Bottle to cup; How to transition

 

O ffering a cup is a big milestone. Congrats! It can take weeks, or even months, for a baby to master using a cup. So start slow and be patient. It is recommended to wean off the bottle completely by the time your child is 15 months old and no later than 18 months old.

Here are some tips for offering your baby a cup:


  • Offer your baby an empty cup. Allow them to explore and play with the cup.
  • Offer a very small amount of liquid in the cup for the first offers. Around 2 ounces is enough to get in great practice. You can tilt the cup gently towards your baby's mouth to help them practice how much to swallow. 
  • Offer the cup slowly and over time. Start by offering infant formula in a cup at one feeding. Introduce a second feeding when your baby has accepted the cup at one feeding. 
  • Try having someone else offer the cup. A baby is sometimes more willing to accept a cup from someone else. 
  • Try to offer a cup someplace different from your normal feeding places. 
  • Role model drinking out of a cup. Show them. Then encourage them to mimic you. 
  • Offer a cup that has handles. Your baby might do better with a cup that has handles for many months.