How to Teach Babies to Drink From Open and Straw Cups

You know you have to teach your baby to eat solid food but now you need to teach them to drink from a cup too?! Are you feeling overwhelmed with the thought of introducing cups? 

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding what cups are best for babies. In this post I want to make it clear what cups help your baby’s development and which cups should be avoided.

We’ll cover what cups are best, how to teach your baby to drink from a straw and open cup, when you should introduce cups and more!

When should babies be weaned from a bottle?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and speech-language pathologist Melanie Potock recommend weaning from baby bottles once solid foods are started (around 6 months). Ideally, babies should be fully transitioned from bottle feeding to cups by their first birthday. 

The American Dental Association also recommends weaning off the bottle by 12-15 months. Never give your baby a bottle at night. If a child’s teeth are in constant contact with milk or juice, it can lead to tooth decay and impact tooth development and alignment.

Around 6 months babies begin to develop a mature swallow pattern. Bottles, sippy cups, spout cups, and even long straws prevent a mature swallow pattern. They depress the tongue and prevent it from creating a wave-like motion to bring liquid to the back of the mouth.

Can I breastfeed after my baby is weaned from a bottle?

Breastfeeding past 12 months of age is perfectly fine and even encouraged. The breast is more malleable than a bottle or sippy cup and does not interfere with oral motor development. Breastmilk can also be offered in a straw or open cup. 

When should you introduce cups to babies?

Babies can begin drinking from a straw and open cup when they start solid foods (around 6 months of age or when signs of readiness emerge).

Introducing cups to babies 6-12 months of age

Once you begin solid foods with your baby, you can also introduce open and straw cups. Babies 6-12 months are more interested and willing to practice new skills which makes it a great time to practice drinking from a cup.

The goal for babies 6-12 months is to practice the new skill of cup drinking, not necessarily consume more fluids. Before 12 months of age we want to offer a small amount of water and be careful not to replace breastmilk or formula. Check out my post on when babies can drink water and how much to offer for all the info on babies’ water needs!

Cup drinking for babies 12+ months of age

If your baby is 12 months or older and you haven’t introduced cups yet, it’s still possible! Just know it can take a bit more time and patience to introduce water to a baby over 12 months. Toddlers are pretty confident in their bottle drinking skills and may have a hard time switching to open and straw cups.

At 12 months of age and older, you can offer water as a drink with meals and between. After 1 year of age solid food, water, and other liquids will be their main source of nutrition. This is a shift from breast milk and formula being the main source of nutrition from birth through 12 months.

Best cups for babies

There are so many different types of cups for babies, it can be overwhelming. Luckily you can ignore most of the products out there because all you really need is a small regular cup and a short straw. 

If you want to look for a special baby cup, you only need two types of cups.

• Open cup
• Straw cup

Best straw cup for babies

Look for these characteristics in a straw cup for babies:

• Food-grade silicone or stainless steel
• Short straw
• No spill-proof valve

Here are some recommended straw cups. I have almost all of these in my cupboard!

Stainless steel:

Best open cups for babies

Here are some suggestions for the best products when it comes to open cups for babies.

The ezpz tiny cup below has a weighted base which helps prevent babies from tipping it over.

Why aren’t sippy cups or 360 cups recommended?

Most feeding and speech therapists do not recommend a typical sippy cup or 360 cup. The best option for introducing water to babies will be open or straw cups. 

Everyone will have to learn how to drink from a straw or open cup eventually. It’s best to skip sippy cups because eventually only open or straw cups are used. Sippy cups are just an extra, unnecessary step!

Additionally, sippy cups and 360 cups encourage a method of drinking that’s not ideal for oral motor development and speech development. If your baby is using a sippy cup or 360 cup, you can still transition to an open or straw cup. See above for suggestions of each.  

What if I still want to use sippy cups?

Sippy cups can be useful on-go when you need something spill-proof. There are so many sippy cups out there – soft spout, firm spout, removable handles- there really isn’t a best sippy cup. It can be easier to skip them altogether than try to find one better than another.

If you have sippy cups and don’t want to throw them out, using them once in awhile won’t harm your child in the long run. If you’re just starting out with solids, it’s best to skip sippy cups. Straw cups have improved over the years and some even fit in car seats and are nearly spill-proof. 

How to introduce cups to babies

Now you know what you need to introduce cups to babies so let’s get practicing!

How to teach babies to drink from an open cup 

Place your baby in the high chair and make sure they are in a safe eating environment when teaching cup drinking. It’s a good idea to teach cup drinking at meal time when the rest of the family will be role modeling this important skill too. 

Follow these steps to teach them how to drink from an open cup!

1. Fill a small cup with breast milk, formula, or water (1-2oz). 
2. Sit next to your baby and get your baby’s attention by smiling and saying their name. Role model drinking from the cup by taking (pretend) small sips. You may do this from your baby’s cup or your own. Just make sure it’s a similar cup to your baby’s. 
3. Offer the cup to your baby by holding it out and allowing your baby to reach for it. Don’t bring the cup to your baby’s mouth right away, but allow them to reach out and get ahold of it first. 
4. Assist your baby in bringing the cup of water to their mouth. Slowly tip the cup until the liquid touches their lower lip so your baby knows to open their mouth.

Continue these steps at most meals, or at least once a day when your baby is starting solids. The point is not for babies under 12 months to drink much water, but rather to master the skill of drinking from a cup.

How to teach your baby to drink from a straw cup

Just like when teaching your baby to drink from an open cup, make sure your baby is upright in their highchair with a footrest and safe eating environment. Straw drinking often takes practice but some babies get the hang of it right away.

Babies can begin practicing drinking from a straw cup at 6 months old. Your baby may not swallow much liquid in the beginning but that’s okay!

To teach your baby to drink water from a straw cup try these steps:

1. You can use a small cup with a straw like the Olababy cup (in the video above)
2. Fill the cup with a 1-2 ounces of water, breastmilk, or formula
3. Role model drinking from the straw and then hand the straw cup to your baby to try

How to teach your baby to drink from a straw using a straw trainer

If your baby doesn’t get the concept of sucking from the straw right away, you can try a straw trainer. The honey bear bottle is a squeezable bottle that allows you to squeeze the liquid, forcing it up through the straw, allowing your baby to understand where the liquid is coming from.

To use this method try these steps:

1. Bring the straw to your baby’s lips
2. Allow your baby to open their mouth and lean in to accept the straw, then give a slight squeeze to force liquid through the straw and into your baby’s mouth. Often babies will seal their lips around the straw and swallow.
3. After the first couple times, you will be able to stop squeezing the bottle and allow your baby to suck the liquid out for themselves. 

Troubleshooting teaching babies to drink from a cup

What if my baby spills water and coughs frequently?

Water, breast milk, and formula are thin liquids so expect babies to gag and cough when learning. This is a normal and important part of the learning process. 

Expect that your baby will spill often because they are learning how to hold and maneuver cups and thin liquids. Keep a wash rag nearby if the mess bothers you during meals.

Refrain from wiping your baby’s face during meals. Allowing babies to fully engage with food and drinks during meal times can help avoid picky eating down the road.

What if my baby doesn’t drink any water?

No worries if your baby doesn’t consume any water in the early days. Breast milk and formula will provide most of baby’s nutrition for the first year of life. 

Introducing water and cups around 6 months allows your baby lots of time to practice before their first birthday. At 12 months of age solid foods, milk (cow’s or another high-calcium milk), and water will be your baby’s main source of nutrition.

What if my baby isn’t interested in cup drinking?

Babies take interest in cups and utensils sometime between 6-8 months. Don’t expect your baby to master cup drinking immediately but instead continue to role model and offer breast milk, formula, or water in a straw or open cup. Remember to role model drinking often too!

You can try changing the environment when practicing cup drinking. Go outside and practice drinking while sitting on a blanket. Bring a pitcher of water and allow your baby to pour water into a cup and practice drinking from it. You can have a pretend tea party (with water)!

Always eat and drink in a low pressure environment to encourage positive associations to mealtimes.

Best tips for teaching babies to drink from open and straw cups

• Always get your information from professionals. Speech therapists and occupational therapists are experts in the mechanics of eating and drinking and are often more up-to-date than most health organizations. The information and cup products in this post are suggestions from feeding experts.
• Begin bottle weaning around 6 months and completely transition from baby bottles to cups by 12 months
• Cups should be introduced when babies start solids (6 months)
• Use open and straw cups from the beginning
• Skip sippy cups and 360 cups
• Drinking from a cup and straw is a learned skill and will take time and practice

Looking for more recommended baby-led weaning supplies? I have it all laid out for you in this baby-led weaning supply guide. Follow our baby-led weaning journey on instagram @mydietitian.friend!