Intro to sippy cup at 4.5 mo

[sunnysmom]

Hi...i am EBFing my chimp..and plan to start solids after he turns 6 months..yes there is still time but i wld like to introduce the trainer sippy cup at this point so he can be used to it by the time he starts solids.Is this all right? Can you pls give suggestions as to how to go abt this? Do i give it empty initially or with BM? I have yet to show him the cup.

[Samuel's mum]

This is probably not what you want to hear but I actually really enjoyed those 'pressure-free' 6 months and didn't worry about it this early. It's recommended not to give much water if you are exclusively breastfeeding and I had oversupply and didn't fancy regular pumping so I held off.
Of course that was just me. If your ds has good grip control and good physical skills generally then of course you could - ideally with ebm. I would be cautious about the sippys that have a soft spout and there is plenty of evidence this 'teaches' a bf LO to bite to get liquid and they transfer this skill to the breast - ouch. I would probably let him have a play and then a little while later put some ebm in it but just see what happens and relax about it. Lots of babies don't get sippy cups mastered for several months yet. And you might find you end up buying a few to find the one that works for you. I had  a sippy cup museum in my cupboards!

At about 5 months 3 weeks I showed Sam his sippy cup empty and gave him a chance to explore it but someone told me (can't remember who!) don't let them play with it too much or they come to associate it as a toy. Then once solids was started - maybe about 2 weeks in - I gave it to him with water in it (took out the valve) and let him have another explore.
I actually have it on video so I know exactly how it went! He put it to his mouth and had a sip and a shudder. He wasn't impressed particularly though he did go for sip number 2 and 3. He wasn't drinking from it regularly until around 9 months.

[Jennerific]

we've just started giving Liam his sippy cup. during meals, when he's watching us eat & drink, he gets the cup. he puts the spout in his mouth, imitates us, its very adorable. after another week or so of this i'll start adding formula to the cup. currently he is BF & eats 3 solid meals a day, since he wouldn't take a bottle it seemed like the best way to introduce forumla... right now i know he probably won't get much of it in his tummy but thats okay. once meals are finished, we take the sippy away. we want him to only associate it with meal times. i don't know if we're doing this right, but it seems like the best way for us...

[Freya'sMum]

I agree with both pps, I wouldn't rush to introduce a sippy cup now, just let ds enjoy the lovely experience of bf without any pressure to 'grow up' in terms of eating/drinking until he has to

When you introduce solid foods, I'd just have the sippy cup with some cooled boiled water alongside ds's bowl, and let him learn how to use it along with learning how to eat - there really is no rush with any aspect of weaning!

Ax

[Gingham Ribbon]

I agree about leaving it for a little while.  If you're EBF, the baby will be getting enough fluids and even when you start intruducing solids, you'll still be offering lots of milk so it doesn't matter if it takes him a little while to master.

Incidentally, I was b/f my baby in a motorway service station one day and he stopped feeding, grabbed my own bottle of water and started guzzling it.  He was 6 months old.  After that I introduced a ordinary cup which I put to his lips for him.  After that he found a sucky cup easy enough.

I can only suggest not worrying about it and letting it happen naturally when you feel he needs some water as well as milk.  And I personally chose to only give water from the cup.  Unless you want him to be able to drink milk out of it when you're not there I dont' think you need to bother giving him milk in it.

Have fun!