Conference moira::parenting_v3

    It sounds like you are describing a "Sit n' Sip". I've seen them at
    Sears, Toys r Us, Child World and even regular department stores like
    K-Mart, Bradlees, etc.

    Good luck!
    Norma

    I got one as a gift with a bunch of other little neat things.  I
    tried using this but either couldn't figure it out or it just didn't
    work (I could only get the milk half way up the straw).    
    Mine is from "First Years".  Since it was a gift I have no
    idea where it came from, but it could probably be found in any of the
    department stores that have all the neat baby stuff hanging on one
    wall.  
    
    Donna
    

    I saw the First Years version of this "straw" in the baby aisle
    at Stop and Shop.
    
    Linda

We have two that you can have. It's a little rubber valve like
thain with a straw inserted in it. In theory, it's suppose to
work when the baby sucks on the nipple (the rubber valve fits
inside the nipple). In practise, it works sometimes; it must be
started with a lot of suction to get the air out of the nipple
first. But then, some kids have amazing vacuum power.

cal hoe

    Mark:
    
    I'm surprised the previous noters didn't have much luck with the
    sipping straw.   JA loved it!
    
    We started her at about 3 months but adding elephant ears (Playskool
    made this plastic cap with long, egg-shaped handles) and a sipping
    straw - in a small bottle.  She loved it!  In her walker, playpen or
    swing.
    
    It was a wonderful incentive to get her hooked on water (we didn't use
    formula as it was thicker -- maybe that's why previous noters had
    trouble with the straw? -- and could be messy if she laid the bottle
    sideways). 
    
    She outgrew it in 6 weeks or so (when she mastered holding the bottle
    upwards), but during that time it was GREAT!
    
    We also bought the "water" nipples (smaller opening), as JA was having
    a little trouble at first with choking.
    
    We bought the straws at ChildWorld and the local grocery store (about
    $1.49 each).  One length ... so we cut them to fit the small bottles.
    I also had better luck with the flesh-colored, rubber suction caps vs.
    the clear, hard-plastic-like ones).
    
    Good luck ...
    Dottie
    

    We picked up the sipping straw for a couple of bucks at Toys-R-Us, and 
    have had mixed results with it. It works great when the bottle is held
    upright (or at an angle above horizontal), but when the bottle is held 
    upside down (or below horizontal), the  straw is useless since it sucks
    air. 
    
    Nick had a great knack for holding the bottle upright when we didn't
    use a straw, and upside-down when we did use the straw; net result
    was that he was usually sucking air. We've stopped using it completely,
    and simply let him figure  out how best to drink his bottle....(Thank
    god he uses his sippy-cup most of the time.) 
    
    Freddie

    We used a sit up straw for our oldest. When he was weaned from
    the breast he didn't like regular milk, so I added a bit of
    strawberry quick to it. It was quite a sight to see this baby
    sitting up sucking on a bottle of pink milk.
    
    Bonnie

    Not exactly a straw but...
    
    The Platex disposable bottles work well without tipping them up if
    you burp all of the air out of them first.  My daughter used to let
    go of the bottle while sucking so she could play with a toy or
    something and was still getting formula out of the bottle.  
    
    We preferred these too because the baby doesn't get any air and
    therefore gets less gas.
    
    The only problem we had was that she never learned to tip up a bottle
    so we had to use the disposables until we completely went to a cup.