Spout or straw sippy?

Ecy

My DD drinks from a straw sippy but not much at a time. This worries me as I am nervous about the transition off of bottles coming up. She currently still takes 5 bottles a day, totalling about 30 oz. She also has 3 small meals a day. And my tiny little girl still only weighs a few oz.'s over 17 lbs!

 Anyway...what does your LO use? Is one "better" than the other. I'm wondering if I should teach her to drink from a spout sippy too. She doesn't hold her own bottles but has no problem holding the straw sippy cup. She doesn't get the concept of tilting the cup up with the bottles or spout cups.

Is there any need/reason that she should focus on this? Or is it fine to just stick with the straw sippy and hope that she drinks more once I start eliminating bottles. There's also the issue with backwash when it comes to the straw sippy. Is that a problem with spout cups? This grosses me out, especially when I think about putting WM in the cup.

Thoughts? Advice? I apologize if this post makes no sense. It's late & this is what's on my mind but I have no idea if I'm asking a question that makes sense, lol.

vilaro

I can't answer about the backwash question since I've never given it much thought. I will say that my DD has been a late adopter to finger foods and sippy cups. She took fairly well to the straw sippy cup but everyday I also keep trying with the regular spout sippy cup. She'll take a bit in but not very much. I would say one ounce at a time, if that. In addition, I have her drink out of a regular plastic cup so she'll learn that eventually, too. I place her hands around the cup and hold it up for her so she can drink. I don't push because to me she's not ready to drink large amounts out of regular cups or spout sippy cups and I feel she'll let me know when she's ready. She's still taking all of her milk (3 formula bottles)  from her regular bottles that I feed her because she's not ready to hold the sippy cup and drink for herself the entire amount she should be getting nutritionally at this age - and that's ok. We keep trying everyday. Our babies are still very young. My DD has only just turned one year and I see your DD is only 11 months old. Give it time - it will happen.

If straw sippy is working, stick with that but keep trying with the spout and regular cup everyday so she's learning and eventually get the hang of it.

PS - I spent a ton trying to find the right sippy cup for my DD, and have had the best luck with the playtex brand spout sippy cup and they don't leak one bit!!

Good luck!

M&M227

A straw cup is better for them.  Sucking from a sippy cup is not a skill they will use later in life, also the straw helps the muscles around the mouth which are used to speak later.  I've worked with speech therapists and occupational therapists who all recommend skipping the sippy.

vilaro

M&M227:

A straw cup is better for them.  Sucking from a sippy cup is not a skill they will use later in life, also the straw helps the muscles around the mouth which are used to speak later.  I've worked with speech therapists and occupational therapists who all recommend skipping the sippy.

That's good to know - thanks for sharing!

BabyBoyNYC

you're lucky she can drink from the straw ones! I wish DS knew how but he doesn't understand. I always had backwash in my Tommy Tippee ones and it was disgusting plus I had to waste so much water, but I bought the Playtex Lil Grippers (no handles) and I never see it anymore

Dreamsicle23

DS started drinking from a straw at 9 months, and that same day I put all the bottles away and never offered again. Within 2-3 days he was drinking just as much as he was from the bottle. He was very small too and was fine. He's almost 2 and is just now getting the concept of tipping a hard spout sippy. He also never held the bottle. Do it now...then you can laugh at the 12-24 people who still can't get their kids off bottles.

Ecy

Thanks for the helpful responses! I've gone ahead and cut out her morning bottle this weekend & she hasn't seemed to care one bit. Yay

 I'm going to continue with the straw cup & just hope she starts drinking more as I continue to take the bottles away. I'd love to be done with them all together by 12 months. Except that night bottle....man am I nervous about that one!

awollenweber

MrsSparklebottom:

To the PP who's having a hard time getting their baby to use a straw: I found a straw sippy at Fred Meyer that lets you squeeze the cup to get liquid into the straw until baby can figure out how it works. It took DS about 3 squeezes to figure it out.

I'm starting to transition from bottles to sippies exclusively now. He only uses the straw, because he really doesn't get the idea to tip the sippy cup up, plus it's not always practical if he's in his high chair or car seat. He only got a bedtime bottle today. The rest of his liquid was in a cup, and he drank quite a bit after a while. They'll drink when they're thirsty. 

We have the same type of straw sippy made by Playtex and I got it at Walmart.  DS can't use a regular sippy very well, but does great with this one once I squeezed some liquid out for him.

I started trying with water, but found he learned much faster with diluted apple juice (better incentive!).

My Dr. also told me a straw sippy is preferable, because it pushes the liquid a little further past their teeth (which could help prevent decay with sugary milk and juice).