Re: sippie cups

[HollyLewis]

>So I am curious...at what age do you typically introduce a sippie cup with
>water? We would like to bypass the bottle as our breastfeeding goal is 1-2
>years. I am not wanting to give it to her because I think she needs water
>just simply as a source of fluids between feedings. Is it harmful to give
>her extra water as I know that she gets everything she needs from breast
>milk?
>
>Thank you!
>
>Melanie

A little water isn't likely to hurt her, but it isn't doing any good either --
and too much can definitely hurt her, because her digestive system is still
pretty immature and her stomach still pretty small, and they're just not
designed to handle anything other than breastmilk. If she's thirsty, she can
just nurse more often and she'll get plenty of fluid that way.

The best time to introduce a cup of water is around the same time you introduce
solid foods, at about 6 months old. (You can use sippy cups or just go
straight to regular open cups if you prefer, although most babies aren't very
successul with the latter until more like a year old.) Even then, the idea is
more to start teaching her to drink out of a cup than it is to get her to drink
any significant quantity of water. She probably doesn't really need to drink
water until she's eating a fair amount of table foods, typically around 9-10
months although the age can vary a lot.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2 yrs

[Stephanie S]

"Cary Hayes" > wrote in message
...
> I was wondering how early you can offer a sippie cup with water? My sweet
> pea is about 4 and a half months old and is exclusively breastfed. I gave
> her a sippie cup with a little bit of water today just to see what she
would
> do with it. It is the type of cup that you have to suck on to get
anything
> to come out of it - but it is not a bottle. She enjoyed holding it by the
> handles and actually got water out of it once (and made a sour face at the
> strange liquid!).
>
> So I am curious...at what age do you typically introduce a sippie cup with
> water? We would like to bypass the bottle as our breastfeeding goal is
1-2
> years. I am not wanting to give it to her because I think she needs water
> just simply as a source of fluids between feedings. Is it harmful to give
> her extra water as I know that she gets everything she needs from breast
> milk?
>
> Thank you!
>
> Melanie
>
> Mom to the teething Olivia Madison 2/28/03
>
>

I have no recollection at all of when we did the sippy cup thing. The only
thing is that it may be easier to start with the kind that has no valve,
that they do not have to suck.

S