Once they’re old enough, you can start encouraging your baby to drink from a cup or beaker.

Dieticians and dentists recommend babies start to learn to drink water from a cup from six months old. They can start drinking water from this age whether they’re breastfed, formula fed or fed a combination.

• Starting with a cup with two handles to help them hold it. Once they’re confident with this, introduce a cup with handle and eventually a beaker they need to hold with both hands
• Filling the cup half way with thick drinks, e.g. smoothies, milkshakes and yoghurt drinks, to give them more time to practice their lip seal around the cup
• Slowly helping them lift the cup to drink from. Once they’re confident, start giving them less and less help.

Find out more about drinks and cups for babies and young children from the NHS here.