whether you or not breastfeedingbottle feeding, or a combo of the two, at some point you'll find yourself wondering, „Is it time to move on to a cup?“
If you just breastfeeding, the easiest switch to make is to stop the bottle completely and move to a cup around the age of one, or as soon as you decide to stop breastfeeding. If your child happily sucks on a bottle, their first birthday may be a good choice. Because by then you've already switched from powdered milk to cow's milk.
Did you miss that window? Should I wait until my baby is a little older? Don't worry, but don't wait too long. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends saying goodbye to bottles before your baby is 18 months old. „I would definitely say by age 2, but the earlier the better,“ says editor Keith T. Ayoob, Ph.D. He is a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.
Ayoub, a registered dietitian who works with children, snatches bottles from children as young as five years old, and he says it's not pretty. He said, „You have to understand your child, and generally speaking, the longer you wait, the harder it is.“
Since bottles provide food and comfort to many children, it may seem harmless enough for young children to use them as often as they like. However, there are several reasons why it might be wise to switch to a cup.
bottle boost teeth Attenuation. Milk contains lactose, a type of sugar. And if you're giving your child bottled juice (which you shouldn't), it's even worse. „The acids in juice are a nightmare for humans.“ teeth” says Ayoub.
Milk should remain an important part of a child's diet, and it's okay to drink juice from time to time. However, when you smoke from a bottle, the sugar and acid stays on your teeth longer and can cause cavities. It is especially bad to let your baby sleep with a bottle in hand. This is because the products in the body are reduced. saliva (helps wash away food particles) while you sleep.
Long-term use of bottles leads to obesity. According to research, still using a bottle This is more likely at 2 years old obesity Ayoub said some children always walk around with a bottle in their mouth, even though they are eating plenty of solid food. This can lead to excess calories.
He says getting too attached to the bottle can also backfire. person with strong likes and dislikesthe bottle becomes the „go-to meal“ and the child may not be able to eat enough. breakfastlunch and dinner.
The bottle could ruin her smile. Continuous sucking can change the position of adult teeth in the future. According to Dr. Peter Richell, it can affect the development of facial muscles and the roof of the mouth (palate). He is the chief pediatrician at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Overbite You may need orthodontic treatment, such as braces, later on.
Drinking alcohol while lying down increases the chance of ear infections. If your little one loves curling up with a bottle, take note.
„It feels like some of the milk is gurgling in the back of your throat and sitting there while the bacteria grows,“ Ayoub says. „Bacteria can crawl up the Eustachian tube (in the throat) and into the ear.“
Your child should know how to drink water from a cup before picking up the bottle. Many pediatricians tell parents to introduce sippy cups to children around 6 to 9 months of age. At this age, children typically begin drinking water and other liquids in addition to formula. chest milk.
Starting to give your baby milk (not just water) in a sippy cup or regular cup at an early age will make things easier when you're ready to give up that bottle for good, Richell says.
If you decide to stop using bottles, there are two main options. One option is to keep it cold or wean it slowly. Whichever method you choose, experts agree it's important to stick to it. „Cold turkey is the quickest option, but it's also the most difficult for parents, because they feel like they're being cruel,“ Richell says.
Don't expect either method to be easy. Even if you choose to wean slowly, „there's going to be some pushback,“ Ayoub says. „If you're trying to do it without any resistance, you're in the wrong job.“
Cold turkey: One day you disappear all the bottles. If your child is old enough to understand, it may be helpful to include them in the process. For example, you can warn them that today is the last day of the bottle and that from tomorrow onwards they will only drink from the „big boy“ cup.
weaning: The idea is to slowly replace the bottle with a cup. For example, in a day he may put a cup in the baby's bottle only once and add her second cup the following week.
No matter how slow (or fast) you want to go, Ayoub says you should remove your daytime bottle first, then your morning bottle. Get your dog used to eating solid food first thing in the morning before you remove the morning bottle, he says.
Most experts (and parents too!) agree that getting rid of the nighttime bottle is the most difficult final step. „Refusing a baby from a bottle, especially the last bottle before bed, can be incredibly difficult for mothers and fathers,“ says co-author Larry McAllister. says the MD, MPH. Mommy MD Guide infant Year. „It makes raising a baby much more difficult sleepAnd if the baby doesn't sleep, the parents won't either. ”
To make things easier, she says: bedtime A ceremony is taking place. This means you won't have to rely solely on a bottle to lull your child to sleep. “Taking a warm bath, rocking while reading a story, or snuggling with a loved one can be a great source of comfort, security, and relaxation before giving birth. bedtime,parable bedtime Bottles are no longer part of everyday life,” she says.
Worried about stopping the bottle? We asked experts to provide additional help and support.
You're probably thinking, „She hates sippy cups.“
Fix: To protect her teeth, try a cup like this: I don't It has a solid spout. Ayoub says it looks too much like a nipple and says a straw is a better choice. But ultimately, „the best sippy cup is one that your child enjoys drinking consistently,“ McAllister says. “Buy a few different types, try them out, and if you find something your child likes, buy some!”
You can also have your child use a regular drinking cup. Still, it may take some time before she can use it on her own. To prevent her from spilling, Ayoub says give her something thick, such as vanilla yogurt or pureed fruit diluted with a little water.
You are thinking: „She'll drink water or juice from a sippy cup. She just won't drink her milk.“
Fix: „Some children love their bottles so much that they won't drink milk from anything else, but this is only temporary.“ hunger strike! ” Richell says.
Don't want to wait for that? Remove the nipple from the bottle and use a straw instead. Or start giving your child a choice by putting water in a bottle and milk in a cup. „Tell her, 'Milk comes in a cup, but water comes in a bottle. Which do you want?'“ Ayoub says. You can also flavor your cup of milk with pureed strawberries or other fruits to make it even more appealing. „If she has a strawberry 'milkshake,' she might want to drink it from a cup,“ McAllister says.
You're thinking: „If she refuses the cup, she won't have enough to drink.“ calcium. ”
Fix: No need to worry about not getting enough calciumEven if you refuse milk from the cup for several weeks. Try offering other sources, such as cheese or yogurt. broccoli, soy milk, calcium-Fortified orange juice is also recommended.
You're thinking, „He's going to throw a tantrum.“
Fix: let me try. Seizures are not uncommon in young children and resolve quickly. „If parents tolerate it for a day or two, the symptoms will subside,“ Ayoub said. „Remember, if he can drink from a cup, you are not denying him liquids.“
You're thinking, „She'll never fall asleep.“
Fix: Many children are used to holding a bottle to calm down, but that changes. ”with toddler infant „They can learn to soothe themselves without the suction they're used to with pacifiers and bottles,“ says Richell. But it will happen. ”