Learning to drink from a cup is one of those quiet milestones that sneaks up on you. One day you are spooning purée, and not long after your little one is grabbing the cup, tipping it everywhere, and grinning about it. Here is how to make the move from bottles to cups feel calm and unhurried.

Starting cups from around 6 months

When your baby begins solids (around 6 months), it is the perfect time to introduce a cup. You are not replacing milk — breastmilk or formula stays the main drink for the whole first year — you are simply giving them practice.

  • Offer small sips of water with meals from an open cup or a free-flow (non-valved) cup.
  • A little spilling and dribbling is completely normal. Cup skills take weeks of practice.
  • Let your baby hold the cup themselves when they show interest, even if it is messy.

The Raising Children Network and the American Academy of Pediatrics both encourage introducing an open or free-flow cup early, rather than relying on no-spill valved cups, because the sucking action of valved cups is closer to a bottle and does less to build new drinking skills.

What to offer in the cup

For most babies, the only extra drink needed is water.

  • From 6 months, offer water with meals — check your local guidance on which kind. Australian guidance (Raising Children Network) advises boiled-then-cooled water until around 12 months; in the US, plain tap water is generally fine from around 6 months.
  • Skip juice and sweet drinks — they add sugar your baby does not need and can crowd out milk and food. WHO advises avoiding free sugars in this first period.
  • Milk (breastmilk or formula) continues as the main drink; cow's milk as a main drink usually waits until 12 months, though small amounts in food are fine from 6 months.
Age Main drink Extra drink Cup type
~6 months Breastmilk or formula Sips of cooled, boiled water with meals Open or free-flow
9–12 months Breastmilk or formula Water with meals and snacks Open or free-flow
12 months+ Milk in a cup; water freely Plain water Open cup

Weaning from bottles around 12 months

Both the AAP and Raising Children Network suggest aiming to have bottles gone by around 12 to 18 months. Long-term bottle use is linked to tooth decay and can affect appetite for solids. There is no need to rush on the dot of the first birthday — go at a pace that suits your child.

A gentle order that works for many families:

Easing bottles out

  1. Start with the daytime bottles your baby is least attached to — offer milk in a cup at that feed instead.
  2. Drop one bottle every few days to a week, giving everyone time to adjust.
  3. Move mealtime milk into a cup so the cup becomes the new normal.
  4. Leave the most comforting feed (often the bedtime or first-morning one) until last.
  5. Replace the comfort of the bottle with a cuddle, a story, or a song so the closeness stays.
  • Offer extra closeness and reassurance as bottles go — for many babies the bottle is as much about comfort as milk.
  • If your baby resists, pause and try again in a week or two. This is not a race.
  • Avoid bottles in the cot to sleep, as milk pooling around teeth overnight raises the risk of decay.

When to get a little extra help

Every baby moves at their own pace, but check in with your GP or child-health nurse if:

  • Your baby is not interested in any cup or solids well past 9–12 months.
  • They seem to be drinking very little, or you notice signs of dehydration (fewer wet nappies, dark urine, lethargy, dry lips).
  • Feeding feels distressing, with frequent gagging, coughing or choking — they can talk you through safe textures and positioning.

Trust yourself here. You know your baby. A child-health nurse has seen this a thousand times and will never mind a question.

This guide is general wellness information and is not medical advice. For anything specific to your child, please talk to your GP, child-health nurse or doctor.