Bottles

I’m trying to fill out my baby shower registry and I’m confused about what kind of bottles to get. Do I even need a bottle? And what about sippy cups? Should I get a bottle that transitions to a sippy cup? Do I need a sippy cup? What did people do before sippy cups were invented? Help!

Great questions. First of all, not all babies will take the same types of bottles...

so you may have to try a few types before you find one your baby will drink from. We recommend asking moms of older babies to lend you some of their bottles at the beginning – sterilize them with boiling water and then try several different kinds until you figure out which one works best for your baby. (Evenflo makes very inexpensive glass baby bottles if you are trying to avoid plastic. It’s also worth noting that there are some eco-conscious companies, such as Think Baby, which make cups that convert from a bottle to a sippy cup; if your baby becomes attached to a specific type of bottle, this may make a transition to a cup easier later on).

Before sippy cups, children drank from smaller unbreakable cups made from plastic and, before that, wood or metal. Adults or older children held the cup to baby’s lips until she learned to do hold it herself. Some modern parents recreate this system using cups made from wood, BPA-free plastic, steel or glass. But learning to drink from a cup takes a long time to master and for the modern parent there are many circumstances when you want your child to be able to drink without spilling or without having to hold the cup for her. Enter the sippy cup. And enter a world of confusion, frustration, and lots and lots of plastic.

Some children love sippy cups that have straws inside; other children like a spout that functions similarly to a bottle; some children like a plain cup with a top that has a small hole, like the plastic lids on adult to-go coffee cups. Like bottles, we highly recommend asking a few friends if you can borrow their “duds” or seldom-used cups and also ask them about their successes. You might find that between a few people you can try most of the well-known cups out and see what works for your child. Also, keep in mind that as kids grow older they often change their preference.

For a toddler who can lift a heavier bottle to her mouth, stainless steel bottles, such as Klean Kanteen, are a great, plastic-free option. Fogo makes one with a plastic straw for straw-sipping babies. Ideally we could recommend a sippy cup that is made of sustainable, non-harmful materials; that is leak-free; that won’t cause health problems, and that your child loves...but we haven’t found it yet. Let us know if you do!