sippy cup question?

Question

my daughts is 6 months old and i was told thats about the time she should start drinking out of a sippy cup. i need some tips/advice on how to get her to take it. i breastfeed and she's never taken a bottle. please help!!

Answer 1

my daughter is 6 months as well and i have tried the sippy cup and it did not work. the liquid just flows too fast, she's used to breastfeeding and she has to work for the milk. and she had problems with the handles.

sippy cups are gross/bad (in my opinion) for these reasons:
1. too many valves that are difficult to clean.
2. babies begin to chew on the soft plastic which has been known to release estrogens which have been said to cause early onset puberty
3. at some point she will have to learn to use a cup and why not cut out the middle man and start her now. it's messy but she'll love it.

i have heard of another kind of cup with handles but no lid called a tippy cup, but i haven't been able to find one without all the grossy valves.

good luck momma!

Answer 2

My six month old is breastfeeding and has never taken a bottle, either, but takes the sippy cup just fine since 5 months. First, I got her interested in other liquids by letting her drink water out of my cup - it was a bit messy and she would only take a sip or two but really enjoyed it. Then, after about a week, I filled the sippy cup with water (you could use expressed milk too if you want) and I took the stopper out. The water flowed into her mouth, and of course, was messy -but, she learned that liquid came out of the cup (before I tried it with the stopper in, she would just chew the nipple because she had no idea what the cup was for). After I had fed her the water with the stopper out, I put the stopper back in and she sucked it just fine because she realized that liquid was in it and therefore, that she had to suck to get it out, just like the breast. Now, she will take water or breastmilk from the sippy just fine.

Answer 3

I took my daughter off a bottle around 8 months because our 2nd baby is due when she will be 11months and I didn't want her to have a hard time transitioning and trying to take little sis's bottle. I didn't nursed and pump for long but the NUBY sippy cups went over well. You can get them at Walmart for a few dollars and they are the soft silicone spout. I would let her drink from her bottle then take it way and put the sippy in her mouth. She'd suck it on accident but when she realized that she was getting the same, she didn't have anything to do with the bottle. Remember to talk to and praise her! Since you nurse, try to pump some breast milk for the new sippy. When you take her off immediately give her the sippy. Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 4

There are some new sippy cups out that have a soft nipple called NUBYS! But I have to warn you to watch out as your child has never had a bottle, she might try bitting it so watch out. I really dont recommand those! I prefer the palytex sippys or Avent! Something that has a smaller spout on it since you breastfeed. And I wouldnt put breastmilk in it. I would just do juice, or water. Make sure that it is a slow flow and spill proof. Also dont let the child drink while lying down, it can cause ear infections!

Answer 5

At six months theres no reason not to introduce juice. My suggestion is to find a good old fashioned sippy cup with no valves or suction ( try tupperware they may still make the small plastic cups with separate sippy lids) Introduce the juice in the sippy cup, you may find that she likes the juice and in turn likes he cup. When you're ready you can try giving he the breast milk in the cup as well but I would get her used to the idea of a cup first.

Answer 6

My sons' pediatrician recommended starting them on a sippy cup at 6 months, also. Neither of them had a very easy time of it...the spouts on them were hard and they didn't know what to do with them...other than chew on them! We tried every night at dinner, with very little luck. Eventually I gave up and just waited. When they were about 10 months old, I tried again, and I found a trick that works. Take the stopper out of the lid of the sippy cup and put a *tiny* bit of water or formula (or in your case, breastmilk) in the cup. Give them the cup and help them turn it up to get the liquid out of it. Without the stopper in it, the liquid runs freely out of the spout, and they won't have to do much work to get it out. After trying this a few times, they got the hang of it and eventually started sucking on the spout to get more. When they were comfortable with it, I put the stopper back in the lid.

Answer 7

I did sippy cups for my oldest between 6 and 9 months. She was able to handle it on her own at 9.5 or so. We switched to straw cups at about 1 year.

My youngest daughter wouldn't take a sippy cup if her life depended on it. I bought some straw cups for her instead. She refused those. (My oldest adored straw cups, so no big loss.) She used a bottle until she was nearly two. (I'm so embarrassed to admit that.) She went right for an open cup.

I'm not a big fan of sippies. The straw cups were easier to use, less messy and easier to clean.

Answer 8

put breast milk in it or water in between feedings. make it available at meal time when you introduce nibble foods. its really just practice until they are 9 mos anyway. the docs tell you 6 mos so that by 9 mos they will have the skill down. also breast fed babys seem to convert to cups easier than bottle fed. mine did. above all dont stress about it just introduce it and they will pick it up as they play with the idea. its just another toy to them right now and playing is how they learn. also try different sippy cups. some are easier to suck the liquid through than others, and some are easier to hold. its worth getting one that wont frustrate her even if it costs a couple dollars more. I breast fed my last son till he was 27 mos and he is sooo healthy in every way. Every child is different. She will give you q's on what she likes and doesn't. They really dont NEED anything but breast milk till they are a year old. as long as you are eating and drinking water eliminating pop and sugar she will get plenty of water. but keep it available and introduce it on a hot day. try not putting the spill proof in right away until she learns what its for. good luck and God bless Denise

Answer 9

If you are feeding her solid foods then I would offer her some water or very watered down juice at meals. She'll probably only take a few sips don't worry. It takes time for her to learn and want to drink from a sippy cup. When you start to give her more solids your milk supply will go down and she wont get as much fluids. That is when it can becomes a problem. If you're not feeding her solids at meal times I wouldn't really bother with it. Her time will come.

Answer 10

First just keep trying thrue out the day she will take it. My daughter was the same way but she was bottle fed. but anyways the try to feed the sippy cup to her, then maybe if that doesn't work put her on a bottle the try the sippy cup.