Transitioning to a Sippy Cup - Irvine,CA

At the advice of my pediatrician we switched my daughter to sippy cups cold-turkey at around 12-13 months. Her reasoning was that my daughter would not understand why she could sometimes have her milk in a bottle and other times only a sippy cup. My daughter did have fits about it for about 2-3 days and then after that all was well. I think we used the Playtex insulated cups with the hard spout. We tried the Nubys with the soft spout but they seemed to leak out of the spout if she banged it on the table or chewed at the top.

I never imagined how difficult making the switch could be. My first child, we swapped and that was it. My second, a stubborn red head, was a whole different story.

I worked with a speech therapist (she has Down's) on it and her recommendation was straw introduction. The juice boxes that you can squeeze the liquid into their mouth makes them start the sucking and swallowing motion. She also recommended a ketchup or mustard bottle used for picnics and cutting the top and sticking a straw in it gave you the squeeze ability as well. I found the disposable cups with lids and straws worked the best.

I wanted to keep her in line with what they used at day care, which was sippies. So I had to pull the "I can be more stubborn that you" card. I would only offer milk in a sippy during the day and with meals. If there was no fluid intake during the day, after dinner I would offer it through a bottle to keep her from getting dehydrated. I thought we were going to require IV fluids by the time it was said and done. I also switched to the vanilla soy milk. She seemed to like the taste of that better. A good day was an intake of 2-3 ozs. It was a very frustrating time for me. I was ready to throw milk from one end of the kitchen to the other. Sometimes after working with her, I was shaking it was so frustrating. Luckily, I am more stubborn than her. She finally one day started sucking away and thus the switch was made. The Gerber first stage sippy cup was the one that worked for us. I have a cabinet full of cups that didn't work, but found the one that did.

I still give her one bottle at night which has a thick oatmeal mix to it. We are approaching taking that one away, which is not going to be easy. It almost sends me into PTSD just thinking about it.

Good luck!

I started my exclusively breastfed daughter on a sippy at 6 months by taking the valve out and putting in a small amount of my milk. that way she could understand why I gave her/held for her this thing. And yes, it made a bit of a mess. That's why I only put a very small amount in. As she got the hang of it, I replaced the valve and she figured it out because she had the association that something good was in there.

18 months is a year and a half old.
It's just my opinion, probably not worth anything so I'm not trying to be offensive, but it seems by that age, a child should be drinking from numerous things besides a bottle or in addition to.
As far as holding his own bottle, your son might not want to, but if you set one in front of him and he wants it badly enough, he will pick it up and drink from it.
Is he able to reach for things and grab things and pick up toys? Does he put toys in his mouth? If so, he should get the hang of holding his own bottle or sippy cup.
I used to put ice in my son's sippy cup and he loved rattling it, but there was a payoff because he could actually drink from it too.
I'm not sure you have to switch "cold turkey", but let your son play with his sippy....let him see you drink from it and then offer him a drink. If he doesn't like a sippy, pour yourself a cup of something and try to get him to take a drink of it. If he makes a mess, that's okay. That's how they learn.
As for holding his bottle himself, I think he WILL do it if you don't. He might cry and fuss because it's different than what he's used to, but I'm betting he would know just what to do in the event you didn't hold it for him.
He'll get the hang of it...give him a chance.
Best wishes!

Hello L.,
I guess it depends on your pediatrician, but I was advised to introduce sippy cups with water when he starting eating his baby food. I was also advised by his pediatrician to get my son off the bottle at a year old. I thought it would be dramatic for him, but it was actually more simple than I would have thought. I threw away all his bottles and replaced them with the Disney sippy cups. He already knew how to drink out of cups by the time he was 1, but he was attached to his bottle. By replacing them with cups that he liked it was no problem. When he asked for a bottle I would simply tell him wouldn't you rather use your cars cup? He loved it! Worked great. After a few times he never asked for the bottle again. Try to find cups that he likes, take him to the store with you and let him pick.
Good luck!
J.

With DS#1 our ped told me at his 12 mos appt, "Mom, the bottle's gotta go" so I went home that night, packed up all the bottles, and never looked back. My son did not immediately get the idea of the sippy, so for a few times I put a little water in it, kept the lid off, and then would let him drink right from the cup. I'd later put the lid back on and let him try it again. It took a few days for him to hold it himself.

You also might need to experiment more with different types. We also tried the Nuby soft tops, but he would just chew on them and spill everywhere. When he did manage to drink from it, it'd be such a large gush of milk that he'd gag.

DS#2 is 11 mos and does best with the Playtex Take & Toss cups, because the flow is not too fast, yet he still has to suck on it a little bit. He doesn't like the Playtext hard spouts right now, since it does take a bit more effort to suck through the valve.

My daughter has just turned 16 months. My ped wasn't too concerned with the transition, but I remember with my first daughter that we transitioned her around this age and it will be easier now than later. I am tired of cleaning all the parts of the Dr. Brown's bottles :)

My daughter does drink water from a sippy, but it is only ones with straws. She likes a fast flow (even from breastfeeding days) and so this is the only way for her to get a big gulp. I use the toss and go cups (I think by Playtex) similar to what one other said. I started introing during one of the meals in the highchair, because she likes to tip it over and such. Did this for a week and then finally she started to drink from it (still was on bottle for all milk for the day, this was in addition).

I finally looked at my schedule (because I am a stay at home mom) and wanted to change during a week when we had the least amount of things going on, so I could have consistency in the rest of the schedule. Then cut it off cold turkey, except for the bottle before bed. Gave her the sippy at the same times and locations as the bottles used to be given. The first five days she drastically reduced the amount she was drinking, taking in only 8 oz or so from all of the sippies for the day (was drinking 24 oz), so gave 6-8 oz before bed (used to give only 4 oz to top off for the night). Made sure she was well fed with other food, especially calcium and proteins to make up for less milk. Then all of a sudden one day she drank a full 6oz from the sippy in one fell swoop. . .that was our turning point.

She has probably reduced her milk intake overall, but is not cranky and is eating regular food fine.

So, I use the take and toss, when I know that I will be around to assist, because it does leak and so if it topples over than I can turn it upright. If I am on the way to pick up older daughter or such and need a spill prood, then I use a Nuby with straw sippy.

Good luck. Just be consistent. When you start stick with it. You can do it :)
E.

The doctor really wants him to drink from a sippy cup? Is he coming home with you? Kids will do what they do when they want to.....My kiddo is three...never drank from a "sippy cup"....PLEASE!!!! Dont go by a "site" or "him"...just go by your natural instincs. They will not starve themselves.