep mentioning it every time you give him a bottle? Then maybe I’m a few weeks he will get it and be less resistant/ panicky about it since he’ll have time to understand? Fwiw we did it cold turkey but he wasn’t freaking out, more just refusing to drink which scared me. But the pediatrician promised if I gave it two days he’d get it and that was right. But again, he was a few months older, so who knows. Whatever you decide, good luck! </p>