Weaning: Going From Bottle To Cup What You Need To Know

Most pediatricians and dentists will want you to have your baby weaned from the bottle around the 12 month mark. This doesn’t always happen right away. Worst case your baby should be completely weaned between 15 to 18 months of age.

It is important to switch your child away from the bottle for a few reasons. Milk, which is what you have transitioned your baby from instead of infant formula, has sugar in it. Sugar pooling around your baby’s teeth can cause bacteria and cavities. Your child may be filling their bellies up with liquid instead of solids, which can cause them to lose out on needed nutrients that they get from food. Giving your child a bottle for them to drink while laying down in bed can also raise their risk of ear infections. Too many bottles, too much liquid can also raise the risk of obesity.

When you go to wean your child from the bottle it is normal for there to be some sort of resistance from your child. This has been their source of food and comfort for their first year of life. Especially if it helps them fall asleep it can be hard for them to transition away from such a strong source of comfort.

When you look online for what cup to switch your child to after a bottle there are thousands of options. This can be overwhelming if you aren’t sure which one to pick from. Some people love to transition from a bottle to a sippy cup. Ideally because of the no spill aspect of sippy cups. However sippy cups should not be long term. They still encourage your child to suck to get their drink which isn’t much different than a bottle. A cup with a straw can be a good transition for your child. Some straw cups will have weighted bottoms to help right themselves so they won’t spill. You can also transition straight into an open cup. Finding cups with little handles will help your little one be able to practice holding the cup by themselves as well as learning to tip the cup up and bring it to their mouths. It may take a few cups to find the one your child likes and takes too. There may be some trial and error in this process.

Around six months you might have started offering your child sips of water with their meals. This can also help wean your child off the bottle and to a cup. The earlier you expose them to other cups the more helpful it can be to transition them away from the bottle.

For some children immediate weaning may work. This is quitting the bottle cold turkey. You completely switch one day you decide today is the day, you pack up the bottles so they are out of sight and now you are on to just letting your child drink out of whatever cup you have chosen. This may work for some children, but in most cases there may be a lot of tears and a lot of push back from the child.

A more gradual approach can be used in helping your child transition away from the bottle. This can be done in phases. You don’t need to feel rushed, you can take your time, and take cues from your little one to make sure they are ready to keep going. You may first want to switch out their morning or mid day bottles. Leaving the night time bottles last to switch out. This can be done because that night time bottle is sometimes part of the child’s night time routine. Messing with that may cause your child to not sleep as well or getting them to bed may be more difficult. Your child may also associate getting a bottle with getting time with just you. The snuggles, the cuddles, the songs you sing. Just because the bottle goes away doesn’t mean those have to go away too. Switching the first bottle to a cup, then all the rest of the day’s bottles still get given like normal. Wait a few days, make sure this is well received before eliminating another bottle. Then again, wait a few days, before eliminating the next bottle. Do this till all bottles have been phased out to cups.

You will still be giving your child 16-24oz of whole milk per day, as well as 3 food meals a day, and sips of water with meals. As your child gets bigger they will start to eat more solid foods, and their liquid amounts will decrease some. It is important to drink milk for the calories as well as the vitamin D, and calcium that is provided by the milk. When giving your child liquids, milk and water are best at this age. Sugary drinks should either not be introduced or only given in small amounts.

Switching your little one from a bottle to a regular cup, straw cup, or sippy cup may take some time. It is not always done overnight. Bottles can be a source of comfort and soothing for a little one, helping them learn to find comfort in something else, or learning to self soothe can help with the transition of getting away from the bottle.