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When should I introduce a sippy cup?
Some babies enjoy a sippy as early as 5 or 6 months, and others aren't interested until after their first birthdays. Most babies seem ready around 7 to 9 months, though.
What's the best way to transition to a sippy cup?
Some babies take to a sippy cup immediately; others take a while to get used to the idea. Here are some tips on making the transition easier:
- Start off with a soft, pliable, nipplelike spout, which will feel more familiar to your baby than a hard plastic spout.
- Show your baby how to raise the cup to his mouth and tip it up to drink.
Give it some time. Until your baby masters the maneuvers, you may want to put only water in the cup. When he shakes or throws it, even a sippy might not keep purple grape juice from hitting the carpet. Don't worry if your baby doesn't use the sippy cup properly for a while. It makes a fine toy, too!
- Try different models until you find one that suits your baby. Some cups have valves that are so effective at keeping the liquid from spilling that children really have to work to get a drink.
Encourage your child to use a regular cup when you think he's ready.
What should I do if my child refuses the sippy cup? (Continue Next Page)
Babies have all kinds of reasons for rejecting sippy cups. And of course, there's no law saying he ever has to use one. Some babies graduate from breast or bottle straight to a regular cup. If you'd rather your baby learn to use a sippy, though — for convenience, or because you think it'll make a good transition for him — moms have used these tactics successfully:
- Dip the tip of the sippy spout into the milk or juice and then give it to your baby. He may just need a hint!
- Show your baby that the spout is like a nipple (it needs to be sucked on). Try touching the tip of the spout to the roof of his mouth to stimulate his sucking reflex.
- If he drinks from a bottle, give him half of his formula in the bottle. When it's empty, switch to the sippy cup for the second half of the feeding (continue to hold him as for bottle-feeding). Or put a bottle nipple (without the bottle) in his mouth and after he starts sucking, replace it with the sippy spout. Some moms have even had success telling their baby it's time for the "ba-ba" — and simply substituting the sippy for the bottle.
- If your baby sucks on the sippy spout but doesn't get anything, try taking out the valve that controls the flow (if his sippy cup has one of these and it's removable). It'll be messy at first, but once he learns to handle the cup you can put the valve back in and he'll probably be willing to suck harder for his drink. Or make an extra slit in the valve to allow the liquid to flow more easily.
- Work backward. Teach your baby to drink from the sippy without the lid first. Put just a teaspoon or two of liquid in at a time and help him raise the cup to his mouth. After he gets the hang of that (and sees that there's liquid inside the cup), then put the lid on (without the valve, if there is one). Finally, put the valve in and let him take over.
- Offer your baby a straw. Some baby cups come with built-in straws, and some babies find these easier to use than a spout (though others will look at you, clueless). If your baby does get the hang of sucking from a straw, he may then be better able to handle sucking from the spout.
- Switch beverages. Some babies will drink water or juice — but not breast milk or formula — from a sippy. Sometimes it's a matter of association (milk belongs in a bottle or breast). Some moms have had success waiting to introduce the sippy cup until their baby is ready to start drinking whole milk (at age 1).
- Show him how. Get yourself a sippy and let your baby see you drink from it. Or have a sibling drink from a sippy in front of the baby. Sometimes all it takes is a little sucking noise (make it when you give him the cup) to inspire a baby to start sucking. One mom sat down with her cup of water and her baby's sippy cup of water. She drank from her cup, then helped her baby drink from her cup. Then she drank from the sippy and offered it to the baby for his turn — and voila.
- Shop around. There are all kinds of sippy cups, with all kinds of spouts. There are even bottles that transition from a regular bottle to a bottle with handles to a sippy cup with a lid and straw to a regular toddler cup. Sippy cups aren't too expensive, so it's worth letting your baby test-drive several if the one in hand isn't working. (And as he grows to toddlerhood, you might let him pick out a brand-new kind himself, just for fun.)
What not to do?
Using a sippy cup may seem like a piece of cake, but there are some pitfalls you'll want to avoid:
- Never let your child take a sippy cup of juice or milk to bed. The sugars can pool in his mouth and cause terrible tooth decay. The same goes for walking around with one in hand, nursing it for hours on end.
- Thoroughly clean the cup (especially the lid and plastic stopper) between uses. Liquid can easily become trapped in the nooks and crannies of a sippy cup and valve, leading to the growth of bacteria and mold. If you can't wash a sippy cup right away, try to at least give it a good rinse. If that's not possible, drain any remaining liquid and take it apart. Periodically check your lids and valves for damage or mold.
- Don't give your baby cows' milk in the sippy until he's a year old. (Formula or breast milk is fine.) Between 8 and 10 months, he can start drinking non-citrus juices, but wait until he's a year old to introduce citrus drinks. Choose pulp-free varieties because the pulp in orange juice and other citrus juices can clog the plastic valve.
- Don't expect the sippy cup to be the magic answer to weaning. For some babies the sippy simply replaces the bottle and presents you with another weaning challenge. Still, many parents find it more acceptable to see their growing child with a sippy than a bottle in hand. And if used properly, a sippy cup can be less damaging to your baby's teeth than a bottle.
- Don't refill the sippy cup with fruit juice or milk throughout the day. If your baby has had his quota of juice or milk, then refill his sippy with water when he's thirsty.
How much juice/milk/water should I give my baby each day in his sippy?
If your baby starts using a sippy cup before he can drink juice or whole milk, simply give him a portion of his breast milk or formula in the sippy cup each day. If he's thirsty between feedings, refill the sippy with water. When your baby starts drinking non-citrus juice (not before 8 months), give him no more than half a cup of juice a day, in addition to his formula or breast milk.
Once your child starts drinking whole milk (at age 1), experts recommend no more than 24 ounces of milk and one cup of juice per day. More than that and you're asking for cavities and a toddler who's too full to eat at mealtime. If your child gets thirsty after he's had his quota of juice and milk, simply fill the sippy with water.
Source: babycenter.com
What's your experience on sippy cup?
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