Weaning Baby From the Bottle

Most pediatricians recommend that babies be weaned from the bottle by the first birthday or soon thereafter. But for a host of reasons, many parents do not meet this milestone. Bottles are comforting to the baby, and they can be excellent sleep aids. They are also simple and convenient and produce minimal mess. For these reasons, it is not uncommon to see two- or three-year-olds who are still on the bottle. Although the reasons why parents and babies resist weaning from the bottle are all understandable, there are some very important points in favor of weaning by the first birthday, including the following: •    The longer the baby relies on the bottle, the more difficult it will be to eventually stop. One-year-olds are more flexible in this regard than three-year-olds and are much more likely to give up the bottle without much of a fight. •    Babies who drink from the bottle are at higher risk of tooth decay. The main reason for this is that older babies can learn how to tote the bottle around and drink from it regularly, so that the teeth are constantly bathed in milk or juice. Plus, when baby falls asleep on the bottle, this obviously does not leave room for teeth brushing before sleep. •    When parents rely on the bottle, there is a tendency for the baby to consume too many liquids and not enough solids. Around the one year mark is when children should be growing very comfortable with solid food. Missing this transition can lead to food fussiness later on. •    Too much focus on the bottle prevents the child from engaging with other objects and hence can slow mental growth. Weaning the right way Every baby is different, so parents are in the best position to decide on an optimal weaning plan. But here are some general guidelines to follow if you are not sure when and how to go about it. •    Time it right. If your child is in a painful teething phase, having a growth spurt, or otherwise going through any sort of transition, you might want to delay weaning for now. Young children often do not react well to too many changes at once. Wait until everything else is stable. •    Start with the cup early. Long before you wean your child from the bottle, start giving her sips of water from grownup cups as well as sippy cups regularly. She might even come to enjoy drinking this way, in which case it will be much easier to have a smooth transition when the time comes to wean. •    Do not rush it. Some babies can stop the bottle cold turkey with little problem, but this is rare. Most do better with a gradual, phase-by-phase transition from bottles to cups. Start by replacing one to two bottle feedings per day with cup feedings. You can also try to make the bottle a little less appealing by diluting formula with extra water or just using water some of the time. In some cases, the entire transition can take a month or more. •    Try different cups. You will not know which cup your baby likes best until you try lots of different ones. Keep several cups in sight so she can inform you which one she is drawn to. Meanwhile, stash the bottles away where they are not visible so that your child stops yearning for them and instead comes to favor the cup. By Jamell Williams