Health authorities across the world recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, by which time solid foods should also be introduced for added nutrition. However, this doesn’t mean that your baby has to be weaned off breast milk at six months. Both the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics regard continued breastfeeding for up to two years or more as healthy. In fact, breast milk can remain the primary source of nutrition as other foods are regarded as complementary.
Another important milestone around the six-month mark is that your baby should begin learning to drink independently from a sippy cup, eventually transitioning to open cups by the age of two years. However, when introducing sippy cups while breastfeeding, there are a few things you need to know.
How to Start Using a Sippy Cup
Breastfed babies do not need any additional nutrition or hydration until they are at least six months old, at which point you can start offering your baby some water in a sippy cup since your baby is also being introduced to solid foods. However, your baby will not need to drink much water because most of the required fluid intake is still obtained from breast milk and, to some extent, from pureed foods.
Typically, babies that are being breast fed and have just started to eat solids will consume no more than 2 to 4 ounces of water a day, so don’t get worried if your baby doesn’t show too much interest for what’s in the sippy cup. At this point, it’s more about getting your baby used to handling the sippy cup so that she’s more receptive to water as water requirements increase with time.
Another thing you can do to ease the sippy cup transition is to pick a cup that’s colorful or has a print that you know your baby will love. Allow your baby to be involved in the choice, of course, after you’ve narrowed it down based on sippy cup recommendations from experts.
Other Important Sippy Cup Considerations
When you start using a sippy cup there are a few things to consider for your baby’s health and safety.
Don’t fill the sippy cup with sugary juices and colas
Sippy cups are typically meant to be accessible so that your baby gets used to drinking water at any time. Sippy cups become a problem when parents fill them with sugary juices and colas as they constantly sip on them, increasing the risk of dental health problems and excess weight gain.
Avoid cups with no-spill valves
The no-spill feature of sippy cups is a big selling point, but experts advise against using cups with valves as they can delay oral motor development, defeating the purpose of sippy cups. Instead, you can choose from sippy cups with weighted bottoms and flattened straws as these help to reduce spills without causing any problems.
Keep it clean
Sippy cups often have small parts and grooves that will allow bacteria and mold to build up if not cleaned frequently. Cups that are completely dishwasher safe will circumvent this problem, but most include some parts that have to be cleaned manually. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly before reassembly.
Sippy cups are only transitionary
Don’t forget that sippy cups are meant to help your baby transition to open cup drinking eventually. Start teaching your baby to drink from an open cup during bath time so that you don’t have to worry about cleaning up, while also making sure that your baby is on track to start drinking independently from an open cup by the age of two years.
