Sippy cup at 4 months?

[Historygirl91]

Hi all. My DD is almost 4 months, she is EBF and despite our best efforts she has never taken a bottle. A lot of wasted pumping and effort! I’m going to a concert in April and am getting a bit anxious that I won’t be able to go. I’ve read that some babies take to a sippy cup if they struggle with bottles, does anyone have any experience/can share their views? I’m not sure how she is meant to hold the cup as she is still at the grasping/holding and dropping stage at the moment. I’ve also heard that open cups can be good but I think she would be too small to use one at 4 months? Thanks for reading.

Hiya, I use an open cup for my LO now I’ve stated weaning. I use one called a ‘doidy cup’ you can get them on Amazon and they are great! They are slanted so you don’t need to tip them back as far to sip from (much less chance of dumping milk/water over their heads!) and you can see the liquid as it touches their lips and have much more control over the flow. I hold it for my LO and he sips from it but around 6 months he started to place his hands on the sides. It was recommended by the HV’s at the time and he’s got on really well with it. We tried the closed top sippy cups but he wasn’t a fan and the tiny cups that look like egg cups were swiftly launched onto the floor…hardly anything is spilled or wasted with this one which is great especially with not wanting to waste breast milk 🙂

Thanks for your response. Please can I ask how old your LO one when you introduced the doidy cup?

At 4 months your are very much holding the cup for them. Mine was drinking from an open cup at 5 months, but 4 is absolutely an appropriate age to start - my brother could do it at 3 months. Any freeflow sippy cup is also good.

And it's a very messy process, so definitely use a bib to prevent them getting soaked 😅

@Historygirl91 he was just under 5 months (4 adjusted) when I used it the first time. He went through a fussy phase with his bottle so we had to top up a little bit from the cup. He has water with meals in it now. I still hold it for him at 7 months or I think I’d need to the mop! His hands have started to cover mine though when I’m holding it so I don’t think it will be long before he can take sips himself.

mine used an open cup from day 1, in hospital. The midwifes did it.