Weaning off the bottle and learning to drink from a cup

The bottle is a hard habit to quit, for babies and for the parents who love how reliably it settles them. Good news: you do not have to rip it away in a day. The trick is to start cup practice early and then let the bottle fade out one feed at a time.

Start cup practice early, around 6 months

You can introduce a cup for practice from around 6 months, when solids begin. Offer small sips of water from an open cup or a straw cup at meals. It will be sloppy and mostly for show at first, and that is fine. Early practice means the cup is old news by the time it needs to do a real job.

Aim to phase bottles out by about 12 to 18 months

The general target is to have bottles gone between about 12 and 18 months, and the AAP leans toward being done by 12 to 15 months. Why not let it linger? Two real reasons. First, a bottle habit often means too much milk, which fills a toddler up and crowds out food and iron. Second, bottles raise the risk of tooth decay, especially a bottle in bed where milk sits on the teeth all night.

Any cup works: open, straw, or sippy

All three are fine, and none has been shown to harm speech. An open cup or a straw cup gives your baby more control and is a natural step toward a regular cup, while a sippy is the easy spill-proof option for the car and the couch. The transition that matters is off the bottle, whichever cup carries it.

How to make the switch

Take it in steps. Offer the cup at meals so it becomes normal. Drop one bottle at a time, usually daytime bottles first and the bedtime one last, since bedtime is the most comforting. Find comfort routines that are not the bottle, like a cuddle, a book, or a song. And keep only water in cups between meals. At 12 months, whole cow's milk can move from the bottle to a cup.

The one hard rule: never a bottle in bed

Whatever pace you pick, skip the bottle in bed. Milk pooling around the teeth overnight is a leading cause of early tooth decay. If your child needs a drink after brushing, plain water is the safe choice. Bedtime comfort can come from a routine instead.

Frequently asked questions

When should my baby stop using a bottle?

The general aim is to phase bottles out between about 12 and 18 months, and the AAP leans toward being done by 12 to 15 months. Start practicing with a cup around 6 months so the switch is gradual. The reason for not dragging it out: lingering bottles often mean too much milk (which crowds out food and iron) and more risk of tooth decay, especially from a bottle in bed.

Open cup or sippy cup?

Open, straw, and sippy training cups are all fine; no cup type has been shown to harm speech. Many feeding therapists like practicing with a small open cup (with help) and a straw cup for the control they build, with a sippy as the easy on-the-go option. The real goal is moving off bottles, whichever cup gets you there.

How do I actually drop the bottles?

Go one bottle at a time rather than all at once. Most families drop daytime bottles first and keep the bedtime one for last, since it is usually the most comforting. Offer a cup at meals, replace the bottle routine with another comfort (a cuddle, a book, a song), and put only water in cups between meals. Slow and steady beats cold turkey.

Is a bottle in bed really that bad?

Yes, this one is worth taking seriously. Milk or juice pooling around the teeth overnight is a leading cause of early childhood tooth decay. Skip the bottle in bed entirely, and if your child drinks anything after teeth are brushed, make it plain water. Comfort at bedtime can come from a routine instead of a bottle.

Sources

AAP (HealthyChildren.org): From Bottle to Cup: Helping Your Child Make a Healthy Transition

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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