You love the closeness of breastfeeding, but you probably don’t love being the only source of milk around the clock. Moving a breastfed baby to a cup is a big step toward independence, and it usually comes with a little resistance at first.
The switch gets easier with the right cup and some patience. Here is how to introduce a sippy cup to your breastfed baby, when to start, and which cup styles tend to work best.
Key Takeaways
- Babies are usually ready to try a cup around 6 months, once they start eating solid foods.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends finishing the switch from bottle to cup between 12 and 18 months, and moving to an open cup by about age 2.
- Soft silicone spouts and straw cups suit breastfed babies best, and straw or open cups also support tongue and speech development.
- Dropping one feeding at a time is usually gentler than stopping cold turkey and protects your milk supply.
Prepare for the Transition
Every child handles the switch to sippy cups differently. Some eager learners reach for a cup as young as 6 months, while others ignore one until their first birthday.
Take Note
Pediatricians suggest offering a cup as soon as your baby starts solids, usually around 6 months, and completing the move from bottle to cup between 12 and 18 months (1). The American Dental Association also advises stopping bottles by the first birthday to help prevent tooth decay (2).
Consider these factors before you start the weaning process:
- Select a breast-like cup: Breastfed babies are used to soft textures, so a hard plastic spout can feel foreign and unappealing. Look for a cup with a soft silicone spout or a straw, like the Philips Avent My Easy Sippy Cup, to ease the change.
- Skip the no-spill valve at first: A no-spill valve makes your baby suck hard, much like a bottle, which keeps liquid on the teeth longer and slows the more grown-up sipping motion you want. An open or straw cup avoids that trap.
- Manage your expectations: Your baby is learning a new skill, so expect spills, refusals, and a few tears. Try to stay calm during the occasional temper tantrum.
- Experiment with styles: Do not buy five of the same cup right away. Try a few styles (straw, spout, 360-edge) to see which mechanism your baby prefers.
- Prioritize hygiene: Milk residue leads to mold quickly. As you clean your sippy cups, take apart every valve and gasket, and pick cups with fewer crevices where bacteria can hide.
You generally have two options when introducing the cup:
- The Cold Turkey Method: You stop breastfeeding completely and only offer the cup. Babies often adjust within a few days, but this method can bring a lot of crying and stress. It also raises your risk of clogged ducts or mastitis if you do not express milk to relieve the pressure (3).
- The Gradual Method: This gentler approach drops one breastfeeding session at a time, usually starting with the midday feed, or keeps the breast only at bedtime. It gives your baby time to adjust and protects your milk supply from dropping too fast.
Whichever method you choose, remember that breastmilk (or formula) should remain your baby’s main source of calories until age one. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use bottles until then, only that your baby still needs to take the same amount from the sippy cup that they were taking at the breast or from a bottle.
Editor's Note:
Michelle Roth, BA, IBCLCSteps to Introduce the Sippy Cup
Unless your child has been eyeing your water glass for months, they might not know what to do with a sippy cup. Follow these steps to help them master this milestone.
1. Choose Your Strategy
Pick your plan before you present the cup.
If you choose the cold turkey route, you have to be firm. Giving in after 20 minutes of crying teaches your child that tears get results. If you value your sleep and sanity, the gradual method is usually easier to sustain.
Even if you only breastfeed at bedtime, hold your boundaries during the day. Consistency prevents confusion.
2. Model the Behavior
Babies love to copy their parents, so let them watch you pour breast milk or water into the cup.
Show them how to lift the cup and tilt it. If the cup has handles, guide their hands to hold it correctly. If it is a straw cup, you may need to show them how to suck rather than tip.
If they reject it, try dipping the spout in breast milk or rubbing some on their lips. The familiar taste often gets them to latch on and investigate further.
3. Switch Styles if Needed
Do not force a cup your baby hates.
If a week of one cup brings zero success, swap it out. The flow might be too fast, or the texture too hard. Many breastfed babies take to straw cups because the sipping motion is closer to breastfeeding, while hard spouts ask for a biting action and hold the tongue down. Straw and open cups let the tongue lift into the pattern used for mature swallowing and clear speech.
4. Encourage Playtime
Familiarity breeds comfort, so hand the empty cup to your baby during playtime.
Let them bang it, shake it, and chew on it. This removes the pressure to drink and makes the cup less intimidating. Once they are comfortable handling it as a toy, they are more likely to accept it as a feeding tool.
5. Sit Down to Sip
Safety comes first, so do not let your toddler roam the house with a sippy cup in their mouth.
If they trip, the spout can injure their gums, teeth, or the roof of their mouth. Make a rule that cups stay at the table or in the high chair. This also prevents constant grazing on sugary drinks, which causes cavities.
