Open cup

Some babies go straight from a bottle to an open cup, so consider this option as well. Babies are developmentally ready to sip from an open cup, held by another person, starting around 6 months of age.6

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Once they&#;re able to sit up unassisted and seal their lower lip on the rim of the cup, you can practice by holding an open cup with a small amount of water or milk to your baby&#;s mouth, and tipping it slightly towards your baby.

Starting to practice with different cups at six months helps to ensure your baby is able to successfully transition off of the bottle around their first birthday.1

Read more: Dehydration in Kids: How to Keep your Baby or Tot Hydrated

Which cup: Bottom line

Sippy cups (without a valve) should only be used for a few months as a learning tool.  Once your little one can pick up the cup and tip it to sip, an open cup is the next step!

Straw cups are also a transition tool &#; but there are certain situations where they can continue to be useful, provided they are only used occasionally. A straw cup may be a good option for a long car or plane ride to help prevent spills. You can also consider a spout cup (without the internal straw), which requires your little one to tip the cup up to drink.

But the bottom line is that open cups should be used most often to ensure your little one&#;s mouth and tongue are developing appropriately.

How do I transition my baby to cups?

Try different types of cups

Some children need a subtler transition from a bottle to a softer-spout toddler cup, while others do well with the big jump between bottle (of breastmilk or formula) and a plastic toddler cup containing water.  Experiment with different cups to determine what works best for your baby.

Read more: What to Drink Instead of Sweetened Beverages

Remove the spill-proof valves from sippy cups

Don&#;t worry so much about spills. Instead, focus on letting your baby practice drinking from a cup. The spill-proof valves on toddler sippy cups may impede your baby&#;s success with drinking because they can make it more challenging for the child to get any liquid out of the cup, and they encourage sucking over sipping.

By removing the spill-proof valve or choosing a cup without one, your baby will have to learn to tip the cup and sip in order to get liquid from it, much like drinking from an open cup.

Allow your baby to sip water from your open cup

Practice makes progress! Let your 6+ month old baby practice drinking from a cup of water that you are holding. Or try holding a small, child-sized cup with a few tablespoons of water in it.

Your baby must develop oral motor control to learn how to seal their lips on the side of an open cup, receive some water, keep that seal while swallowing and move the cup away from their mouth.7

You will see lots of dribbling down baby&#;s shirt and spilling initially, but making a mess is part of the fun!

Present breastmilk or formula in a cup

Some babies have an easier time transitioning to a new cup if you present them with a familiar taste.

For babies who are exclusively or partially bottle-fed (as opposed to exclusively breastfed), try giving your baby half of their breastmilk or formula in a bottle and the last few ounces in a cup.

When you switch out the bottle for the cup, continue to snuggle with your baby like you normally would when feeding from the bottle. You can also try having your baby suck on the bottle nipple for a few seconds, and then switch over to a cup containing breastmilk or formula. For babies who are exclusively fed at the breast, follow all other suggestions in this section.

Read More: Introducing Formula to a Breastfed Baby

Offer toddler cups with easy-to-hold handles

Holding, lifting, and tipping the cup to drink is an important part of the learning process for your baby. Some companies sell handles that fit on bottles, sippy cups, and straw cups interchangeably, which can make for an easier transition.

However, because of their ease of holding and carrying around, many toddlers will hold onto their cup of liquid all day long, much like a security blanket.1 Additionally, sipping on breastmilk or formula, or other sugary beverages such as juice, all day long between meals can contribute to tooth decay.8

These are great reasons to seek out open cups with handles made for babies and toddlers and provide liquid at meal and snack times.

Additional helpful recommendations about baby and toddler cups

Do not let your child drink from a cup that is scratched or damaged

A worn cup with scratches is more likely to harbor bacteria and, if the damaged cup contains bisphenol A (BPA), may release small amounts of the chemical. While research on the effects of BPA on humans continues to advance, there is enough evidence confirming risk and many manufactures no longer use the chemical in their baby cups.9

Notice whether a cup sports a &#;BPA-free&#; label before purchasing.

Disassemble cups, lids and straws completely before washing

Toddler sippy and straw cups with lots of parts have nooks and crannies may trap bacteria and other germs &#; yet another reason to promote open cups as soon as your baby can handle them!

Separate all the valves from inside sippy cups and take out the straws to clean the cups thoroughly before handwashing or running through the dishwasher. Look for toddler cups that are easy to separate, clean and sterilize to make your life easier.

Do not let your child go to bed with a sippy cup or bottle

If your baby falls asleep while drinking from a toddler sippy cup or bottle, the milk may pool in the back of their throat and coat their teeth with sugar-containing liquid for the entire night.3,9 (Even breastmilk has naturally occurring sugar!)

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Be sure to separate your baby from their drinking source and brush those teeth before bed.

Let&#;s Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.

Our Happy Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition &#; and they&#;re all moms, too, which means they&#;ve been there and seen that. They&#;re here to help on our free, live chat platform Monday through Friday, from 8am&#;6pm (ET). Chat Now!

Read more about the experts that help write our content!

For more on this topic, check out the following articles:

Healthy Eating for Kids

Introducing solids: Purees versus Baby Led Weaning

Choosing the Best Bottles and Nipples for your Baby

What Type of Milk Should my Toddler Drink?

Why should we skip the Sippy Cup?

Changes the swallow pattern to a less mature swallow
Breastfeeding, bottle feeding, sippy cup drinking, straw drinking and open cup drinking are not all created equal! During the first year of life, a baby utilizes an immature swallow pattern when breast or bottle feeding. This swallow pattern uses an anterior-posterior tongue movement to move liquid to the back of their mouth. Around age 1, the swallow pattern should shift to a more mature pattern. This new, mature swallow pattern includes tongue elevation to the bumpy gum line behind the front teeth (also known as the alveolar ridge) and employs a wave-like motion to move food and liquid.

A hard spout can impact the development of this mature swallow pattern, as it physically blocks the tongue from appropriate placement during a swallow. Because the hard spout rests on the anterior portion (the tip) of the tongue, the tongue is not able to elevate. An immature swallow pattern can make for messy mealtimes, as chewing and swallowing foods can be difficult for the child.

Encourages a forward resting tongue position, or tongue thrust
As noted above, the tongue is typically placed on the floor, or bottom, of the oral cavity under the hard-spout sippy. By inhibiting tongue elevation, the tongue remains on the floor of the mouth. Prolonged use of a hard-spout may lead to continued use of an immature swallow pattern, or tongue thrust. This occurs when the tongue protrudes through the teeth while at rest, swallowing, and/or producing speech.

Encourages open mouth posture at rest
With consistent use of an immature swallow pattern, the tongue may rest low and forward in the child&#;s mouth, which can also impact the jaw musculature. This change in oral facial development and open mouth posture may lead to mouth breathing.

Impacts speech development due to a tongue thrust
Impacted oral structures and motor skills can directly impact a child&#;s speech sound development. A forward resting position may result in a frontal lisp. A frontal lisp occurs when the tongue is placed between the teeth for production of the /s/ and /z/ speech sounds. Tongue thrusts can also cause misarticulations with other sounds, such as /t, d, l, n/. Overall, the structure and function of a child&#;s oral development is the foundation for speech sound production.

Impacts teeth development and reduces appetite cues
With a forward tongue position and open mouth at rest, a child&#;s teeth and/or oral facial development may be impacted. This includes palate development and teeth positioning, such as an open bite. An open bite occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not come together when the mouth is closed.

In addition to these physical changes, a child may experience reduced appetite cues, as it may create &#;grazing&#; tendencies. Children love drinking milk and different types of juices throughout the day. However, these calorie dense liquids can keep their little bellies full! When mealtime comes, they might not even be hungry. The child may be consistently experiencing the sensation of being &#;full&#;; therefore impacting their appetite and body cues.

Other Cup Options

An open cup can be introduced at 6 months of age. Prior to introducing an open cup, a baby should be able to sit up independently. By 12 months of age, open cups should be introduced. That said, do not worry if a sippy cup has already been introduced! A baby can still be taught the new skill of drinking from an open cup. Open cups, cups without a spout (like the top of a coffee cup!) or straw cups are ideal!

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