Breaking the Bottle Habit

What is sweeter than an adorable baby gazing up at you with his big eyes as he hungrily sucks on his baby bottle? Eventually, your baby will become a toddler, and it will soon be time to give that bottle up. How can you help your child make a smooth transition from baby bottle to cup?

Babies have a powerful sucking need that must be fulfilled for many reasons. The sucking provides comfort and helps aid in their emotional and intellectual development. As they approach the toddler years, however, this need is greatly diminished. Some toddlers make the transition to a cup with no problem whatsoever. Others, however, simply refuse to drink from anything other than a bottle. At what age should you make the switch?

Many pediatricians encourage parents to begin introducing the cup when they introduce juice to their baby. This will probably occur somewhere around six to eight months. This doesn't mean that you need to stop breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby, but it may help him make the eventual switch to using a cup exclusively if you begin at an early age.

While many pediatricians discourage bottle use after a baby reaches her first birthday, this should really be a personal decision based on your baby's needs. Keep in mind, however, that the longer your child uses a bottle, the tougher it may be to take that bottle away.

Although it may be easier for you to give your toddler a bottle rather than encouraging the use of a cup, eventually she'll need to make the switch. There are several compelling reasons for taking that bottle away, and they include the following:

1. Your baby is getting a majority of her nutrition from the baby bottle instead of solid foods.
2. Your baby uses a bottle to satisfy her frustrations and emotional needs instead of learning how to deal with those emotions.
3. Your baby spends a lot of time sucking on a bottle simply for comfort, which can detract from her developing language skills.
4. Constant sucking on a bottle can lead to tooth decay, especially if a child is allowed to use a bottle during the night or at naptimes.

When you get ready to introduce the cup to your baby, there are several steps you can take, including the following:

1. Introduce your baby to the cup when he is around six to eight months old and can sit up without support.
2. Give your baby only milk or juice from the baby bottle.
3. If you wait until your baby is older to introduce the cup, you may have to offer the cup several times before your baby actually takes it. Be patient!
4. If you use a training cup, you'll still need to eventually make the switch to a regular cup. Cups which are advertised as "no spill" cups still require baby to suck because of the valve. You will need to purchase a no-valve cup to make the complete transition away from sucking.
5. Your baby might find a cup with handles on both sides easier to use.
6. Be sure your baby's cup has a secure-fitting lid.
7. Don't try to force your child to drink from a cup. The experience should be a pleasant one.

Finally, as with the many other skills your baby will attempt to master, this one may take some time. Be patient, and show your baby lots of love. Eventually, she will become a pro at using that cup, and her baby bottle will be a beloved item of the past.

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