Sippy Cup

JadensMama05 wrote: I saw that Jennie mentioned not giving milk in a bottle.. Well I've been having a hard time getting Jaden to use a sippy cup. I have two different ones; #1 - doesn't prevent spilling out the mouthpiece and #2 - Jaden has to kinda suck on the mouthpiece to get the fluid through. I don't want to use #1 cuz I know he'll just make a huge mess. I've been giving him #2 off and on for about 7 months (since he was like 5 months old) but he never got the hang of it until about 2 weeks ago. He knew how to hold it and what part went in his mouth but he never attempted to suck on it until them. Once I saw that he had figured it out, I put his formula in it. But he didn't like it. It seems like the formula came out too fast - compared to his bottle, which has medium flow nipples I believe.

So my first question is how do I go about getting him used to the faster flow? I thought about buying him fast flow nipples but I figure if that's the solution, can't I just put more holes in the medium flow ones?

My second dilemna with the sippy cups is Jaden doesn't quite get the whole "holding-it-up" thing. I've been trying to get him used to it with his bottle for probably a month but it just ends up being me holding his bottle up for him and Jaden drinking like a gerbil. He only holds it up enough to get formula out of it when he's laying on his back. So I don't know what to do about this one.. Do I just let time take it's toll and not attempt to teach him? Should I continue to hold it up?

I want to get him off the bottle soon, as he will be a year old on Saturday (). I think 18 months is long enough so I'm hoping to get him completely off the bottle within 6 months. Is this logical? I know you all are the perfect people to seek advice from!! Thanks a million!

1lilpeanut2love replied: Kaylee loved and still loves the nuby straw cups. They work superb!

1lilpeanut2love replied: Straw Cups!

My3LilMonkeys replied: It doesn't work for everyone - and if you don't have the patience for messes it's definately not a good route - but have you ever considered skipping the sippy cup and going right to a regular cup? Madison "gets" regular cups a lot better than she does sippy cups - she always has.

Also, there are some kinds of sippy cups that have a reversible plastic piece in them for either fast or slow flow - unfortunately ours doesn't have a brand name on it.

lisar replied:
I love those things. Raygen uses them. She wont drink out of any other kind. I reccomend these also.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I used the playtex first sipster cups when I first started Andrew on sippy cups - he was 7 or 8 months though. These ones are a lot like bottles so that might be an easier transition ~ Avent magic cup The straw cups are great too ~ I love the Nuby ones because they have a spill proof valve. The Playtex ones aren't spill proof, so those would have a faster flow if that's what he wants.

It took Andrew a couple months to learn how to hold it himself and how to tip it up. I would just have to hold it for him or lay him down so he could drink and he eventually figured it out.

jacobsmama replied: I would recommend the NUBY cup as well but I don't use the one with straw, I just used the one with the soft type nipple on top they have to squeeze or suck to get milk out. I totally know how you feel. Jacob was off bottle at 12 months and using the nuby. He used that for quite some time and now just drinks out of regular cup or hard top sippie cup.

I think the nubby cup would be easier to hold too, to get the hang of holding it similiar to a bottle. I wouldn't keep holding it up. If you don't do it for him at 1 year old he will do it himself..he is just use to you doing it for him.


As far as the faster flow you can just make the hole in the current nipple bigger with a needle or a fork or something. Once he gets use to that then continue after a week or so to make it bigger then the milk will flow out more. Then you don't have to keep buying nipples especially if your planning on getting rid of them all soon lol

Hope that helps!

KingMom replied:
Dito!

I replied to your other post about switching him to milk about the using the Nuby cup. I didn't say which kind though, we used the same as above, the soft type nipple not the straw.

I've seen the straw one as my friends use them for their children and they seem to work well too.

Boo&BugsMom replied: When I took Tanner bottles away I just took them away and never looked back. Meaning, I put them away and never took them back out. After awhile children learn that they are not going to get their bottle back. I think your 6 month frame is more than enough time for him to transition, but don't be surprised if you have to take it away cold turkey one day if he knows he will continually get it back. However, I think that is ample time for him to transition, if not more than enough so I wouldn't worry about that not being realistic.

Have you tried the take and toss cups? The thing I like about those is that you can squeeze it to show them that stuff comes out of it. The flow is not fast at all either. If he has a hard time with tipping it up, just work with him and keep helping him tip it up. I think all kids have a hard time with this in the beginning because it is totally different from a bottle. Just a suggestion to try if you haven't.

I have heard good things about the Nubby cup and know many people who have used them and like them so that may be the way to go too. Good luck. It will all work out for you in the end.

Our Lil' Family replied: One day, at about 10 months old I decided to try putting formula in a sippy cup (the Nuby kind with the nipple like spout) and he drank from it and I never used a bottle again! I think it's a great transition cup. I eventually switched to the Nuby with a hard plastic spout and that's what he still uses ($.97 at WalMart).

As for the holding it himself....DH was trying to change his diaper one day and just gave him the cup to keep him from wiggling...and he held it and drank from it. So we continued to do that, propped him on a pillow on the floor and that's how he got the hang of having to turn the cup up to get something out.

Good luck!

Boo&BugsMom replied: I didn't know the Nuby's were that cheap!!! I will have to stock up on a couple of those...or 4 or 5, for when the little one is old enough!

JadensMama05 replied: Wow!! As usual, lotsa helpful replies! As it turns out, one of the sippy cups that Jaden has is a Nuby! It's a basic twin handle cup, the first one shown on this page: Nuby basic twin handle cup. Has anyone used the same kind? Can anyone tell me what everything that's written in the description means? I mean, I think I get the gist of it but, just incase! I'd rather be told than to assume. I'm thinking about just taking his bottle away but I'm kinda reluctant cuz I don't want him to not get the nutrients he needs and such.. But I'm glad to hear that 6 months is do-able.
I haven't actually given Jaden a regular cup but he has drank out of one or two. Of course his father or myself held it and tipped it enough for him to get the juice in his mouth.
I have one more question about this, and then I'm going to post more questions! (Obviously, Jaden is my first.) When should I offer the cup to Jaden? I mean, should I put it on the tray of him highchair while he eats so he can grab it? Should I give it to him after he eats? I don't want to start him on a snacking pattern but I'm not sure how to do this one... Thanks again, everyone!

Boo&BugsMom replied: I always offered Tanner his cup during meals and bottles only inbetween or after he was out of his highchair. Everyone has their own way though, but I think it was easier for him to transition out of the bottle when he wasn't use to having his bottle at mealtimes.