I was a daycare provider for years and didn't like carrying around bottles so
I have taught many infants to use a straw before 6 months.

I used the rectabgular Rubbermade plastic sippy containers that have the
straw that goes down in them all the way to the bottom and the inch or so top
"straw" folds up to drink and down so not to spill.  They are flexable enough
to squeeze.  This is what I learned about the tecnique of teaching straws:

Make the container as full as you can so that any suck at all brings up fluid.
Don't put the straw on the babies bottom lip.  They just open their mouths
farther.  Put the straw up against the roof of their mouth and they will
close thier mouths.
A small squeeze of a drop of two is all it takes to get them started - We
have all heard swallowing creates sucking.  In this case if works great.
They may gag and choke at the suprise of a drink, but smiling at the baby and
doing all the posiitve attitude things helps tremendously.  A negative
reaction to the sputter created fear.

Sue

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html