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Baby feeding cup bottle


Weaning Your Baby: Cup Feeding

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Weaning is when your baby learns to drink from a cup instead of a breast or bottle. They should be drinking liquids from a cup by age 1. The longer you wait, the harder it can be for your child to give up the bottle. Drinking from a bottle for a long time after teeth have come in, can lead to tooth decay (cavities). If a baby drinks from a bottle while lying down for a long time, it can cause ear infections.

If you wean your baby from breastfeeding before 1 year of age, give them formula. They do not need other drinks for a healthy diet. You can offer a little water with food starting at 6 months to 1 year of age but give no more than ½ to 1 cup (4 to 8 ounces) a day. They should not drink cow’s milk or juice before age 1 (Picture 1). Breastfeeding can continue past that age.

When to Start
  • The age of weaning is different for each baby.
  • Most babies are ready to start learning to use a cup at 6 to 9 months of age. This is the same time they start to eat solid food.
  • They need to be able to sit up without support in order to drink from a cup.
  • Other signs of when your baby may be ready are when they:
    • Shorten their breastfeeding time
    • Are easily distracted while being held for a feeding
    • Want to hold the bottle on their own

How to Begin
  • At about 6 months of age, give your baby an empty, open sippy or 360° cup with handles to hold (Picture 2). Have them practice holding the cup when sitting at a table for a meal. Choose the same meal every day. It does not matter which one.
  • Show your baby how you drink from your own cup. Ask them to copy you using theirs. Do not share your cup with them to prevent passing on your germs.
  • Wean gradually. By 9 months, start to put a little bit of breastmilk or formula in their cup. You might need to help them hold the cup. They may resist drinking from the cup the first few times. It will take time for your baby to learn. They might make a mess.
  • Do not offer them the bottle during or right after the meal when using the cup. When your child can drink from the cup, replace a second breastfeeding or bottle feeding with a cup feeding. This may take a few days or weeks for some children.
  • Keep replacing breastfeeding or bottle feedings until your baby is no longer feeding from the bottle or breast.
  • Let your child use a sippy cup only while sitting. A sippy cup should not be carried around by your child in their mouth. This can cause injury to the mouth if they fall.
  • Switch to a cup with a lid, but no spout, as soon as possible. This will prevent possible problems in how their teeth grow. Aim for 18 months of age.
  • Shift to a cup without any lid between age 2 and 3. By age 3 your child should be weaned from a sippy cup. While sippy cups help to avoid messy spills, drinking from them for too long can become a hard habit to give up.

Other Tips
  • Avoid giving your baby a bottle or use breastfeeding to comfort them when crying or to help them fall asleep. This will make it harder for them to switch to only using a cup. Also, drinking just before sleeping can cause tooth decay.
  • Offer only water between meals.

Weaning in One Step

The longer a child uses a bottle, the harder it may be for them to give it up. If your child can already drink from a cup but refuses to do so or refuses to give up the bottle, you might have to take away all bottles completely at one time. This method applies to children 15 to 18 months and older who use the bottle for comfort or habit and not for food. 

To use this method:

  • Remove all bottles from the home.
  • Be firm and consistent about giving milk from a cup, not a bottle.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask your child’s dentist or health care provider.

Weaning Your Baby: Cup Feeding (PDF), Arabic (PDF), Nepali (PDF), Somali (PDF), Spanish (PDF)

HH-IV-19 6/87, Revised 2/22 Copyright 1987- 2022, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Cup Feeding a Newborn - Breastfeeding Support

Breastfeeding SupportCreated with Sketch.
Evidence-based breastfeeding tips and resources

Editor in Chief Philippa Pearson-Glaze

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By Philippa Pearson-Glaze IBCLC

Last Revised

Cup feeding is an alternative to bottle feeding if a baby can’t latch to the breast and needs to be given some milk. It can also be used for supplementing a baby who is not getting enough milk or for a baby who is separated from his mother for a while. It is thought to be a useful short-term alternative to using a bottle teat as it avoids a baby getting confused by the different sucking action required on an artificial bottle nipple (nipple preference/confusion). However, there are disadvantages as well as advantages to cup feeding. This article looks at the pros and cons of cup feeding and how to cup feed a newborn baby.

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Baby must be awake and alert to cup feed

Pros and cons of cup feeding

Advantages of cup feeding

  • Better oxygen saturation and heart rate. A premature baby can feed at his own pace which may improve his oxygen saturation and heart rate making him more physiologically stable123
  • Cup feeding may help preserve breastfeeding by avoiding bottles. Studies show cup feeding premature babies instead of using bottles can increase the number of babies who breastfeed and increase the length of time they breastfeed45
  • Cup feeding can prepare a baby for breastfeeding. Feeding technique (use of muscles) while cup feeding is thought to be closer to breastfeeding than using a bottle6 and may help prepare a baby for breastfeeding by encouraging the tongue to come forward for lapping/sipping
  • Open cups are easily available, inexpensive and very easy to clean in resource poor areas or emergencies compared with teats, bottles or feeding tubes
  • Suitable for very young babies. Cup feeding can begin from as early as 29 weeks gestational age.7

Disadvantages of cup feeding

  • There is a risk of aspiration or choking if cup feeding is not done correctly
  • Feeds can take a long time
  • There can be a lot of spilled and wasted milk compared with bottle feeding or tube feeding 8
  • Long term cup feeding can dampen the sucking reflex or create a preference for the cup
  • Not suitable for sleepy babies as there is a risk of choking.

Can cup feeding help preserve breastfeeding?

One review found cup feeding had no significant benefit in maintaining breastfeeding after discharge from hospital and that the length of hospital stay was likely to be a lot longer with cup feeding in some settings.9 However more recent studies have found the opposite —more cup fed babies were exclusively breastfeeding at discharge, and beyond, with no apparent increase in hospital stay for term10, late preterm11 and premature babies (Penny et al. 2018). The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine12 states cup feeding may help preserve breastfeeding and the World Health Organisation13 recommends cups or spoons rather than bottles and teats for premature babies.

How to cup feed a baby

Cup feeding is best taught by a demonstration from your experienced health care professional if possible. They will advise you whether the technique is suitable for your baby. To cup feed a baby needs to be awake and alert, and in an upright position. Never cup feed a sleepy baby or a baby who is lying flat and never pour milk into a baby’s mouth as these all increase the risk of your baby choking.

Cup feeding videos

Global Health Media has a lovely series of videos about breastfeeding, the first clip below (9 minutes long) discusses how to safely cup feed a small baby who isn’t breastfeeding yet and includes spoon feeding, using a paladai (see below) and using a nifty cup:

Cup feeding description

The following description is summarised from the video above. Use a small cup with a smooth edge such as a medicine cup, sherry glass or shot glass—your maternity hospital may give you one. You can also buy little plastic cups specially for the purpose which can be shaped slightly during feeding.  You may need a cloth under baby’s chin in case any milk spills.

  • Half fill or two thirds fill a small cup with slightly warmed breast milk or infant formula
  • Ensure your baby is fully awake, alert and interested in feeding. Never cup feed a sleepy baby
  • If needed, wrap your baby to prevent him knocking the cup out of your hands
  • Sit your baby in a comfortable, upright position on your lap. Never cup feed a baby who is lying flat on their back
  • Rest the rim of the cup lightly on your baby’s lower lip or their lower gum ridge
  • Tip the cup just enough so that milk reaches the rim of the cup, don’t put the cup too far into baby’s mouth
  • Your baby will quickly learn to sip or lap milk from the rim of the cup with his tongue
  • DO NOT pour the milk into his mouth, go slowly always keeping the milk just at the rim of the cup
  • Leave the cup in position when baby pauses to rest between swallows and is not drinking, avoid putting pressure on the lower lip
  • Continue to tip the cup enough to keep the milk at the rim of cup resting lightly on baby’s lower lip
  • Burp baby if needed during the feed.
Short film clips of cup feeding

In the following short clip from Global Health Media, a premature baby is cup feeding. Notice how the baby’s tongue extends to lap the milk.

Jack Newman is a Canadian paediatrician and breastfeeding expert. Here is a clip of cup feeding from his International Breastfeeding Centre:

Using a paladai

Mothers in India have used a small spouted cup called a paladai for centuries. One study compared the use of a bottle, cup and a paladai in 100 newborn babies. Infants took the most milk in the least time and stayed calmest with the paladai 14. However a more recent pilot study comparing the paladai with bottle feeding in preterm infants found increased spillage, longer feed times and more stress cues 15.

Traditional paladai (left) as part of a baby set

Alternatives to cup feeding

Alternatives to cup feeding for the breastfed baby who needs supplementing include:

  • Supplementing at the breast. A breastfed baby who is latching well to the breast but who needs additional milk can be supplemented while they are breastfeeding by way of a small feeding tube alongside the nipple. The free end of the feeding tube is placed in a container of milk and provides milk when baby suckles with a good seal around breast and tube. For much more information about the pros and cons of this system see Supplementing at the Breast.
  • Finger feeding. Finger feeding is another method of providing supplemental milk to a breastfed baby by way of a feeding tube (above). In this case the feeding tube provides additional milk while the baby suckles on a clean finger. For more information on the pros and cons of finger feeding see What is Finger Feeding?
  • Bottle feeding. A traditional way to provide supplemental milk is by bottle and teat. Feeding from an artificial teat has a number of differences to breastfeeding which could cause nipple preference or confusion in some babies. However there are several ways to reduce the differences to help preserve breastfeeding, see Tips to Bottle Feed a Breastfed Baby and Best Bottle for a Breastfed Baby?

Summary

Used correctly, cup feeding can be a useful way to give a newborn baby supplementary milk for short term feeding. Other options for supplementary feeds include using a supplemental nursing system at the breast, or a bottle using our tips to minimise nipple confusion. Your breastfeeding specialist  or health professional can help you decide which option is best for you and your baby.

Footnotes & References

  1. Penny et al. Cup Feeding as a Supplemental, Alternative Feeding Method for Preterm Breastfed Infants: An Integrative Review. Matern Child Health J. 2018

  2. Rocha et al, Cup or bottle for preterm infants: effects on oxygen saturation, weight gain, and breastfeeding, 2002

  3. Marinelli et al, A comparison of the safety of cupfeedings and bottlefeedings in premature infants whose mothers intend to breastfeed, 2001

  4. Collins et al. Avoidance of bottles during the establishment of breast feeds in preterm infants. Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2016

  5. Penny et al. Cup Feeding as a Supplemental, Alternative Feeding Method for Preterm Breastfed Infants: An Integrative Review. Matern Child Health J. 2018

  6. Franca et al. Electromyographic analysis of masseter muscle in newborns during suction in breast, bottle or cup feeding. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth volume 14, 2014

  7. Gupta et al, Cup feeding: an alternative to bottle feeding in a neonatal intensive care unit, 1999

  8. McKinney et al, Feeding Neonates by Cup: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2016

  9. Han AM, Cup-feeding versus other forms of supplemental enteral feeding for newborn infants unable to fully breastfeed, 2010

  10. McKinney et al, Feeding Neonates by Cup: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2016

  11. Yilmaz et al, Effect of cup feeding and bottle feeding on breastfeeding in late preterm infants: a randomized controlled study, 2014

  12. ABM Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy Term Breastfed Neonate, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, Revised 2017

  13. Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Facilities Providing Maternity and Newborn Services, WHO, 2017

  14. Malhotra et al, A controlled trial of alternative methods of oral feeding in neonates, 1999

  15. Aloysius & Hickson, Evaluation of paladai cup feeding in breast-fed preterm infants compared with bottle feeding, 2007

Further Reading
  • ABM Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy Term Breastfed NeonateAcademy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 2017
  • Cup Feeding Versus Other Forms of Supplemental FeedingCochrane Database, 2010
  • Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Facilities Providing Maternity and Newborn ServicesWHO, 2017
  • What is Finger Feeding?Breastfeeding Support 2018
  • Finger and Cup feedingJack Newman, 2009
Important

This article should not be construed as medical advice. Information found online should always be discussed with your own IBCLC lactation consultant and doctor to ensure it is appropriate for you and your baby’s situation. Contact your doctor, paediatrician or health care provider with any concerns about your baby’s health and welfare.

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Baby feeding bottle: how to choose which ones are

Mother's milk is the best source of nutrition for the baby. But some factors force the baby to be transferred to mixed or artificial feeding. A special baby bottle helps in this.

It allows you to feed your baby formula or expressed milk when the mother is sick or absent. It is important for parents to know what to look for when buying goods for children.

What are the types of baby feeding bottles?

The first baby bottles were leather, porcelain and wood. They were in the shape of a small teapot. The usual variant for us appeared in 1841 in the USA, it was made of glass.

Nowadays, the market for baby products is oversaturated, manufacturers offer a huge range of bottles. The task of parents is to choose the highest quality product. What bottles are there?

Depending on the material the bottles are made of:

  • glass, for example, Pigeon, Avent Natural - environmentally friendly, withstand high temperatures, easy to clean. Rinse with warm water to remove food and liquid residues. The downside is that they are heavy and can break if dropped;
  • plastic, e.g. Snub, Mammelan, Small Small Less. They are light, withstand temperature and do not deform. With prolonged use, cracks may appear, and the color of the container changes due to the use of colored drinks;
  • silicone - very light, most often used for filling mashed foods. The only drawback is that the walls are painted from products.

The shape of the baby bottles also varies. The most comfortable option is a wide, straight model that fits ergonomically in mom's hand, such as Mal Mala Less, Kurnosiki, Avent. The curly type is comfortable to hold, but harder to rinse.

The size of the container should be selected taking into account the weight, age of the baby and the amount of food he eats at a time. For newborns, small ones are ideal - up to 125 ml, older children should choose a capacity of 200 ml or more.

Bottles with narrow or wide neck. In the first case, the nipple is easier to pick up. But a container with a wide neck is much more convenient for filling the mixture and washing.

Bottle feeding may be needed from birth. To do this, manufacturers produce special bottles with an anatomically shaped nipple, reminiscent of mother's breasts. This increases the chances that over time the baby will not give up the breast.

Many manufacturers equip containers with accessories that make it easier to use. One example is the handles located on the side, like the Kurnosiki, Mal Mala Less. With their help, the baby can independently hold the bottle.

In addition, there are anti-colic bottles, such as Avent, Mammelan, designed to prevent swallowing air when feeding a baby. A special valve located on the nipple allows you to equalize the pressure and eliminate the creation of a vacuum.

Criteria for choosing a baby bottle

Among all the variety, it is sometimes difficult to make the right choice. The main guidelines are quality, price and safety. Key purchase criteria include:

  • convenience;
  • quality;
  • environmental friendliness;
  • presence of anti-colic protection;
  • volume;
  • neck size;
  • availability of add-ons.

When buying, you should also pay attention to such nuances as a measuring scale, which helps to measure the amount of the mixture. The presence of a cover also plays a big role - it protects against dust and dirt. Latex or silicone nipple - the choice is up to the mother, both options are acceptable.

And most importantly, watch your child's reaction. If he refuses the pacifier, then it is better to change it to another model.

Important! The article has been prepared for informational purposes only, its content is not a basis for self-diagnosis and treatment. The information provided is not should be considered as a substitute for medical advice. To make a correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment, you need to consult a doctor. For drugs there are contraindications, consult a specialist before use. 9Ol000

  • Accessories

    • For a newborn, breast milk is the most useful and complete food, but there are situations when a mother is forced to switch to mixed or artificial feeding, and sometimes she needs to go away on business and in this situation, expressed breast milk can be used for feeding. In such situations, a bottle is indispensable, so parents face the question of how to choose a bottle for their baby. ​

    When choosing a bottle, pay attention to the following criteria: flow​​

    Also pay attention to the additional features and properties of the bottles. This can be a special valve or system that reduces the risk of spitting up and gas, a flow-optimized physiological teat with a wide base, or special teats for premature and small babies.​

    Material

    Bottles are usually made of glass or plastic. Glass bottles are considered the most environmentally friendly, they are durable and can withstand repeated sterilization, but they are quite heavy and can be easily broken. Plastic bottles are light and safe and can withstand high temperatures, but they wear out faster and need to be replaced over time.

    Bottle nipples are available in latex or silicone. Latex nipples are soft, but short-lived and can cause allergies. Silicone nipples are stronger and last longer, and at the same time they are quite soft and flexible. ​​

    Shape

    Modern bottles come in a wide variety of shapes and colours. Choose the one that you like, but the main thing is that the baby is comfortable to hold it. For small hands, a narrowed to the center or curly bottle is suitable.

    Classic teats are used by many parents, the classic teat is round and slightly elongated. Anatomical nipples resemble a woman's nipple and are considered the most suitable for feeding a baby, since it is just as difficult to drink milk from it as from a breast. This is especially important when combining breastfeeding and bottle feeding. There are also nipples with a beveled edge, it is believed that such nipples do not affect the bite.​​ 9

    Anti-colic valve Therefore, it is worth giving preference to bottles that have an anti-colic valve.

    Bottle capacity

    The size of the bottle is selected according to the baby's age. The older the baby gets, the more food he needs, so the volume of the bottle must be increased. Usually there are bottles for the smallest - up to 150-200 ml and for older children from 200 ml. Pay attention to the size of the neck - bottles with a wide neck are easier to clean and it is more convenient to pour the mixture into it.​​

    Teat flow rate For a newborn baby, it is necessary to choose a nipple with a slow flow so that he does not choke during feeding. As they grow older, it is necessary to change the nipple to a faster flow so that the baby does not get nervous and gets enough milk. You should also pay attention to the number and size of holes in the nipple - more for thick food and smaller for liquids.​​

    How many bottles and nipples to have

    If the baby is breastfed, two 60 to 125 ml bottles will be enough to supplement him with water if necessary or to feed him with expressed breast milk during temporary weaning mothers. Formula-fed babies will need 3-4 bottles of 150-330 ml and two bottles for other liquids (water, juice, tea).​​

    , and also if the integrity of the nipple is damaged or the baby bites through it when the first teeth appear.

    Your Choice

    You can now narrow your search down to bottle characteristics and personal preferences. To help you decide, answer a few more questions:

    • Will you bottle feed your baby only or would you like to combine bottle feeding with breastfeeding? be later? Perhaps you will be away on business or want to go to work?

    If you plan to combine breastfeeding with bottle feeding, then the Natural bottle is suitable for you and your baby, but if you plan to formula feed, then we suggest considering the Anti-colic bottle. To reduce the risk of spitting up, gas and colic, we offer Anti-colic bottles with an AirFree valve. from natural sucking. The built-in anti-colic valve prevents air from entering the tummy and reduces the risk of colic.

    Learn more about Natural bottles:

    Philips Avent Anti-colic bottles with a unique AirFree valve are designed to help your baby
    swallow less air and reduce the risk of spitting up. The AirFree valve prevents air from entering the nipple: even in the horizontal position of the bottle, the nipple always remains filled with milk, which allows you to feed your baby in an upright position. Reducing the amount of air your baby can swallow while feeding helps reduce the risk of problems such as colic, gas, and spitting up.

    More about the bottles of the Anti-Colic series:

    The volume of the Philips Avent

    Pick up the bottle volume in accordance with the age of your baby:

    • 0 months- 60 ml
      • month + - 125 ml
    • from 1 month - 260 ml
    • from 6 months - 330 ml

    But do not forget that babies have individual characteristics, their own growth and development rate. Therefore, some children can drink more for feeding, others can drink the same portion in two stages with a short break. Therefore, choose the optimal bottle size for your baby based on his needs and feeding behavior.​​

    ​Philips Avent Bottle Teats​

    The size and number of holes in the nipple determine the volume and speed of breast milk or formula from the bottle. The number and size of holes in the nipple increase with the age of the baby.

    Natural teat range

    just as difficult as the chest.

    Variable Flow Teat

    The variable flow teat has 3 flow rates and allows you to control the flow rate by simply turning the bottle. Thus, you can adjust the flow rate according to the density of the liquid and the pace at which the baby drinks. This pacifier is suitable for babies 3 months+. pulp, cereals, grain milk, etc.

    All Philips Avent Natural teats can be found here.

    Learn more