Your baby does not need to drink a whole cup to start learning. Around six months, once solids begin and your baby can sit supported upright, you can introduce a small open or free-flow cup with a little water at mealtimes. Expect exploration and spills before independent sipping.
An open cup is supported in NHS guidance, and a straw cup is another practical option. Neither must be mastered at a particular birthday. Continue responsive breastfeeding or infant formula; cup practice is a skill-building opportunity, not a reason to cut needed milk.
This guide answers three different questions: which cup to try, how to help your baby sip without forcing liquid, and how to move away from bottles as toddlerhood approaches. For exact water guidance, use the separate water guide.
Key takeaways
- Cup practice can begin around six months alongside solids.
- NHS recommends an open or free-flow cup; a straw cup is another option.
- Support upright supervised sipping; never pour or force liquid.
- Continue normal breast milk or infant formula through the first year.
- AAP/CDC water guidance 4–8 fl oz daily for 6–12 months is a broad example, not a required intake.
- Work away from bottles gradually as toddlerhood begins, with individual support when needed.
- Persistent coughing with liquids deserves professional evaluation.
At a glance
Cup practice without replacing milk
Cup practice and changing the baby's main milk drink are different decisions. This is a quick reference; learn the step-by-step cup skills in the sections below.
| Age | Main milk | Water and cup practice |
|---|---|---|
| Before 6 months | Breast milk or correctly prepared infant formula | No routine extra water in the US; discuss any illness, hot-weather or dehydration concern with a clinician. |
| Around 6–12 months | Continue breast milk or infant formula as main nutritional drink | Offer small water sips with solids, and practice an upright, supervised cup. Cow's milk may be an ingredient in food but not the main drink. |
| From 12 months | Breastfeeding may continue; plain pasteurized whole cow's milk or an unsweetened fortified alternative (fortified soy is closest; no rice drinks under 5 in the UK) can be considered | Offer water and cup drinking with meals; avoid forcing an exact milk volume and keep meals varied, including iron sources. |
For US 6–12 month water intake, CDC/AAP guidance describes about 4–8 US fl oz (120–240 mL) per day as a general pattern, not a required amount to finish. NHS advice for some younger formula-fed infants in very hot weather is a country-specific exception; consult your clinician about any illness or hydration concern.
When is a baby ready to try a cup?
Around six months when solids begin, many babies can explore drinking from a cup while sitting supported upright with good head control. Introduce water in small sips alongside meals and supervise the entire experience.
Milk feeding continues normally through the first year. Cup exposure does not require reducing bottles, stopping breastfeeding, or drinking a measured volume. Some babies show interest quickly; others need more attempts.
If your baby was born prematurely, has poor head or trunk control, repeated coughing with liquids or a swallowing concern, ask their pediatric clinician about readiness and appropriate feeding support.
- Offer a cup around six months with solids and suitable head control.
- Keep your baby upright, awake and supervised.
- Continue normal responsive breast milk or formula.
- Treat spills as practice, not failure.
Open cup, straw cup or no-spill sippy cup?
An open cup has no lid or valve; it lets the baby experience liquid at the rim and learn to sip. The NHS recommends an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve to support sipping.
A straw cup can be convenient for travel and family meals, and many babies can learn to use it with practice. Look for a design that is easy to take apart and wash, with no hard-to-clean hidden valve. You do not need to prove a straw cup is superior to an open cup.
A non-spill valved cup may require stronger sucking and can make continuous sipping easy. It is not necessary to shame a family for using one occasionally; focus on offering cup skills and avoiding sugary drinks left within reach all day.
- Open/free-flow cup: a straightforward place to begin.
- Straw cup: a useful second format, especially when mobile.
- Valve-heavy sippy cup: not the only way to learn and may be harder to clean.
- Choose manageable size, easy cleaning and supervised use.
A calm first open-cup practice
Put a small amount of plain water in a light, clean cup. Seat your baby upright with support and bring the rim gently to their lower lip. Allow the baby to explore and attempt a sip; avoid pouring liquid into the mouth or tipping the head backward.
Pause after each attempt. If your baby turns away, becomes upset or loses interest, stop and try another mealtime. Repeated practice is more useful than trying to finish the water.
If the cup spills, use less liquid or help steady it. Keep the session simple. A cup is not a device for washing down food that the baby struggles to swallow.
- Start with a small amount of plain water.
- Support the cup; do not force fluid into the mouth.
- Keep head and body upright.
- Pause, observe and stop at refusal.
Helping a baby practice a straw cup
Offer a clean straw cup when your baby can sit supported upright. You can model taking a sip while the baby watches. Let them explore the straw rather than repeatedly inserting it into the mouth.
Different cups need different levels of suction and have different flow rates. If a baby is overwhelmed by liquid or struggling to coordinate sips, pause; do not force a faster flow or use a high-pressure squeeze technique.
A child who persistently coughs or chokes on liquids, sounds wet after drinking, has recurrent respiratory symptoms or seems distressed should receive a professional feeding or swallowing assessment. A website cannot diagnose aspiration.
- Use a clean, easy-to-wash straw cup with manageable flow.
- Model sipping rather than forcing the straw.
- Practice at calm meals, stopping when baby is done.
- Persistent coughing or difficulty with liquids needs clinical advice.
Spills, refusal and coughing: what to do
Spills are expected with an open cup, especially when a baby starts lifting or tilting it. Offer less liquid and assist the grip. A baby who refuses a cup can try again later; the main milk routine still meets their needs.
A single poorly coordinated sip can happen during learning, but ongoing coughing, choking, breathing trouble or frequent distress with liquids must not be explained away as a normal cup milestone. Stop offering that drink and seek individualized advice.
If your baby is ill, lethargic or has signs of dehydration, an ordinary cup tutorial is not enough. Contact your pediatric clinician promptly.
- Practice calmly and expect spills.
- Do not force a reluctant baby to drink.
- Stop at ongoing coughing or difficulty swallowing.
- Seek prompt medical assessment for breathing concerns or dehydration.
When and how to move away from bottles
Bottle weaning is separate from first cup practice. The AAP commonly recommends moving from bottles to cups during the toddler transition, often aiming to complete it by about 12–18 months, while the NHS discourages bottle feeding from age one. These are general public-health goals, not a command to abruptly stop an infant's nutritional feeds.
Offer cup opportunities gradually and look at the entire feeding routine. For a child twelve months or older, age-appropriate milk can be offered in a cup. Continuing breastfeeding is compatible with cup practice and may be appropriate for much longer.
If your child has growth issues, complex feeding needs, allergies or a prescribed feeding plan, discuss a transition with their healthcare professional rather than removing necessary nutrition or forcing a bedtime cutoff.
- Cup skill practice can begin around six months.
- Bottle-to-cup transition is gradual in toddlerhood, not an infant milk restriction.
- Check local NHS/AAP conventions and your child's feeding needs.
- Avoid leaving a baby to sleep with a bottle.
What drinks and how much?
From around six months with solids, offer small sips of water at mealtimes. AAP/CDC guidance describes roughly 4–8 US fl oz (120–240 mL) of water per day across ages six to twelve months, not a cup to finish. Continue breast milk or infant formula as the main drink through the first year.
Cow's milk is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula as the main drink before twelve months. Once your toddler turns one, pasteurized plain whole cow's milk or an individually appropriate fortified alternative can be considered; the right type and amount depend on other foods and any allergy or growth concerns.
In the US, avoid juice before twelve months even when diluted. No cup type makes sweetened drinks suitable for routine infant hydration.
- Six to twelve months: usual breast milk/formula plus a little water with meals.
- General AAP/CDC water range 4–8 US fl oz/day is not a mandatory quota.
- Cow's milk as a main drink begins at twelve months.
- Avoid juice and sugary drinks for babies.
Cup hygiene and when to seek help
Wash and dry cups, rims, lids, valves and straws according to the manufacturer's directions and current local hygiene guidance. Some designs trap milk residue or moisture where it is hard to see; inspect and replace damaged parts.
Safe handling for cups used for breast milk or formula can differ from plain-water cup practice, especially in medically vulnerable babies. Never treat cleaning a cup as a substitute for powdered-formula preparation hygiene.
If feeding or drinking causes repeated coughing, choking, breathing problems, weight concerns or persistent refusal, speak with a pediatric clinician or feeding specialist. For acute inability to breathe, seek emergency help.
- Choose designs that can be completely disassembled and cleaned.
- Supervise all drinking.
- Check parts for wear and trapped residue.
- Seek evaluation for persistent liquid-swallowing difficulty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cup for a six-month-old?
An open cup or NHS-style free-flow cup is a useful first option; a straw cup is also reasonable with supported practice. No particular design guarantees better speech or swallowing development. Pick one you can clean and use safely.
How do I introduce an open cup?
Place a little water in a small clean cup and help hold the rim gently to your baby's lips while they sit supported upright. Allow the baby to attempt a sip; never pour water into their mouth or tip their head backward.
Can I offer a straw cup at six months?
Many babies can explore straw drinking from about six months, but skills vary. Choose a manageable flow, model drinking and stop if your baby has difficulty coordinating sips.
What if my baby coughs when drinking?
Stop and assess. Persistent coughing, choking, wet-sounding breathing or distress with liquids warrants a professional feeding or swallowing assessment; do not automatically label repeated coughing as normal practice.
How much water should I put in the cup?
Start with a small amount to practice. AAP/CDC general guidance for the six-to-twelve-month period mentions about 4–8 US fluid ounces (120–240 mL) per day, not a quota to drink at one sitting. Continue responsive milk feeds.
Does cup practice mean stopping the bottle?
No. Cup practice around six months is distinct from the gradual bottle-to-cup transition, generally encouraged in toddlerhood. Don't reduce a younger baby's necessary breast milk or formula merely to encourage cup drinking.
What if my baby refuses all cups?
Stop without pressure and offer another calm opportunity. Continue their normal milk routine. If there are growth, intake, developmental or persistent drinking concerns, ask a pediatric clinician.
Can I give juice in a baby cup?
US AAP/CDC guidance recommends no juice before twelve months, even diluted. Offer plain water for cup practice and suitable breast milk or formula according to the child's age and feeding plan.
Sources & References
This guide is informed by current guidelines from leading health organizations:
- ●NHS - Drinks and Cups for Babies NHS
- ●AAP - Choose Water for Healthy Hydration AAP
- ●CDC — Drinks to Encourage for Infants and Toddlers CDC
- ●AAP — Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 and Younger AAP
