Feeding your baby without bottles & why cups are brilliant from birth to toddlerhood

So, your baby isn’t feeding at the breast right now… and everyone seems to be waving bottles at you.Take a breath.  It’s okay. And it doesn’t mean the end of your breastfeeding journey:https://www.breastfeedingsupportnorwich.com/post/when-baby-is-not-latching-what-to-do

A baby who is not feeding at the breast can absolutely be fed without a bottle. From tiny newborns to busy nine-month-olds, cups and other simple tools can get milk into babies safely, calmly and in a very connection-filled way.

This post walks you through:

• How babies can be fed from birth without bottles

• Why cups are such a helpful option

• How this works for older babies (6–12 months)

• Ideas for babies who seem unsure about cupsUse what feels helpful and leave the rest.

Babies can drink from a cup from birth

Cup feeding can be used from day one for expressed breastmilk, donor milk or infant formula.

You can use:

• a small feeding cup

• any clean, smooth, open cup

• in an emergency, a disposable cup

Cup feeds usually take around the same time as bottle feeds on average. It isn’t slower or harder,  just different.

Bottle teats and screw tops have small parts that can take a little more care to clean thoroughly. Cups are simpler to wash in hot, soapy water, which is why they are sometimes suggested for short-term use. This isn’t about bottles being “bad”, with good cleaning and sterilising practices, bottles are perfectly safe. Cups are simply an easier option in some situations.

Cup feeding can also help protect a breastfeeding journey because it doesn’t involve a teat. Babies keep using their natural breastfeeding suck pattern, and there is less chance of adapting to a faster or different flow. For some families, this makes cup feeding a useful temporary tool while working on breastfeeding.

Cup feeding may feel unfamiliar at first, but with a calm, upright position and letting baby lead, it can be a very safe and comfortable way to feed.

No special equipment is needed, just a clean cup, your baby and some milk, which can feel very straightforward and low-pressure for many parents.

Other ways to feed a newborn (while you’re working on breastfeeding)

Learning to breastfeed can take time. In the early days some babies are sleepy, jaundiced, recovering from birth or finding it hard to latch and stay on.

Milk can be given by:

• syringe feeding (tiny amounts of colostrum)

• finger feeding (helpful for practising sucking skills)

• spoon feeding

• cup feeding (from a few ml upwards)

• paced bottle feeding (if other methods aren’t working for you)

All of these can be used with expressed breastmilk, donor milk or infant formula.

How to cup feed your baby (any age)

The basic idea is that baby sips or laps the milk. You do not pour it in.

• Sit your baby upright on your lap, awake and well supported

• Hold a small open cup so the edge rests lightly on baby’s lower lip

• Keep the cup fairly leve

l• Bring the milk to the edge of the cup, but do not tip or pour it into their mouth

• Let your baby control the pace and amount, lapping or sipping the milk like a kitten

• Pause to watch their breathing and swallowing

• Stop if they show signs they’ve had enough

Do not pour or tip milk into your baby’s mouth; they should be able to lap or sip at their own pace. Make sure your baby is awake and upright and avoid feeding when they are lying flat or drowsy. Take your time and follow your baby’s cues.

You may find this video helpful for seeing safe cup feeding in practice:https://globalhealthmedia.org/video/cup-feeding/You can also ask your midwife to demonstrate cup feeding so you feel confident and supported.

Another helpful NHS resource:https://www.dgft.nhs.uk/pil/information-on-feeding-your-baby-hand-expression-and-cup-feeding/

Cups for older babies (6–12 months)

By six months, milk (breast or formula) is still very important. Solid foods are starting alongside milk, not replacing it. Milk provides energy, protein, fat and a range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium.

This is exactly the age when cups can become especially useful.

Why cups are handy for 6–12-month-olds:• After 12 months, moving away from bottles is usually advised• Open cups are:– easy to clean– better for dental development than long-term bottles or spouts– less likely to trap residue

What about sippy cups and straw cups?

• Sippy cups with valves or complex lids can collect residue and mould

• Spouts and straws may keep milk or sweet drinks sitting against the teeth

• This can increase the risk of cavities over time

This is why many dental and infant-feeding teams prefer open cups or simple free-flow beakers.

“But my baby loves the breast/bottle – how will they cope with a cup?”

Some babies take to cups easily .Some… don’t. Both are completely normal.

If you’re moving from breast to cup or bottle to cup, it’s very common to worry that your baby “won’t drink enough”.

Here are some ideas that often help:

Make it playful

• Let your baby explore a cup in the bath

• Spills don’t matter, and there’s no pressure to drink

• A bright or new cup can feel exciting

Bring comfort into it

• The person offering the cup can hold something with the parent’s scent• Keep cuddles, closeness and eye contact

·      Skin to skin is great too.

No Pressure

• Babies pick up on our stress

• Acting calm and curious helps more than we realise

• Even pretending you’re relaxed can shift the energy

Let them copy you

• Drink from your own cup at the same time

• Offer sips from their cup while you sip from yours

• Turn it into a gentle “cheers” game

Little and often

• Think small sips, not big feeds• An ounce or two across the day adds up• Offer a cup before hunger peaks or before the time you’d usually breastfeed

Remember: what matters is intake across the whole day, not at one sitting.

Staying safe with cups

Keep babies upright while drinking, help them hold the cup if needed, and stay beside them. Do not leave babies alone with cups, especially open cups or fast-flow beakers.

If your baby coughs or splutters:

• Pause and sit them upright

• Pat or rub their back

• Give them a moment before trying again

If you’re ever worried about their breathing or think they may be choking, call 999.

Another helpful video for seeing safe cup feeding:https://globalhealthmedia.org/video/cup-feeding/

What if my 6+ month old really isn’t drinking much milk?

Some babies switch happily to cups but take small amounts at first. You can add breastmilk or first infant formula to most of their food

• porridge

• rice pudding

• other milk-based dishes

• mash potatoes

• unsweetened yoghurt

Keep an eye on:

• wet nappies

• poos

• mood and general activity

If you’re reducing breastfeeds, offer extra closeness and connection. You’re helping your baby learn a new skill, not taking something away.

Where does formula fit in?

If you’re using formula:

• First infant formula is recommended up to 12 months

• After 12 months, babies not breastfeeding can have full-fat cows’ milk as a main drink

• Always:– make formula up safely https://www.nhs.uk/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/advice/– follow correct powder-to-water ratios– follow current NHS guidance

Breastfed babies can continue to have breastmilk for as long as you and your child wish.

And what about bottles?

Sometimes, despite best efforts, a bottle becomes part of your baby’s feeding journey. This is okay. Paced and responsive bottle feeding can protect your feeding relationship and support a gentle rhythm for your baby.

Paced feeding reminders:• Hold baby upright and close• Let baby draw the teat in themselves• Keep the bottle horizontal• Let baby pause• Stop when they show they’ve had enough

Paced feeding can help babies move comfortably between breast and bottle and later bottle to cup, and can support appetite regulation.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hEq2QpQFT8

As you continue your feeding journey

You do not have to use a bottle for your baby to get the milk they need.

From day-old newborns to wriggly nine-month-olds, cups (and syringes, spoons or finger feeding in the early days) can:

• keep milk flowing in

• protect breastfeeding or support gentle weaning

• support dental health]avoid over feeding

• turn feeding into a social, playful, connected experience

If you are unsure whether your baby is getting enough, or if cups feel overwhelming, reach out. BFSNN volunteers and local infant-feeding services are very used to talking this through, looking at nappies, growth and your baby’s wellbeing.

You do not have to figure it out on your own.