bottle holding

Elaine - posted on 08/07/2010

Thanks everyone. The twins were actually born 2 months early so they are progressing very well considering. They can hold things and they are getting much better at holding the bottles. Like you said if I hold it they feel like they don't need to but as soon as I let go they grab it but sometimes like towards the end they start playing with the nipple of the bottle but I am not too concerned. I think they are doing great. I was just curious.

Christine - posted on 08/06/2010

You know I was just thinking about this recently.. I don't think my twins ever really held their own bottles. They were about half breastfed and half bottle fed.

I didn't mind holding their bottles at all and would prefer holding it for them (it seems kinda sad when babies are holding their own bottle, eating by themselves, imo) so I guess I didn't "encourage" it a lot. They were 3 weeks early and had hit all their other milestones by the time I was thinking "should they be holding their bottles by now?". Anyways I figure it's like.. sometimes kids skip crawling and just start walking.. sometimes kids just skip milestones and holding a bottle really isn't a big one.. just check to make sure their dexterity is good and their hand eye coordination is good and that they *can* hold it.

In my opinion kids should be held when they are getting a bottle (not always possible with twins but just generally speaking).

So anyways if you are holding it they may just think they don't need to so they aren't?

If you want to encourage it you could try different bottles (though we used a few different types and it didn't seem to make a difference), or just hold their hands on the bottle until they get a feel for it. They will likely be off the bottle in about 2 months anyways though (unless you plan to go longer with it) I wouldn't really worry about it too much!

For the record my boys have always held their own sippy cups (what we used after the bottles) and their own cups. Their dexterity and hand eye coordination is good.

Have you introduced finger foods yet? Those get convenient if you are in the middle of something and need to buy some time til bottle time. You could try out a sippy cup and see if they take to those? Or maybe one of those bottle gripper things?

Or just wait it out for the next couple months and switch to a sippy cup!

Jocelyn - posted on 08/06/2010

It took a lot of coaxing to get my boys to hold their bottles. Neither started doing it until they were just over 10 mos so don't worry. One didn't do it until they were 11 mos and decided not to be lazy anymore!

Kerry - posted on 08/06/2010

hi i have 1yr old b/g twins my daughter didnt hold her bottle untill about 10 months and my son even later ,he still has trouble tipping his juice cup back far enough as it empties and seems to get on better with a straw?but my daughter doesnt have a clue with a straw!think every child is different and they will get it in their own time.

Danielle - posted on 08/06/2010

My twin boys have always each done things in their own time. One of them held his bottle early on but the other didn't hold his bottle by himself until he was almost 1. Actually he finally figured it out after he started drinking out of a sippy cup. I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you.

Kel-Cie - posted on 08/04/2010

My boys weren't that preemie, born at 37 weeks and I found they were just being lazy :), they we def strong enough to hold their bottles as they were picking up other heavier things, but they just wouldn't. So I started handing their bottles to them, lying them down on the floor and walking away, it took less than a day for my boys to start holding their bottles

Christine - posted on 08/04/2010

Don't be too worried I have twin boys who just turned a year old on Monday and they just recently, like in the last month, really holding their bottles on their own unless they were lying on their backs. Especially if they were premature it may take them a little longer to perfect the motion. Just keep putting their hands on them and they will catch on

Christy - posted on 08/03/2010

Let me know how they do. I hope they do well. I hope for you! Feeding can be difficult when 2 little ones are hungry! Good luck!

Elaine - posted on 08/03/2010

Thank you for your advice. I will try that.

Christy - posted on 08/03/2010

Well, I give the small bottles in the high chair tilted back. I give their big bottles (early morning and night time) in an Infant to Toddler Rocker. One of my twins took it away from me holding it and the other I had to teach how to hold it. I REMEMBER!!!! On the high chairs I would set the bottle in front of them on the high chair tray. Standing straight up. They eventually grabbed it and tilted it towards their mouth. I would ask them if they wanted milk (with baby signs and verbal) and placed the bottle on their tray and removed my hand from the bottle. Then I would say "get it" or "take it". They would and it didn't take that long for them to grab it. Then I tilt their chairs back. I give them 7 or 8 ounces at every feeding, so if I give them 4 ounces of puree then I give them 3 or 4 ounces of milk (formula) in a small bottle.

Elaine - posted on 08/03/2010

I use the dr. browns too. I have been trying to put their hands on the bottle to hold it and they can but then they let it go. They do a much better job with the sippy cups so I am thinking maybe I should transition to the sippy cups already with their milk. Where do you normally give them their milk? on a boppy or high chair? I do it in the high chairs and it's difficult when I am holding two bottles at the same time and trying to get them to hold it. I know they can do it it's just a matter of them getting used to doing it on their own.

Christy - posted on 08/03/2010

What bottles are you using? I have 10 month twin boys and they started holding their bottles around 6 months. I was using Dr Browns bottles... I have a love hate relationship with Dr Brown bottles. Well, I switched them to the drop ins system 3 weeks ago and they quit holding them altogether!!! They didn't have to tip the bottles anymore because I was squeezing the air out of them... Now they could enjoy their milk, juice, whatever while the bottle was laying on their chests... I finally stopped holding them for them and put their hands on them again to get them acclimated back to holding their bottles again. Just my personal experience with bottles. Hope it helps a little.

Tammy - posted on 07/27/2010

my twin boys held their bottles around the tenth month mark. Ask your doctor overall but what I had done was I held the bottle at the botom, and then kept their hands around the bottle at the same time. It was something I had to be repeatative with but it worked overall....they may get the hang of it and the regress-normal! Mine did as well....but thats just a matter of you correcting that regression by repeating the holding of the bottle. Every baby is different..so its all a learning experience for you and they as well...keep your head up...

Tiffanie - posted on 07/26/2010

i noticed that my twin boys would only hold their bottles that contained juice or water and they had to be the small bottles. my grandma started them with hold bottles. she found 2oz bottles [i have no clue where but i am sure you can look it up online] and they started holding them so we started giving them 4oz bottles and kept going up.
i would continue to put their hands on the bottle and let go. they got extremely mad but they finally did it themselves.
i would also agree with Heather, you should check and see what the doctor says. i don't think that it would be a concern. i think my doctor had a mild heart attack when i told her they were holding their bottles at 4 months and now they are 6 months and crawling!
good luck to you and i hope that this helps you out

Heather - posted on 07/26/2010

When you are feeding them put their hands on them, or you could try to encourage it by buying the bottles with the handles... Smaller bottles are lighter or use the big ones but only fill them half full so they aren't as heavy.

Those are just a few suggestions... all kids start doing things at different ages, but I would recommend checking with your doctor and seeing if they think there is cause for concern.