When and how did you introduce sippy cups?

Hi,

Our twins are almost 9 months old. I have been giving them some formula or water in sippy cups for over a month now, but they don't seem that interested. Most of it goes on their chin. Should I wait and try later or should I keep trying until they get it? Usually I start giving them a sippy cup and after it takes them 5 minutes to have 1 oz, I just put their formula in a bottle. I usually try this once or twice a week with formula and every day with water.

We also bought them 3 different style of sippy cups, thinking they may like one more than the other, but they are all just as indifferent to them. They usually play with them or just try to chew the handles like everything else they put their hands on. I also took the valves out of them to make it easier for them to get the liquid.

Ideally I would like to stop giving them bottles when they turn 1.

I would appreciate your advise and I would like to know what your experience was with this.

Thanks in advance,

Monica

 

Have you tried straw cups? Our boys caught on to those MUCH sooner than the cups they had to tip up. I didn't switch them to cups they had to tip up until just a few months ago.

Otherwise, I say just keep offering them water in the cup - make it available to them all day, and they will figure it out eventually. Things can really change in just a month or two, so don't worry - they will get there.

 

What we did with our girls was give them sippies with water at each of their solids meals & just let them play with them (they would nurse or get breast milk in bottles for their regular feeds). If they managed to get a sip or two out, good on 'em. By the time we reached a year old, they were old pros. All that playing is how they learn what these weird new contraptions are so I would definitely keep offering them, letting them play & practice, and I'm quite certain they'll have it figured out for when you're ready to switch completely.

 

We started introducing sippies at 7 months. They never got it. We tried so many kinds. At 10 months, they just got it. They drink out of open cup with/without straws, soft sippies, hard sippies, anything now. I do believe they just get it when they get it. Mine never like formula in cups. They only drink water and whole milk in cups. To them, formula has to be in bottles !!!. You are doing just fine. Remember its not you. Its them. Give them some time.

About taking away bottles, many moms just do it cold turkey. My SIL took away all bottles at once when her boys turned 1. They didnt drink much milk after that but they ate hell alot for her. The results were they were all over 90% of weight. I dont have a heart to do that. I just replaced their mid day bottles with snack and whole milk in cups. Mine still have morning and night bottles. I plan on replacing morning bottles with whole milk in cups next week. I dont know when I will take away their night bottles. They love it so much. Every night now, they race to their bottles. I feel so sad if I have to take it away from them. But I know I have to lol. However, they are just 12 months adjusted. So i think i just let them have the night bottle until june then lol.

Good luck! I know the sippy thing is so so fustrating when they are not ready for it. Hang in there mama.

 

I agree with straw cups! All 3 of mine caught on to those faster than "tip" cups. With the twins they were off bottles by 11 months. They were only taking 3/day at that time so I just moved meals earlier a bit and gave them their cup of whole milk (mine didn't like formula in cups either) and after a couple days removed another bottle until after a week they were all gone They didn't bat an eye and it was so easy!
Hannah is off bottles now and has been since 10.5 months but she still nurses 2x a day and after this weekend I will be cutting out her bedtime nurse (mornings are her fave) so that when she turns 1 we can work on ending the morning nurse session...extended nursing is just not me She also has done well with straw cups and prefers anything *but* breastmilk in it!

 

I started mine with straw cups at 9 1/2 months. They only get water in their cups, their formula is in their bottles. Wyatt took to it much faster than Willa Grace but now they both drink out of them just fine. They have them for meals and snacks(puffs) and we take them outside when we are playing. Has worked out great.

 

Thank you girls. I guess I will keep trying and also I will get some straw sippy cups, we didn't try those yet.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

 

I just bought some sippy cups but we haven't tried them yet. I got the tip-up kind with handles. I just washed them today so we're going to try them tomorrow. It sounds like the straw kind maybe better. We'll have to see how it goes but I may pick up some of the straw kind too. I like the idea of them being able to drink water out of a cup when it's hot out this summer.

 

With the boys, they couldn't figure out the handles on the cups. I attribute that to them holding their bottles. Who knows! So I went out and got the Take-n-Toss cups and they took on to those pretty quickly. I started giving them cups at six months old, but they were closer to a year before I consistently gave it to them, and they got the hang of it! Annabella was a bit earlier, and she pretty much went straight to a straw cup. In order for them to figure out the straw cups, I learned from here to try a juice box. That's what I did with my boys. Well, Annabella grabbed a hold of one of the boys juice boxes at dh's soccer game, and the rest is history with her! LOL!