Why is a sippy better than a bottle?

Lisa - posted on 08/04/2010

One thing to think about is just that most kids do give up bottles around 12 months (their choice or their parents'!). I realize at a year kids don't notice peer pressure & I know we can't always worry about what others think, but I personally would feel a little awkward (embarrassed even) taking my 15-month-old to a playdate or the church nursery or daycare if he were the only one who wasn't drinking out of a "big boy cup." At a certain point a child needs to feel like a big boy or big girl & start doing things other toddlers are doing. They aren't babies anymore & as he/she nears age 2 he/she may even start noticing that the other kids at the lunch table are drinking out of cups. You could begin pointing that out when you're around other toddlers.

Becca - posted on 08/04/2010

um... my son has been off the bottle since 12 months old and is not 15 months... his DOCTOR actually suggested bottle breaking sooner rather than later... . Also, a sippy cup has to be sucked on to get a drink from it anyways...? I'm sure you are doing great.

April - posted on 08/03/2010

We too, wanted him weaned as soon as possible and it was simple for us. We were FTP and adopting him, but he was underweight (he has some special needs and a genetic condition which attributes to his small stature), anyhow as soon as we got him off the bottle (and I just took the bottle away subbing for a sippy cup w/ a silicone straw thingy) he packed on the pounds! He gained 2 lbs in 3 weeks from eating MORE food, less milk. It was awesome and he hasn't turned back since!!!

Sara - posted on 08/03/2010

We have 3 children. Our oldest was not weaned until she was almost 2 and it was very difficult to wean her! Our last 2 children were all weaned a week or two prior to their first birthday and it was very easy to transition them! In our experience it was much easier to wean them at a younger age. Our ped. also had recommended with all 3 children to wean at 12 months.

Laura - posted on 08/02/2010

My daughter has been on a sippy cup since her 12-month checkup, when her doctor told me we can start to wean her off the bottle. She likes the sippy cup and the only time she gets a bottle is when she's sick and she may not be getting enough fluids. I agree with the post on just not packing any bottles when you go to your MIL's house, but use your best judgement. Good luck!

Rachael - posted on 08/01/2010

What is the bottle with the sippy insert?

Lacye - posted on 07/31/2010

i have always heard that if they stay on the bottle too long that it will mess up their teeth. i don't know if that's truth or not but when my baby turned 11 months she was put on the sippy cup for good.

Rebecca - posted on 07/31/2010

my son uses a sippy bottle for his water during the day and just has one bottle of milk at night - personally i think thats fine and he will self wean like he did with his other bottles eventually. he only drinks 100mls anyway so i think soon he wont need it at all.

Jamie - posted on 07/30/2010

my daughter's doctor said to start weaning around 12 months and be completely without it by 15 months.

Diana - posted on 07/29/2010

My son is 14 months and gets a bottle before bed and in the morning. He does really well with a sippy cup during the day, but when it comes to bed time he doesn't want anything but a bottle. We're working on transitioning, but he's having a hard time. I'll have to try the bottle w/ the sippy insert ...which I haven't tried yet. I think transition is all dependent on your child. I've also heard it's good to switch by 1yr, but the guidelines are usually from 12months-18months. I'll be glad when we finally switch over. I'm not pushing it but we are working on it. He has 6 teeth at 14 months and we brush them 2-3 times a day (morning, lunch, before bed).

A - posted on 07/29/2010

Children absolutely do still need the sucking action after one. However, the recommendation to wean at 1 year comes from bottles because it can create orthodontic problems with their teeth and jaw. That's why its great to breastfeed because you can go past one year and still only get advantages (like immunities) and still meet their sucking needs without having to worry about orthodontic problems. I've also heard pacifiers should be taken away at 1 too for the same reason but I haven't researched that enough to know if its true or not. This is also why a lot of breastfeeding women wean their child at 1 instead of waiting for their child to self wean...because there's this recommendation for their dental health so they think it applies to them too but it really doesn't. I think you should stick with a sippy cup.They still have to suck to get it out with most of them because of the spill proof valve. Or if she is still taking a pacifier then ask a doctor about if its okay after a year for those, and she can continue using that. Personally, I agree with your Mother In Law as far as they still need it (child led weaning usually doesn't occur until at least 2 years of age) but things are kind of changed when its been decided to use bottles instead of breasts.

Nicolette - posted on 07/29/2010

my daughter was totally off the bottle at 12 months. we are on the sippy and had so problem at all switching. it probably helped tho she has a 3 month old brother and she got ahold of a formula bottle and did not like it since she had been on milk. i believe that made the switch even easier

Trisha - posted on 07/28/2010

I have read that the longer you keep children on the bottle, after they have teetth, it can mess up the alignment with there teeth. I feel that you should skip the bottle, if you have to start by using the soft tip sippy cups, til she gets used to it.

Jennifer - posted on 07/28/2010

Our pediatrician recommended by one year our daughter be completely off of the bottle. We had success transitioning her to a sippy cup at the 12 month mark.

There are several kinds of sippy cups out there that force children to suck more than others. I think that your daughter is doing great and I'd recommend checking with your pediatrician to get the doctor's input on this topic.

Good luck!

Desiree - posted on 07/28/2010

lol
I'm on my third child, I decided to eliminate the bottle at four months. She drinks from a sippy and it's great.
She is now fourteen months and has no interest in bottles what so ever, as for the sucking... Never heard that.

Dawn - posted on 07/27/2010

Our ped and our son's teacher suggested he be off the bottle at 12 months. In fact he really transitioned at school first. The first week or so after his birthday he had been on Nuby sippy cups during the day for a few weeks and we kept a bottle of water upstairs for morning if he needed it. Soon it was sippy cup only and no bed or morning bottle. Now (14 1/2 months we are moving to sippies with harder spouts and straws. He can drink from a big bendy straw no problem. He is not very good with cups or bottled water or juice, but have been practicing.

Keep in mind you are raising your child in 2010 and she probably raised hers in the 1970s and 80s. Times have changed in the last 30 years. If you bring nothing but sippy cups to your MIL's house than your child won't be able to drink out of a bottle there.

LaToya - posted on 07/23/2010

I switched my daughter to a sippy at 10 months but I've never seen a problem with keeping a baby on a bottle as long as you want. Its basically what you feel is best for the baby. Grandparents can give good input but you are the one to make that decision. I'm a first time mom so the only experience I had before my daughter came was working at a day care. While I worked there, the kids got bottles until 12 months, sippy until 18, and then moved onto a regular cup but a lot of them were still getting bottles/sippy cups at home even when they were in a 2yo classroom. If she takes well to the sippy or a regular cup, there's no real reason for her to still be on a bottle.

Kimberly - posted on 07/23/2010

At my baby's year check up, I asked the doctor the same thing. I found out that the nipple leave bacteria in your baby's mouth and it is not god for their teeth. My doctor also said to brushing my daughter's teeth twice a day to keep healthy teeth. He said that I do not need to use tooth paste yet. After finding out about the bottles and bacteria, i went home and threw them all away and gave her a sippy and she was fine with it and didnt fuss or anything. I also give my daughter her tooth brush and let her use it and chew on it so that it is cleaning her gums and teeth. Hope this helps!

Amanda - posted on 07/23/2010

I would just like to clarify something. Extended use of a bottle DOES NOT cause tooth decay. Leaving a bottle with your child at night, giving your child juice and other sugary drinks to sip on throughout the day DOES cause tooth decay. If you give your child a sippy cup with juice to drink throughout the day....tooth decay.

I agree with Lacey, a lot of the sippies out there are glorified bottles. They make it easier for toddlers to suck on and get a better flow...most of them have the same supple texture of a bottle too. If you need a cup with a lid, use one with a straw or one with a hard spout. We are working on getting our daughter to not pour open cups out, so just a few sips of water at a time. Half ends up on the floor, but she'll get it eventually.

I haven't heard about the sucking thing. I would ask her why she says that and maybe you can explain why you don't want her to have a bottle.

Tyneisha - posted on 07/22/2010

I've never heard that either. my son's ped told me that she would like him on a sippy by 12 months also. Extended use of a bottle can cause tooth decay

Lacey - posted on 07/22/2010

Our Dr. said she would like to see our daughter start to wean off the bottle at around 12 months. So that's what we did now she only has one at night. Our Dr. also recommended sippy cups with straws. She said they are typically easier for a baby to transition with. Also a regular sippy is just a glorified bottle. So we try and use the ones with straws, but we use the other ones as well. this is what I found from a childrens hospital website about why its important to wean a baby from a bottle.
Children using bottles are more likely to have tooth decay or improper dental development, and they may not develop appropriate feeding skills. Also, children who depend on bottle feedings may not consume enough solid foods to meet their nutrient needs. They recommended children be weaned between 12 and 18 months. heres the link

http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/educ...

Rebekah - posted on 07/22/2010

Interesting. I, personally, have never heard anything about extended bottle feeding for the sucking reflex. From my understanding, most pediatricians recommend that children wean from a bottle around 12 months of age because a bottle is not as good for their mouth/teeth development.

I will add, however, that children that are not transitioning well to a cup and might be underweight or suffering from malnutrition are usually advised to continue with a bottle until 15-18 months.

My son wean from the bottle at 14 months and my daughter was exclusively breastfed and never used anything other than a straw cup. So, just use your own judgment. It is YOUR child and not your in-laws. If you feel like your daughter is ready to get rid it, then do it.