When and How to Introduce a Cup to Your Baby

Cups aren't just about hydration — the type of cup your baby uses matters for their teeth, jaw development, and speech. Here's what the UK guidance says and how to make the switch practically.

When to introduce a cup

The NHS recommends offering a free-flow cup (not a sippy cup with a valve) from around 6 months alongside the introduction of solid foods. This is when babies start needing sips of water with meals.

Why a free-flow cup (not a sippy cup)?

This surprises many parents. UK dental and speech therapy guidance consistently recommends avoiding valved sippy cups as the primary drinking vessel after 12 months.

The reason: Valved sippy cups require a sucking action similar to a bottle, which:

• Delays the development of mature drinking skills
• Keeps the tongue in a forward position similar to infant feeding
• May affect speech development if used extensively
• Keeps teeth in prolonged contact with whatever's in the cup

A free-flow cup (open cup, doidy cup, or a beaker without a valve — like many Tommee Tippee "first cup" designs) requires baby to manage the flow themselves, which develops lip, tongue, and jaw control.

Starting out: what to expect

Introducing a cup at 6 months is messy. Baby will:

• Not understand what to do at first
• Tip it and pour it
• Dribble most of the water out
• Gradually, over several weeks, figure out how to take sips

This is fine. Start with small amounts — just a few sips of water with meals. Use a cup with a weighted base or wide base to reduce tipping. Accept the mess as part of learning.

Good cup options

Open cup / shot glass: The most developmental — completely free-flow, helps with muscle control. Best started early. Messy but effective.

Doidy cup: Angled cup designed for babies — easier for small hands and helps them see the liquid. A favourite of health visitors and speech therapists.

360-degree cup (without valve): Drinks from any edge, reduces spillage, valve-free. Popular with many parents as a middle ground.

Free-flow beaker: The standard NHS-recommended approach — many brands make these. The Tommee Tippee First Sips cup is widely used.

Straw cup: Also a good option from around 9 months — straw drinking uses different but appropriate oral motor skills. Not quite the same as open cup but much better than sippy cup with a valve.

What to put in the cup

At 6–12 months:

• Water — with meals and throughout the day
• Breast milk or formula — can be offered in a cup rather than a bottle to support bottle weaning

Avoid:

• Juice (even diluted) — high sugar content damages teeth and sets a preference for sweet drinks
• Cow's milk as the main drink until 12 months (though fine in food and on cereal)
• Herbal teas or other drinks

Transitioning away from bottles

The NHS and most paediatric dental guidance recommends moving away from bottles by 12 months. Prolonged bottle use — particularly at bedtime with milk — is one of the main causes of early childhood tooth decay.

How to do it:

• Introduce the cup for water from 6 months, so baby is already cup-competent by 12 months
• Start replacing daytime bottles with cups first — formula or expressed milk in a cup
• The bedtime bottle tends to be the hardest — often associated with comfort and routine. Move it earlier in the bedtime routine so teeth can be brushed after
• By 12 months, aim for all drinks from a cup (milk can continue in a cup or open beaker)

If your baby resists:

• Try different cup types — some babies have strong preferences
• Try different temperatures (some prefer slightly warm)
• Let older siblings or other children model cup use
• Be patient — it can take several weeks

Dental care alongside cups

As soon as the first tooth appears, brushing twice a day with a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste (1000ppm — check the label) is recommended. Don't rinse after brushing — let the toothpaste work. Avoid sugary drinks, especially in any kind of bottle or sippy cup.