None of our kids have ever held their own bottle - even at 10 months they refused to hold their bottle!! When did yours hold their bottle? Did you 'teach' them to do it? Just curious!!
TIA
Thanks for all the wonderful responses! I didn't ask this question so that I could "give the baby a bottle and walk away" - i asked this question because there are times when we are driving and she wants a bottle immediately - of course I can't pull over anywhere and everywhere so I thought it would be good if she do it on her own for those circumstances. Plus I was just curious as to see if any other babies out there refused to do it like mine!?! And I now know that there are lots! ;0)
mine didnt want to hold it until around 12-13 mos and it was only because i made her do it. She cried when I sat her in the hi chair and sat the bottle on the tray. She just get pushing it away and then picking it up and holding it for me to come feed it to her. She finally gave in and picked it up to feed herself and has never gone back.
Our son wouldn't hold his bottle for me, then I walked in one day and he was holding it for the babysitter...so I realized that he could do it, that was around 10 months. We had a tough love weekend where I just wouldn't hold the bottle (except for the night time one). He caught on, and started holding it. I suppose it didn't make too much of a difference as I still always held him while he drank, but it was really nice because I could read to him while he was drinking!
Ours didn't, even though he could UNLESS we were in the car. He liked the snuggle time. :) :) :) So did I.
Honestly, my daughter never held her own bottle. I didn't want her attached to it and she was not allowed to walk around with a bottle. I had no problems switching to a sippy cup and getting rid of the bottles.
My daughter started holding her own bottle at about 7 months. My son who is now 9 months he holds his own bottle. I give ti too him and some times he whines and wants me to hold it and i say if you want it you gotta hold it. and i out his hands on it and walk away. he holds it him self. if you cant get your child to hold his/ her own bottle. At babiesrus they have this bottle top that has a regular bottle nipple and has a long straw that connects to the nipple from the inside. so all you have to do is put the nipple in the childs mouth and thats it the bottle stays up straight and so you can drive or do what you have o do with out any one holding the bottle.
Mine holds his own bottle at 7 months. He started around 5 and half or six months. I just kept putting his hands on it and holding it with him. One day he just started doing it. But I think some babies never really do. Just depends on the baby.
I wouldn't make my child hold his own bottle. My boys were breastfed, but I wouldn't expect my baby to hold his own food source. This is a time when a caregiver should be holding baby, feeding baby, and using that time to bond and snuggle, not just giving the child a bottle and walking away.
My daughter starting trying around 4 months-by 5 1/2-6 months she was fully on her own.
My son is breastfed and also bottle fed. He holds his own bottle at daycare and if anyone holds him. If I feed him a bottle, he makes me hold it!! He is 8 months old.
Mine never held theirs, either.....until I stopped doing it for them. This happened by accident. My daughter always expected me to hold her bottle for her. When I'd "test" her to see if she could do it herself, she would put her mouth on the nipple, but didn't lift it to get the liquid to come out. I just assumed she couldn't do it. One day, at around 10.5 months, I was feeding her when the phone rang. I set the bottle down and sprinkled some cheerios on her tray to keep her occupied while I was on the phone. In mid-conversation, I looked back to see that she was gulping her bottle down - and holding/tilting it perfectly! These days, she'll still let me hold it for her (which is comforting to me) but she usually drinks it by herself now that she knows that she can.
My baby started on a sippy cup right when he turned 5 months and started holding it himself too. He's now 10 months and does hold it, but doesn't hold it "up", so he can only drink it in a laying down position. This is partly my fault because I do hold him in a baby hold to give him his formula a lot of the time. I believe in independence, but also in the bonding you get from holding them close while feeding them.
My son is 8 months old and started holding his bottle last week. I never encouraged it or taught him. He just pulled it out of my hand last Thursday and when I went to try and hold it for him, he screamed and started to fuss. So, now he's on his own on that issue.
I nursed my son for the first 6 months and then he was formula fed after. He didn't show any interest in holding his bottle until he was 10.5 months. I would put his hands up to the bottle and hold them there for a little bit. I would worry, I think they figure "why make the effort when mom does it for me". At least I'm sure that's what my son was thinking. : )
What I've heard is that breastfed babies take longer to learn to hold a bottle for some reason. My son is bottlefed and he started trying to hold his at about 4 months. He's been able to hold it on his own really well since about 6 months. :)
