Y ou do not have to stop breastfeeding to introduce a cup. You can continue feeding this way until you and your baby decide it is the right time to stop. Some moms offer their babies and children breastmilk for many years. When it comes to feeding with a bottle, it is recommended to wean off the bottle by 15 months but no later than 18 months old. Start slow and be patient. It can take weeks, or even months, for a baby to master using a cup.
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 to help baby practice swallowing small amounts.
Offer the cup slowly and over time. Start by offering breastmilk or infant formula in a cup at one feeding. When your baby has accepted the cup at one feeding, introduce a second feeding.
Have someone else offer the cup. A baby is sometimes more willing to accept a cup from someone else.
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 with handles. Your baby might do better with a cup with handles for many months.
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