Are sippy cups are really great at use? Is it necessary to introduce sippy cups to infants?
When transitioning your baby from breastfeeding or bottle to drinking from a cup, sippy cups are a great tool to train. Babies can start using them as early as 6 months and sippy cups makes it easier to phase out bottles eventually.
In a sippy cup, try offering your baby a few ounces of breast milk, water, or formula after starting with solids at around 6 months old. Only give a sippy cup to your baby during snack times or meals. Or else, sipping on anything other than water throughout the day can lead to tooth decay.
Why Should You Introduce a Sippy Cup to Your Infant?
One of the main reasons to introduce a sippy cup to your baby is to help her wean off the bottle feeding in a timely fashion. Sippy cups aren’t a necessity but they can smooth the transition off bottles.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends bottling off babies by 18 months, although the sooner the better. Because prolonged bottle feeding can lead to iron deficiency anemia, and cavities, and encourage your child to drink more milk than they need.
When Should You Start On introducing a Sippy Cup for Your Baby?
Introducing a sippy cup to your baby varies and depends on part of your child. But sometimes 6 and 12 months is typical. According to experts ideally, 9 months is a good time to start.
Also, one of the best ways the transition from a bottle to a sippy cup is to look for the signs of readiness your baby is showing. Which includes:
- They’re eating solid foods
- When the baby learn to hold the bottle and tip it by themselves to drink independently
- They can sit without support
- While the baby show interest in reaching for your cup
How to Make Your Baby Get Use To a Sippy Cups?
Some babies take sippy cups immediately while some babies take a while to get used to them. Here are some tips that will help in making your baby get used to sippy cups.
- Begin with one that has a pliable and soft spout instead of a hard plastic spout to make it feel familiar to your baby.
- Show your baby how to raise the cup in their mouth and tip it to drink. Show them the spout is like a nipple by touching the tip of the spout to their mouth’s roof to stimulate the sucking reflex.
- Do not worry if your baby does not take the sippy cup right away into their mouth. See for some days and try again.
- There are various sippy cups in the market with various kinds of spouts. if one isn’t much likable by your baby test-drive, try another to see if your baby likes it better.
- Start by offering a sippy cup to your baby during the one-day meal. Then offer it during a second-day meal the following week, continue this until your baby gets habituated to the sippy cups.
- If you have started giving sippy cups to your baby be consistent at a specific time and do not switch back to the bottle during that time.
- Babies like to be represented themselves as they are grown up’s. Give your little one plenty of motivation and encouragement: drinking from a sippy cup means they are grown up and a big kid now! Make it a celebration.
What to Consider for Choosing the Right Sippy Cup for Your Baby?
1. Vary The Cup
The best sippy cups for your child are the ones that your child sips rather than sucks from. Whenever your baby has to suck the liquid out with the valve, the liquid is more likely to pool around their teeth and cause tooth decay.
2. Pick A Cup with Handles
Choose the sippy cups that contain a straw or hard spout, two handles, no valve controlling the flow of the liquid, and a weighted bottom to keep it upright. This will be easier for those tiny fingers to grip.
3. Take It Slow to Regular Cups
The best thing to go with your child’s teeth is a regular cup. A sippy cup may your child make the transition from a bottle to a regular cup, and also prevent spills and improve their motor coordination. But these sippy cups are best when used temporarily just to make leaps from bottles to cups.
4. Switch to Regular Cups
As soon as you see that your child is handling the sippy cups, try switching to a regular cup. Many toddlers can manage to handle a two-handled open cup by the time they’re 2 years old.
5. Phthalate-free
Phthalates and common chemicals such as BPA found in plastics can throw off your body’s hormones. Always pick the sippy cups that keep these nasties away.
Our Best Pick
B Box – Sippy Cup
The B Box – Sippy cup from Nappies Direct is the perfect choice for your baby’s transition to sippy cups. It is free from Phthalates, PVC, and BPA and comes with a weighted straw that moves the liquid to whatever the angel the cup holds. You can fill up to 240mls/8oz capacity of liquid in this cup.
Its simple flip-top lid with easy-grip handles makes it comfortable for your baby to hold and drink. Your little one can drink lying down, making it an ideal transition from breastfeeding/ cup from bottle to milk in a cup.
Get one for your baby today at Nappies Direct. You can find the complete range of newborn to toddler necessities at best quality and best deals.
