[JeanLynn81]

My dd is 8 months old today, and has yet to ever hold the bottle herself. She has at least 4 more months of bottles to go, and it would be really nice to have a typing hand when she's eating!

I'm not convinced its a developmental problem, because everything else is right on track. I just assumed she's lazy? Just like her mother...

Should I accept the fact that she might not ever hold a bottle? Or should I worry it might create problems with learning to drink from a cup later? Any ideas on how I can encourage her to hold it herself?

I've tried just about everything I know short of being too pushy. Thanks for any advice!

[kimchee67]

Does she reach for it when you show it to her?

Scarlet just started holding her own bottle this month. We feed her on demand, instead of on a schedule. That means, she has to "show" us that she's really hungry and not just crying for something else. So, in the past month we've been holding the bottle in front of her, and if she's hungry then she'll kind of reach for it. Then, we started putting it in her hands and guiding it into her mouth, but still having her hold the weight of it. Now, we can just hand it to her and she can almost always get it into her own mouth. She does have to be leaning back though, since she's not too good at tilting her head back while sitting up.

So, you might want to try just holding in front of her until she reaches for it. She's been drinking out of it for long enough that she knows what it is and will reach for it if she really wants it. She may have just not had the need to hold her own bottle yet. Either way, you won't be holding the cup for her when she's 15. She'll get it when she wants to. I don't think it's a developmental thing, I think she's just content with you doing it for her...why wouldn't she be? I wish someone would feed me!

[JeanLynn81]

Loved that last bit!

Well o when I show her the bottle, she does reach for it. She definately knows what it is, and she'll put her hands in the right spot...but then she lets it drop and just suck al the air out. I tilt it up and she just lets it drop again. Even in her highchair at full tilt..she just drops it entirely. So, I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried. But its easier said than done!

[kimchee67]

It took at least a month of trying to get Scarlet to do it, and she still can't do it unless she's almost all the way reclined. It's hard for us though, because Scarlet is naturally a "do-it-myself" kind of girl. So, we are constantly trying to help her do things that she's not developmentally ready to do. She gets frustrated because she wants help, but then gets mad that she's not doing it herself. We had to teach her to hold her own bottle because she would get frustrated and pry our hands on the bottle if we were holding it. Sometimes she's lazy though and "lets" us hold it.

[froggles_fi]

TRistan drinks just fine started a cup no issues heneer held his bottle only his cup

[JeanLynn81]

Thanks for the input. So my guess is that this is a fairly common thing?

See, this is just why I love this site, and you girls!

I see my cousin's baby holding her bottle a month ago (4mo old) and I thought "Should my dd have done that awhile ago too?" I should kick myself, because I know better than to compare!

[2006Mama]

I wouldn't worry about it to much , Ian just started holding his own bottle and 3 weeks ago.

[JeanLynn81]

Yay-congrats Ian!!!!

[MissyChrissy]

Conner can hold his won bottle-I've seen him do it...but usually he chooses not to! lol...I think me & you just have a couple of cute bums on our hands! They're going to make us work for them as long as they can

[GraciesMommy]

DD holds my breast like a bottle when she nurses, but won't hold a bottle when DH feeds her. Who knows.