|
|
 |
|
Bottle Battles
If you're the parent of a growing toddler, you've probably already had your share of bottle-weaning battles -- so many, perhaps, that the idea of sending him off to preschool bottle in mouth no longer seems so unthinkable.
But don't give up the fight. Most pediatricians recommend discontinuing the bottle at 12 months -- 18 months at the very latest. "Milk should not be a 1-year-old's primary source of nutrition," says Greg Wilson, M.D., a developmental pediatrician at Indiana University's Riley Hospital for Children, in Indianapolis. "Half of her calories should come from solid food. Although milk is important for supplying calcium, it lacks adequate iron and other vital nutrients, and too much may spoil a child's appetite for solid food." Because cup drinkers consume less liquid than bottle drinkers, switching from a bottle to a cup helps keep the balance of liquids and solids in check.
Bottles -- especially when they are used as a sleep aid -- are also the chief culprit behind tooth decay in children. "If a baby falls asleep with a bottle in her mouth, the milk or fruit juice immerses the teeth in sugar, feeding bacteria that cause cavities," says Douglas Gregory, M.D., a pediatrician in Suffolk, Virginia. A child who has a bottle in bed and drinks in a fully reclined position may also be at greater risk for ear infections.
Health issues aside, there are other reasons why this is the perfect age for bottle-weaning. Your baby-turned-toddler is likely striving for independence. She's learning to walk, talk, and feed herself; developmentally, she's primed for mastering the use of a cup and giving up her bottle for good.
Making the switch, of course, is harder than it seems. "Sucking is one of the first ways a child learns to soothe himself," says Dr. Wilson. "For him, giving up his bottle is giving up a source of real comfort." So how do you make the transition without making yourself and your child miserable? Here, are four simple steps.
What do you think of this story? Tell Us.
|
Related Links
|
Related Videos
|
Comments
Please confirm your comment by answering the question below and clicking "Submit Comment."
I totally agree with newmom as well. My son is 9 months old and we have just introduced a sippy cup with water. He does not have the hang of it quite yet but I will keep trying. My first son started a sippy cup at 10 months. they have great trainer cups out there that are similiar to a bottle. I switched my first son to cows milk and stopped all formula and bottles at about 13 months, JUST COLD TURKEY. If you wait too long, it will be harder to wean!
4/26/2011 04:52:27 PM Report AbuseMy grand-daughter just turned one and very active but, does not eat well. Although i agree turning one yr. old is a good time to wean her, i'm still concerned that she is not getting enough or any nutriention. She does drink from a sippy cup. we are going to try putting some baby cereal in her sippy cup with milk. This way we know she is getting her iron and vitamins.
4/24/2011 03:49:08 AM Report Abuseof course every child is different, However I have a fixing to be 15 month old who prefers bottle over sippy cup, yet can drink from a straw, a regular cup and will drink juice only from the sippy cup. I tried water in the bottle, she drank that too. She just won't completely let go of her bottle even with the various options that she has learned to utilize!
4/7/2011 08:56:06 AM Report Abusemy daughter has never taken to the sippy cup but she has been drinking in the cups with the straw ever since she was 7 1/2 months old. she was 10 months when she only has a bottle before for a nap and before bedtime.she is 11 1/2 months old now and i am thinking about taking the bottle away altogether now. do you think it is a good idea.
4/7/2011 08:50:36 AM Report AbuseI feel guilty that I let my daughter (20 mos)use a bottle for milk before bedtime but she refuses to drink milk unless it is warm and in a bottle. I have tried cold in a bottle and warm in a cup. It is her comfort. My sister in law reminds me that breastfeeding is recommended until age two so bottle feeding is similar in that sucking is their way of not only comforting but getting nutrients.
4/6/2011 08:52:25 PM Report Abusehow do i get my 2 yearold daughter of he bottle
4/6/2011 06:40:20 PM Report Abuseour 21 month old will drink from a cup during the day however his bottle is his safety net when he is sick or upset. He has never sucked his thumb or taken a nuk. I am not in a hurry to "free" him from the bottle at night...we have tried it and it is just to stressful on him. Maybe some may say I am spoiling him however...I am ok with that...we are taking babysteps with it and it is working
4/6/2011 10:15:36 AM Report AbuseMy daughter drinks from a sippy cup since 9 mo, but wont drink milk from anything other than a bottle. I am encouraged that they are not pressuring moms to take it away from their babies cold turkey, as our pediatrician did. I plan on using some of the authors suggestions to help her transition in a not so traumatic way. The authors are commenting on when to wean children from a bottle, not when to introduce a sippy cup, which they suggest doing so before the 1st birthday.
9/16/2010 11:39:06 AM Report AbuseI agree, newmom. My daughter is 8 months old and already drinks very well on her own from both a sippy cup and a small plastic cup without a lid..
2/17/2010 03:03:24 PM Report AbuseThis article is misinformative. A child can learn to use the cup long before the first birthday. We started a standard cup at 6 mo with meals and at 9 mo he can now hold it and drink from it himself. We let him try a sippy cup at 10 months and in a week he figured it out. Not all children are ready nor willing at such a young age, but by all means a parent should be encouraged to introduce a cup or sippy cup in a relaxed and playfull way at a much younger age than 1 year.
2/14/2010 06:18:52 PM Report Abuse