How can I get my baby to hold their own bottle?

Any advice on how to get my baby to hold his own bottle? He’s almost 11 months and refuses to hold his own bottle but like 5 times in his whole life he’s just picked up the bottle and drank it like it was nothing but most times he’ll just scream from the top of his lungs and cry and look at the bottle and me. People tell me just let him cry until he gets thirsty enough to drink it first of all I feel like that’s cruel second of all him screaming and crying triggers my ptsd and sends me into panic attacks any advice is greatly appreciated

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How can I get my baby to hold their own bottle?

Let him be a baby. Don’t rush it. He will grow up in no time and this will seem trivial

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dont understand y u would want to push baby to hold bottle, best thing holding a baby and feeding them

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My firstborn never held their own bottle. The whole time. Even as a toddler she still likes to snuggle in my arms to drink her sippy cups (she holds those) they are probably just comforted by you. I wouldnt worry about it.

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my babies never held their own bottles, that was such a special time to sit and cuddle and bond with them, enjoy this time with them as it’s over all too soon.

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Hold your babies bottle? And if a little one is giving you PTSD, just wait. It gets WAY worse.

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Although I don’t think it’s any issue that bub isn’t holding their own bottle gotta say if your bub crying etc triggers you and sets you off you really need to address that within yourself. Babies pick up on your energy and stress and emotional state, don’t project your issues onto your baby/child it isn’t going to be healthy for either of you or bubs development in the long run

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Switch to a sippy cup with handles. That’s the only way we got our kid to hold his

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My baby didn’t hold hers till after she was one

Enjoy it while you can because one day he won’t want your snuggles or to hold his bottle anymore and you will miss it. But for now try and transition him to a soft top sippy with handles and see if he holds it. That will even help you get him used to sippy cups when it’s time for the bottle to go.

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At 11 months he should be holding his own bottle/cup speak with someone

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My daughter did this too and her doctor told me that bottle holding isn’t actually a milestone. She “could” do it from like 4 months on but she wouldn’t unless absolutely necessary. Think of it this way, everyone has their love language right? Some people like having things done for them to feel loved so just like we’d be happy someone made us lunch they’re happy we’re cuddling and holding the bottle for them :heart:

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I have 3 and they never held their own bottles. :woman_shrugging:t2:. We enjoyed that bonding time.

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Just hold him and feed him :woman_shrugging:t2:

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Put your baby’s hands on the bottle as you feed him. He won’t keep them there at first but after a little while he will.

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11 months mine was using a regular cup with handles. Maybe this is more to do with snuggles with Mom as mine was still being breastfed in part. He associates the bottle with the chance to snuggle up to you so don’t get rid of that. Maybe just try introducing a cup (sippy if you must!) for other drinks.

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My oldest NEVER held his bottle. I held it for him and then one day he moved to soppy cups and it was never a problem again

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Just wait till the baby does it on their own don’t rush it or force it let the baby be a baby :bangbang::bangbang::bangbang::100::pleading_face:

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Just feed him ??? Lmfao

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Get a bottle with handles
He’s almost one so should be off bottles and in to sippy cups and other different cups
The ones with handles helps teach them to hold them themselves

But your are the mother you are your baby’s teacher
You need to be strong
Babies always cry that’s their way of communication
It’s okay
Just breathe

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He’s not even 1 yet calm down

He wants your snuggles with his meals. This time will soon be over. Love it while you can

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I’d put the bottle in his hands and bring it up to his mouth and then let it go. And If he drops it keep doing it. Or maybe switch to a cup with handles. Sometimes kids will cry if they don’t get their way. And he may not be happy you aren’t always doing it for him.

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He wants the connection :heart:

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it’s a baby… hold the fucking bottle & scroll with the other hand.

Just snuggles and feed him.

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It’s not really a milestone, so it’s not something I would force or try to fix. I’d just enjoy that time with him :woman_shrugging:

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She will in her own time don’t push it

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Mine was the same way, but when he was 10 months I had a new born, so he didn’t have a choice. Easy transition.

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He’s not holding it because he wants you to do it. He needs to be held close, comforted, feel secure. Hes growing up too fast. Just be there for what he needs. Don’t let him cry. That’s not just cruel. You’re teaching him you won’t be there to fulfill his basic needs.

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He’s 11 months give him a cup

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To me, NOTHING is more PRECIOUS than holding a baby while feeding it and communicating love and closeness. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THAT CHANCE AGAIN. CHERISH IT. Today’s parents want their child to be born a grown up. SAD SAD SAD

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If he can hold toys, and bring them to his mouth, he can hold a bottle, just doesn’t bc you give in and do it! Give him a zippy cup!
I have 3…they all held their own by 6 months!

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Maybe it’s time to wean him off the bottle and give him a sippy cup. Start feeding him solid food and offer the sippy cup. He can have drinks between meals, but only with the sippy cup. That’s probably going to make him mad at first, but he’ll adjust.

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At 11 months he needs a cup at this point

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He’s old enough now for a sippy cup with handles💙

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I still hold my son’s bottle for him when he wants me too and he is 1 years old. He has severe strep throat at the moment and a bottle is the only way I can get fluids in him ATM so don’t come for me

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Stop offering a bottle. At 11 months I can home from work and I saw my husband feeding my kiddo like a bottle calf bc she refused to hold it on her own. My three kids had all given up a bottle by 1 year old. As soon as they became proficient with a sippy cup I stopped giving bottles entirely.

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At 11mo he should be transitioning to a sippy cup & well beyond holding a bottle. Is he hitting other milestones as he should? If so, get some ear buds in & let him cry… How is he supposed to learn if you always step in?

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Walk away, take a breath, like they said when he is thirsty enough he will drink. Our kids learn to manipulate us very early on

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Try the cup he might like it better

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My daughter is autistic and she had this same issue, she ended up holding her own eventually, but it was quite delayed

Those bottles they don’t have to hold

Have you tried bottles with the handles? My girls won’t try to hold the bottle unless it has handles it’s easier for them to grab.

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There ain’t shit you can do but to stop feeding it to him

Toddlers will do that too. Need to learn to get over it or your kid will walk all over you. Just stop holding it. If he wants it bad enough, he knows how to - as you said. He has done it before.

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Give him a sippy cup, he’s old enough. He just wants you to be close to him.

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Let him sit with you and hold his hands to the bottle. Then start letting his hands go and making him hold it on his own without changing anything else

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My daughter never held her own bottle. She could but just chose not to.

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I can’t imagine potty training. Good luck.

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It’s his way of bonding with you and a special time between just you and him. He knows what he needs and wants. Enjoy your time with him.

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Don’t force it, he will do it when he’s ready honestly

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I enjoy feeding. It’s a special bond. He’s still little so why make him hold it? They are only little for such a short period.

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Are you serious? My baby is only 3 weeks old and she already has a grip on her bottle with both hands :grin:

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Sippy cups it has handles. My son refused bottles but sippy cups he liked.

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Maybe praise him when he’s holding it. Clap an smile. Maybe it’ll encourage him to hold it more often. But enjoy every moment when they’re lil. They grow up so fast.

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Sounds like he just wants you! :heart:

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Can your husband or a family member/friend feed him instead? Sometimes having some else makes the little one adapt better

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He’s 11 months, so letting him cry a few minutes to hold the bottle isn’t cruel. My daughter wouldn’t hold the bottle for the longest time either. I would take her hands and hold it with me. Then I would stop and let go, and put her hands on the bottle herself. I’d repeat it often, And constantly say, hold your bottle… She learned I wasn’t holding it for her and if she wanted to drink it she had to hold it. But during the night or when she was super tired before a nap, we would help hold it.

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My twins never held their own baby bottle. The time is so short that they drink from a bottle, my advice would be to enjoy the intimacy. They will drink from cups and bottles and glasses eventually.

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My daughter is like this too. I don’t know if she would rather me do it or that she doesn’t grasp the concept of tipping it up to drink it. I tried switching to a sippy cup but she still wouldn’t drink out of it. Eventually we tried a cup with a straw so she didn’t have to tip it to drink and now she has no problem drinking from it. Maybe try a cup with a straw with handles on it? I’ve also switched my daughter to drinking other things too like juice so maybe if you try something new it will help him learn and do it himself too.

Your not ready for this

He’s playing you like a fiddle, get some noise canceling headphones and let him cry

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You need to hold him when he’s getting his bottle. It creates a bond and trust that is necessary for normal mental health development. Letting him cry breaks that bond when his needs aren’t being met. Don’t be in such a hurry for him to grow up.

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My son is 7 months old and lately he’ll want me to feed him, instead of him feeding himself. I don’t mind at all…it’s just when it’s time to burp, that’s when all hell breaks loose😂 just give it time.

They do it in their own time anyway

Just hold the darn bottle for him while you hold him, love him & bond with him. There’s really not much else that takes priority over this time with your baby…

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He’s screaming because he know you will hold his bottle screaming is good for him eventually he will stop the parent job is to teach them things they need to know and how to do them…Let Him Cry

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I never comment on these but this time with your child is so precious. Hold him and his bottle until he no longer takes one. Even if he holds his own bottle, you should hold him anyway. Snuggle, make eye contact, talk to him. This phase is so short and the bond made now is vital… I’m a believer in gentle sleep training so don’t think I’m against letting my child cry occasionally. But we were literally designed to be held by our mamas while we eat… that is a sacred time. :heart:

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Just hold his bottle he’s still a baby

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Some babies just don’t hold their own bottles. If he is 11 months old and won’t hold the bottle then that ship has sailed. Start introducing a cup, but do not hold it for him. For instance a cup with handles. And put it on his high chair tray when he is eating like no big deal, no pressure it’s here if you want it.

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Just feed your baby the bottle. Good grief.
Holding him & feeding him greatly reduces the risk of choking & ear infections. & Creates a beautiful bonding experience.

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Literally just hold it and him. It’s a baby.

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Umm really. Your baby, you feed them. Key word is baby. Your acting like he is 5 like wow

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If him crying is triggering for you, you’re in for a rude awakening. Just wait till the terrible twos hit. 3 is even worse.

Don’t. You don’t want them to hold their own bottle.

Get straw cups, I recommend the munchkin weighted straw type, and introduce those.

We first taught our son to drink water from a skinny metal straw from an open cup, it helped a lot that we both have reusable water bottles and one of us has a straw type.
Then once he would use the straw, we started leaving a straw cup with water in his play area, and didn’t worry about if he used it. When we caught him drinking water from it independently a few times we repeated the process with breast milk (feeding in the chair while we hold the straw cup, then later leaving a straw cup in the play area with milk in it at appropriate feeding times).

The process should take at least a week per type of liquid. I think it took us about 3 weeks.

Now he drinks independently, and points to his straw cup when he wants a drink during meals (he’s 12 and a half months now, we started with this at 9-10 months. This isn’t something we worked on, he did himself when he started pointing).

We’re working on getting him to hand us the straw cup when he’s done his drinking instead of dropping it on the ground. This step is still a work in progress.

We still hold the bottle, not him, the times that he does drink from the bottle. For us, if he’s bottle feeding then it’s because he’s too tired to feed himself but too hungry to sleep.

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Oh my gosh my youngest is 42, hold the bottle, they are young for a short while. I miss it. Even my grandkids are grown.

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Cuddle time is sooooo good for you and baby and just remember they grow up sooooo fast enjoy the “extra” things I know it’s hard My kids are SO demanding! I just keep thinking they will be bigger so fast and soak it up

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They will when ready. Enjoy each moment while you can

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It’s not always about the bottle. He may need snuggle time. Hold him, he’ll grow up so fast. Treasure this time

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My son was the same way until I got him some cups with handles. Once he got used to the ones with handles I’d just give him cups without handles and he was fine

He’s not going to be on that bottle much longer do hold it while your still can. You’re going to miss this time when it’s gone. My youngest never held his and it was ok.

Enjoy holding his bottle while you can. You’ll be sad when he doesn’t want you to anymore. Realistically how long does it take for him to drink his bottle? My daughter is 1.5 and I always take 10-20 minutes before every nap and bedtime to snuggle her while she still want to sit and snuggle with me. It goes by way to quick. Enjoy every second while you can.

I miss the days when my babies couldnt hold their own bottles… dont rush it… enjoy it

Give him a sippy cup

He will hold it when he’s ready don’t rush him to do anything. Babies need that attention it’s good bonding time my 8 year old still sits on my lap and asks me to rub his hair I do it because soon he will not want that attention anymore and I love it