Kristie McNealy, MD

Many preemies have have a weak suck, oral aversion or other oral-motor problems that make learning to drink out of a sippy cup very difficult and frustrating for both mom and baby. Trouble transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup is one of the most common topics (along with RSV and reflux) I see pop on preemie message boards, so I’ve decided to share a few tips from my own experience.

Find Cups That are Easier to Suck From

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to drink out of a sippy cup, but if you have, you were probably surprised at exactly how hard you have to suck to get anything out. I thought I was going to burst an aneurysm when I tried to drink from one of the first sippy cups I bought. Both of our daughters would play with a sippy cup, and then get frustrated because they couldn’t get anything out. My first thought was to pull the valves out, but that was just as bad because then the liquid gushed out, making them sputter and choke.

I found that one of the easier cups for my girls to drink out of were the Take & Toss cups from The First Years. These cups are easier to drink out of, because they don’t have a valve. And, since they are designed to be “spill-proof” (note I didn’t say leak proof) without the valve, liquid doesn’t pour out of them when you tip them upside down. Other pluses to these cups include the fact that they are super cheap and come in multi packs and different sizes. They also stand up to the dishwasher quite well, and despite their name, they can last for months. The one down side we found with these cups is that since the lids snap on, eventually our girls learned to take them off and dump their drinks . . .

Other preemie parents report having good luck with the Nuby cups which have a clear silicone spout. Personally, my kids chewed these cups to pieces, and our 31 weeker still couldn’t get a drop out of them unless I used a razor blade to cut extra slits in the spout. This probably isn’t the best plan, but I was careful to check the lids every time I washed them to make sure pieces of silicone weren’t coming loose, and I’d recommend that with this cup however you use it.

Don’t Worry About all the Bells and Whistles

I remember the first time I went out to buy a sippy cup. Our pediatrician had recommended a particular cup with a soft spout and handles which carried a price tag of about $5 each. As it turns out, our girls could have cared less about the fancy handles or the soft spout, because they couldn’t get a drop out of the cup. Once they realized they could drink out of the cheaper cups, they managed to hold onto them just fine. So, unless your child has another physical challenge that would make handles a necessity, I wouldn’t worry about them.

Look for Alternatives

For whatever reason, some kids just don’t seem to get the hang of sippy cups. Sometimes, they do better with straw cups (The First Years makes a Take and Toss version of these too). While other kids learn to drink from a squeeze bottle, or a training cup with a lid, but no spout or valve (think of something with a lid like a travel coffee mug).

The bottom line is that you might need to try several cups before you find one that works for your preemie. Be patient. If you have concerns about your baby’s ability to suck, or other problems with feeding, or notice that your baby refuses to put things in their mouth, discuss these issues with your pediatrician, because your baby may have an oral aversion or an oral-motor problem that could benefit from therapy or other treatments.

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