10 m.o. from EBF to ??

[twainny]

So I am returning to work this week. I have EBF my 10 month old (no bottles, no sippy cups). I plan on pumping once a day (only working 5 hours, plus commute time) I think he will need at least one feeding while I am gone. Should I just have the nanny give him a sippy cup or should i use a bottle? We have tried to introduce a sippy (with water) in the last week, and it hasn't gone over very well... mostly spilling all over his shirt! What do you think, bottle or sippy?

[vjel]

I'd go straight to sippy so you don't have to go from bottle then sippy, kwim? I introduced the sippy around 8-9mos. It takes a bit of time. Just keep giving him a sippy at meals, or whenever you'd like to try, so he can practice. He'll get it eventually.

With both kids I used the starter sippy cups, the take n toss ones from the First Years (I think). They are smaller/shorter (4-5oz) so when you fill them up, it takes less tilting up for them to get a drink.

[katmg]

I would do the sippy cup. You might also try straw cups which were easier for my DD to use at first. I found that Nuby's soft tipped sippy cup worked best for us rather than the hard tipped cups.

[sparkle&shine]

I second trying a straw cup. My DS never liked the regular sippy cups but loved the one with straws. I would buy a couple different style cups to see which one works the best for him.

[TracyDP]

Practice makes perfect with sippys or straw cups. My 8m DD has not gotten the hang of straws, but after about a month of consistant offering and practicing she has taken to the Avent Magic sippy and does great with it. I actually had to give her formula from it the other day because I forgot to pack a regular bottle when we went to the mall. She didn't really seem to notice. Normally she only gets water in it though, after solid meals and randomly between meals to keep her poops regular and hydrated.

[lil_nance]

We use the Nuby straw cup. We started at about the same age, 10-11mo. DD took water in it before she would take formula. Now she uses it for both water and regular milk.

[Megande]

I would like to know how this goes for you. I will be in the exact same situation. I plan on working about 5 hours a day when my EBF son is 10 months old. I was thinking that I wouldn't pump or give him BM during the day. It doesn't seem like a terribly long time to go, and I was thinking I'd send yogurt and other high calorie foods for him to eat during the day. I'm sure he will make up for it in nursing when I am home. I have a friend who is an IBCLC, so I am planning to ask her what she thinks.

[twainny]

Megande - I wasn't planning on giving him anything either. But with commute times and all I think he will need something (plus, I think I will need to pump!) He just seems to be better if I nurse him right before or right after he naps (which is usually 9:30-12) so I will just see how it goes.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I am going to try a sippy cup. I have one straw sippy cup, but my DS1 never got the hang of it until he was well over 18 months (probably cause I didn't offer it to him enough). Since I live overseas, I don't have access to anything except what I brought with me, so I will just go with the regular soft top nuby.

[StacieLady]

megande - A week ago, I started sending Jacob to MDO with yogurt instead of a bottle, and his teacher says he seems fine about it. Of course he is a month older than your DS will be, but it worked for us! :)

[twainny]

Well the first day I worked, I could only find all the part for a bottle. DS wouldn't take it. By the time the second day came, I find a Nuby sippy, and he downed the milk! Now is he a sippy champ... gulping the water down too!!!