Q. "Hi April! Have you experimented w/ different sippy cups yet? I've been looking for articles and blogs online but they all say the same stuff, so I was wondering if you had anything you could share. Thanks!"
A. We gave Oliver his first sippy cup, a Dr. Browns "Soft Spout Training Cup," about two months ago when he was 5 months old. (It came with a big Dr. Browns gift set I got at my shower)
We were going for a walk in the height of summer and wanted to bring cold water just for Oliver. Since ice does not fit in the Dr. Browns Bottle, we thought we would try out his sippy cup. At that age he was not strong enough to lift it up to his mouth, so we held it for him while he tried to figure out how to get the water out. Luckily, it only took him a minute or two to figure it out. We decided that the sippy cup was too much trouble and to hold off until Ollie was older. Plain and simple, Oliver was not ready for a sippy cup at five months old.
Fast forward to 7 1/2 months old and Oliver is all about the sippy cup now. At this point I only give him the Dr. Brown's sippy cup when we go for walks since it is still so warm outside. He loves banging it against his stroller and throwing it at me to see how many times I will pick it up and give it back. So far, every time. I am a loser. He still has issues getting it to his mouth, especially matching the spout up to his mouth, but he seems to enjoy the act of trying regardless. I will end up holding it for him 7 times out of 10.
More times than not, I let Ollie drink water from my cup when he needs a quick drink of water to wash down solids or cool off. It usually spills down the front of him, but it works. The sippy cup is just too much trouble to fill up for a few sips of water and then wash all 4 parts. Plus, according to our pediatrician Oliver is getting all of the liquid he needs from nursing. So, at this point the sippy cup is not a regular thing. Plain and simple, I still do not think Oliver is ready for a sippy cup, nor does he need one regularly.
Thank you Mrs. E. for this great question!
Here are some facts about making the transition from nipple to nub. ; )
1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends – to transition from the bottle at a year, to limit sippy cup use in general and to use the pacifier until age 1 for naps and sleep time only.
2. In the study, “Injuries Associated with Bottles, Pacifiers, and Sippy Cups" in the United States, 1991-2010,” in the June 2012 Pediatrics (published online May 14), data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for children treated in an emergency department for an injury caused by a bottle, pacifier, or sippy cup were examined. In the U.S., 45,398 children under age 3 were treated in the hospital emergency department between 1991 and 2010 -- or approximately one child every 4 hours. Most injuries (86 percent) occurred from falls while using the products, and 83 percent of falls resulted in lacerations or contusions to the mouth and face. Study authors also found that two-thirds of injuries occurred among 1-year-olds, an age when children are unsteady on their feet and prone to falls. Given the high number of injuries associated with using bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups, study authors recommend children not use these products beyond the intended ages, and that parents help their children transition to a cup around age 1 as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Source: American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics HealthyChildCare.Org website: Children should not be allowed to have water continuously in hand in a “sippy cup” or bottle. Permitting toddlers to suck continuously on a bottle or sippy cup filled with water, in order to soothe themselves, may cause nutritional or in rare instances, electrolyte imbalances. When tooth brushing is not done after a feeding, children should be offered water to drink to rinse food from their teeth.
How would you answer this question? What has your experience been so far?
(If you have a question or topic you would like discussed please email me at Firsttimemomanddad @gmail.com)
