Most pediatricians recommend starting to transition baby from a bottle to a sippy cup at around 6 or 7 months and banning the bottle by a year. There are two problems with bottles: they let milk or formula pool around teeth, which can cause decay, and the constant sucking motion can make baby’s incoming teeth not come in straight.
To transition, offer baby a sippy cup of water, milk or formula with food. Start with a cup that is similar to the bottle with a silicone nipple before you move up to the more difficult-to-suck hard plastic models with valves.
Showing her that there’s liquid inside may help her get the idea, and so can modeling drinking from it yourself. Don’t be surprised if at first she just flings the bottle off of her high chair tray or just gnaws on the spout, keep offering up the sippy first and let her fully reject it before you offer a bottle.
If she just can’t deal with sippy cups, try taking the top off of the cup, or use a small, unbreakable regular cup, like a paper bathroom cup or even a plastic shot glass. You may also want to try a different design.
When you wash sippy cups, don’t forget to take out the valve inside. If you use a dishwasher, be sure to put them in an empty silverware basket so they don’t fall through the larger bars and melt on the dishwasher’s heating unit.
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