United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

How long before your child learned to hold a cup? Ashlee just started holding her bottle a month ago but we use playtex bottles w/liners so she grabs it from the hollow bottom & not the sides. Is there a specific one that works better?

We use the Avent cup that has handles (our OT recommended the handles). It also has a soft spout. Jason started holding it with one hand by about 7 months, I think. He's 13 months now and sometimes he needs a little support if the cup is completely full and heavy. Interestingly, he seems to have figured out another way to help balance - sometimes he grabs the cup from the opposite handle and sort of holds it up over his hand with his wrist bent. That's probably hard to visualize, but we call it his pirate hold because it reminds us of a pirate swigging his wine (I think I saw it at Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland)!

The OT also likes the handles because it is good for him to work on his grip with the affected hand. However, since that arm is still weak, we find that it just adds weight for the strong arm to have to hold, so I give extra support then too.

Our only challenge is that it seems like he can't quite get enough from the spout, but I think it's because he never drank from a bottle much so I think he just doesn't put his head back enough. I just keep the cup pretty full and he does ok. We've tried other cups, but he doesn't like them, and still seems to do best with the handles. Although, he does like the cups with a straw, and now he sort of leans that against his other arm for support, but those can drip.

Who would have thought I had so much to say about cups! Guess my coffee's working!

We purchased ours from Wal Mart but that was seven years ago and had two handles.....just me at the time....eveything had to have two handles. He did well with it and now does fine with two handed drinking.....
Gayle mom of Brandon 7 with ROBPI !

I add another vote to the handles!!! Wal-Mart still has some they are made by Gerber. I also found anything that has contours seemed to be ok to as he learned.

Walmart brand- Parents Choice.

Javier has a few- figure 8 shaped bottles and cups, all come with removable handles.

MArlyn

My Daughter 15 months uses sippy cups only with handles.
She has never been able to hold a bottle.
So we can never find larger sippy cups with handles.
So we haft to use the little ones with handles.
Go to Target or A walmart.
Good Luck.
Salina

We have had really good luck with straw cups. It is another option to consider. The speech therapists seem to like that because it helps with speech issues such as lip rounding.

walmart has sippy cups that are curved with grips for about 1.27 they are great. gabs started to hold a cup at about 13 months, there are also bottles with a hole in the middle made by luvs i purchased them at a local drug store called brooks on the east coast. hope this helps.

Oh those days, my son used the bottles with the hole in the middle, we got ours from walmart......but the stinker would put his unaffected hand in the hole and hold it that way....kinda defeated the purpose, but at least he could hold the bottle himself.....we tried thousands or so it seemed of two handled sippy cups and found that we liked the playtex-two handled sippy the best.....it was spillproof, but didn't fit in the diaper bag too well, I am unsure if they still make them....it has been a long time since I have bought a sippy cup !!