Introducing a cup

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Introducing a cup

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Cup feeding can come in as young as eight or nine months of age. The breast or bottlefed baby does not really need any auxiliary water, milk or juice before 12 months of age since breast milk and formula is the most important nutrient for them. But that said, you do want to establish cup use ahead of the time you are going to need it as a tool. The 12 month old baby who has never seen is not suddenly going to wean right to a cup because you put it in front of him or her. What you are going to want to do is start young enough practicing with water as your meals from about eight or nine months on, one to two ounces of water in a little cup that is baby friendly that they can just wrap their hands around and bring to their lips and play with. If you get the gregarious child who suddenly wants to guzzle down the water, then you have to reduce the frequency and you have to keep the cup to the side or offer it only at the end of the meals. But letting the child have access to the cup as a tool then pays off with the tool in place when you really need it after 12 months of age when begin the weaning process on to whole cow´s milk or to an alternative milk as per the family need.

Watch Video: Introducing a cup by Cynthia Epps, MS, IBCLC, ...

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Cynthia Epps, MS, IBCLC

Infant Feeding Specialist

Cynthia Epps, MS, IBCLC holds a master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry and is a board certified lactation consultant in private practice in Los Angeles, California. She specializes in home and internet consults for new mother/infant couples from birth through two years of age. She covers early breastfeeding questions such as learning to trust the breast, establishing a good milk supply, sore nipples, colic and reflux; as well as “back to work” protocols for the working mother and “transitioning to solids” at six months per the American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization guidelines, plus food wars and gentle weaning guidelines for the older infant. In addition, she has written for LA Family Magazine and Mothering Magazine, and leads infant feeding workshops throughout the community. With the wisdom of motherhood still largely negated or ignored, she specializes in combining ancient matriarchal traditions with modern science to help the new mother transition into the time-honored role of nurturing her baby with body and breast. She continues to pursue the goal of redefining the human infant feeding norm as breastfeeding or breastmilk for all children.

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Transcription: 
Cup feeding can come in as young as eight or nine months of age. The breast or bottlefed baby does not really need any auxiliary water, milk or juice before 12 months of age since breast milk and formula is the most important nutrient for them. But that said, you do want to establish cup use ahead of the time you are going to need it as a tool. The 12 month old baby who has never seen is not suddenly going to wean right to a cup because you put it in front of him or her. What you are going to want to do is start young enough practicing with water as your meals from about eight or nine months on, one to two ounces of water in a little cup that is baby friendly that they can just wrap their hands around and bring to their lips and play with. If you get the gregarious child who suddenly wants to guzzle down the water, then you have to reduce the frequency and you have to keep the cup to the side or offer it only at the end of the meals. But letting the child have access to the cup as a tool then pays off with the tool in place when you really need it after 12 months of age when begin the weaning process on to whole cow´s milk or to an alternative milk as per the family need.