DownSyn Forum

TheosMom · Posted: July 11 2012, 4:58 PM Post subject: Tell me again about sippy cups?

Yay or Nay?
I know this has been discussed in other threads but what is the consensus? It's HOT these days and Theo is very badly constipated, I am doing a lot to help that and he is also on Lax-a-Day as recommended by his paediatrician, but I want to get more water into him. I give him sips from an open cup but he eventually chokes, and I have also tried just from a bottle but that seems like a step backward. He still breastfeeds 5-6 times a day. His speech and language therapist didn't seem concerned with the sippy cup idea but I don't know if she has looked into it much. His tongue does not hang out at all, in fact he has a tongue-tie which conveniently keeps that big guy in!! LOL. So would a sippy cup do harm, or maybe a straw cup is better? Am I over thinking this one? Wink

mary c · Posted: July 11 2012, 5:09 PM Post subject:

As I recall (and it has been a while) they suggest straw cups over sippy cups. If he doesn't know how to drink from a straw yet, here is the way we taught Anna. We bought a container of honey shaped like a bear and emptied out the honey into another container and then thoroughly washed the bear. We cut the top down a little and put in a piece of rubber tubing (or you could use a straw with some substance). Put some liquid that he likes into the bear and squeeze it which will help the liquid rise in the straw. They make a similar gizmo in the therapy tool catalogues but this is cheaper and does the same job.

Also you can feed him lots of water filled foods such as watermelon, berries, etc. His liquid intake doesn't have to be a drink.

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Mary
Mom to Libby 6/92, Alex 9/93, Anna (DS)12/12/03

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Oxy · Posted: July 11 2012, 5:50 PM Post subject:

here they are....im sure though u can find cheaper ones...this is a set of 13!!

http://www.talkingchild.com/Store.aspx?ItemID=5

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Oksana, mom to Andrew (17/07/2005) DS

lespring · Posted: July 11 2012, 6:26 PM Post subject:

We use the reflo cups with Asher. I LOVE THEM! They are an open cup with a stopper thingy in them. So the flow is slowed down but the child is drinking from an open cup.

http://www.reflo.net/

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AliMama · Posted: July 11 2012, 10:27 PM Post subject:

We were told that the regular sippy cup spouts encourage tongue-thrust, so we've always used straw cups.

_________________
Maresa,
Mom to Alisa (10-29-2008) DS, complete AV canal repair on 3-6-2009

AuntieM · Posted: July 12 2012, 7:05 AM Post subject:

With a sippy cup, the tongue and lips move just as if using a bottle. Totally different with a straw cup- you must have tongue out of the way and lips pursed. Some therapists are adamant that sippy cups (and bottles) impede speech development. You pretty much have to use a tongue thrust to drink.

We went from bottle to straw cup at 11 months, but did not have any drinking issues to deal with.

We started with Playtex Lil Grippers which don't leak, have a soft straw, and the valve is down in the lid where it doesn't get chewed. Once control is good, Take and Toss straw cups are great. They are really cheap and hold up well in the dishwasher. The straws are very durable and not too long.

_________________
Mary, retired Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
Great-aunt to Tarryn (DS, 5 years old)

TracyR · Posted: July 12 2012, 1:07 PM Post subject:

Our speech therapist strongly discouraged the use of a sippy cup for kids with Down syndrome. We moved straight to an open cup and straw cups.

LinMac · Posted: July 13 2012, 8:09 AM Post subject:

I think if I could do the 'learning to drink phase' all over again I'd go straight to the one that Leah recommended.
It took a very long time for Robet to master an open cup with liquids and I think the earlier you start the better. I'd certainly get one of those cup and try it!
It wasn't available when we were learning.

We tried so many cups with lots of anxiety on my part. I laugh cos he rejected most of them and learned to drink with a platic straw we got in McDonalds......Go figure!

Good luck!

_________________
Linda & John
mom to Hannah Kate (Age 14 ), Robert (Aged 9 - DS)

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Grady's Mommy · Posted: July 13 2012, 9:43 AM Post subject:

Our therapists never had an issue with sippies. And Grady never had a tongue thrust issue. He took to a straw fine too.

However, at 8 years old he STILL doesn't do well with an open up. If I knew then, what I know now, I'd have tried to avoid the sippy cups if at all possible.

_________________
~Kathy
Grady (DS 5/26/04)
Hailey 9/20/06
Evan 7/27/10

TheosMom · Posted: July 14 2012, 5:23 PM Post subject:

Thank you!
I am going to order some of those cups, that's great to hear everyone's take on it. Maybe I can find a straw cup here too just for the diaper bag. Many thanks!

lissad63 · Posted: July 15 2012, 7:11 AM Post subject:

We also use straw cups and love our reflo cup!

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JoeyLove · Posted: August 11 2012, 9:32 PM Post subject:

Well Joey uses a sipper with a rubber straw that is attached. I have too much going on to always be able to sit down and feed him a drink :\

The way that I got him to learn how to use a straw was by having him drink a smoothie. I sucked it to the top of the straw for him so he only had to put in minimal effort for a delicious smoothie reward. It worked! He drank the whole thing by himself.

I like the idea about the honey bottle too!

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JoeyLove · Posted: August 11 2012, 9:40 PM Post subject:

We def need a Reflo cup!

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