Baby-Led Weaning and Sippy cups.

[Katarianna]

This became a two part post.

First, DS is only 3 1/2 months old, but it already showing a lot of interest in our food. This reminded me that I need to start researching such things. I am pretty sure we are going to do baby-led weaning. What are your experiences with that? Did you try to set food in front of him, or just wait for him to take yours? 

Second is sippy cups. DS is EBF, but occasionally I have to give him a pumped bottle when I go out. We only have a couple of bottles because I wasn't sure what he would like. He seems to only like the Born Free bottle. I am wondering if I even need to buy more bottles, or if I can just move to sippy cups. What age did start sippy cups? (I should add that DS rarely has a bottle, so he is not attached to them in any way. He does still have to be held while he drinks though, so that is what makes me think maybe he can't have a cup.)

[P.J.]

Me personally I wouldn't give a baby any solids until they showed signs of readiness: can sit up (mostly) unassisted, can grab food and get into his/her mouth alone, shows interest in food and loss of the tongue thrust reflex.

It just makes sense to me that a baby should be able to sit up in order to digest food properly. I also remember reading in the BLW book something about their digestive systems not being mature enough until around 6 months. I think some babies are ready a little before that, and some a little later. But to me 3.5 months seems a wee bit too early.

If the only sign your baby displays is interest, that IMO is not enough; apparently in some cases it's just that the baby is interested in anything you are doing and wants to imitate you and be included in what you're doing, plus wants to put everything in his/her mouth, which may look like interest in eating but in fact is not.

We waited until around 6 months, when he was able to sit unassisted in his highchair (the type where he can only sit upright), and could feed himself. At around that time we started offering a sippy cup with water. To me a sippy cup is so similar to a bottle, that I should think it wouldn't make a difference if you give your baby milk in that or a bottle. I know some babies also take milk from a cup straight-up, so that must mean a sippy is just as good.

[Laurski]

We didn't do BLW, so I'm not much help there, unfortunately, but we did have a bit of a challenge finding DD a sippy cup she liked and could figure out how to use.  With many of the sippy cups, she had a tough time figuring out how to use them and usually ended up chewing on the bottom of them.

We eventually ended up using the Nuby 2 handle straw cup.  We started giving her a sippy cup when she was about 7 months or so to play with, but we only hit on the Nuby cup recently (about a week ago--DD's now 10 months old). Within about 5 minutes she was drinking from it like an old pro (for her first sips I sucked the water up into the top part of the straw, which seemed to help her figure out what to do).

While in daycare during the school year she was using Dr. Brown's bottles...when she goes back in September, I'm hoping to ditch the bottles entirely and just have her use sippy cups.

[jenifera2]

Many babies who are too young to eat solids (everything I've read also indicates approximately 6 months would be a good time to start) are quite happy to sit with you at the table (on a lap at this age) and play with a baby spoon.

Caitlin sat on my lap for meals for a long time. I was planning to pop her into her highchair at 6 months and give her some food to play with, since we also do BLW. One week prior to that she grabbed a piece of pita bread out of my hand, shoved it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Since then we've enjoyed letting her learn to eat all sorts of food. :)

She also has never taken a bottle well, so we tried a sippy cup, probably around 5 months. Even that she only pretty much chewed on, but that released a little liquid. In the last couple weeks (she's 10 months now) we discovered the Zoli Bot sippy cup, with the silicone straw that follows the liquid if they tip the cup up. She immediately understood how to use the straw and definitely enjoys drinking from it. We've only used it for water so far, since she hasn't had any interest in milk during the times that I've left her with someone, but I'm guessing she'd take milk from it if I were away from her for more than a few hours.

[howeberry]

At 4 months, my LO pulled the water glass I was holding to his mouth and took a sip. Most the water dribbled out, he made a great face, then went back for more. Two weeks later we bought him his own cup. We've only tried the Munchkin Trainer Cup but have found it works great - he can chew on the silicon tip to get some water and I don't get a bath when the cup goes upside down. It entertains him when we all sit at the table and he can help himself. He still likes drinking from regular cups, but the sippy is nice.

I second the PPs and suggest waiting a little longer with the solids, at least until your LO shows multiple signs of readiness.