I breastfed my daughter until she was 10 months old. At that time my supply had dropped so much that I was constantly worried that she just wasn't getting enough milk. We already supplemented half of her bottle with formula so over one of my school breaks I transitioned her to formula. It was bitter-sweet. I miss the bonding but I didn't miss the tugging at my clothes, the feeling that I was her soul comfort, the anxiety of being able to feed her enough. I do miss my boobs now that it's over but that's another post. So here we are the first week of summer vacation and her year one well baby appointment is baring down upon us. I decide that I really want to transition to whole milk BEFORE the appointment to make sure it is going well in case I have questions. HOLY COW I have to say I didn't REALLY think about how hard it must be to give up that bottle. How much our babies have come to rely on sucking to calm them, satiate them, put them to sleep. I mean I did what I was told to and introduced a sippy cup at 6 months. I filled it with water. I gave it at meals. She sipped from it, she chewed on it, she mastered the ability to hold it open with her teeth so she soaked herself through her bib (even at daycare where multiple days she was sent home in a new outfit because she was all wet). I didn't really care of think much about it- until THIS week. Now I wish that I had taken it all a little more seriously.
See those cups pictured above. Its a small selection of the cups in our cabinet. Some are new some are old....she hates them all. OK I'm new to blogging so no one gave me any to trial and honestly I think they are all great she just HATES not having her bottle. We are at 50/50 formula/milk. We have done this gradually over the week an ounce at a time. OK maybe 2/3s milk at this time. Well of course this got me to worrying- what am I doing wrong, what if she gets dehydrated, what if she doesn't like milk, what if she doesn't get enough calcium, what if she doesn't get enough calorie. What did I find out. I should have introduced her to straw. I'm already late....
http://blog.asha.org/2014/01/09/step-away-from-the-sippy-cup/
So I have been watching youtube videos. They make it look easy. Yes she will suck from a straw I am holding BUT the second it is placed in the cup---NOPE. She HATES it. At this point we have one cup that is working for her. Its the green NUBY. Sometimes. Wish us luck. Take sippy cups seriously. Its pretty serious business. Now baby girl please pick a cup.
See those cups pictured above. Its a small selection of the cups in our cabinet. Some are new some are old....she hates them all. OK I'm new to blogging so no one gave me any to trial and honestly I think they are all great she just HATES not having her bottle. We are at 50/50 formula/milk. We have done this gradually over the week an ounce at a time. OK maybe 2/3s milk at this time. Well of course this got me to worrying- what am I doing wrong, what if she gets dehydrated, what if she doesn't like milk, what if she doesn't get enough calcium, what if she doesn't get enough calorie. What did I find out. I should have introduced her to straw. I'm already late....
http://blog.asha.org/2014/01/09/step-away-from-the-sippy-cup/
So I have been watching youtube videos. They make it look easy. Yes she will suck from a straw I am holding BUT the second it is placed in the cup---NOPE. She HATES it. At this point we have one cup that is working for her. Its the green NUBY. Sometimes. Wish us luck. Take sippy cups seriously. Its pretty serious business. Now baby girl please pick a cup.