Advice re: sippy cups/cups and what age it comes together

[cupcaker]

Pestering again, sorry!!

I am now in panic mode somewhat about switching my son from bottles to sippy cups or cups. I guess I just want advice on what age your children coped with one and how you went about it.

I tried him with a few sippy cup styles, one at least that was freeflow and one at least that required sucking. To be honest, I didn't expect him to hold it and feed himself but I guess I did expect he would be able to drink from it with me holding it. All he wants to do is move it around his mouth and knaw it like a teether. Even when I made sure a few drops of milk came out to taste, he showed no particular interest beyond knawing on the hard(ish) spouts, rolling it to the sides of his mouth. (He has no actual teeth yet)

I looked around and discovered the NUK learner bottle, styled like a sippy cup but with silicone spout, more like a teat texture. It worked, hooray! He can drink it with me holding it.

The last few nights (I only 'try' a cup on an evening) he has shown he can hold this cup by the handles, and can actually get it to his mouth, but hasn't drunk any.

I know he will understand eventually but how did you all go about it? Did you have to buy several cups for the day too and feed every milk feed via one?

He is left with different family 4 days a week whilst I work, and I don't want to drag them through this 'hard' stage by making them use sippy cups when he isn't used to it yet. Nor do I want him upset and hungry. So I'm afraid they just get left with the bottles for now....is this detrimental to trying to teach him about the cup?

I wouldn't particuarly care, but when I read stuff about cups for 6 month old use, 'offer a cup of water' etc, even the Aptamil milk I'm using now refers to per 'beaker'... or details of tooth decay due to prolonged use of bottles I just get worried again. x

 

[pinksmarties]

I gave my son a free flow sippy cup from weaning just before 6 months old. It took him about a month to get the hang of holding it and putting it in his mouth without me having to guide it, another month when he could turn it around if cup wrong way round on his tray. He didn't drink much from it to start with but much better now. Atm I only use it for water with his meals/snacks and he still get bottles of milk and I am slightly concerned about swapping bottles for sippy cups for his milk.

Does you LO have teeth? Still none here yet (!!!) but I worry the same as you.

 

[kitabird]

There's no rush to make the switch. For DS1 we used a freeflow cup for water from 6 months but continued with bottles for milk until he was a year old. I may be wrong, but my impression is that the type of cup you are describing is no better than a bottle in respect to tooth decay, because they still suck to get the milk. The main concern is for babies who fall asleep with a bottle and continue to suck in their sleep. If your baby doesn't do that I would just carry on with bottles for now x

 

[cupcaker]

I may be wrong, but my impression is that the type of cup you are describing is no better than a bottle in respect to tooth decay, because they still suck to get the milk. x

I agree about how they can hardly be better than a bottle! I hope to get off this type onto a proper spout I guess but this was the first style he 'took' to. so what IS healthier for teeth, the free flow? I have, coincidently, recently ordered free flow replacement spouts (for the cups I have described) so they can be replaced with free flow when ready.

He has no teeth no! He knaws things, but beyond that I've seen little symptoms. No drool, no pink cheeks really or being groggy, although I know they don't get all symptoms.

 

[Meg26]

My son never bottlefed but when i introduced the sippy cup at six months it was nuk brand with a silicone spout designed for them to suck on. I used it only for water. He played with it for about a week before he realized he can get water out of it. Once he got the hang of it he used it for two weeks then got bored of it. We had to go buy different cups! He eventually stuck with sippies with a silicone straw and is now drinking milk and water from them regularly through the day for the last 5 months. Its trial and error finding one they like to use.