How can I get my one year old to hold his own bottle?

Joan - posted on 12/07/2012

I'm facing a same problem too..I scold him when e rejected to hold his bottle.just sit there and crying.There are so many moms asking me" why your son is 1 yr old now but still DON'T KNOW how to hold bottle"? I felt shame..like I never teach him or sound like he's stupid..Thanks for all the comments,may be I will try sippy cup , or hide the milk bottle like playing with them..my god....well..it's not easy being a mother..

Itsa - posted on 11/08/2010

Oh jeez.....

Just enjoy the snuggle time, seriously! My son is 15 months and I love that we snuggle during bottle time.

Actually, babies are NOT supposed to hold their own bottles due to pressure. Too little pressure or too much and the milk could pool in the mouth and cause decay. We hold it juuuust right, the whole time so this doesn't happen.

Nikkole - posted on 11/08/2010

Yea if hes one i would take the bottle away now or you will probably have trouble later on i would give him a sippy cup and say sorry thats ALL we have but i would take him and let him pick out his own sippy cup and emphasize how cool it is and that big boys use them!

Joy - posted on 11/08/2010

Actually, if your baby is one you may not want him to start holding his own bottle. Why? Well, I never let my son hold his bottle and therefore he never got really attached to it and when it was time to wean him off it (I did it just after his first birthday), I literally just stopped giving them to him and it was no big deal.

DEANNA - posted on 11/08/2010

My daughter just turned 1 year old and she wont hold it sitting up she'll lay down and drink from her sippy cup how can i get her to hold it sitting up

Rebecca - posted on 04/19/2010

Don't give the bottle back. Keep at it with the sippy. If you give the bottle back he will keep thinking "ok i can get my bottle back if i refuse this" My friend had to throw out all her bottles to stop giving them back and her son was drinking form them in about a day. They wont go without, trust me. If they're thirsty they'll drink it. cut back on the juice in the sippy's too. Just try his milk for now.
Good luck

Ashley - posted on 04/19/2010

He drinks from his juice from sippy cups. And I tried to put formula in them once but he wouldn't drink it at all. I will have to try it again. Maybe it just takes time.

Kaytie - posted on 04/19/2010

Lay him down on the floor or on the couch next to you and put his bottle in his mouth and then take his hands and help him hold it. After a few take your hands away. If he drops it do it again. It may take a few times but he will start to understand. I was having the same problem with my son and it finnaly came to the point where I would give it to him and tell him if you wont it you have to hold it mommy cant right now. He fussed the first few times but after a few minutes of staring at it and realizing that mommy is not going to hold it he grabed it and held it himself. It sounds a little mean but like my sons doctor said hes just being lazy.

Nadine - posted on 04/19/2010

My son is the same way. I got him to hold it a couple of times for like ten seconds. Then I got the fists. With food, I tried the same thing, I would put the spoon in his hand and hold it while I direct it to his mouth. A few times and I got the fists and pulling away. I am still trying the sippy cup, not working. I tried putting some crackers on his high chair several times, hoping he would pick them up and put them in his mouth. He either pushes them towards me or picks them up and throws them back down. Good luck I don't have any advice because nothing has worked for me.

Cathy - posted on 04/18/2010

Hi all.....when mine were small, if they refused to hold their bottle, I would prop it up under either their blanket or a small cushion. If the bottle dropped, they would give out and I would re prop it up - they soon learnt to do this themselves or hoold the bottle up etc themselves so give it a go. Stay close by of course, and don't give in to holding it again after the first few attempts.
The reason they like you to hold the bottle of milk, is because it's the nurturing instinct. They have your sole undivided attention - thus why you don't get it so much with juice etc. It's a part of growing up and another independant thing they have to learn. x
Good luck xxx

Cindy - posted on 04/18/2010

I am having the same problem, my baby boy is 9 months old and he doesn't even make an effort to hold. And all the women here say to switch to a sippy cup. He is clearly capable and strong enough to hold it, if he can pull himself up to standing now then he can definitely hold a bottle............



However, I have already tried sippy cups with the handles thinking it would be easier to hold But when I give it to him he thinks it's a toy and just wants to play with it and throw it around.........



So what do you do when he wont hold the bottle OR the sippy cup?

Theresa - posted on 04/18/2010

Switch to a sippy cup. My daughter never did hold her own bottle, but she took to a sippy cup great and would hold it.

Chelle - posted on 04/18/2010

my 11 month olds the same....she knows how to hold a bottle because she drinks her juice out of one just fine....but milk is a different story! if its a milk bottle she just wont hold it and will only drink it if i hold her and her bottle....i think she just finds it comforting and likes the mummy cuddles....but i tried her with a straw and cup yesterday and she loved it. if your son wont have a bottle on his own and dosnt like sippy cups try him with a cup and straw.

Marcia - posted on 04/18/2010

OMG! My son never held his bottle. It drove me nuts! But he had this thing with playing with his hair. I agree with the other posters with trying to use a sippy cup.

Andrea - posted on 04/18/2010

My DD never held her bottle.. she didn't start to hold anything till a switched her to a sippy cup! Maybe try switching him to a sippy and see if he will try it then!!!

Stevie - posted on 04/18/2010

try changing to a sippy cup and sometimes my 17 month trys to pull that so i just put his sippy down infront of him and he will pick it up if we put it in his mouth and doesnt grab it we just let go of it and he will pick it up why dont you also try soy milk or silk or maybe even goats milk since he has a cows milk allergy talk to your dr about that but by one he should be on cow milk if they can if not then soy or something but if he doesn want to hold on to it just put it down and he will get it if he wants it

Nicole - posted on 04/18/2010

What about using a cup or sippy cup? He is old enough. They have them with characters etc. It will be something new and maybe he will be interested. Good luck.