Sippy Cup or Bottle

I would go for the sippy cup, why start the bottle if you don't have to. Most kids are ready around 5-6 months for the sippy.
Good luck.

Greetings,

I'm not sure which one to give your son, but I'd give him a sippy cup or a bottle with a sippy cup top. Advent has interchangable tops. They also have a sippy cup nipple top that's soft. You could introduce him to a regular straw full of juice or something and let it run into his mouth. That might peak his interest to try something new. I hope that helps.

"The doctor said at 6 months to start offering 6 ounces of water and 4 ounces of juice per day, but I have not been successful getting him to take more than a few drops from either."

My breastfed son won't drink more than an ounce or two at a time until he was around 17 months old. At 19 months, he may drink an additional 10 ounces of fluid only if it's a hot day.

I took the valve out of the sippy cup, so he could just (slowly) pour the liquid out of the cup. Another thing that may help is using a straw. To teach him to use a straw, I got a juice box and squeezed it so the juice squirted into the baby's mouth.

Don't bother with the bottle, just go straight for the sippy cup. Most pediatricians recommend taking them off the bottle once they are a year old anyway. I recommend NUBY cups until he is used to using them. They have a soft, spill proof spout, and they come in a variety of sizes and types.

I went through the same thing. I solely breastfeed and mine never took the bottle. Make sure to get a sippy cup that has a soft tip, like Nuby or Gerber has some with a soft tip. What I did was took out the two way valve that they have in them, so that the juice or water just ran out when he tipped it for the first little bit. It took several tries, but once he learned that there was something to drink in there then I put the two way valve back in. Just keep trying, it will work. It just will probably take 2 or 3 weeks.

I would think that at 8 months, I would shoot for the sippy cup over the bottle. Reason being, at 12 months you will be taking him off the bottle for the sippy cup.
As far as his interest in the cup, keep it with him all day. When he is playing, in his high chair..etc. He will need to get used to drinking from it and the more often its around the more often he will pick it up and give it a try.

to get my daughter to take a sippy i went to the dollar store and bought a pack of their sippys because the holes are a lot bigger and she didnt have to suck very hard to get the water out. also, if you want to avoid the whole juice thing (i did) just give water. they dont need juice and if you give water they will want water. my daughter is 14 months now and she loves water, she doesnt even want juice if i do give it to her. anyway, back to the sippy, after she got used to the dollar store ones i moved her on to the normal "no spill" sippys and she took right to it.

Both of my kids went straight to a sippy neither one of them ever took a bottle and they were both breastfeed exclusively for 12-13 months. I put everything from breast milk, formula, juice, and H2O in it. I agree with one of the other moms to take out the plug at first until he gets it then put it back in, messy!! Maybe your husband can introduce it to him while you are gone, if he smells breast milk I am sure that is what he would rather have. I actually thought it was easier to go straight to sippies because I never had to break either of them of the bottle and I had a lot of friends that had a hard time with it. Good luck!!

Hi J. - I'm going through the same thing right now w/my 8 mos old daughter. Personally, I think it all depends on which type of sippy cup you use. When my son was that age, it was all trial and error. We tried every brand and type of sippy cup!! Then, we discovered the "Nuby" sippy cup. (I found them at Meijer & Walmart, and only $1.25 each!) This cup is the closet thing to a bottle, so its the BEST transition from bottle (or breast) to cup b/c the nipple is so similar. My son did great on it, and now my daughter is taking very well to it also. When she is in her high chair, after a meal, I give her a cup w/a little water and she does great with it! Juice is a treat, I only give that to her every once in awhile. Good luck!!! And have fun with your little one :)

Both of my children were bottle fed with formula until they were 12 months. At that time, they went straight to whole milk with a sippy cup and took to it just fine. My advice to you is to try the sippy cup and if he takes to it, that would be great! You don't want to start him on bottles and then be stuck trying to get him off of those since that can be very hard for some babies. Try to avoid that altogether. Good luck!!!

My son had the same problem. I used the sippy cup brand N^uby. They have tops that are really soft and easy for babys and tots to learn how to use.
Good Luck!

Don't worry, your son will get the hang of it ... my son was 15 months old before he started using sippy cups and only after I refused to give him bottles any more. .. I had to buy one with a flexible nipple though until he got used to it ... as for the bottle/sippy cup debate, I would personally try to get him to take both ... sometimes the breast/bottle transition is easier ... but don't worry if it takes him awhile before he'll take a sippy cup, according to my kids' doctor, they usually take the cup around a year old.

If he hasn't had any experience with the cup before, it's a big transition. Try having your husband or someone else he's comfortable with giving him bottles, but make sure you're not around (he'll just want you). I nursed for 9 and a half months as well, but worked part time. So, my son got bottles of breast milk a few times a week. We offered cups at mealtimes, but he just played with them at first. Try taking out the sippy valve at first, since he may not understand he has to suck it. It will be messy, but it will help him to understand what's in there! My son is 21 months and still gets bottles at naptime and bedtime. The rest of the day he uses a cup. (He still won't take milk from a cup though!) Don't worry, it's ok to use both!

First of all congrats for breastfeeding, trust me I know exactly what you mean I nursed all four of my kids. Each one was a different experience #3 nursed until he was almost 2.
What has worked for me is letting someone else give him/her the bottle/cup trust me if they are hungry they will drink. Also, if you can get the person to try giving them the bottle/cup before your child gets to agitated. I did pump, so there was breast milk when I was away. Each child is different one of mine went straight to cup another went to bottle then sippy cup-depends but you'll know what they can handle. Much success J. and be encouraged. R.