SMILES

My son Eyson is 5 1/2 months now. His surgeon wants him to be off the bottle and his pacifier before he has his palate surgery. Does anyone know how I can go about doing that? I have bought a couple Nuk soft sippy cups, as he suggested, but I'm not real sure how to start taking him off the bottle. He loves his pacifier, too. Anyone have any suggestions? That would be super! Heather

I asked my surgeon about this too, I'm going to ask again we go for 6 month check up before we book surgery and I asked last time if Graeme needed to be off the bottle and he told me no...... I guess we'll see what he tells me closer to the date. Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you just my own questions. Take care.

We just got home from the hospital today from our palate repair, and let me just tell you.... Do NOT worry about getting him off of the bottle! After surgery you will do WHATEVER it takes to get liquids in him, whether it be by bottle, sippy cup or whatever. The pacifier thing will take care of itself...he won't want ANYTHING in his mouth...much less be sucking on a pacifier! Let me know if you'd like to know anything else! Trust me....after the last four days that I've been through.....I'm convinced that the doctor's don't give you the REAL story about what to expect........
Good Luck!
Allison

I can second that. Don't worry about weaning from the bottle. My son ended up getting readmitted to the hospital for dehydration. The palate surgery was the worst and I wish I was prepared. After his surgery he never went back to formula or anything white in a cup.

It took weeks for him to trust a sippy. It was lots of spoon feeding liquids. I am so glad that is behind us. Looking back on it I don't know how we made it through.

I hope everything goes well for you.

I agree there are so many different opinions when it comes to the things the surgeons say and do, but when Vada was readmitted to the special care nursery at 7 days because of dehydration, i spoke with a nurse whose child had cancer and was at the Childrens hospital in Seattle, WA regularly for many years...she said, "no matter what, listen to your instincts, the doctors are only there to guide you in what they have seen work in the past, they do not know for sure whether it will work for your child and you as the mother know what is best for your baby. Your baby relies on you to make the decision that will work best for them and for who they are and the kind of baby and temperment that they have. In the end all you can do is put all the advice that you are given and agree with together and make your own treatment plan, and all will work out for you."

Maria Walker

Our PS said that EJ could have a bottle as soon as he wanted one. He had his soft palate repaired at 10mths and he would not take a sippy cup until after the repair.