Starting the cup
When your baby sits on his own and starts grabbing everything in sight, he may be ready to tackle sipping from a cup.
Even if your baby is breastfeeding or using a bottle, now may be the time to let him practice holding a cup. Babies this age are eager to try new skills—and waiting until your baby is a year old may make it more difficult.
Start with a soft-spout cup such as the NUK® Learner Cup. First show him how to hold the cup for drinking. Then lift it to your mouth. Babies love to imitate, so he’ll likely try to do what you’re doing. But if he doesn’t, save that lesson for next time and let him continue to practice holding the cup.
THE LIQUID TEST
A sippy cup releases the liquid slowly, which is similar to drinking from a bottle. But it’s likely that your baby will need your help in his first attempts.
Place a little liquid in the cup and hold it to his mouth. Slowly tilt the cup and encourage your baby to sip to get the liquid. He may spit it out at first or cough a little. Eventually he’ll get used to the liquid and will be able to swallow without any trouble.
If he tries to grab the cup from you, let him take it and practice drinking from it. His drink will likely end up dribbling down his chin or shirt, but over time more will make it into his mouth than not.
Once your baby gets a handle on sipping from a cup, you can add breastmilk, formula, or juice to your baby’s new cup. But make sure to limit juice consumption to 4 fluid ounces per day (½ cup).
TRY AND TRY AGAIN
In the next few months, let your baby experiment with a sippy cup. Some weeks your baby may refuse the cup, but that’s okay. The key is to gradually develop the skills needed to drink from a cup, so he’ll be ready for the transition when the time is right.
Did you know?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s okay to introduce 100% juice (in addition to breastmilk or formula) to your baby after 6 months. Serve juice in a cup, not a bottle, and start with 1 to 2 fluid ounces a day. Juice intake for older babies can be up to 4 fluid ounces a day.
Products
GERBER® NUK® Learner Cup (BPA FREE)
Eases transition from breast to bottle to cup.
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