I was just on a UK site that I frequently visit and I was surprised that a lot of them use sippy cups when they start babies on solids. (I'm talking 4-6 month olds.) They just hold the cup for them. I've never heard of giving sippy cups before 1 year.

I was thinking that might make it easier for me when feeding him solids. When he is in my arms, bottles are easier, plus he likes to suck (he always munches away on my finger, though he is FINAALY getting better at finding his thumb). But when he eats solids, he is in a chair and I was thinking a cup might be easier for me to hold up for him. He's been on fast flow nipples for months.

Any thoughts on that? Anyone else start sippy cups sooner?

My OT was a fan of starting cups as soon as possible with GERDlings. If you go to a sippy be sure to take out the valve as GERDlings have trouble with it. I found that with Iain especially so. He has never really cottoned on to the valve and we gave up. He had some success with the sippy but far greater with the cup alone. Mind you he was FAR older when he finally attained these skills... like a few months ago...

With Walker we began the sippy at age 6 months and by 10 months he was super proficient with it. Curran began at around 6 months and was super at 8 months of age. We pulled bottles at around the same time for them as well while the novelty of the cups was going on.

It boils down to what you are comfortable with Bonnie and how your child's skill set for this is.

My older daughter drank from a cup at 3 months old during solids feedings and was complete weaned from the bottle by her choice at 8 months old.
Cady, however, hated her sippy until just two months and still doesn't take very much from them. She prefers her bottle some days and her cup others. So, yes, young babies can handle sippys. I say give it a shot. He might love it.

Thanks guys, I never even realised they could start young. I will have to see if Mason likes it. I am betting he will like it at times. He stil LOVES to suck though, so until he is mroe proficient with that thumb, the bottles and my finger helps. But he is forever trying to hold the bottle and batting it away (by accident, not out of fullness) so he may well get into a cup sooner.

He has also really taken to solids now. I think a lot of this is based on his size. He is 15 weeks but he is in 9 month clothes. He's growing up too fast for mommy. :(


What is the valve Leigh? Is that just the spout? I know nothing about sippy cups. Mason doesn't get too refluxy anymroe though. He occasionally chokes for a few seconds but only once or twice a day. The only thing he really does now is he has become a spitter. But usually after he eats. He always wants to sit straight up, and when I put him up he barfs. But hey...he is happy. lol

Any recommendations on a cup or are they all the same?

Zac started drinking from the gerber sippy's at 5 months. I had to tip it for him but he liked it. Now, you may want to try the ones that have a straw that goes down to the bottom so they dont have to tip, just suck. however, most of those are the sports bottle type nipples which may be too hard for Mason. The gerber no-spill ones were teh best for zac at that time. Still came out a bit fast but he liked them. The nuby is VERY similar to a bottle nipple also. However, you did mention Mason had some sucking air issues so I dont know which would be best for him.

I say give it a try! The worst that will happen, he won't like it:) Then you try again later!

Amazon.com Baby: Solid Feeding / Training Cups (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/542304/ref=br_bx_c_2_1/103-1092087-0639043)

Here are some different ones. Zac has the gerber two pack fun grips, that is what he started with. He also has the sponge bob ones lower down. The nuby ones dont seem to be on here I'll see if I can find them somewhere else.

Thanks :D

Sara, you made a good point about the air. He refuses normal bottles now. Will only take latex wide nipples, like the nursers. So e may refuse it. Of well, I'll get a couple this weekend and see if he likes em yet. :D

Lauren began taking a sippy cup at 6 mos. and was proficient with them at 9 mos. She is almost 14 mos. now, and still take a bottle at bedtime (her choice...not mine! LOL) The cups that have worked the best for us are the Gerber hard spout ones. They are spill/leak proof and they are great!!

Brayden wouldn't take a sippy until almost one year, he could do it but prefered to drink from the gerber straw cup starting at 6 months, although he probably could have done it younger since he sucked on a straw at 4 months.

We just gave Bryna a sippy at 5 months to see what she would do with it. She actually sucks on it perfect, with the valve in, and doesn't spill a drop of water. (She has always refused water from a bottle) She always spills with her bottle, so I'm not sure what that is about. The weird thing is that she uses Brayden's sippies, so they are hard and for older babies so its harder to suck. But she has always had a really hard suck - she hurt me more than my Pump in Style Advance Medela pump on full strength!

With Brayden we did have to take the valve out when he was younger to teach him to drink from it. So you might need to do that, but again, with Bryna it certainly isn't necessary.

Boy these are picky kids aren't they? rofl One wants bottles, one once sippy cups, one wants straws, one wants a valve, one doesn't, etc. etc.

What a bunch of little Kings and Queens, haha.

Bonnie - you should see my cupboards. Brayden put me through **** trying to find a bottle he would use when I lost my milk from getting pregnant with Bryna. We literally bought one of every kind of bottle...including that boob bottle.

LOL on the bottle thing. We did that too. In fact I finally just got rid of them and had over 100 nipples! Mason has had every gadget available as well. 3 friggin bouncy chairs, 2 swings, 3 things to sleep in....that kid makes us broke just trying to make his hinus happy!~

Noah couldn't take the flow of regular sippies at first, but its great to introduce them early, even if its just for him to chew on it and play. I own every d*mn brand of sippy out there. We had a hard time finding one that flowed slow enough for Noah, and he eventually took to liking the straw sippies with the valve. Those flow pretty fast, but I think he can control it better. Who knows. He only uses it for water, but its nice for him to do some self-feeding since he's still taking formula instead of food.

LOL on the bottle thing. We did that too. In fact I finally just got rid of them and had over 100 nipples! Mason has had every gadget available as well. 3 friggin bouncy chairs, 2 swings, 3 things to sleep in....that kid makes us broke just trying to make his hinus happy!~

Sounds like us! I honestly wish I would have kept receipts of all the things that we bought as a result of Noah's reflux. (Bottles, nipples, chairs, swings, wedges, meds, etc.) I'm sure it would be disturbing!

True, True...my cupboard is STUFFED w/all kinds of different sippy's trying to find "the right" one. Unfortunately he STILL goes back and forth. He'll take a liking to one for a few days and then not want it and wants a different kind. Now, we've been using the tall nuby's with great success for his milk.