Too Early for a Sippy Cup

Let me just tell you I am NOT a mom, or an infant feeding specialist.

I am an adult swallowing specialist with many friends with babies, who ask me my advice on infant feeding...

Sometimes babies have problems transitioning from a bottle to a cup too early, because they can not control the flow of the liquid, and it gets away from them. This may cause them to aspirate or "choke" on the liquid. You will know this has happened because your baby will cough! Do not panic, coughing is the way of them clearing the liquid out of thier airway, and is a normal and appropriate response. However, if your baby coughs, I would stick with the bottle for a while longer.

Sippy cups are less likely to cause your baby to aspirate, because it does control the flow better than drinking from a regular cup. Many pediatricians, however, try to deter parents from using sippy cups at all, because you will need to wean your child to a regular cup later on (they figure why wean from a bottle to a sippy cup, and have to wean again to a regular cup down the road). Mom's seem to love the sippy cups for their anti-spill properties, even though they have to double- wean.

Bottom line (in my opinion)- sounds a bit early for a cup, but try it. If your baby can't handle it, she will cough, or spill the juice right out of her mouth. If this happens, try again when your baby is a bit older.

Good luck!

Yes, the nurse is right. I had also read it's more difficult to wean a child off the bottle in general if you give them juice in a bottle. We only served my son milk, formula and water in the bottle, and juice only in a sippy cup. When he was around 6 mos. we started introducing him to juice. He then made an easy transition to using sippy cups exclusively at 12 mos. The sippy cup I would recommend to you is the Nuby brand ones. They're a good transition for a baby just learning how to use a sippy cup because the spout is soft like a nipple and they hold like a bottle. And they're a lot cheaper than the other sippy cups too, which helps too.

Hi S.,
The nurse must be right. i have red this before that it is better to drink from a sippy cup than from a bottle. I started my son with water instead of juice at 9 months. once they now the taste of sweets thats all they want. unfortunately he always refused the water and after trying for 6 weeks I added a little juice so it just has a little bit of taste to it. i always add water to the juice. My son still drinks 1 bottle of milk before bedtime and he is 22 mo now, the rest he drinks from the sippy cup but it took time and patience to get there.
good luck
M.

Ok, first off, if you're going to give your six month old juice you need to water it down half and half. Juice is suprisingly high in sugar and citric acids (of course). Watering it down will lower the sugar content and lessen the chance of the baby getting a diaper rash from the citric acid. As far as the sippy cup thing goes, if you want you can. You may want to look for a soft spout sippy cup to ease the transition for your little one. I have been told by many pediatricians and nurses alike that you cannot destroy a childs teeth by allowing them a bottle. It's the adult teeth that may be affected, but that is if they are still using the bottle when the adult teeth are coming in, which is just ridiculus, because they won't be. My childs dentist told me that allowing them a pacifier or bottle may affect the baby teeth a bit, but what the baby teeth do, will not directly affect the adult teeth. Hope this helps your decision.

Hi S.,

I started giving my daughter water out of the sippy cup around this time...I don't give her juice at all because it really doesn't provide any "good" nutritional value and water is as good at hydrating them than anything else would be. I nursed so I didn't have the bottle to ween her from, but I nursed her for a full year and she still took the cup at around 6 months. I hope this helps...fresh fruit and water would be my words of advice...

It's never to early for a sippy cup! My oldest was on a bottle until he was four! He is going through alot of changes and going back and fourth between his father and I and they just would not stop giving him a bottle. He hasn't had a bottle in my home since he was 2 years. His teeth are very out of shape. The dentist blames the bottle. Now, I also have a 1 year old (very soon to be 2!) who I got off the bottle the day after his first birthday. He has beautiful teeth! I think it is more a matter of preference to be honest. I prefer mine off the bottle early , some don't. (I hated washing bottles). I started with a sippy cup with juice, (half water), approx. 5 or 6 months old, and he took to it very well, when I got him onto regular milk, I just put it into a cup. Formula he would not take in a cup, but he was weaned off formula early so it worked out well. If the baby needs the bottle to sleep, try finding other methods now, so when you are ready to get off the bottle, it will be also easier.

Hi S.,

SInce 6 month olds can fall asleep with bottles in their mouths, the sugar from the juice can cause cavities once their teeth come in. This happened to a friend of mine. My pediatrician said a sippy cup is just as bad though, and she bans juice until age 2 all together because of the high sugar content so i am surprised the nurse said you can start it so soon! I started giving my son juice at 2 and a half, but only like a few tablespoons full and the rest of the cup is water. Hope this helps!

I have been reading that if your baby cannot drink out of a regular cup to try a cup and straw. The straw is better for their teeth than a sippy cup because it doesn't bring the juice straight to the back of their front teeth. I haven't heard anything about a bottle being bad for a 6 month old. I've also heard that if you are going to give your kids juice, you should mix it half and half with water so it isn't so sugary. I'm expecting my first in a few weeks so I don't have any practical advice, just what I've been reading. Hope it helps!

If this is all the nurse told you, she didn't explain the concept well. The point of giving the juice from a sippy cup opposed to a bottle is so the child will associate juice with the cup ONLY. Since children tend to take a bottle to bed, this allows the sugar to terribley affect the health of the childs teeth. So to avoid the child wanting juice from a bottle at night, you give it to them ONLY from a cup.

Personally, I don't think 6 months is too early to start a child on a sippy cup. I started my daughter on a cup at 4 months. It'll just give him a head start on developing those skills later on.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I know you should start with water and never give juice if they have diarrea or are dehydrated... but most juice with a wee bit of water should be ok.

Actualy it is true, the juice can and will ruin your babies teeth. They are very fragil and he sugars even natural sugars eat away at the enamel. Drinking out of a bottle the juice has more contact with the teeth s apossed to a sippy cup. Plus this can also help ween the baby from the bottle which is also good because milk does the same damage. Especially at night when saliva isnt produced toward the teeth. It is also nessasry for you to but the gerber 1st teeth toothpaste that comes with a little rubber finger cover to massage the babies teeth, since they are to young for toddler tooth paste this is a safe way to keep baby teeth healthy. Also baby water with flouride is GREAT! Believe me it is better to start early than to end up in a pediactric dental office from a mother who knows

Hi S.!

I've heard of concern for all of the sugars in juice to "rot the teeth", but as far as that- I don't think that you should worry about it. When my son was a baby, they just told me not to give him juice for the NIGHT TIME bottle. This is because they'll hold it in their mouth, and it's just kind of "sitting" there. Your baby needs juice, and I don't know any 6-month old that can actually do a sippy cup. They're not usually ready until towards the end of the first year.

I think that you're doing fine, and don't worry about it. If you want to try the sippy cup, go for it! :) But the babies I think NEED their teeth for the sippy cup...

Hope that helps!

B.

Hi, doctors are great arent they? They all have some different type of advice. I suggest to you try the sippy cup, theya have a soft tip one at kmart its less then a dollar, if its to hard the baby is not going to take it, but also keep in mind if the baby is not sitting up a sippy cup is a bad idea, she/he is going to choke and not want to try it again. I have 2 kids myself 11 & 8. I do daycare for 5 little ones during the day from ages 1 to 5. I guess we should always remember no matter what advice we get from other's we know our kids the best. The sippy cup I was talking about is made from NUBBY they are also spill-less. Good Luck I hope it works out, Oh did they tell you to add water to the juice? So they dont get mushy poop? Be really extra careful of white grape juice, that use to (still does) keep my daughter running to the bathroom. Again , good luck Kris

I started giving my son milk, water and juice out of the Avent early (or first years, some title like that)sippy cup. It has a soft, pliable nipple, but isn't shaped like a bottle nipple. Plus, they have removable, double handle that is easy for tiny hands to grasp. They cost about $5.00 each and can be found at Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. Hope that helps, and good luck!

First, I would think about the source here....she's not a pediatrician or a dentist. I wouldn't start juice too early (and dilute with water at first), and don't worry about the sippy right now if you feel it's too early. You're the Mommy. Bottle hurting teeth? Please. I started familiarizing my 3 kids with the sippy around 9 months or so, and it took a while. By one year they were holding it and taking juice and even formula in it, but still took a bottle before bed till about 15-16 months. Use your best judgement, and when in doubt, ask a professional.

S.,

I nursed our son and when he was about 4 months, he absolutely refused a bottle. Our doctor suggested a sippy cup and that worked well.

Because he was so little, we had to get the kind without the drip protection. We just carefully tipped so he would get a little. After he got used to the sippy cup, we then put the no drip part back in and it worked for us.

He is now 11 months and holds the sippy cup on his own. Growing up too fast!

Our doctor suggested not more than 4-6 oz of juice per day and to add water to it if we did not buy the baby juices which were already watered down.

Hope this helps!

Have a great day,
Jessica

I started my daughter on juice in a sippy cup around 6 months. I only gave it to her at snack time so she could gradually get use to it. When I gave her juice I filled the cup with 1/3 juice and the rest water to delute it. Other parents I know started around the same age. I think it's a personal preferance and depends on if you think you child is ready for something new.

My doctor said the same thing. Make sure you are diluting the juice at least 50/50. The occasional 100% of the gerber juice is ok, but really try to dilute it more often than not. The other thing with the sippy cups is if you get the ones with the stoppers, take the stopper out until they really get the hang of it. It is really hard to drink out of them when it is in.

I was on WIC too, they have a good program, and the nutritionist there are very well informed. They are there to make sure that the kids are getting everything they need. You can trust them. If you ever feel differently, just ask your doctor to confirm/deny what they are saying.

If you ever have any other questions feel free to let me know. I have a 15 month old boy and I am a nanny of a 6 month old girl. I also have over 10 years professional child care experience.

Good luck!
J.

Hi J.-
I agree that you should start introducing the sippy cup now- but with water only-
There is no need for juice so young. Until they learn to suck out of the cup I took out the plastic part that keeps it from spilling. Then put it in when the "get " it. Juice is expensive-and sticky and sugary and they really only need your milk or formula. I also only gave them a sippy cup while sitting in the high chair- until they mastered it-
I hope this helps- I have 2 kids- 3 & 6!!
Good luck to you!
Jen

A few things that have workfed for me:

I would just start by putting a sippy of water on her tray at every meal - in 2 months she will have it down pat. I would not do juice. I am a hypocrit b/c all three of my kids drink juice - but if I had to do it again, I would stick to the water. If you do juice make sure that you do more than half water with a shot of juice - from experience with kids with bad teeth - the juice is going to rot thier theeth - not the bottle!

It's not to early - she might play with it for a month, but she will eventually do it with no problems, and then taking the bottle away will be a lot easier!!!

Good Luck

I started my daughter on the sippy cup at 5 months. Not every thing she drank came from the sippy cup, but I introduced it early, and at a year, when they are suppose to be off the bottole, she wasnt suprised, nor did she refuse the sippy cup she had been accustomed to useing already. I highly encourage you to introudce it to your baby, (although most may fall out of the baby's mouth) it worked wonders for me. When my other girl friends had their kids with bottles, until 2 or 2 1/2 I was done completely at 1 year and 2 months. Good luck!

6 months is when I started my daughter on a sippy......but we gave her water with no juice, i didnt start giving her juice until like a year,,,i highly recommend the "Nuby" soft spout cup from walmart, target, babies r us, they have a bottle like top so the baby can easily adapt to it, also the benefit is when it's time to kick the bottle habit you already have introduced a cup!! Good Luck!

S.,

The only way I can see the bottle ruining the baby's teeth is if you give the bottle at night and leave it with her/him for them to drink at will during the night. I think formula/breast milk is the best and only liquid the baby should be getting at 6 mths. Once the baby is older (9mths+), then I would consider it on a limited basis. And always dilute the juice with water (50-50) when you do give it. Just my 2 cents.

K.

My pediatrician doesn't recommend giving juice at all until at least a year, and even then only if they need the vitamin C because they won't eat fruit. As for the sippy cup, my understanding is that you should begin presenting the cup @ 11 months and that it will take about 2 months to wean them completely from the bottle, which is how it worked for my 13 month old.
Good luck - A.

I gave my son a sippy cup at 6 months. He gave up on the bottle completely...and formula too. I have no idea why he did that. It did take him awhile to figure out the sippy cup. Why cant you give her water or formula in the sippy cup...why juice(if you do give it make sure you water it down alot)????

My doctor sees juice as really wasted calories and just sugar. He wants us to give our child water and milk first so that that is what he learns to choose when he is in that position. When I do give juice I always water it down adding equal parts water. Also, I never give a bottle or anything in the crib or bed so he brushes his teeth before he goes to sleep (for the night)

Hi S.,
I have a 7 month old and I've been giving him a sippy cup with water when I feed him solids. I have not introduced juice to him yet. I've read that it's ok to give diluted juice now and it's probably a good idea to not give it in a bottle. Bottles are for milk. I've read and been told that juice is like soda for babies, so be careful that you don't give too much. : )
Hope this helps,
L.

I know there is conflicting thoughts on giving juice. My doctor says no. Others say water it down. But I believe there are sippy cups specifically for 6 months and up - the avent is nice and has a soft tip. You are never suppossed to give a child a bottle of milk or anything right before bed in fear of rotting teeth. I would try to give your child in the sippy cup as opposed to juice in a bottle if you are going to do it. It is a step in the transition to drinking on their own. Hope that helps.

We started giving my daughter sippy cups of water at about 6 months and we never had to use a bottle with her, for the most part. She loved the sippy cups. We had to take the valves out for the first couple of months, though, b/c she couldn't figure out to suck on the cup like she would a bottle or nursing. My doc did say not to give her juice, though. It's mostly sugar and there is no point in getting kids started on sugar so young as it has no nutritional value. So we stuck with the water. She still prefers water to juice and milk, which is great.

Hi S.!
I'm not an expert on anything byt my own two children. And there are times that I feel new with them too! I have been through the same issue with my pediatrician. It is not the bottle itself that is the problem, it is giving a small child a bottle to bed. Drinking while lying down promotes inner ear infections and allows milk, juice, or whatever's in the bottle to settle in your baby's mouth and teeth. A sippy cup would do the same thing. My kids drank out of sippys early, but only under supervision and certainly not juice at 6 months. Juice is so bad for their teeth and there is no real reason to offer it to a non speaking child unless they are in need of liquids and won't take water. I regret offering too much juice to my kids. They got used to the sweet fix it gave them and constantly asked for it. Finally I stopped buying it. Now when my 2 year old asks for juice, I tell her to eat an orange instead. Good luck!

Hi-

I have read that you can give a sippy cup to a child when they are about 8 months so that they can start to get used to it. My son is 8 months and he doesn't like it yet. I would do what is more comfortable for your baby. And the teeth thing doesn't happen unless your child actually has teeth and you give him/her the bottle when he/she goes to sleep. I wouldn't rush it- maybe try giving the cup once a day.

i was advised to not give juice to my son for as long as i could and i wish i listened. instead i gave into his need for 'flavor' and he quickly lost interest in water and milk. he's only drank flavored since he was 12 months, he's 18 months now. i dont worry so much about the sippy cup advice she gave you as much as the starting juice now advice. good luck!

S.,
I am a mother of 4 kids(30,26,23,one just turned 13, grandmother of 3
and like you I have a huge gap (10 1/2 yrs) between my 13 yr old and my almost 24 yr old.
As for the juice in the sippy cup I'd start with water not juice or even the fomula. Juice out of the bottle is not good but I wouldn't give juice at this young age.( my opinion only) of course I think 6mo is really to young for the cup unless the baby can hold the cup by itself. They more or less just play with it.
C..

HI, S..

From everything I have read -Nutritionally juice is not very good for you at all. It's mostly just sugar and completely devoid of one of the best parts of eating whole fruit - the fiber. To me, water or milk would be a better choice. Water helps cleanse the system and milk or formula is vital for their growing little systems. We did let my daughter start having juice at 2 years old but diluted it with water. 1/2 water - 1/2 juice. Hope that helps.

Best regards,

A.

Use the sippy cup and dilute the juice with water - mostly water though. The bottle is terrible for the teeth b/c it's easy for parents to get lazy and let them hold it all day/night.

S.,
I wouldn't give your six month old juice to begin with. I have a six month old and his ped told me that juice will ruin your babies teeth and it is empty calories. You can start to use a sippy cup, but may take a while. I have tried it a couple times with my six month old and he doesn't get it yet. It depends on what kind of nipples you use for the bottles too. The silicone ones are hard on the teeth.

I started my first daughter with a sippy cup around 5 months and my second daughter around 6 months. I found that the nuby brand sippy cups work well for younger babies because they are really soft and my daughters had an easy time switching. You can also try playtex. They ave a smaller spout for younger babies. The sippy cup worked well for me I had my oldest of the bottle by 8 months and my second by 11 months. Good Luck

I started giving my son juice at six months. I started in the bottle, but gradually changed to a sippy cup. He got the hang of it pretty quickly, and by age 1 he no longer used the bottle. A bottle constantly will drip. You have to suck to get the liquid out of a sippy cup, thats why its better for the babys teeth.

Hi S.,

I have read over and over about bottles - the only real problem is if you let your baby lie down and fall asleep with the bottle. The juice can pool in your baby's mouth, and that will lead to cavities. If the baby will take a sippy, there is nothing wrong with that either, but you don't need to fear the bottle. Just be aware that the bottle shouldn't fall asleep with it. Hope that helps.

A.

My daughter made 6 months the other day and I started giving her juice from a sippy cup and she loves it. She is getting use to the cup but it seems as if she uses the cup as a teething ring because she has been gnawing on the tip. I bought her the Playtex 7 ounce cup with handles Stage 1 (for a 6 month old). They come in stages.