Transitioning to sippy cup

[Anonymous]

Please share your experience and advice on transitioning a 1 yr old to a sippy cup.

DS happily drinks (both water and milk) from his sippy cup, but it takes so much longer for him to drink the same volume as he would from a bottle. With the sippy, he takes a few drinks, puts the cup down, and bit later takes another drink, etc; it can take him all day to finish 8 oz. I just keep offering him the sippy throughout the day and with meals. With the bottle, he would drink 6-8 oz in one sitting without breaks, including a bottle upon awaking in the morning. I'm worried that he's not getting fluids. What have others done to encourage drinking? Do you give a morning sippy cup in place of a bottle?

What about before bedtime, do you give a night time sippy? And if so, about how much? We've been giving DS a 4 to 6 oz bottle before bed. I'm not sure this would work with a sippy since it takes him so long drink from it. Maybe its time to forgo the night time milk?

Would appreciate some advice.

[Anonymous]

I am wondering the same thing- any thoughts those who have been there?

[Anonymous]

Have you tried a straw cup? That is all we have ever used with our almost 3 year old and he usually gulps it all down right away. I don't know if that is just him or the straw cup, but he has been like that since he started using the straw cup at age 1 (he never got the hang of a sippy!).

[Anonymous]

When my son turned one, we switched from bottles to sippy cups. Since he was 12 months we've been doing a sippy cup (8 oz) of whole milk with breakfast and an 8 oz sippy of whole milk after dinner (which he drinks until he goes to bed). Throughout the day we just do water. He doesn't always finish his milk in the morning, so I put it in the fridge until later that night. Fortunately he's a really good water drinker, so I know he gets enough fluids throughout the day.

What kind of cups are you using? Fluids seem to come out more quickly through the sippy cups w/ straws. I give him his milk out of the straw cups because of that reason.

I think that all you can do is offer.