When transitioning baby to an adult cup, some need to take baby steps, while others take a sippy cup early on. When to transition all comes down to you and your individual baby, but on average is at 6-9 months.
Signs baby is ready to transition:
- Baby can sit up on their own in the highchair
- Baby is ready for finger food
Tips to a successful transition
- Eliminate Distractions: Avoid beginning the transition when you have other big life events happening, such as a move.
- Try a Soft Spout: A soft spout cup will feel more familiar than hard plastic. While some babies jump right to hard plastic, some need a soft spout first.
- Lend a Helping Hand: Touching the spout to the roof of your baby’s mouth will stimulate the suck reflex, which shows him the spout is like a nipple.
- Substitute if Needed: Try putting just a bottle nipple in baby’s mouth to initiate sucking, and then switch to the sippy cup spout.
- Get the Timing Right: Early on, avoid switching from bottle to cup during early morning and later-day feedings when babies tend to be fussier. Use mid-day feedings and then gradually switch over to all meal times.
- Switch Up the Liquid: If you’re getting any resistance, experiment with milk or water. As your baby gets more used to the cup, she’ll get more content with whatever you put in it.
- Don’t Give Up Too Fast If baby doesn’t take to a cup right away – don’t toss them! Give it a few weeks and try again. Most babies make the transition successfully.
Baby steps to sippy cup
If baby loves their bottle, a good idea is to transition to a sippy spout on your bottle first. Read more about sippy bottles and how to transition using them.
Bottle to cup transition chart
Babies have their own preferences and can hit a milestone sooner or later than “average”, and that’s okay! Experimenting and trying out different cups is key to helping your baby transition.
