Milk!

My girls just turned 1!!  They were two months early so are 10mo adjusted, but they're starting to catch up.  We're trying to transition them from bottles to cups since they have been screwing around with their bottles lately and refusing them a lot.  Right now they are still getting a 7oz bottle first thing in the morning (they drink 6-7oz of it usually), a 7oz bottle around 3pm (they drink 5-6oz of it, sometimes more), and a 7.5oz bottle at bedtime (usually drink it all).  We swapped their 11am bottle for a cup that we give at lunchtime.
 
My concern is that they don't drink nearly as much volume from a cup as they were from the bottle.  They are really good at using the straw cups so it's not like they don't know how to drink it, they just don't seem to want it.  I'm not sure if it's because they don't like it cold or if it's that they just aren't thirsty/hungry.  Since they were preemies and are still very small, I guess I have this mindset that I'm afraid they won't get enough nutrition to grow and catch up to their calendar age.  We are still giving them pumped breastmilk in bottles and cup but have our 12 month doctor appointment tomorrow and will ask about whether it is okay to start moving them to cow milk.
 
Any advice?  Do I just let them drink as much as they want to drink and try not to worry about it even if it seems like they're not getting that much?  I don't think they've ever taken more than 3-4oz from a cup.  Their appetite for solids is great and they eat table food so they get plenty in that area.

 

I think the best advice will be from your doctor.  Mine were 2 months early.  So at 12 months they were 10 months adjusted.  They were on special formula (I had stopped pumping) and they stayed on formula until they were 14.5 months so 12.5 months adjusted per the doctor.  She believes those extra couple of months on formula or breastmilk is important for preemies growth and development.  We kept them on bottles since they would not take enough via cup plus I was not messing with formula in cups.  In addition one of mine had issues with solids and was not eating well enough until he was 14 months.  They had caught up for weight and height but the doctor was still conservative about moving to cow milk. 

 

I agree, I would talk to your doctor with your concerns.  It is normal, especially as "grown up" food starts to take over that their appetite for milk will start to wane.  You can also think about supplementing dairy via food (yogurt, for example).  It sounds to me that your two are doing pretty well with eating.  It does take a while for them to start drinking better out of the cups versus the bottles.