How Do You Know When....

Hi M.... I have a 7 month boy and he eats cereal , fruit and veggies through out the day... I changed to stage 2 and three already... the ped says it is fine as long as he is getting a variety. He does the same thing with the sippy cup. he doesnt hold it and usually gets it all over him, but I think that is just part of the process of learning how to use it. I give my baby formula through out the day as well. i also mix it withthe cereal in the am and pm. He gets 6 ounces in the am, 6 in the afternoon and 8 at night . The ped says to give him no less then 20 ounces, but he takes 18-20 ounces a day. I dont put the formula in the sippy cup, I put juice in there. He also doesnt hold his own bottle yet as well.
As for mothers, I have the same issue with my inlaw, but I kind of listen to waht she has to say, and follow through as I wish. They dont always agree, and are sometimes even a help, but it does become annoying and a bi hard to deal with at times, but patience is always good and talk to her about it, if you can and tell her to BACK OFF. He he Okk good luck, I covered all i could. I am also a first time mom :)

Hi M.,

My son was a late bloomer when it came to a sippy cup. I started introducing a sippy cup to him when he was 6 months old, and he completely refused to have anything to do with it. I kept it around hoping that he would eventually take interest. Needless to say, my son had a bottle exclusively until he was 2 years old. He is now 2 1/2 and he uses a sippy cup. Everyone told me that he would have problems with his teeth and mouth and that I just needed to take away his bottle. In the end he is fine and so are his teeth and mouth. This may not be true for all children however you will know when its time for the change.

I don't remember when I switched to the second food group with gerber. I do know that he was on stage 1 for only 2 months or so, then we switched. I would give him stage one fruit in his cereal and then for his snacks I would give him stage 2.

Hello,My name is C.. My daughter is 5 1/2 now. I started her on a sippy cup as soon as she was able to hold it on her own.That would be the sippy cups with handles on the sides. I put formula in it and also juice. She was off the bottle by 9 months.And the pacifier was gone too.I did not have to fight with her about that . I hear lots of stories about how parents cant get rid of the pacifier. I still gave her formula up till one years old. Then it was milk. I started feeding her food when I thought she was ready not when the doctor thought so. I hope this helped a little. C.

Hi M., babies are a lot of work we all know that they dont come with instructions... if your daughter is only 6 1/2 mths old she should still be using her bottle she should be eating baby cereal and fruits and vegis.. she maybe able to hold her own bottle but some babies can and some can't hold there own bottle, but that dont mean she is ready for a sippy cup some times mom's can be over welling and over powering... i believe by the time your daughter is 10 mths old you can start to introduce her to a sippy cup so by the time of her 1st b-day she will be drinking from a sippy cup.. and juices and water are very good for her.. but she still needs her formular, things will get easier, when i had my daughter 28 yrs ago tomorrow...lol... my mom was all over me like flies on poop.. but i was young 16 ..lol.she use to do the same thing dont do this dont do that make sure you do this... blaaa blaaa blaaa ...lol.. you should ask the babies doc, what he thinks... every baby is different.. my 2nd child was a premie.. oh man my mom .. she was driving me crazy..but as i think back she had 7 kids she must know something... well i am here if you need me, talk to you soon keep in touch .. good luck and hugs M.

I would let the baby have her bottle until she is a year old then start weaning her off the bottle and onto a sippy cup. I have friends who took their baby off the bottle at 6 months old and then they turned to other things for the sucking comfort like their thumb or putting everything in their mouth. In that sense I would hold off on taking the bottle from her so soon. If you want, when she gets closer to hitting her first birthday, start putting the formula in a sippy cup to get her used to it. That is what I did with my son, and he took it.
I see that you started her on the next step baby food without your dr giving you the green light---perfectly okay to do. I look at it this way, you know your baby and what she can and cant eat, its all trial and error with the first baby. You really cant go wrong in this, so stick with what youve been doing and take it step by step. As long as the baby can chew and has teeth to chew the food, there is no harm in starting her on the next steps. My son love pizza crust for teething and we would give him little tastes of foods here and there because he wanted to eat. That is another sign that she is ready, if she wants everything you eat.
With my son, I would give him some food and have him take sips of his bottle in between, or I'd wait a half hour and give him the bottle. At her age, your daughter's main source of nutrition is her formula, so any variety of 18-32 oz a day is what she should be getting along with her two meals or so.
Sounds like you are doing just fine, as far as annoying opinions go, tune them out, its your baby and you call the shots.
Good luck!!

Hi M....
sippy cups are tough, only you and your daughter will know when she is ready for the sippy cup. And just so you know, my daughters never held their own bottle, lazy bones i guess. My youngest stared really late with a sippy cup. She just didn't get it, so i think that is only when your daughter is ready. Introduce it everyday, and just be patient, they eventually get it. And i had to help her with the cup for a while and i always had a fresh sippy cup of water hanging around so if she crawled over to it she could practice on her own. Also, you can, at 6.5 months put both formula or juice in the cup. But watch her diaper, if she gets rashed i would water the juice down. THe baby food thing, i didn't really get it with the first one either. The only difference between the 1st foods and the 2nd foods are the size of the jar. And of course the combinations...if your daughter hasn't had any trouble with the 1st foods i would SLOWLY introduce her to the 2nd foods. there is no rush, they don't seem to get bored as we do watching them eat the same things over and over. Formula is very, very important right now. I would give my daughters a botlle when they first woke up, and hour or two later some cereal and fruit, then 2 to 3 hours later a bottle, then a few hours later lunch veggies and fruit, then a bottle a few hours later etc... The bottle wasn't always a full 8 ounces, but be sure that she gets that formula. Only you can figure out what works for you and your daughter. Sometimes I feel that is why pediatricians are so wishy washy, because it is what the baby wants. Well, i know this was long winded, but i hope that it helped. Something i learned was to relax and just go by trial and error. Try it, if it doesn't work then try something else. Good Luck

Hi M.,
I think you will know when your daughter is ready for advancement with, sippy cups, solid foods, potty training etc. You can take the advice of the pediatrician and others but honestly, you know her best. Children don't have to have sippy cups if they don't want to. Myson hated them. I tried to give them to him when he was about 1 and he did not like them. I continued the bottle. There are no laws. Every child is different and advances at their own pace. You are doing fine I am sure. NO worries! My son did not strat drinking out of sippy cups 'til he was almost 4! He did though, always drink out of a cup w/a straw after he was 2 but night time , had to be bottle. Just a small 4 oz. They make all kinds of things for every child out there in the stores. Myson was on formula 'til he was 1 and then whole milk along w/his food.
Hope this helps! Good luck. J.

Hi, first always listen to advise then listen to your inner self. I usually introduce a sippy cup at around 7 to 8 mos, and will use it for juice. And as far as the food goes you didn't say how long you had her on first foods? But by 6.5 mos she shouldn't have a problem with the 2nd foods, its just a little thicker. And yes she should at this age still be getting a few bottles of formula in. I hope that helps.

i would start the sippy cup later on, like more toward when she is a year old and able to hold it properly and drink from it then you can put milk in it anyway or juice (make sure you dilute the juice with water so they dont get cavities). if your daughter can tolerate other foods then introduce them slowly- just stay away from honey, nuts, milk, etc. until after a year in case she has allergies and so her digestive system can tolerate it. hope this helps. i'm raising two boys and had a pedi dr. that told me how to "do things" and come to find out she doesnt even have kids!! needless to say, i figured it out and they did just fine.
C.

Hi M. I'm M.. And I think I can help you about your problem. See I am 22 and I have a 3 year old and an 18 month old as well so I am well versed with the sippy cup. My first daughter was put on a sippy at about 18 months going off of what her doctor told me. She said breast feeding can stop at 1 year (if you can last that long...lol), and bottles can stop at around 18 months. My other daughter is a whole nother story...lol. She's been using a sippy cup since about a year old. She never liked the bottle and went straight from nursing to a sippy. But then again you only have one and trust me if and when number two pops around they want to do everything your oldest is doing...which does make is slightly easier the second time around. So my advice to you is at only 6.5 months, if she cannnot even hold her own bottle yet then do not push the sippy cup issue. You'll learn very quickly that when she is ready to do something she'll just up and do it. There is no forcing them...trust me I learned the hard way. (haha) I would stick with the bottle and see how it goes in a few months from now. (around like 10-12 months) Oh, and while still on this I would not give her juice! The reason being is because juice is very rough on their systems at such a young age and also is full of carbs so they will get used to the juice filling them up and will not eat the food you give them. You're better off waiting until she is eating full time till you give her any kind of juice.
Now as far as the food issue goes (I'm full of information today...haha) she should be eating most of the stage ones at this point. Becareful not to give her too many different things at once though. They say introduce one new kind of food a week because if there is some kind of reaction you'll know what it is causing it. But also at this young age she should not be eating full time. She should have some foods...like maybe a jar during each eating time of the day...and maybe a little dessert or something...but her main source of food should still be the formula.They really shouldn't be eating full time till they are on the stage 2's and 3's which are around like 9-12 months.
And finally...lol...the issue with your mom. I know how you feel cause the first 2 years and 9 months of my daughters lives I had to live with my parents and they drove me crazy! I constantly felt like they were telling me how their way was better then mine...which resulted in me feeling like a bad parent some of the time. Till I finally realized somethingthat other people told me since I first found out I was pregnant with my oldest. There is NO such thing as a perfect parent! You're going to make mistakes...everyone does! But the most important thing is to do what YOU think is right! No one has all the answers cause every kid is different and every person has a different way of parenting! You do what YOU think is right and tune out everyone else, cause there is NO right way to do things...ony the way you think is best! Trust me, do things you're own way, and forget everyone else and things will be just wonderful! :)

Hi M....im a first time mom myself and went through the same things your going through. I personally didnt introduce a sippy cup until my son could hold his bottle himself and its been great ever since. It will run right out of her mouth and down the front of her until she gets used to how the cup works bc matthew did the same thing. As for the food, I would definitely go ahead with it. I started matthew on solids when he was 5 months and hes on table food now and whole milk. What i used to do that worked for me was give him 8oz of milk in the am when he first got up then give him food with lunch and then only 6oz of formula. And then just a little food for supper and probably an 8 or 6oz bottle depending on how much he took in. I tried to mix up the food and a bottle so that the transition was easier....by that meaning i didnt take the bottle away completely. (and my pedi actually admitted to me that there seems to be nothing wrong with giving kids food earlier, but she cant tell people that in case something goes wrong) And here he is going to be a yr old next week and is on sippy cups, solid food and whole milk. So..i would say it all depends on your instincts and what YOU feel is best for your child. The dr can give advice, etc...but their advice is based on children all over the place, not just yours. My son turned out just fine. Hes healthy as can be and has met all the criteria for his growth chart. So, i would say if you feel like your daughter isnt being satisfied with just a bottle, then add just a little food with it. So, i hope this advice helps you out!

jenn W, groton vermont

Hi M.......Sometimes Mom's think thier advice is the best, lol.....This is your child and you do what you think is best......I personally would keep the formula in the bottles and just put juice (cut 50/50) or water in the sippy cup.....just enough to fill the bottom.....and give it eveytime you sit for a meal. Your daughter will get the hang of it eventually, this is just the first step to introducing it to her.
As for moving to the second stage of food....go right ahead if you feel she is ready......just remember each stage is a little more chunkier that tne first so start with smaller bites.
With my daughter I came to realize that what the pediatrician said was a "guidline" Your the parent.....as long as your daughter isn't losing weight or gaining a ton of it......you do what you think is best and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.....K.

Well you guys know your daughter the best. Sippy cup try water that way she doesn't get all sticky. If she needs juice make sure you are doing 1/2 water and 1/2 juice. At her age she does need formula and an 8 oz. If she gets full she won't eat and that is ok. As for your mom let her know how she is making you feel and that things have changed since you were a baby

First of all, there will be many different advise/suggestions about all of your questions. So you have to see which one of these you are most comfortable with, and also whether it will work with your daughter.
1. I introduce a beaker when both of my children were 8 months. For my case,I use it with water or dilluted juice for them after meal. With both children, they could hold their bottles when I started using beakers. If I'm not mistaken, in baby books, they suggest that you can start using beaker when the baby has their teeth (teats can cause tooth decay). If I were you, I would wait until your daughter can hold the bottle. her reaction of spitting up the juice is normal. she's only learning. she will figure out that she doesn't need to
suck hard to get the drink out as she does with teats.
2. about baby food, sorry, I don't have the answer. I make the food for my 8 months old baby by myself. I think the basic rule is, you introduce 1 type of ingredient for 3 days, to rule out allergic reaction. once you are sure that she doesn't have allergic reaction to several types of food, you can combine them together. For ex, bananas and pears, peas and zuchinis.
3. Personally, until babies are 1 year old, I think the best food for them is milk. so I usually don't give them much solid food yet. with my 2 children, I started solid food when they were 5,5 months old. they only had 1 solid food a day until they were 7/8 months old. my 8 months old son now has lunch and dinner. and occasionally I give him teething biscuit to chew.
good luck.

We introduced the sippy cup at about 6 mos. My son could hold his own bottle (she won't do this if you don't make her try too) and he kept wanting to drink from our glasses or bottles off the table, so I said fine, if you want to drink from a cup you can have your own. At first it was hard because he didn't know how to suck on it, so I took out the anti-spill until he know that there was something in the cup. It took him a week or so to figure it out. I also only bought sippy's with a soft spout (Gerber makes some great ones) so it was easier for his mouth to adjust. It did make it much easier to remove the bottle at 1. He was so use to having juice in a cup that one day the bottles just "disappeared". My son was totally off the bottle by 13 months. The table food thing, I'd be careful with. The stage 2's are thinker and the dinners can be a little chunky. If she's not use to chewing yet, it could be difficult for her. I wouldn't worry about the fruits and veggies are about the same consistency as stage 1's, but treat them the same by only introducing one new thing a week to watch for allergies. They introduce more flavors like plums and apricots, strawberries and pineapple. It gives her more options for dinners, but move slowly. Remember you only get this stage for so long. It won't be long before she's feeding herself so enjoy this while it lasts and don't rush it.

I would let her have an empty sippy cup, or even put just a small amunt of water in it and let her play with it to get used to it for now.

hi my name is S. im a first time single mother of a 13 month old little girl i get wic for my daughter and they were pushing me to get her on a sippy cup my daughter could hold her own bottle either but i did buy one with a straw she has been using it since she was about 5 5.5 months i would have to hold it for her but no big deal i would put water juice formula in there and it was fine my daughter was also eatting regular food at 6 months hot dogs yogurt chicken after that she would not eat any baby food

Hi M.,

My daughter just turned 1, so I have been through what you're going through. Here's what I've learned. The stage 2 foods are the foods the baby seems to eat the longest. Since you've already started them, just be careful not to introduce too many new things too close to each other. Give the same new thing 3 times (close together)or more to make sure your princess isn't allergic. Next,if your daughter can't hold a bottle, the sippy cup isn't a good idea yet. Just work with her to hold her own bottle. The whole idea of the sippy cup is for her to be able to eat and drink more like big people. If you have to hold it for her, it's too soon. My ped. suggested not introducing juice. He said it's fine if I feel the need, but all it really is is sugar water, so plain water is really better. At this age, your baby is getting all of her vitamins, etc. from her formula and her food, so juice isn't necessary. When you do introduce the sippy, use it with the formula, so she can start to realize that the bottle is going away, but she'll still get the drink she's been loving since birth! I actually introduced water (in a bottle) before the sippy cup. At first, she drank it the same way you described your daughter drank the juice, so don't be surprised. But that will change once she gets used to the flavor and texture. What helps is to give it to her at the beginning of every meal so she gets used to it. I'm now getting my daughter to drink whole milk, and she still lets it ooze out of her mouth after the first taste, but it's improving. Your daughter should still be drinking lots of formula - 32 to 40 oz a day. She needs those vitamins and the water content. Lastly, being a new mom has filled me with questions, and I've never been one to let someone else tell me what to do, or how to do it. While I totally agree with your comment that the doc isn't raising my baby, I also know that my doc has lots more knowledge than I do, so I take his guidance very seriously. He gives great guidance, listens to my questions - even if I think they're silly, and always makes sure I am satisfied with his answers. I do a lot of reading on my own and when I want to try something new, at least I feel like I know the pros and cons when I make a decision. If I am hesitant, I call the doc and ask his thoughts. When I read that you can't get a straight answer from your doc, that made me think that you don't really trust/like her and you should perhaps find a new one. You're likely to be involved with the doc for another 15 years or so, so it's really important that you like/trust him or her. I hope some of this might help you.

Enjoy your princess! I can tell by your message that you adore her!

I started giving my lil ones sippies when they we sitting up on thier own and starting to feed themselves. As far as the juice thing... i mixed it into thier cereal. Neither of my girls really liked juice at first.

About the food thing.... I only stayed with the first foods till I got thru them all and then moved to the 2nd foods. But it all depends what your baby eats at a meal. If she does not eat 2 jars at a time than you may want to stick with the smaller jars. Also, if she has teeth you can start to introduce Biter Biscuits and the Zwieback Toast.(Hopefully I spelled that right!)

You know your baby the best..... what you feed her and give her to drink and in what depends on her. What her likes and dislikes are. Babbies have little minds of thier own, and have more than one way of showing you what they like and dislike.

Hope that helps.

M.,

My name is J. and our son will be 7 months old on Thursday. I have been letting him try sippy cups since he was 5.5 to 6 months old. He started with juice, only 2 oz juice and 2 oz of h2o. As soon as he started to hold his bottles on his own, this last week, I have started to give him the sippy cup with formula. Here's the thing, When he eats food with his formula, I only give him 4 oz to a full jar of food. If he has a full 8oz bottle, I eyeball half of it and get him to burp and then let him finish. However, he still gets a bottle too.
As far as starting jarred food, every baby is different. Dylan, our son, started on stage 1 at 3.5 months old. When that wasn't enough, at 5.5 months old he started on stage two. At 6 months, he started to eat the full jar. That's why he only get 4 oz with food, but I make sure he gets juice too in between so he stays hydrated.

We sort of feel things out and let him try things off our plates because he has two teeth and wants our food badly. It just so happens the doctor told me to let him try pieces of cheese and crackers, etc as we were starting to allow him. I say go with your gut. The peds can hold you back sometimes when you two may feel that your daughter is ready! However, they can sometimes help. Do what you feel is right, only you know your child!

Goood Luck!

J.

I was the same with my first but now i few children later i suggest that you go with what you feel is best -- if she wants a sippy cool-- but sdencond never wanted one and i ended up giving her a regular cup at 8 months. cynthis, whos know 1, and gabby whos 5 never ate the mushy baby food so they were on solids from about 6 months i just monitored them closely my mom always had a miilion and one things to say to me about my parenting and she still does but i am confident that i'm doing the right theng-- about the formula-- she should still be getting the majority of her nutrients from formula but she should be drinking less then she was in the past. the docs go based on child "norms" so what they say may not be correct for every child!
hope this helps!

HI M.,

I started my daughter on her sippy cup when she was 6 months. I put a little formula in it and put it on her tray. She usually just threw it on the floor and paid no attention to it. But at this time she was able to hold her own bottle and had been on some solids for 2 months. I started the cereals at 4 months and added fruits and veggies as I went along. I usually would mix them with the cereal. As per my doctor the baby should get between 16 & 24 ounces of formula per day. I started breaking the 8 ounce bottle into smaller feedings so she would still eat some solids for meals also. From things that I read they only recommend you begin introducing the sippy cup to help the child get used to it being around. It is supposed to make the transition easier.
Go with you gut, if you feel your baby needs more formula then give more formula or the same with food. Each child progresses so differently it is hard to say what is correct or appropriate. If she starts not having too many wet diapers than give more fluids. I have been told and this advice was good to stay away from juices so young. Only b/c formula really doesn't taste that great and juice tastes really good, you don't want her to end up only wanting juice.
Good Luck!!!

Hi M.,
If your daughter can't hold her bottle by herself yet, then I would wait on the sippy cup. With my girl's I put juice in the sippy cup at first until they got to learn how to really use the sippy cup. Your daughter spitting out her juice is so normal. Its a new taste to her. After she masters the juice you can always put the formula in it. That way you can slowly take the bottle away. The only reason why the DR. tells you when its time to go to the next step in baby food is because of allergies. Some babies don't get any and others do.
What i would do with my girl's is they would have cereal (4oz. of formula mixed with the cereal or juice) and a half jar of fruit with a 4 oz. bottle of formula. Then at lunch they would have a jar of veggies, the rest of the fruit and 4-6 oz. of formula. (If I didn't already use the juice (half juice half water) in the am I would use juice instead of formula) Then for dinner I would give them a jar of veggies anbd a fruit then 4-6oz of formula.

Hope that I could help you out.

All kids are different, but this is what we did with our 2 kids. We started the second stange of foods when they were about 6-7 months old. Both my kids had a bottle with their food as well as just a bottle beforethey went down for the night.

My daughter hated sippy cups and my son started using them around 9 months and only the ones with the soft spout, he hated the hard ones. I am assuming because the soft ones felt better on their gums and were like a bottle nipple.

On the other hand my friends 7 month old has been using a sippy cup for a few months now because her daughter hates bottles.

I only gave my kids juice in the sippy cup until they were completely off the bottle. Some of my friends have done the same too.

HTH,
H. D.

Hi,
I started my son on sippy cups when he was a year old...when he was no longer on formula. At 6 1/2 months old...I think she is too young. She should learn to hold her bottle on her own first and then the sippy cup which in my opinion would be when she's a year. You can put milk, juice or even water in the cups...if you put her to bed with the sippy cup, make sure its with plain water as the beverages with sugar can decay her teeth...get the spill proof sippy cups, they're much easier to keep things clean. As for the second food group...I never really did that with my son. I just gave him the vegetables, fruits, oatmeal and rice cereal from Gerber. When he was about 8 months I'd give him some mash potatoes and sometimes a little rice, but not much, I wouldn't go beyond that. I'd be careful in introducing milk(before 1 yr.), nuts, eggs early on...my son's allergist says kids can develop allergies to them, which my son ended up developing anyway. My son's allergic to oats, nuts and eggs. Taking other people's advice is okay...you should always take it under consideration, but the ultimate decision should come from you. You decide what you think is best for your child. Everyone thinks they have the right answers, you will not know what's right for you until you try different things that you feel confortable with. Hopefully this will help.

A.

I started using sippy cups around 7-8 months, because i wanted the transition from bottle to cup to be easier when i dropped the bottle at 1 year. And my son hated to hold his bottle, but he had no problem with the cup. I honestly used my best judgement instead of waiting to ask the doctor everything. I actually used the cup for juice at first, and slowly introduced the formula one feeding at a time. They recommend to try the welch's white grape juice for the first try and dilute it, but my son only likes apple juice and always has. they also have those gerber diluted juices which are good. if she doesn't like the juice then try the formual in there, it can't hurt. If she has been on first foods for a couple of months then i would move her up. The more food you give her the less formula you give her, but it still needs tobe part of her diet. I would say at that point she should still be gettign at least 3 bottles a day and have food at least 2-3 times a day.
Just remember that you are the best judge of what you child wants and needs, and never doubt yourself as a mother. I was in the same boat, and you start to doubt yourself. People mean well, sometimes they don't realize what they say is more harmful than helpful. Just say thanks to what they tell you and do things the way you want.

Hi M.,

Congratulations on your daughter! Being a mother of two little girls I can totally understand your confusion as to when to do this or that with your child. You should introduce the sippy cup when your daughter is around 9 months or so. Start off with formula if you're giving her the sippy cup now. The second stage of Gerber is around 6 to 8 months. You don't want to give her anything too solid yet since she'll be teething and her stomach is still growing (maturing? that's what my pediatrician told me). Give her formula in the morning and at night. Give her solids for lunch and dinner. For the most part though, base what you should do next on your daughter and how well she's growing and adapting to new things.
As far as your mother goes, tell her you appreciate her advice (she's been there and done that) but gently remind her that times are different and you and you're husband are raising your child.

Good luck!!!

I know there were a ton of responses to your question, I hope that you have tried some of the ideas. I just wanted to respond anyway. My son never took a bottle, He is 9 months old and I am still breastfeeding, however, I do work in the evenings and my husband is home with him. We began introducing the sippy cup and real cups when he was 5 months old. We got the slow drip ones and we only filled them with water. Now, he can drink drink out of the spill proof ones too, he only recently has learned to hold his own sippy cup, and still has some problems. I say try it and see how your daughter does. It takes time, but they are quick learners. As for the food, I went somewhat by what my ped said, but I followed my son's ques. He now eats regular food (some limitions) and wants nothing to do with pureed foods. When he was six months I was on the stage 2 and by 7 1/2 stage 3. I am also very good at selective hearing with both my mother and mother-in-law.

Hi M.,

These are all very valid questions. Every parent has to decide on their own what their child needs. My opinion is No, if your child still wont hold a bottle ,don't give her a sippy cup. Juice is an acquired taste for babies and not all children like it. You can always try diffewrent juices(watered down)- but do it in a botle so the baby will accept it easier than trying to introduce two foreign things to her at once. Gerber food is great. You know your childs appetite. Cereals added to formula in a bowl or even in a bottle Is good. You are this childs mother. You and only you will know when your child is ready for change. Give her tastes of different foods and juices by the taseful. She will tell you what she is ready to do. Doctors and grandmothers and friends and anyone else can give suggestions -just be polite and smile and say thank-maybe I will try that next time.But, always know this- No two children are the same- the way you were as a child does not mean your child will be the same. If you have another child does not mean they will be alike. The truth is they will probably be very different. You must go with your instincts as a mother and follow what you child is trying to guide you to do. I hope this helps.

L. Jackson

hi M. i am a mother of two precious angels 1 is 6 and the other is going to be a yr on the 27th. i feel that it is best to wait until the princess can hold her own bottle i would give her an empty sippee cup to explore with there is nothing wrong with that but allow her to get used to holding her own bottle so she gets used to the motion of having to tip it to get more once u see her mimic the motion with the cup then i would just put water in it then if she spills on her out fit it is just water. i have learned my lesson with my little 6 yr old girl that they learn fast and grow up to quickly i wouldnt rush her but keep new challenges in her path so she is still progressing in a good mannor and that wonderfull brain continues to progress. also i would not put juice into a sippee cup right away juice creates alot of bacteria and stains the rubber in the cup this is just my opinion. just remember hun ur mom is a wonderfull peice of knowledge but this is ur child and u need to do as u feel you are the one that knows ur child the best and you have to live with the decisions you make for her not your mom. your mom has raised her children and if she is confident with how she raised you then she will stand down and know that if you need her knowledge you are strong enough of a person to ask for her help i mean that is what grandmas are for. they have a right to there opinion but you aare the parent. make sure that is known but in a non hurtfull mannor. i feel the same as you when it comes to foods my son was off of baby food at 8 mnths of age i introduced a new table food each week starting at 7 mnths i also started him on 2% milk at 6 mnths of age bye the time he was 7 mnths he was off of formula and strictly on 2% milk and now well like i said all he eats is table food he hated most of the baby food i gave him at 8 mnths so i had to do something ya know he was on all table food minus meats other than hot dogs he even feeds himself by infant fork and spoon as i fed him with a spoon he got one to hold at the same time same with a fork remember they mirror your actions so give the princess the chance to learn with mom. you are doing fine im sure but i hope i have helped take care of your little angel im sure she will grow up just fine. take care M. d

Hi M.-
I agree with the other Moms. Parenthood is trial and error. You follow YOUR instincts. As far as the sippy cup, you could try one of the first cups with the handles on the side. She may just think it is just another toy, but if you introduce it now, she can get used to it. Once she can hold her bottle, she can hold a sippy cup. You could try to give her diluted juice or water in it, but I actually put his formula in the cup. You can switch to regular milk at 1 year old. My son stopped formula at 20 months (would not take regular milk). As far as the stage 2 foods, it really depends on how well she can eat them. I started my son at 4 months on cereal & fruits and veggies with his cereal shortly after. He had no problems with stage 2 when I started it at around 6 months. They didn't seem all that much thicker than stage 1. If she is taking it with no problems, then there is no reason she cannot continue on it. Just make sure to start one new fruit of veggie at a time b/c of allergies. My son had some bottle, then ate cereal/fruit/veggie at all of his meals. He eventually wouldn't eat baby food and I found table foods he could manage.

I have a very wonderful son with a speech delay and the one thing I learned is just to be patient. She will learn to hold a sippy cup eventually. Just let her keep practicing with her bottle and sippy cup. Children grow up way tooo quickly these days. Because of his speech delay potty training is a bit tough. My mom nags me all the time how he should have been potty trained so I definately know the feeling. Just go with your instincts. You know your daughter better than anyone else so you will know when she is ready. When my son was that young I let him play with the sippy cup in the highchair with a little liquid in it (like 2oz). He loved to mouth things so I showed him how to put the spout in his mouth and just left him alone to figure it out after that. If you don't like juice or milk all over her just put some water in it. Avent and Playtex make some nice sippy cups that have 2 handles on them so it makes it easier to hold the cup. Good luck and don't worry about your mom; you're going to get alot of critisims from her and other people about raising your children. It's ok to listen, but I found it best when I did things the way I wanted to do them.
On the feeding thing, if she has a tooth she can eat. I was just very careful about cutting the food in small pieces and making sure that it was soft. If you want to save money just take your dinner and put it in the blender. It might look yucky but it works. Trust me I hated opening those jars that had pureed meat. I had no clue how my son ate that! Mash bannanas are easy to make too and filling! My son was really good at gumming his food. You would be suprised!

M....give the baby a sippy cup and don't worry. juice and water...50-50...leave the formula to the bottle so she can get her nutrition. let her suck those nutrients right up...the sippy cup is like a fun time to watch her discover what is in this world...have hun and don't worry...i wrote a whole bunch a few minutes ago and don't know where it went and i didn't hit on the sippy cupsssss. sorryyyyyyy

Hi,
you poor thing.....I'm 44 and wish I was your mom. my girls are 12 and 9 and i don't think things have changed too much since they were babes. babies differ and the right time to introduce different foods , sippy cups , etc. is when the child accepts the next stage. Maybe your daughter likes the closness of having you feed her the bottle.Maybe that's why she doesn't hold it.........try this (if you want). When you feed her foods @ the high chair....include a 4 oz bottle.If she drinks it ,fine, if she doesn't save it for the next meal before tossing it out. when she starts eating more, you will only need a 4 oz before bed. my daughter was on milk @ 6 mos. and she liked juice. (are you diluting a little with water?) and as far as the next food groups go, i was told one a month but, you can bend that one also...they just say that as a gide and IF there are any food allergies, it's easier to pine point what the food is. keep a list of what your little on eats and when you introduced the new food, that's all.
I bet she's just precious and since she is your 1st, enjoy her with everyday, they change so so much over the years. Remember, she is yours and you can raise her YOURSELF! you decide what and when, etc. as long as it feels right to you! Youe mom needs to step back and be the granmother.....although, it's her 1st granchild???
Take care sweetie and be confident....Your're doing fine!

We started my daughter on the Nuby Soft Spout Sippy cup at 3 months because she was breastfed and had a hard time using a bottle, so this was one of our alternatives (Nuby cups have very soft, squishy spouts for beginners). At 6.5 months, yours can definitely start experimenting. Let her play with it; It's ok if she spits it out, sucks on the handles and gnaws the spout! Fill it with whatever she seems to respond to. It could be water, juice or formula, whatever she ends up liking. She may not even be interested in what's inside the cup at first, but eventually she'll catch on that something tasty is in there. We started experimenting with a sippy 4 months ago (always holding it for her at first and then letting her try) and now at 7 months, she can hold it on her own most of the time, but still spills a good bit down her bib. She is no expert and yours won't be either for months to come, so it shouldn't replace her bottle yet.
Also, if you have run the gammet of options with Stage 1 and know your daughter doesn't have allergies to the basics, then you can make the decision to start Stage 2. You know your daughter best, and if she is an expert at Stage 1, she can do Stage 2. I have found there is very little difference in consistancy between Stage 1 and 2, so just make sure if you choose Stage 2's that are food-blends (Apples and pears, oatmeal and bananas, etc), that she has already tried and had no reaction to the various ingredients. At 6.5 months, you can also start on finger foods if you want. Again, know your baby and make a decision based on what she seems interested in. I found little sweet potato puffs by Bright Beginnings that are great for practicing grasping skills with her hands, and when she does manage to figure out how to get one into her mouth, they melt pretty easily without much chewing.
If you have a doubt about starting a new food, call your doctor's office and ask the nurse on duty her opinion. There's no need to wait for your next appointment.
Here's a good article on foods to definitely avoid: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyfeeding/9195.html
Also, Formula is still your baby's main source of nutrician at this point. All this solid feeding should be considered supplimental for learning right now. My 7 month old still nurses or gets a bottle 6 times a day (she's breastfed, though, I know formula-fed kids eat less since Formula's more filling...) and usually does so right after we have "snack time" with solids. She's just now getting better at filling her tummy with solids, so has been disinterested in a couple feedings lately. We may be able to cut back on nursing soon. But I will take my cues from the baby, and not from the doubters!

they have handled sippy's .. there great. my kid was totally off the bottle by 1. at 4months i introduced the sippy and only used the bottle for long car rides and naps. put what you want .. the doc will tell you whne the baby 's old enough to stop usin formula. I kept my son on until he was one. and gave him milk (lactaid inhis case) in between. so use your judgmemnt just no juice at night in the sippy can cause tooth decay. and make sure you brush her teeth. also if she has teeth (a couple) second foods. 3rd foods is for like alot of teeth. and use gerber juice or juicy juice there more natural. and if shes spittin it out try adding water. it may be to strong.

hello M.,
first if she cant hold a bottle she shouldnt be using a sippy cup. babys that young still need to have a sucking sensation so i would continue using the bottle. i personally have never used formula i nursed until over a year then they went on whole milk. as far as food if you feel your baby isnt full off of the formula or the food you are giving her i dont see why you would have to wait for your pediatrition to tell you to feed her more. its YOUR baby and you know her best. but as always one new food a week to make sure there are no food alergies. there is no one way to take care of a baby. each baby is an individual and has to be treated as one. what works for one wont nescesarily work for the other. do what you feel is right. if it doesnt work try something else. you will recieve so much advice from family friends doctors and such but only you and your husband know whats right for your family. im not saying dont listen to other peoples advice but in the end take the advice you think is right for you and not what others think is right for you. good luck

Hi, M., I'am a mom of 4, 2 daughters and 2 step-daughters and all my 2 daughters I did the same thing with.
When my daughter was only about 4 months old she was able to hold her oun bottle, and I also gave her a sippy, she tried real hard to get it to her mouth and mostly did, I put formula and I was also breast feeding her (suppl with formula) So I would put about 2 oz in the cup and let her go to town, put a bib on, she is gonna get wet and very dirty when she starts reg food, Doc's say not to put then on any kind of solid foods until they are about a year because of allegies, I only waited for my kids to turn a year before giving them milk or milk based stuff(cows milk), the allergy thing (peanuts, honey things like that stuff that can cause severe allergic reaction)from what I understand there is more likely some allergy stuff that will happen if there is a family history of it,like hay fever. if you start with food go with baby rice cereal, easiest to digest, mix it with formula or baby juice or water, make it thin, the best thing to tell you is raise your own baby, when you need advise you ask for it, don't let the doc or you mom tell you how to raise your child, you know what is best, you know her best, but when you start, start slow and steady, they won't catch on to new stuff right away, it takes a whole bunch of times, just keep trying if she don't like the juice the first time she may on the tenth. Parenthood I have found out is not from a book or a doctors mouth or anyone else's it is from trail and error,we will spend the rest of our lives with our children getting to know one another, and just when you think you know em, you learn somthing different.good luck and hope this is helpful.

Well...I am the mother of three children, who are still alive despite my going against everything everyone recommends. There is no benchmark for using sippy cups. Let her try it once a week, she'll be able to use it when she's ready. I started by replacing one drink a day, from bottle to cup. Your best bet is to stick with juice in the cup and formula in the bottle so as not to confuse her. Don't hesitate to try several different kinds of cups, I had the best luck with the soft spout ones at first.

In regards to the food thing, I say as long as you introduce one at a time to rule out allergies(I found that out the hard way), I say the sky's the limit. I don't remember what the rules are about caloric intake, but if you go to some websites you could absolutely find out how much of everything she should be having. I want to say www.webmd.com might have that info. Warmest regards...K.

I breastfed my daughter so I'm not sure about formula.When I had trouble breastfeeding my lactate nurse suggested using a cup in stead of a bottle,and she did very well.I really can't remeber when I started feeding my daughter foods.I know you have to be careful because of food allergies and usually they have you introduce foods one at a time especially fruits such as berries.If your doctor is not giving you straight answers,find another doctor who will.I ended up looking for a another doctor because the first one was against breastfeeding.I hope I helped some what and goodluck!!

Hi M.,
My name is R.. I wanted to write to you and tell you I believe it is to early for the sippy cup! You can still put water and juice in her bottle! If she can't hold it yet don't introduce it to her!! About the gerber food I think you should start giving her the next stage if the 1st stage isn't satisfying her!! I never put formula in a sippy cup! My little man is 2 and a half y/o now!! I didn't start the sippy cup until he was over a year old! Let me ask you a question. Did you start her with sereal in her milk at anytime? That will also help with her hunger! I hope I was some help to you!! I only wish I had this when my son was at this age! good luck to you!
R.

Hello M.,
I am a mom of 4 children, and they all did things a little different. My suggestion is this if she is hungry and she finishes the stg1 then she is ready for stg2. Just give her the foods you have already introduced to her, and still use the 1week method when trying a new food. As far as the sippy cup maybe you should wait untill she can hold it her self, and sippy cups tend to have a faster flow, so that may be why she spits it out, because its too much milk. I agree with the other moms if and when you do start with the sippy you should use it for juice and water. The Pedi docs will tell you that you should start with this food at this age, but lets be honest all babies are not the same, so you feed your baby on her scheduel and she will be just fine. I hope this helps.

When we started Emma on solids @ 5 months we also let her "practice" with a sippy cup. It was a couple of months later before she became proficient but we just wanted to get her acquainted with it when we started solids. I would suggest that you put water in the sippy since it's easier to clean up. Also, a good training cup to start with is the Nuby with the soft spout.

For the first year of life a baby gets its main nutrition from breastmilk or formula. Solids are just for practice.

Hi M.,
Just wanted to encourage you to relax, keep enjoying your baby, and don't worry about being perfect!!! There's no perfect timetable that works for every baby, so if your daughter is not quite ready for the sippy, just wait another month and try again. (I think mine were closer to a year when they started that.) As long as she's getting lots of love, exactly when she switches to a sippy cup is NOT going to matter in the long run. Read the books, use good sense, and tune out the interfering Mom. You have to find the parenting style that works for you! Best wishes!!!

I would say start introducing the sippy now. Only put a few ounces of formula or diluted juice in the cup. You can buy great leak proof cups at just about any store. It may take her a bit to get used to the idea, but if you start now it will help when it comes time to ween her off her bottle at a year old. I did this with both mt children and they to took some time to figure the cup out but we did not have a hard time at all when we got rid of their bottles. Good luck :)

Hey M.,
I have two children 2 and 10. They both started a sippy at 5 months. I just gave them formula at room temp.In between feedings I just a sippy(water and juice so it wasnt strong) lying around just incase they were interested.They took to it pretty quick(2 to 3 weeks). Theres nothing wrong with trying,but give it time.Hope the best of luck to you.
L.
Married with 2 children(2boy and 10girl)and a step daughter(12girl)

I would not introduce the sippy cup until she can hold her bottle, and I would try water instead of juice or formula.

You don't need to rush into the sippy cup, she definately needs to hold a bottle first. Also, most doctors & books do not recommend juice at all for babies, it just full of sugar. She should only have formula at this point- I didn't move my daughters to whole milk until they were around 10 months or so. This is around when I gave them sippy cups also, the ones to start them on are those ones with the 2 handles on each side. I did start my girls on stage two when they were around 6 months or so. But don't let your mom or your Doc tell you... let your daughter tell you when she is ready for stuff. Like if she is spitting stuff out, she isn't ready. If she tries stage two and just won't eat it after a couple of tries- maybe wait a couple of weeks and try again.

I have a 3 yr. old. I began giving her a sippy cup at 11 mos. I don't think you have to rush. All kids develop at different stages, so when she is ready u will know. After she's mastered holding her bottle on her own, try to introduce the sippy cup. Don't rush her because that won't help anything. I made that mistake with potty training. I introduced my daughter at 18 mos. and she seemed like she had almost mastered it. Then she began regressing; needless to say, she got out of pull-ups at aroung 2 1/2. That just proves what I said earlier. She wasn't ready and didn't fully cooporate until she was. All rushing her did was stress me out and made her do the opposite. Children are not born with instructions, obviously, but we learn as we go along and do what we think is best for our child. Give yourself a break and save all of that energy for much bigger things, 'cause believe me, they will come along and you'll think back to this and laugh and wish that was all you had to face. Just remember this, never doubt your instincts no matter what anyone says and keep your head up. You deserve a lot of credit-- after all you are successfully raising a precious gift. Take care!

M.,
I would hold off on the sippy cup until she can hold her bottle...usually around a 10 months to a year. You can start giving her 2nd stage foods whenever you want. The only difference really is texture and the fact that there are mixed fruits/veggies as opposed to just one fruit/veggie. Just make sure you watch for any food allergies. Make sure to wait atleast 48 hours in between trying each new food. My daughter is 6 1/2 months as well, and what my doctor told me was that she should be getting about 4-5 6oz bottles a day of formula, as well as at least 2 jars of food. She also recommended starting with some foods with meat in it.
If shes spitting out the juice, shes probably not quite ready for it. You may want to give it a few weeks before you try it again.

Hello M., I"m a mom of three kids so i know where you are comming from. I started my kids on the food as soon as i saw that the food they were getting were not holding them through the night. If you feel that she is ready, go for it. I healthy baby is one that will eat anything that you put in front of her. Also the sippy cup, you can put the formula in there but if shes not holding her bottle yet i would wait alittle while. I would start getting her to hold her bottle. Try putting her in a bouncy seat when you know when she wants her bottle and just give it to her and encourage her to hold it. she will get it after a few tries. As far as mom part. That is very hard because i had the same problem with my mother. She was always telling what to do with the kids. You havve to find a way to tell her to back off alittle without hurting her feelings. My mom was really good about it. Now that my kids are 8 6 and 4 i turn to her for more advice then my docotor. So good luck

Well, first off don't let your mom get to you too badly, my grandma was like that with me and she will keep doing it no matter what you say to her so just nod with a smile. In response to your questions; 1) It's a good idea to introduce a sippy cup if you want to. Water is probably the best idea until she understands better about what it's for. That way if her suit gets wet, it's only water and it won't stain. Definately change her before going outside though because it's getting cold out there. 2) If she is ready for 2nd step foods, then go for it. If she can mush it up and swallow it well, then she is ready. I wouldn't worry about not asking the doctor about it either, I never bothered really. It's like you said, you are raising her not the pedi. If you want to ask him/her for advice about it, then do so but I wouldn't ask "Can I?" 3) Putting her on straight food in the daytime right now might be a bit too early for her to do. When my daughter was that young I gave her some fruity baby food in some cereal in the am and a dinner food later in the afternoon and bottle fed her the rest of the time. When she was eight months I started giving her more solids more often but she also sleeps straight through the night from 8pm to about 630am, sometimes later. The most important thing I have found is to let her tell you when she is or isn't ready for something. If she keeps spitting out the water from the sippy cup, then back off a bit and just try once per feeding, she'll get it eventually. With the food thing, if she chokes on it or has trouble swallowing, put a little water in the food and stir it up really good and then try it again. With just giving her food all day and a bottle toward the night, I would hold off on it a bit longer and let her system get used to the food for a while first. Good Luck!

Well, I can't tell you what you should do but I can tell you what I did for our daughter. When she was about 6 months I bought a cup with two handles and a soft straw. I found one by Nuby and another by Gerber. We introduced the Nuby cup to her first and we usually give her water, although I first introduced the cup to her with watered down juice. At first I would hold the cup for her. Then we put the cup in front of her and she dragged it towards her so she could get her mouth on the straw. Now she can hold it herself.

We tried a traditional sippy cup but a friend of mine who happens to be a pediatrician said it can be difficult for a child to raise a cup above their head so she recommended the straw type. I read somewhere that two handles are better for little ones also. This type of cup is working really well for us. Now I wish they could create a cup that doesn't leak and fits into the cup holders on the stroller ;-)

A.

I think that 6 months is way to early for a sippy cup. I didn't start my daughter on one untill after she was one and walking

Formula and food. You should start to slowly be introducing new food now. Don't stop with the formula. You will be giving formula untill after one year.

She is only 6 months old, go slow...If your doctor can't give you a straight answer it is time to change. That is what they are for!!!

Our first and only daughter is now 18 months. We look to her for when to introduce new things such as a sippy cup or new food. If you see your daughter has the skills and desire for something, then it is time to try. Use your common sense on what is working or not.

Seperately, you and your husband need to set a boundary with your mom. Explain tht he and you need space to make decisions and that her well-intentioned advice is undermining your confidence. This is very important to establish now as it will only continue otherwise. You will also have to develop a really strong filter and block out whatever you don't feel is helpful. Your husband should reinforce this position with your mom.

There is a wonderful book "What To Expect The First Year". Very interesting and a helpful guide.

-J., mother of eve, 18 mos.

Hello M.,

I read your post and wanted to let you know what we have done. I have a 7 month old son so I'm in the same boat as you right now as far as age. 1- As far as the sippy cup: we have just recently introduced this. They make them with a soft spout so it is more like his bottle. My son can't yet use the cup himself nor can he feed himself the bottle. He holds everything great but the spout/nipple seems to end up everywhere on his face but his mouth so we give him that assistance. We have been putting a few ounces of breast milk in the cup and a few in a bottle - if he's eating well with the cup I pour the remaining from the bottle into it, otherwise I give him the bottle. It's working out well so far and our daycare has begun to use it too. My son is not at all into juice yet - if he takes a taste he gets this face and doesn't drink anymore. 2- As far as stage 2 food: with our pedi's advice we started stage 2 after my son had tried all of the varieties of stage 1 and did well on them. He was just under 6 months for us - we started cereal, then fruit, then vegetable at 4 months. He's even had some of the biter biscuts and wagon wheels at this point since he has been able to lift his tummy for a little while now - these he feeds himself.

I hope this helps.

M.

Hi M. seeing as though this is your first child its not odd to wonder what to do or to feel you should or should not listen to a doc, well from my personal experience being a mom of a 9yr old and a 3yr old and on due in 6 weeks, I can say that you know your baby and changes should be made when you think she is ready. If she is going to use a sippy cup you should only put juice or water in it usually when you introduce the cup that means that the bottle is leaving soon, but I usually take away the bottle right before they turn 1yr and I take away pacifiers at 6 months but you can tell by what the child is doing if she cannot hold a bottle then she is not ready for the sippy cup, if she was drinking out of a cup that you drink from that would be a hint that shes ready. I hope I have helped a little if you have any other questions just e-mail me at ____@____.com good luck!

Hi M., Well you are right when u say u r raising ur daughter. First of all I have always been told and with my 2 grls. I didnt get rid of the bottle til they were a yr old, and then its hard to do sometimes. She is to young to go off her formula, if she is eating then what I would do is give her a bowl of cereal with a little baby fruit in it and then give her a small bottle then at lunch 1/2 jar veges and 1/2 jar fruit with another small bottle and at supper the same and then just before she goes to bed give her a large bottle of formula. Your pedi should be answering ur questions and I would tell him or her that u have questions and u want them answered! Your mom is just trying to help but if you are close and can talk to her tell her that she had her turn and u turned out fine now its ur turn and you want to learn and experience it urself shes a mom she will understand and let her know that ur not trying to hurt her feelings you and ur husband want to be able to make decisions about ur child. Also there is nothing wrong with her haveing a bottle of juice with breakfast or when shes thirsty. I personally think at 6 months shes to young for sippy cups try at a yr old. Hope all works out and enjoy that precious little grl. I have 2 and they are grown and I miss the little stage lol enjoy and dont get stressed cuz she will feel that too.

First, If you introduce a sippy cup, let your daughter start with water and let her experiment with it in the bath. I had a baby seat in our tub and we let her use it while she was wet so if she spit it out, no problem.
For a 6 month old, I thought the baby should be having 24-32oz. of formula a day with baby cereal sometime during the day. Also, If you start the foods, it should be one food at a time. For example, peaches. Feed her peaches for a week and wait. If she doesn't have an allergy, introduce another food. If you do a couple in a day and she has a reaction, you wont know what the reaction is from.
Lastly, Your mother is probably just trying to be helpful and probably doesn't mean to step on your toes. If you do have questions about your daughter health, please ask your doctor to make sure she is getting what she needs. Then, let your Mom know that you are doing the best you can and that her advise at times isn't needed.
Having a first child can be scarey and parents want to do everything right but we are human. Good luck to you and I hope this helps.

My son is 17 months old. Being a first time parent is so hard! They dont come with instruction manuals!

Formuala is still the most important nutrient for your daughter. I think she should be having 18-24 oz per day still, plus food.

I didn't start juice or a sippy cup with my son until he was almost a year old. The doctor said that juice wasn't necessary and sippy cups are for after they can hold their own bottle. I'd wait if I were you.

As for the food, it's got to be a gut instinct to be honest. I started to browse the second food groups and then around 6 months would introduce one or two per week. It worked out well for my son. He eats anything. I never really moved on to the third stage because I liked to mix in regular food with his jarred food. It's all up to you, there's really no right or wrong answer here, you just have to do what your daughter is ready to do.

Good luck! And besides your pedi, go with your gut above all!

:)
C.

I raised my 4 children and now care for my grandchildren. This is what worked great for me. Whatever felt right to me and baby was and is the right thing to do. The little ones don't come with directions and every child is different. What works for one most probably won't work for another. Just relax enjoy your child they grow up so fast. using a sippy cup or not is your choice. I skipped sippy cups altogether we got a cup and made lovely messes until they got the hang of it. I never used baby food i got a mini food processor and whatever we ate they ate. I may not be the greatest cook but it didn't hurt anyone. If you ever get a chance try that baby meat now that could do some harm. Relax and enjoy learning with your baby.

I say do what you feel is right for your baby, within limits. Read about things that you have questions about online and in books (I always found the "What to expect" books to be the best resource for little things) and decide when your baby is ready for things based on signs that she gives you. If she likes formula in a sippy cup, give it to her - the sooner she gets used to the cup, the easier time you'll have eliminating the bottle in a few months. If she just spits the juice out try it every few days until she dexides she wants to swallow it. Some pediatricians are pushy, and you are right, it's your baby and you can make educated decisions for her. My first child was drinking out of a sippy cup at 6 months by himself because he was introduced to it at 3 months. My daughter is 6 months now and mostly just spits out the juice so I don't push it on her. Every child is different and their needs are different - and all pediatricians are different and they all recommend different things at different times so there is no absolute right answer that anyone can give - just take cues from your baby and don't be afraid to try new things, no matter what your mother says!!!!
S.

first when she can use a sippy cup. If she can sit up and hold if and you feel comfortable then let her use one. she is going to make a mess so I would start with water..... second she should be on formula for the first yr. so give her the formula. I know the cost of it is not pleasant but it has all the things she needs in it. Third I started my kids on food ( cereal at 2 weeks they where not satified with just formula and I think she would be ok trying the fruit. start with applesauce and give her that for a couple of days before trying pears. that is just to make sure that she can handle it okay.try banana's last sometimes it will constipate them.when you make her cereal use the formula from an 8 oz. bottle and let her drink the rest. feed her by spoon never put her food in her bottle.and don't get her used to taking a bottle to bed. give her a drink before bed and no bottle in bed. it can cause ear proublems for her.by the time she is 10 to 11 months if you can get her used to the cup you might be able to get her to not want the bottle.and that worry of getting her of it would be great. remember if she is not ready don't push. it is all up to what she is ready for not what your ready for and it also takes alot of patients good luck M. oh and if she is holding the juice in her mouth try another flavior she probly don't like that kind.

Hi M.. I remember asking all these questions when I was a mom for the first time (23 yrs ago). Sippy cups for a baby that young can be tricky, I would wait til she's atleast a yr old to start introducing them, she's still learning to move food objects down to eat and not having a nipple in her mouth which goes in further will prob make it more difficult for her to swallow it, hence getting all wet.
As for when to move on to 2nd foods and such. I made all my own baby food with a great little countertop processor, so mine were almost always getting everything they needed from about 4 months on. You need to see how well she swallows the thicker foods, which at this age she should be able to. She should also be able to have toast, french toast, scrambled eggs, jam sandwiched torn into little bits (they love them) and at that age I did omit the crust it can be a little dry, pasta (like elbows or spagetti cut up small), mashed potatoes, things like that. I almost never listened to my ped, I listend to my daughters (and their tempers)and they wanted FOOD! LOL
When you DO introduce the sippy, I would stick with water in it, til she gets the swallowing technique down. Less staining and mess to worry about.
She, at this age should be having about 24-28 oz. I believe of formula daily. Difficult to remember as I nursed all 4 of mine til they were almost 16 months old, but if I remember with my grandkids (yes grandkids and they're almost the same age as my 2 youngest) my daughter gave them 6oz bottles so as not to fill them up too much between and during meals and they were pretty much on table foods and things by 7 months.
Juice is really a filler at this age. They get ALL their nutrients from the formula. It's a nice change (taste wise) but I would definitely limit it.
I hope some of this helped. My first response since joining.
Best of luck.
K.

HI WELL IT HAS BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I HAVE HAD A INFANT BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER IS NINE YEARS OLD BUT FROM EXPERIENCE YOU USUALLY DONT INTRODUCE A SIPPY CUP UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO WEAN YOUR DAUGHTER OFF OF THE BOTTLE. A SIPPY CUPS PURPOSE IS TO TEACH A CHILD HOW TO DRINK OUT OF A NORMAL CUP AND YOU USUALLY DONT START DOING THAT UNTIL THEY ARE CLOSER TO A YEAR OLD. AS FAR AS THE SECOND STAGE OF FOOD I THINK YOU SHOUL BE STARTING HER ON IT NOW ESPECIALLY IF SHE IS TOLERATING THE CONSISTENCY OF CEREAL AND THE FIRST STAGE FOODS. I MEAN READ YOUR BABY'S BODY SIGNALS IF YOU TRY TO GIVE HER 2ND FOODS AND SHE REFUSES THEM DONT GIVE UP TRY MAYBE THREE TIMES AND IF SHE STILL REFUSES JUST GIVE HER A LITTLE TIME. LISTEN NO CHILD COMES WITH A BABY MANUAL IT IS BASICALLY TRIAL AND ERROR IF IT ISNT SOMETHING THAT WILL HARM YOUR BABY THEN DO WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST.

HI M.,
Don't worry about your mother. They did things alot differently back in her day. And the pedi probably isn't going to be much help either, because every baby is different and he/she doesn't live with yours.
I didn't introduce a sippy cup with my 2 until they were a year old (at that age they aren't as messy with it). As far as food goes- maybe about nine months. and very soft foods (Cut up spagetti, spagettios, cherrios, Cut up carrotts) You do not need to buy "Gerber stages" you can feed her the same thing you are eating as long as it is soft and cut up very small. (I did however spring for the gerber teething biscuts).

The one thing you mentioned that concerns me though is about the bottle holding. Is your daughter trying to hold it herself and can't grasp it, or is she not even trying?

First you are right. You are your daughter's mother. You can politely tell yur mother so.
Introduce the sippy cup when she can handle the cup. You can try sugar water that usually appeals to children. (just add a little sugar to the water)
I never followed doctors advise on introducing food. The most important is to add one thing for a couple of day so that you are sure that she is not allergic, then proceed to something else.
I hope that this helps.

Honey children have there own eating schedules. If you have tried to feed her ones and she eats all of them and than some I would start feeding her 2s. I have two kids of my own and have raised numerous children. I started all of my kids on 2s when they were eating more than the ones. I also tryied to introduce a sippy cup about 4-6 months. You can put either formula or juice in it. With cups they dont drink as much so if you think that your child is eating too much it may be better to put her on a cup. It is a hassel if she dont hold it herself yet but you can use that as bonding time with one another. My son didnt hold his own bottle until he was 8 monthes old. I wouldnt go cold turkey to the cup but ween her off the bottle. Like only make her drink out of the cups at meals than work on a little more a day and if she needs a drink before she goes to sleep give her a bottle. When my kids were 1 the bottles were history. Straight to cups or nothing. I tell you what my kids didnt strave cuz they realised that they had to drink out of the cup if they wanted something. you need to go by your own instincts and ideas for your child you are the one raising her and if you cant get answers from your ped. i would switch cuz it seems that she cant tell you what is going on with your daughter with life. If you have anymore questions please feel free to email me at ____@____.com
J.

I didn't start my daughter on a sippy cup till she was about a year old that way I knew she could hold it on her own. I started with milk after the transition from formula to milk and I used juice. As far as asking the pedi about stuff, I didn't either. I have two childre who will be 9 and 3 in the next couple of weeks and I did the same thing, if I felt they were ready then I did it. You just want to make sure you aren't giving her so much solid that she can't digest it all properly and have bowels, thats there biggest concern...

I am having the same questions M.. Let me know what you come up with....my daughter is 6 months and I just started 2nd foods

My DS is a little younger than your DD (almost 6 months), and he tried a sippy cup today and was very successful with it; in fact i'm going to transition to sippy cups slowly and hope he's done w/ bottles by 1 year. I know of moms who never used bottles, just sippy cups. There's no reason you can't put formula in them (DS had breast milk in his today.) As far as solids, your DD should still be getting most of her nutrition from the formula. Infants shouldn't get their nutiriton from solid food until at least 9 months.
I trust my instincts when it comes to the baby. I use the pedi for medical reasons only, and when it comes to food, I use lots of other mom's suggestions for solids. There's lots of good websites for solid food schedules. The general rule is introduce one new food a week, that way you can tell if your child has a reaction or is allergic to it. I hope this helps!

ok, so about the sippy cup thing, I just introduced it whenever I though they were ready! Sometimes I think doctors like to overcomplicate things like this...I mean, dont get me wrong, I AM NO doctor but I just know my kids better than anyone else! I gave my first son a sippy cup with some water in it (i think he was around 4-5 mos) just to see what he would do, and he did the same thing, just chewed on it and made a mess but I think he loved it because soothed his little throbbing gumbs..AFter a few days he figured it out, and started really drinking from it, thats when I added watered-down apple juice and he was fine...(I watered it down for him b/c when I added reg. juice he made a very interesting face...it must have been a strong taste for him...they eat so bland, and stuff like that takes some getting used to. However...some kids choke from the much faster flow of the fluid coming out of it--they're used to the slow formula flow of the bottle.

My little guy, he was drinking from a sippy cup at around the same time...nothing happened..the only thing I never did was put formula in it...I have no idea why, just never did...they always used the bottle.

My feeling is, like you said, you are raising them, nobody else...so, if I felt they were ready to move on then I helped them! My ped. strongly advised me not to feed my kids food till they were 6 months old!!! ...but, my first son was eating food at 10weeks! He was just ready...he was hungry all the time, the formula wasnt cutting it, so I started with really runny oatmeal-just a small amount...and he was as happy as he could be! They also told me to give them one new food a week...and I though, wow...I would never want anyone shoving carrots in my mouth for a week..so I did it for a day or two and moved on to the next thing..i did wait for meats though, and I never gave my kids rice..they both had a minor issuse with constipation...they are now 3yrs and the other is 19 months and as happy and healthy as can be...my 3 yr old is a very very picky eater though, but my little gy will eat whatever I put in front of him! I was never one to go running to check with the doctor for every move I made...but some people feel more comfortable doing that which is fine..I always felt I knew my boys so well because I am with them for each and every breath they take, and that my instincts were, for the most part, reliable. I know people who are more rigid than a military sergent with their kids routines and I know some people who are more laid back with them, I guess you should trust your instincts and give and do wahat you feel is best! God gave us mommys a special 6th sense! =) hope that helped..sorry it was so long!

Hey M.. I'm a mom of four, and here's some of my experience. Switching to baby food as the primary source of sustenance for your baby, too early, may not work out for you. I swtiched my first born over to solids at about 9 months because she ate them and formula was costing an arm and a leg. She dropped from the 90% to the 25% by her year check up. There's nothing wrong with being in the 25% (my fourth baby is right there now) but I could see that my first daughter totally slowed down in her physical development. Your baby should probably be taking at least three 8 oz bottles with some solid meals.

I was eager to get her to drink out of a sippy cup too, but your observation that your baby won't even hold her bottle is a good sign she's not ready. And after having three infants who have grown into toddlerhood, I've adapted a "don't push it if they don't want to do it themselves" kind of attitude in the food area. Mealtimes are so much less work when your baby is ready physically and mentally to take the next step themselves. I think there are a lot more important things that you need to focus on rather than the things your child can let you know she's ready to do. That was a mouthful.

And you can tell your mom, "Mom, I love you and appreciate you, but I feel that you really doubt my abilities to take care of this baby. Please give me "some space" (you can figure out what that looks like, together) and realize that even if I mess up, it's okay. I will learn best by doing things my way and finding out if they work or not. Our little family will figure it out together, and we'll ask you when we need some advice."

OK- there are a few issues here that I can see. You are right- this is your daughter and you have every right to decide when to intro foods and such. Your mom, having raised a child or two herself, is probably trying to be helpful and has your and your dd's best interests at heart. I would sit her down, talk to her, and tell her that you appreciate her concern, but that as long as you aren't putting your child at risk, you would appreciate more her support in your making your own motherly choices.
As for sippy cups- I have a strong opinion on those, and as your daughter's mom, please feel free to disagree. I work with infants and toddlers in a home visiting program (Early Head Start), and I recommend you skip sippies altogether for a couple of reasons.
1. Language development. In order for children to learn to speak properly, they need to develop certain muscles in the mouth. This happens when they learn to drink from a cup- not a sippy. A sippy, if over-used, will actually cause speech delays because it is so much like a bottle. Your baby can learn to drink from a cup now- I started mine at 4 mo- as soon as I started solids. It's a messy process, and you have to hold the cup for her until maybe a year, but it can be done.
2. Teeth. Tooth decay is caused by a bacteria. Bacteria feeds on sugars. Juice, milk, formula all have some type of sugars. With a sippy, a child can take a few sips, leave it, take a few more sips 10 mins later...this gives tooth-eating bacteria a constant food supply, which can cause lots of problems now, and can also affect permanent teeth.
If you still choose to go with a sippy, put only water in it, and don't use it as a replacement for the bottle. Skip juice altogether for now- baby doesn't need it at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no juice before age 2, simply because there's not a whole lot of benefit from it. Give her real fruits instead.
And the bottle and foods- dd should be still drinking around 32-40 oz of formula daily, give or take a few oz depending on how hungry little one is. It's ok to give her fruits and veg with cereal- I assume 2x a day right now? Cereal and fruit for breakfast and cereal and veg for dinner? That's really all she needs along with formula. As long as you are introducing foods slowly (1 each week or so)- that way you will know what caused it if she has an allergic reaction. Also, please be careful to avoid because of allergy risks- nut products, milk, milk products (cheese and yogurt can come at 9 mo. or so), honey (can cause botulism poisoning), berries, citrus fruits (including tomato and tomato sauce). Wait until she's at least one year to start these foods. Nuts and peanut butters should wait until 3 yo because of choking risks (as well as raisins, hot dogs, popcorn, hard candies, gum, etc.).
As for second group of Gerber foods- just be sure she can take the texture of it ok. You'll know because she'll mash it around in her mouth before trying to swallow it.
I hope I didn't come on too strong- it's ok for you to ask people when to intro new foods to your baby to be safe. There's so much info out there to try to keep track of. Your mom may or may not know what the latest info is, but your doc may be very helpful with the latest recommendations. Or, please feel free to contact me offlist if you have ANY questions. Remember, she is your baby, and you can choose to raise her however you'd like. But it's also your resposibility to make informed choices. Trust your instincts in the end, but get the info in the beginning. Good luck!
PS- It's ok for baby to not hold her bottle at this point. You want to see her put her hands on it, but don't be in a hurry to put her down with it. She could choke, inhale it into her lungs, over eat, and it's best for her to be held and cuddled during this so short infant stage.

Hi M., I haven't responded to many of these so I hope you take this as another opinion. We introduced sippy cups to our son when he was about 10 months old. Wait until your princess can hold her own bottle before trying to get her to take a sippy cup. Once she is ready, get a sippy cup with handles on both sides. That seemed to work the best with our son. We tried formula in the sippy cups, but he never liked it - it's like he knew bottles were for formula and sippy copus were for water and juice. As for the second food group, I'd stay with stage 1 foods until 7-8 months, then add in a stage 2 mid-dsay so you can see how she tolerates it. I agree about the pdei doc - you are her parents and you know best even if your name doesn't have an MD after it. Besides - I always wondered... how does the baby's body know when it's old enough to try new things? It doesn't! Moms and Dad's know best because they see their baby grow and can gauge what they may or may not be ready for. I say stick with 2-3 bottles of formula a day (8 oz each), even with food - so they are nioce and full and sleep like.... babies. Good luck!! It's much easier as they get older.

Wow, M., you've gotten a lot of responses to your requests! I've read through some of them and I see that there are differing opinions, but here's mine:

First of all, congratulations on your daughter! My son is six months old right now and I'm also a first-time Mom so I know how wonderful it can be...and how many questions arise!

Another point I'd like to make is that you completely need to trust yourself and go with your gut when you have differing opinions and people doubting you. I'm so sorry that is happening!

As far as the sippy cup is concerned, I started one with my son just a few weeks ago when he was six months old. I wasn't planning on starting one for another couple of months but he was having trouble with his bowel movements and his pediatrician said that a little bit of water should help to loosen his stools. He's doing a great job with it. I nurse and haven't seen him take a bottle for quite some time, but a few weeks ago my husband was telling me that he was beginning to hold it on his own. Still doesn't know to tip it, mind you, but was holding it. When I offer him his sippy cup I simply hold and tip it for him. I personally feel that this is good practice for when he gets to be a bit older and is drinking more from the cup. He's only had water so far but they say diluted juice is okay at six months. Only four ounces a day and it should be mixed with water so there's less sugar intake. I haven't started juice with my son but that's just our personal preference and water in the sippy cup is the same idea, afterall :)

As for the food. It's recommended to hold off until six months for the introduction of solid foods. Knowing this, I still started them at five months with my son and we have just moved to second foods. I make most of my own food but we do have some Gerber. I started slowly with just the rice cereal and eventually introduced fruits and veggies and now that he's had most of what they make and is eating quite a bit I figured it was fine to move him up a stage. I think it's absolutely fine for you to do this but formula/breastmilk should still be their main source of nutrition. Basically what I do in the morning is give him some solid foods and then I nurse. Same thing for lunch and dinner and then his snacks are always breastmilk. That way I know he's getting all the nutrition he needs and still exposing him to a variety of tastes and textures and allowing him to "feed" himself. I completely don't expect him to be feeding himself at all right now and basically all he does is bang his spoon and put it in his mouth and put his fingers in his bowl, but I figure it's good exposure and that's how he'll learn...plus, he's having a ball and it's great to see!

I'm so glad you've gotten so many responses to your questions and I really hope that you've found them helpful and they give you peace of mind! Good luck!

1) I didn't start using sippy cups with my son until he was a year old. It made it 'exciting' for him to become a big boy by trading the bottle and formula for a sippy cup with milk in it!

2) Start the food whenever it seems that your daughter is able to eat the current food easily. I'm not a doctor but our pedi told me that when my son started to make the chewing type movements of his mouth that it was ok to move on to the next stage. By doing this, we ended up skipping the third foods and moving onto 'real' food, VERY nice for the budget!

3) As far as the food and the formula, feed her what she needs. If she's thirsty, give her formula. If she's hungry give her the food - Personally, because of the nutritional value of formula and my sons picky eating habits, I mixed his food with the formula and only gave him juice after getting so many ounces of formula in!

Good luck!

Hello, don't worry moms are like that always on your ear annoying But there mom. No way you need to wait at least a year to start sippy cups. I did with my girl she did great. You go with the flow if she gets satisfy with her baby food thats fine just careful for alergy reactions, you know whats good for her nobody can't tell you what to do. Juice is not major for her so don't streess it now. If you see that she still hungry you can get the bigger jar. milk is priority until the first year. Good luck gurl

Hi! M.,

When I had my second child, is when I came up with the conclusion on my own instinct. You know your child and you are the mother. If you feel your child is ready you will know, I started with the straw in a cup and sat there with my daughter to teach her to suck. And it worked. I had her hold her bottle at about two months old. And started slowly from there. With the other stuff. I just followed my instinct. And when she cried a lot and I knew the food was not enough for her, I started with a little cereal early than wanted by the pedi. So, basically you just know trial and error sorta of speak. You will know. That was my experience the second time around. I love my pedi, had him for nine years. But you know they don't know your child even thow they have children.....

Rosa

Hi M.,

I kmow where you are coming from with the mom thing! My mother is the same way, I think they just see us like we are there young teenage girls they do not see us as the women we are today! My only daugher is 8.5 months old she does not want anything to do with the sippy cup! So every so often I give it to her but she doesn't want it so I do not force her she get it when she is ready. I started her on stage 2 at 6.5 months with just the fruits and veggies, I introduced the meat ones around 7.5 months but she really didn't like them until recently (note don't get the ones with ham and gravy, chicken and gravy and so forth they smell like dog food!). She eats from 7 months til now Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, mid morning 5 oz formula, Lunch I give her the gerber already mixed cereal, rice or oatmeal with fruit (in the glass jars), mid afternoon 5 oz bottle, Dinner Veggie and Meat or Meat and Dessert, then another 5 oz bottle before bed. If she gets fussy at any point during the day I give her like 4 oz and she is happy. That is what I do but I know everybody does different but it seems to work for me.

Sorry for for lengthy e-mail! But I hope this helps
J.

M.,
Yes, step 2 foods are fine now. If you feel your daughter is taking to them well also you can try the next step around 9 or 10 months old. As for the sippy cup I would wait on that, I started my son when he turned one to get him off the bottle and the one that worked best for me was the Nubby brand from Walmart because it has a soft drinking spout and doesn't leak until they bite the thing to death. They only cost about one dollar a piece instead of the usual $4 and they are so much easier to clean. If she cannot hold her bottle by now, I am thinking she is a little spoiled (just kidding) make sure when she is eating that you put her hands on her bottle and don't help her once she has it. If she drops it wait to see if she trys to do it if not put it back in her hands and let go. She will get the picture but that is something that she should be doing already, my son had that down when he was almost 4 months old. When you do try the sippy cup you can use formula in it but it is more for milk or juice. When you give your daughter juice do you water it down half water half juice? Have you tried a few kinds of juices? Gerber sells small bottles of juice in different flavors (you still need to water Gerber juice down) try a few and see which one she likes. Some kids are picky at this age so if she is just holding it in her mouth maybe she doesn't like the taste. Also try giving her cold water. That was my son's favorite drink for a while. No matter what you give her water juice or 8oz. of formula she will stop when she doesn't want anymore. My son was on a four hour clock every 4-5 hours he would have 8 oz. Some kids have more some have less. If you notice she never finishes her 8 oz. start making 7 instead, if she sucks it down and seems like she wants more add baby cereal to the bottle just a tsp or so per bottle and increase it as she continues to eat more. You are a Mom now, don't doubt yourself because others do, you will do fine! I did a great job when I had my son and I was alone.
As for your mother you need to tell her that you would like to learn what you have to learn on your own like most of the other new mothers in the world and that when you need her help she will be the first person you go to. She has to know you appreciate her help but that you are getting stressed over that fact that she is always over your shoulder judging you. You have to learn your own way or you will always be questioning yourself and that is a very bad thing when it comes to your precious baby. Good Luck and any time you need someone to talk to you make sure you send me a letter, I am here to help.

V.
Kingston, NY
23 years old

My little girl didn't want the sippy cup until she was 8 months old. I keep trying to introduce it every week and it got better, until she finally figured out how it worked. Even if she can't hold it yet, still try holding it for her. I say take the ques from her, she will let you know when she is ready for solid food or regular food and when she is ready for the sippy. Her formula should still be her main form of food until she is 1 most doctors will say.

Honestly, you are the best person in the world to know if your daughter is ready. If she eats Stage 1 well, try stage 2 for awhile. When my son was 6 mo old he was on Stage 2....I introduced the sippy cup then, but just with water so he could get used to the idea. He is 10.5 months now and he LOVES his sippy cup with water or diluted juice. He still gets his formula in the bottle.

Go with your gut!! If you want to try, then try there is no harm in it! Best of luck!

Hi M.,

You shouldn't feel guilty about anything! Mothers are like that you will see... in any event - My son took a bottle for one year - when he could hold a cup I introduced the sippy cup and it is not abnormal for any baby to push the cup away if they are use to the bottle!! it happens. Just keep giving it to her, she will get the hang of it. As far as food-- my son was eating scrambled eggs at 6 months old! so it is kind of trial and error! You know your daughter and what you think she can handle - listen to the advice its constructive. But, again do not feel guilty!!! Peditrican will give you advice to stop the bottle at one year - and food slowly.
I hope this helps but, really it is up to you and what your baby can do.

RJ

Listen there are ages on the Gerber jars. sippy cup ca 1 y.o.

Hi M.,
Having your first child is all about "firsts" and fumbling your way through them...so, don't worry and try to use your instincts. (I am a mom of 2 lovely boys and the second is so much easier than the first)
1. Sippy cup--you can introduce a sippy cup; however, I would not use it to provide all of her liquids. For example, my youngest son--now 9 months--has a cup of water with his meals and nurses for all of the other times. I would also recommend just water in the sippy. My nutritionist advised me that juice is basically pure sugar even if it is "no sugar added" and that any nutrients in the juice would be better taken by eating the fruit itself. AND, if you do water now, she will always take water which is good for her body. I only do juice on special occasions. But, again, this is ultimately your choice...you are the mom and that means you are the boss.
2. Gerber second foods--If you've already introduced several of the first foods without any complications and your daughter can manage the 2nds...go for it. My kiddos were eating adult foods--less seasoned of course--by 1 year. My 9 month old had homemade pizza with broccoli rabe and garlic last night, roasted fish with rosemary, potatoes, and artichoke hearts 2 nights ago, and sauteed cauliflower with penne, garbanzos, and parsely 3 nights ago (all cut into little tiny pieces of course). I recommend the Super Baby Food Book--or look online--to kind of give you some guidelines on where to go from there--how much, when to introduce, balanced meals, etc. I think at 6 months we were doing two meals--breakfast and dinner w/water, both meals followed by a nursing of however much they wanted to take--and nursing when they wake up, lunch, afternoon snack, and before bedtime. They eat a lot because they are growing rapidly and their stomachs are so little.

the sippy cup is aged for 6 months and up on the soft tip ones and the hard ones are for 9 months and up that is becasue it can stunt the teeth or make them grow wrong and how the baby set of teeth grow in affect the adult teeth. also start with what she likes more most of the time it is juice also then can associate sippy cups with meals and makes the transition of feeding herself a little easier. also show her how to use the cup(pretend works too)and if she still refuses the cup wait on it till she shows more signs of being ready. if you force something on her it will not work right and it might traumatize her into being afraid of the cup. the 2nd foods should be started around 6-7 months that is when thier stomachs can handle the food but if you see she is having any problems just go back to 1st foods.

M., just remember, we were all "first time moms" once!!! My kids are older now (16 and 12) but I gave them sippy cups when they could hold the bottle. I used water at first (helps with the laundry!) It is hard getting advice from your Mom, I know, but just let her say it, listen and do what you want! (it is your kid! lol ) and you do know your child better than anyone. My oldest son at 6 months grabbed at my ziti on my plate at supper and from then on he hated baby food! depends on the number of teeth they have (he already had 6 at 6 months old!) You can always try something, if it does not work, then go back to the other food for a while. Mothering is a learning process, go slow and have confidence! : )

Both my boys now ages 10 and 3 were drinkin out of sippie cups when they were 5 months old....I introduced them because I didn't want them takin a bottle all over with them where ever they went...as long as she can hold her bottle or even you can hold it for her until she gets the hang of it, she should be able to drink out of a sippie cup.

As far as what you put in the cup that is up to you,

Hello M.. My daughter is 7 mths. and we started introducing a sippy cup maybe a mth ago. She really isn't getting much out of it, it's just for practice and fun really. I find that the Nuby sippy cups are the best and closest to a bottle, as far as the nipple. All other sippy cups she has a hard time figuring them out. We are putting in Gerber juice in it, we water it down about 50%. She did start holding her bottle between 4 and 5 mths though, so if your daughter isnt holding her own bottle yet, maybe wait until she can hold it better on her own because the whole point of introducing the sippy cup is them doing it on their own. Ok, and the food, my daughter has three meals a day along with her formula. She has cereal and fruit in the morning. veggies and fruit in the afternoon and at dinner she has either some of the dinner(st.2) jar or some of the dinner along with veggies...depening on what it is. I hope this helps!! AND yes...you are the mom and you make your own decisions! Sometimes its hard trying to figure out things on your own, but that's what a parent does and you and your husband are raising her, not anyone else! : )

Usually you go with the same kind of food for a week or so to make sure she doesn't have an allergic reaction to it. Then introduce a new one.
I would hold off on trying a sippy cup if she can't hold a bottle. Maybe wait another month or 2. Or give it a shot and if it doesn't work, go back to the bottle. I started giving my son a sippy cup around 10 months old, but every child is different. :)
Hope this helps and good luck! :)

Oh sweetie, don't stress yourself!! I too have doubting family members everywhere!!!

as far as formula goes, cut back a little if you are mixing it in her cereal. she's still getting the same amount, just in a different way. If she's still hungry though, give her a bit more formula. It's all trial and error. Second foods are a bit lumpier, so start them when she figures out how to "chew". it's good practice for her tongue and strengthening her lips for those foods , so if she's ready for them, go for it. It may not seem important about that stuff, but I have a son with a speech delay and trust me, you want them to practice!

with sippy cups, that's a mess.. get one with a no stop flow. yes she will get soaked, but if she is ready, she'll do it. Help her hold it in her hand and show her what to do. if she is drowning herself, she's not ready. What I did with my daughter, is when she was ready for milk (9months with my dr, but every dr is different) I only put milk in the cup and formula in the bottle. She took to it right away. My son, who never held his own bottle, also took to it pretty fast, he I think was about the same age. BUT - every child is different, you can't base what I did with what you do for your kid. Like I said, it's all trial and error. If you try it, and it works, great, if it doesn't work, it's ok, try again another time.

good luck...
W.

Personally, I would never even put formula in the sippie. Stick with the bottle until she can hold it on her own, then go straight to water in a sippie (juice is overrated...I wouldn't go there at all. So much better to give her a piece of fruit when the time is right.)At 1 year of age, you can start the transition to cow's milk (or whatever adult milk product you choose.)

In terms of when to add the next stage of foods, there is some science behind the recommendations based on when the typical baby develops, etc. Straying from this slightly (say, a month in either direction) is unlikely to cause a problem. Go with your instincts. Good luck!