Babies rarely surrender their bottles hands — which is one reason why and so many of tots continue to utilize 1 for long by the recommended 12 months of age.

Simply equally comforting and mess-free as bottles are, there are practiced reasons to kick the habit past the age of 1. Older babies who are however drinking from bottles may be filling up on liquids and skipping solids — something that could hinder their ability to have in important nutrients.

If your babe takes the canteen to bed with her, she may also sip from it while lying down, which tin can increase her risk of ear infections.

Still, convincing your trivial one to kick the habit can exist a struggle, especially because, like many other attachment objects, the canteen has been a source of condolement for many months. Only call back that the weaning process is, well, a process — and that starting it when she's ane year old will be much easier than trying information technology when she'due south closer to 2.

Once y'all recollect your child might be ready, utilize these strategies to help smooth the transition.

When should you wean infant off the bottle?

Pediatricians and pediatric dentists say that babies should pause the bottle habit at 12 months — and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends complete weaning from the bottle past 15 months at the latest.

How to wean a baby off the bottle

Quitting the bottle cold turkey may piece of work for a few babies, but for most, a gradual transition is best. That ways phasing out one feeding session at a time (morning time or midday bottles may be easier to drop than evening ones) every bit y'all encourage your baby to drink from a sippy cup or open grooming cup. Then await a few days or a calendar week before you replace the next bottle.

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Weaning off the bottle schedule

If your baby drinks three bottles a day, you can try this schedule:

Week 1

  • Offer a cup in the morn instead of a bottle
  • Offer an afternoon bottle
  • Offer an evening bottle

Calendar week 2

  • Offer a cup in the morning
  • Offering a cup in the afternoon instead of a bottle
  • Offer an evening bottle

Week 3

  • Offer a cup in the morning
  • Offer a loving cup in the afternoon
  • Offer a cup at dinner instead of a bottle

Calendar week iv

  • Offering a cup in the morn
  • Offer a cup in the afternoon
  • Offer a cup at dinner

Tips for transitioning to a cup from a bottle

Hither's how to encourage your tot to have to her cup — and leave the bottle behind.

  • Time the transition well.Yous'll practice your baby (and yourself) a big favor by choosing the weaning moment wisely. Remember, her bottle may exist a big source of condolement for her, so don't begin the process if she's ill, tired or hungry, or if a change in her routine (new babysitter, shift in twenty-four hour period-intendance schedule or afterwards a movement) has her stressed.
  • Have it boring.Put less breast milk or formula (for babies nether 1 year) or cow's milk (for babies over 1 twelvemonth) in your lilliputian 1's bottle and top off each feeding with a cup. So, slowly decrease the amount of liquid in the bottle while increasing the corporeality of milk that she drinks from the cup.Yous might also try just serving water in the canteen, one feeding at a fourth dimension, which may make your baby bored enough to give upwards the bottle entirely — but don't be surprised if information technology doesn't do the trick. Weaning from the bottle may exist slow business, and could take a month or more.
  • Pull upwardly a chair.Once your picayune one is sitting up in a high chair, try offer her some breast milk or formula out of a sippy cup or training cup at regular "mealtimes." This will help her go used to eating her meals at the tabular array — merely like her parents! Speaking of her parents, become ahead and have a sip from her loving cup, likewise. Babies dear to practise what you lot do, so lead past example — "Yum, that tastes good!"
  • Hide the canteen. Out of sight, out of mind. Stashing that treasured bottle out of sight may help your baby yearn for it less. Keep an array of tempting cups (brightly colored or graced with favorite characters) handy and in patently view, and experiment with different sipping options — some kids dearest straws, while others prefer spouts.
  • Be extra affectionate.Once you start weaning, you lot'll demand to replace the reassurance she got from her bottle with lots of extra dearest from you — that is, more hugs, more playtime and peradventure an extra story at bedtime.

What should you do if your baby refuses a cup?

Your infant probably won't take to her sippy cup or training cup without putting up a fight, so be patient. Reward her for a job well done with plenty of praise ("Yous're drinking out of your large-girl cup!") and don't criticize her when she clings to her bottle.

And remember that the weaning process can take weeks — or even months — to complete, so hang in at that place.

If you haven't been able to make any progress in transitioning to a loving cup after about a calendar month or so — or if your child is 2 years old — call your md, who may be able to aid yous make the transition.