How to Wean a Toddler Off Bottle: A Tried and Tested Approach
The bottle is something that your baby might have been using from birth or started a little later on. That means that your little one is attached to the bottle and what it provides! Especially if the bottle is what they have been using to drink their breastmilk or formula, it may be challenging to convince them to stop using it. After all, they know they get their favorite drink from the bottle!
Because of the attachment that some babies have to the bottle, using one may linger on into toddlerhood. As your baby becomes a toddler, though, it is time to ditch the bottle and replace it with a sippy cup or an open cup.
Fear not, as while it may be a difficult task, it is not an impossible one! If your toddler is putting up a fight to make the switch, continue reading for a tried and tested approach.
What Age to Wean Your Child Off a Bottle
Your baby’s bottle is an important part of their lives as it provides them nourishment and comfort. Bottles are designed to release liquid from a suckling motion, which is how babies feed themselves!
Because of this instinctual suckling, a bottle or breastfeeding is how your baby will receive most of their nutrition in the first year of their life. You may be wondering how to effectively wean your toddler off a bottle!
After they hit 12 months old, most children are ready to make the switch to a sippy cup. If yours is resisting this change, don’t stress it. Some children will be ready to switch to a sippy cup closer to 18 months old. You will know your baby is ready to graduate to a sippy cup when they are hitting milestones such as:
Sitting unassisted
Eating from a spoon
Showing interest in solid foods
An established mealtime routine
If your baby is hitting these milestones, it may be time to introduce a sippy cup into their routine!
Why You Need to Wean Your Baby Off a Bottle
Your baby’s bottle is one of their sources of comfort and security, and it can feel heartbreaking for parents to have to take it away. Transitioning your baby from a bottle to a sippy cup or open cup is crucial for their development! Babies who rely on their bottle may not learn the skills they need to eat properly or not eat enough because they would prefer their bottle.
Other issues that can arise with prolonged use of a bottle are tooth decay or improper dental development. This is usually caused by a child using a bottle too often and their teeth being exposed to too much sugar. This can be if they are using the bottle as a pacifier or given a bottle at night.
Another important note is that you don’t have to give your baby a sippy cup! Some parents find it easier to ditch the bottle around 12 months and give their baby an open cup. By doing this, you won’t have to transition your baby to a new form of a cup again!
How to Wean Your Child Off a Bottle
Imagine someone you love came up to you and took away your favorite coffee cup and told you that you could never use it again. You’d probably be pretty upset! That’s exactly how your baby is feeling, so it's best to go about this change delicately with plenty of patience.
You might feel overwhelmed about helping your baby transition to a sippy cup. I know I sure was! Follow these steps to wean your baby off of a bottle:
Start the process during a relatively stress-free time. This means no big life changes, such as moving or the birth of a sibling.
Switch the bottle for a sippy cup or open cup for one meal a day. This should be the same meal every day. Doing this will help your baby get used to the idea of drinking out of something that isn’t their bottle.
Once you’ve switched the bottle for a sippy cup at a specific feeding, don’t switch back to the bottle. Your baby might argue with you on this, but consistency is important!
Allow your baby to get used to having the sippy cup at one meal, and then slowly repeat this process. Gradually changing their bottles to sippy cups will allow them to get used to the idea on their own terms instead of taking their bottles away cold turkey.
Stay consistent. Not every baby will want to make the change from a bottle to a sippy cup and may resist. Continue to encourage them and praise them for using a sippy cup, and they will eventually prefer the sippy cup!
Graduating to a sippy cup is a big milestone in your baby’s life and should be something that should be celebrated. Be sure to praise your baby and cheer them on when they use their sippy cup!
Track Your Baby’s Progress with Baby Connect
While the bottle is comforting to your child as a baby, they must eventually switch to a sippy cup. This can be difficult for some children, but it is worth it for their health and development! As your toddler learns how to use a sippy cup, they may resist this change, but that is completely normal.
When trying out different approaches to encourage your toddler to drink out of a sippy cup, some may work, while others won’t. Keeping track of what approaches you use and what seems to work is important to help you stay consistent.
Baby Connect was designed with your child’s needs in mind and can track any important information you need documented, from sippy cup transitioning to medication lists to potty training. Monitoring your baby’s health and safety has never been easier!
