There are many different ways to wean your baby off the bottle. Some moms like to do it cold turkey, some like to do it slowly. I say it is better to start early. Here are some tips and a good schedule.
Introduce the sippy - Introducing the sippy cup early will help when you want to wean baby off the bottle. Starting at 6 months of age is a good idea.
Start slowly - Starting slowly is best, offer the sippy cup during the day at least once a day.
Get the right cup - Getting a good cup is important, be sure to get the right cup for their age. It should be a spill proof cup. Bring your little one with you when you are looking for a cup, let them pick one out for themselves if they are old enough.
Here is a good schedule to start.
Week one - Breakfast bottle - snack sippy cup - lunch bottle - snack sippy cup - supper bottle - snack sippy cup. In between meals and snacks offer the sippy cup.
Week two - Breakfast sippy cup - snack sippy cup - lunch bottle - snack sippy cup - supper bottle - snack sippy cup. In between meals and snacks offer the sippy cup.
Week three - Breakfast sippy cup - snack sippy cup - lunch sippy cup - snack sippy cup - supper bottle - snack sippy cup. In between meals and snacks offer the sippy cup.
Week four - Breakfast sippy cup - snack sippy cup - lunch sippy cup - snack sippy cup - supper sippy cup - snack sippy cup. BYE BYE BOTTLES!
When trying to take the bottle away all at once the #1 thing that makes most moms give up is the crying. Your little one cries for the bottle, do not give in! If you give in and they see that their crying is making them get what the want, they will use this against you. If your little one is crying to much, be sure to keep all bottles out of sight and comfort your child. Some children can go from bottle to sippy cup overnight, but most do have trouble coping with the switch. Taking the bottle away slowly is the best way to ensure it goes smoothly.
Your little one just hit their first birthday! Time to stop spending so much money on formula and start spending more money on cows milk. There are some babies who can make the switch overnight, but there are a lot of babies who need time. Sometimes switching too early will cause constipation, although your doctor may tell you that you are able to switch at 9 months it is up to you to decide what is best for your child. There is a reason it is best to wait until 1 year of age, babies digestive systems are not ready to handle the proteins in cows milk. Your child needs the fat that is in 3.25% milk for brain development, so be sure to always give him/her 3.25% milk. Here is the best and easiest scheduled way to introduce cows milk to your little one.
Week one - Mix 7 ounces of formula with 1 ounce of cows milk.
Week two - Mix 6 ounces of formula with 2 ounces of cows milk.
Week three - Mix 5 ounces of formula with 3 ounces of cows milk.
Week four - Mix 4 ounces of formula with 4 ounces of cows milk.
Week five - Mix 3 ounces of formula with 5 ounces of cows milk.
Week six - Mix 2 ounces of formula with 6 ounces of cows milk.
Week seven - Mix 1 ounce of formula with 7 ounces of cows milk.
Week eight - Say bye bye to the formula and give 8 ounces of cows milk.
If you notice your little one is getting constipated try not giving so many milk bottles in a day. A 1 to 2 year old should drink 16 to 24 ounces of milk a day. If more than that it is possible for constipation to set in. Some babies can handle more, some not so much.
Your little one also needs water, be sure to offer a few bottles of water during the day. Juice is not necessary but it is a nice treat every once in a while, be sure to only offer pasteurized 100% real fruit juice. Always dilute your childs juice 2 ounces of juice 2 ounces of water. Do not give your little one too much juice as this will cause diarrhea and possibly a rash. Now is a good time to say bye bye to the bottle and introduce the sippy cup.
