When to start cup drinking?

[Charlie'sMum]

Hi,

My DD is 6 months old and has been bottle fed since she was 2 weeks old. We have recently started her on solids.

I was wondering at what stage we should introduce a cup and what should we put in it? (water, juice etc).

Thanks,

[the pero clinic]

Dear Charlie'sMum,

You can start to intruduce cup drinking from around 6 months of age. Use either a spout cup or a small open cup. Your baby will take some time to get used to it, and will appear to bite or suck from the cup, or may have some difficulty sucking from the spout cup if it has a valve. Experiment to see what works best for your bub - remember, the most expensive cups aren't necessarily the best!

Give your bub cooled boiled water or formula in the cup only. Do not give your bub juice or any other sweet drink - even if it is diluted. Juice can cause tooth decay to young teeth and sweet drinks only encourage bubs and toddlers to refuse plain water - which is the healthiest drink for them (in addition to formula).

Try introducing cup drinking while your bub is sitting in the bath, or while you are outside on a warm day - that way you don't have to worry about dribbles and spills and you can just have fun learning this new skill together.

the pero clinic