when to introduce a sippy cup?

[Alexa's mummy]

hi there my baby is nearly 6mo and we started a few solids 10 days ago. she is having 2 "meals" of this but not swallowing loads. we are combination (breast and formula) feeding.

when is the right time to introduce a beaker/sippy cup? when do they need water to drink? what is the best cup to use? a valved one or not?

[karendbrooks]

I noticed you didnt have any responses, and I dont have a very good answer, but here's what I'm doing  

My DS is just 6mos today.  We started solids 4 days ago, and I introduced his sippy the same day.  With water in it.  The kind I am using are like this :

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Spill-Proof-Colors/dp/B000096M59/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1271714212&sr=8-5

They arent valved, and he does an ok job holding them himself.  They dont leak if you hold the upside down (as long as the top is on all the way - DH found that out the hard way ) and since the spouts are hard, it doesnt cause any confusion.  DH has been using them now for 4 days, and not just for meals.  When we come in from outside stuff - like trips to the store or walks in the stroller - I give him water then too.  He doesnt drink a ton.  I fill the cup about halfway at the beginning of the day, and he will drink about 3/4 of that. 

As far as types go - I think it's up to your LO to tell you which one she prefers.  I just went with these, as I think it will be fairly easy to wean from sippy to regular (but that's just me) and he took to them straight away. 

Hope this helps

[deb]

With Josie we went to a sippy around 8-9 months, I think, and once she got the hang of sucking like mad it took till she was 3 to get her off the thing. Josie still prefers to use a straw to drink from a cup or water bottle, as she never quite got the hang of drinking without one - and she's 8 now.

With Natalie we went straight to a small cup, like a plastic shot glass kind of thing, and she drinks from anything just fine. We did use a sports bottle-type thing for car trips so she could drink in the car from a lidded and therefore less spillable container, but the plain old cup worked out great!

[Whatbit]

I started solids about 3 weeks ago and also started giving DS water in a sippy cup after his 2 'meals'.  He's getting good at holding it himself (it has handles and spill-proof soft spout) and managing to get water in his mouth too!!  He'll also drink from a regular glass if I hold it so if I'm drinkign water and he reaches for my glass I let him have some- the more kinds of cups he gets used to, the better

[~Sara~]

Most peds suggest moving from bottle to sippy cup (whatever kind works for your LO) by 12 months-18 months.  Err, for us, it's not worked out so well.  We started at about 10 months with exchanging one bottle a day for a sippy cup--but DS prefers to drink out of a real cup.  Since he's not mastered the fine art of not spilling all of the cup's contents on himself, we're still lagging behind a bit.

I think you're off to a good start, but just don't stress if it's not happening for him until later (should follow my own advice sometimes)

[deb]

The steadiness will come, never fear! Just make sure to leave LOTS and LOTS of "slosh room."

[~Sara~]

Just make sure to leave LOTS and LOTS of "slosh room."

LOL, we have towels under the highchair for when we feel adventurous...and because he's lately taken to dropping things off only to say "Uh-oh!"  Would rather do that with a spill-proof cup

[deb]

If you want to do glasses/cups, try using plastic shot glasses. Put only an ounce of water in there and you're golden - they can't spill much, and the plastic doesn't break! Some party stores have them.

ROFL: found this: http://www.partycity.com/product/2009+plastic+light+up+shot+glass.do?search=basic&keyword=plastic+shot+glass&sortby=nameAscend&page=1

[~Sara~]

ROFL!  Those just may be asking for trouble

The small plastic cups are a great idea, though!  I'll check them out this weekend.

[karendbrooks]

awesome cups deb!  It's like a disco while learning to drink! 

[Alexa's mummy]

wow thanks so much everyone for all the replies! it never ceases to amaze me how nice and helpful everyone on here is!

i tried a valved sippy first but she didnt get anything as she was just biting, and i figure its counter-intuitive to encourage/teach her to suck from it only then to wean her off it later! so tried traditional sippy and she seems fine! i am just offering her it with solids atm.

she seems extra hungry for milk esp yesterday- could this really be thirst? yesterday she had:

BF at 4pm
Solids 5ish
6oz formula at 5.45 (drained it and i only expected her to take couple oz)
7oz formula at 6.45 (bedtime)

then did the most violent projectile vomit i've ever seen. i felt terrible. she is such a reluctant eater usually, and as we're combination feeding i just offer her bottles when she's not wanting to BF and se takes what she chooses, so i was v surprised when she hungrily guzzled them down then was sick. has anyone else experienced added hunger for milk after starting weaning? could it be thirst? i have taken it v easy today with her solids and spaced feeds out more with the milk...

thanks again xx

[brooksieboy]

I am beginning to introduce a sippy as well to my 6 1/2 mo so reading everyone's advice has been so helpful. Thank you!