Learning to drink from a cup is one of the big milestones of the first year. The good news is you can start early, keep it low-pressure, and let your baby practice alongside solid foods.
When to start
Many families offer a cup around the same time they start solids, at about 6 months. Baby can practice with small sips at meals. At first, most of the drink will end up on the bib, and that is fine. The goal is practice, not hydration.
What goes in the cup
- Small sips of water with meals are a common way to start.
- Breast milk or formula can be offered in the cup as well.
- Liquid cow's milk waits until 12 months, since its high calcium content can interfere with iron absorption.
- Juice is not needed, and many pediatric guidelines suggest limiting or skipping it in the first year.
Open cup or straw cup?
Both are good options, and many families try both.
| Open cup | Straw cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Why parents like it | Builds sipping skills and needs no special design | Easy for many babies to learn, and less spilling |
| How to start | Hold a small cup for baby and tip a tiny amount toward their lips | Let baby explore the straw, then show how to sip |
| What to expect | Lots of spills at first | Some babies take to it quickly |
Tips for a smooth start
- Use a small, lightweight cup that baby can hold with both hands.
- Fill it with just a little liquid.
- Offer at meals so cup practice becomes part of the routine.
- Model it. Let baby watch you sip from your cup.
- Stay close. Supervise every time baby drinks.
Leaving the bottle behind
Many pediatric groups suggest working toward moving away from the bottle around the first birthday, and a slow, gradual change tends to go better than a sudden one. Replace one bottle feed at a time with a cup, starting with the one baby cares about least.
Ask your pediatrician
If your baby has trouble with cups, or you have questions about drinks and milk, your pediatrician can guide you.
A training cup that your baby can grip and sip from makes this milestone easier. Browse Eizzy Baby training cups at eizzybaby.com.
Sources: Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Babies and Food Allergies (for the cow's milk note); CDC: Introducing Solid Foods.
