At 9 months, your little one is no longer the little bundle she used to be. She is most probably a curious crawler and having a hard time keeping her hands to herself. As babies grow and develop physically, their feeding habits also change. It is recommended to wean an infant off the feeding bottle after one-year-old hence it is a good time to introduce a straw cup.
Transiting from using a feeding bottle may not be as easy as it seems. Here are a few tips to help you make the transition easier.
Use the most suitable cups
There is a huge range of straw cups available each touting a different benefit. From spill-proof cups to cups with weighted straws, which straw cup should you choose?
At Hegen, we believe that the best kind of straw cup for your baby is one that has no bite valve in the straw. Though bite valves help to prevent any liquid spillage, it makes it harder for infants to sip. A straw cup for tots without a bite valve enables your baby to suck beverages easily, which encourages her to drink more water and stay well-hydrated.
Sippy cups without straws are not recommended as your baby would be unable to develop the appropriate swallowing pattern. Additionally, train your baby to avoid the bad habit of biting on the straw and encourage her to drink in an upright position.
Start with small sips at a time
Patience is essential when teaching your baby a new skill, so start slow when getting them to drink from a straw. Taking small sips each time allows her to get used to the motion of sucking from a straw and swallowing water simultaneously. It will enable your child to control the suction on a straw better as it may feel different from drinking from a feeding bottle teat.
With this, you should also observe your baby and watch the speed of their sips. Drinking too fast may cause her to choke on water and cough or even have spit-ups. You may also consider moving the straw out of her mouth to take short breaks to slow down the pace.
Increasing Usage Frequency
Apart from being patient, you should also be consistent. Help your baby get familiar with her straw cup; you can do that in many ways, like letting her hold the cup or showing it to her. The key is getting the straw cup to be part of her daily routine.
The best way to incorporate the straw cup into your baby’s daily life is to have it by her side or with her bowl during mealtimes. Encourage her to take a few sips of water between bites of food by getting her to hold her straw cup. You can even show your child how to drink from a straw while having meals by doing it yourself, as babies tend to mimic their parents’ behaviour.
Have the straw cup on hand during playtimes, too, as your baby is more active and would need to stay hydrated. As long as you help her use her straw cup often, she will learn how to use it and eventually drink from it herself.
Conclusion
Teaching your baby to learn a new skill, like drinking from a straw cup, can be a fun journey as you watch her grow and start to do more tasks independently. Understanding your infant’s needs and helping her learn with patience will help significantly in her growing years.
We want to empower mothers like you to experience the joy of motherhood by giving yourself and your baby the best. Hegen’s PCTO™ Straw Cup is the best straw cup for your baby in Singapore to help her transition from feeding bottles. With no bite valve and a safety cap that prevents liquid from spurting, your child will learn to sip from a straw with ease. Visit our website for more information.