Frequently Asked Questions

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Support Email

hello@babycup.co.uk

Check out our most frequently asked questions here, if you need further help please don't hesitate to contact us at hello@babycup.co.uk

Cup Care

Yes – top rack only please.

Probably the best way is in warm water with a mild detergent and using a cloth (bamboo or microfibre are good and soft). A cloth allows you to reach all surfaces thoroughly and gently without scratching or without pushing the cup out of shape with a too big brush-head.

There are a good number ofoptions of what to do if you have finished with your Babycup Sippeco First Cups, including the superb end of life options of recycle or biodegrade. 

We always encourage reusing or passing on. If neither of those options take your fancy, you can recycle where facilities allow - look for facilities that accept 'PP/5'. If you want to recycle but your local waste centre does not take 5/PP, you can send your clean cups back to us and we will recycle them for you. Or, if sent to landfill, these cups are able to biodegrade with 'enhanced biodegradation', meaning, unlike many items, they will not hang around and be a blot on the landscape, instead they will biodegrade. 

In landfill, our special organic additive works to speed up the process of naturally occurring biodegradation and the cups are consumed by microorganisms and converted back into biomass, elements, water and biogases! 

Cool, huh! 

Our Sippeco® badge on our packaging means you can be assured these Babycup First Cups are made with EcoPure®, an organic additive independently tested per safety standard ASTMD5511 to show 40.2% biodegradation over 385 days of testing compared to untreated PP (polypropylene) which showed 3.2% biodegradation under the same testing. (Results shall not be extrapolated past the actual duration of the test).  

Popular Questions

The resounding feedback from health and development experts is that the simplicity of Babycup Sippeco First Cups is absolutely right and sipping is healthiest without gadgets and gizmos of no spill valves and seals. As one of them put it, "Beautifully simple, simply beautiful!" No lid, no handle. No moving parts. No hard to reach areas to gather mould or bacteria. Also, importantly, sized for little hands and mouths, to make the cups useable and to help little ones realistically be able to develop their sipping, independence and fine motor skills from weaning onwards and also making our cups suitable for cup-feeding infants. When we were develping Babycup Sippeco First Cups we tried different sizes, different slopes of the sides and different thickness of the drinking edge. For little ones’ mouths and hands and ease of use, this was the size that ticked all the boxes. 

We found great results having no spout or no-spill valve, no strong sucking needed, just a natural sip, and also avoiding your child having to adopt an unnatural (and easily unnoticed) tongue position that could compromise their dental and facial health.

Sip sip hooray! Simples!

We recommend starting slowly with just a small amount of your child's milk or water. Even just 1oz or less/just 10 or 20ml at a time. It may look like a tiny amount of liquid but beginning with just a drop will help your child get used to the idea more easily. Be close at hand. Help. Guide. Be patient. Let your hand hover nearby if need be. Be ready to take the cup if spills concern you. Help your child find the table/surface so they start to feel how to place the cup back down and pick it up again. You will be amazed and very proud when you see what your child can do given a little time and support. Head to our SIPPING GUIDE page and download our FREE sipping guide packed with tips and hints, such as use bathtime for sipping practise!

For larger quantities we’ve found it’s just a case of getting used to refilling the cup. It doesn’t take a lot of effort and it’s hugely worthwhile. When your little one has become proficient with their cup skills we find they often also enjoy refilling their cup themselves, from a small jug or another Babycup Sippeco First Cup, developing their hand eye coordination skills in the process.

We do not give advice on microwave use. We have found that microwave
temperatures vary and whilst we know many of our customers have sucessfully used
microwave steam sterilisers for cleaning their cups, we cannot advise or reccomend as different microwave models may have different settings and therefore different heat levels.

Using a little Babycup Sippeco First Cups allows your child to practise finger movements – gripping. It’s also a great opportunity for hand eye coordination skills to develop. Babycup babies using open cups films to see little ones deve lping their skills. See how fun it is to use: the cup with the thumbs up from dentists and orthodontists and fabulous for fine motor skills too. Enjoy!

Yes you can. Not only are our cups made to be sipping cups and weaning open cups but they are also designed to be suitable for cup-feeding milk feeds for infants. 

For baby cup-feeding, we recommend you discuss with your healthcare advisor first and ask for advice on how to position your baby for cup-feeding. This is really important and will help with safety for your baby and will help you and your baby cup-feed sucessfully.

Midwife, Breastfeeding Consultant and Neonatal Skincare Advisor Sharon Trotter RM BSc wrote the following in an article regarding cup feeding:

In the early weeks of life, the objective of cup feeding is to safely feed a baby expressed breast milk until he is able to take all feeds by breast. Cup feeding is a skill easily acquired from birth, even by premature babies (Lang et al 1994[1]). Indications for this form of feeding include:

– Preterm babies after 32 weeks gestation – this is the time when babies are able to co-ordinate their suck, swallow and breathing reflex (Lang et al 1994[1]);
– Preterm infants who are alert and looking for a feed but who do not have the energy to complete a full breastfeed (research shows that heart rate, respirations and oxygen requirements are better maintained within normal limits during cup feeding in
comparison to bottle feeding (Lang 1994 [1]);
– Infants with cleft lip or palate before corrective surgery;
– Conditions in which infants’ sucking ability may be compromised such as Down’s syndrome or other neurological impairment;
– Infants born to mothers who are temporarily unable to breastfeed, for example delayed recovery from surgery;
– Maternal conditions such as nipple damage or inversion that
temporarily prevents direct breastfeeding (whilst mother still
expresses);
– Short-term conditions affecting the infant such as
breast refusal due to traumatic early exposure to the breast or
drowsiness caused by opiates during labour or excessive jaundice
(physiological jaundice should not cause drowsiness – It only occurs
when normal limits become abnormal);

[1] Lang S, Lawrence CJ, Orme Le’ ER (1994), Cup feeding: an
alternative method of infant feeding. Archives of Disease in Childhood
71:365-9. Extract from: http://sharontrotter.org.uk/midirs2006new.htm 

We asked the fabulous Charlotte Stirling-Reed for her expert advice on quantity of foodstuffs and drinks for little ones. How much water should a baby drink?

Babycup is committed to encouraging healthy dental habits from an early age and recommends only still water or milk as drinks for children. ‘At will’ drinking of sugary drinks can establish poor habits that are liable to last a lifetime, negatively impacting general health as well as long term dental health.  

Cup Advice

Our top tips are to choose a baby cup that has been safety tested to ensure it does not pose a danger to your little one's health. Safety testing should cover materials, such as ensuring the cup is non-toxic, BPA-free and phthalates-free, and manufacturing, such as ensuring no sharp edges so as to protect delicate baby skin and that the cup will not crush or crack in baby's hand. There are lots of objects, such as toy cups, egg cups or can lids, that are tempting to use size-wise, but our advice is to make safety of your little one the number one priority.

There are lots of lovely play tea sets on toyshop shelves and there are also low cost plastic cups sold in multipacks in many supermarkets, but check the labels and read the small print. It really is important. Is it free from BPA? Is it free from phthalates? Is it safe for your child to use? Has it been laboratory tested and shown to conform to safety legislation for food contact materials? Will it crush in your baby's hand? Are there any toxic chemicals that will leach into your child’s drink?

Babycup Sippeco First Cups are made from non-toxic materials, are BPA-free and phthalates-free. They are designed to be the right size for little hands, come in four great colours and are translucent so your baby can see inside. Knowing the materials are baby-safe and fully tested are really important to us. Our cups are tried and tested by our own kids and we are happy and confident to recommend them (our cups that is!) to you.

Our mini open cups are for weaning and beyond. They are also suitable for cup-feeding milk to infants and can also be used for first sips prior to weaning, so they are really versatile and are great for a superb variety of ages and stages. 

For Ages: 0-2.5 years+

For infants: Cup-feeding: to support breastfeeding, can be used to cup-feed expressed milk, avoiding the need for bottles and teats. Also great to have on hand in case of feeding challenges such as tongue tie, bottle refusal or latch difficulties. (Please discuss cup-feeding with your healthcare professional) 

4m+ for sipping: for introducing small sips. 

6m+ for weaning: for weaning/solid-feeding from 6 months and beyond: ideal first cup for open cup drinking at weaning/solid-feeding time (6m+).  

For healthy oral development, professionals advise that babies should be introduced to open cup drinking from age 6m, and the use of a bottle stopped by 12m. You can also use an open cup earleir on, for first sips, and before that for cup-feeding baby's milk.

Orthodontists and dentists advise using open cups for many reasons including that use of spouted cups may contribute to poor dental and facial development. Babycup Sippeco First Cup is an open cup and is not detrimental to your baby’s dental development or facial development. Some dentists advise that spouted cups can contribute to childhood tooth decay. Babycup Sippeco First Cups are approved by the Oral Health Foundation.