When To Stop Bottle Feeding Your Baby? Does Bottle Feeding Have Negative Effects?

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Many toddlers become attached to their bottles. Besides providing nourishment, bottles also represent comfort and security. Switching from breast feeding is the most convenient method of transition, as it provides the same sense of security and warmth that the child receives from being close to their mother while feeding.

As your child gets older, you will have to make them let go of the bottle and start drinking from cups. During the first year, it is critical for parents to begin weaning their babies from bottles and to teach them how to drink from cups [1].

At What Age Should You Stop Bottle Feeding?

Doctors advise that the transition from bottle feeding to solid feeding should take place before the baby completes his first twelve months, and can begin as early as six months of age [2].

A delay in stopping the bottle feeding of your baby can result in numerous health related problems for your baby, according to experts [3]. The sooner you get them to leave this habit the better it is for them. However, the longer you wait for them to get rid of the bottle, the harder it will be for you and the child to get used to drinking from cups.

Although the transition from bottle to cup is challenging, if you put in some extra effort, this can be accomplished in a shorter amount of time.

How To Stop Bottle Feeding Your Baby?

1. Cups

It is usually recommended that drinking from the cup should be introduced to the babies as early as six months of their age. They definitely will not be able to learn to manoeuvre the new task immediately and most of it may land on the floor yet by the time they complete their first year they will begin to get the hang of it.

2. Cow milk

Well, as doctors also recommend switching from baby formula to cow's milk at the age of one this new change can also be added with it, giving the baby an entirely new experience which eventually become natural to them [4].

3. Water

You can also get your baby to start drinking small amounts of water or diluted juice in a small cup even while you are breast feeding. This will get the child to get used to it gradually and hence it will be easier.

One other way to use water to stop bottle feeding your baby is by mixing the milk in the bottle with water as you wean him from it. Fill the bottle half with water and half with milk for the first few days. After adding more water to the bottle, your child will likely lose interest and ask for the yummy milk that comes in a cup [5].

4. Sippers

At this age, children are attracted to bright colours, and you can use that to get them to drink from cups by providing them with different coloured sippy cups with different designs after they have reached their six-month milestone.

Does Bottle Feeding Have Negative Effects?

Obesity: According to studies, children who continue to use bottles for feeding even by the age of two are more likely to become obese by the age of six [6].

Tooth decay: In the early stages of the child's dental development, drinking from a bottle may pose a real problem, as milk or juice stays on the teeth for a longer period, which results in tooth decay. This is made worse if the child falls asleep while drinking from a bottle [7].

How Do I Get My Child To Drink From A Cup After Bottle Feeding?

If you try to say no to the bottle completely instead of going gradually with the child, they may throw a lot of tantrums. It will be necessary for parents in this situation to remain strong for a few days, and not give in [8]. However, you must ensure that they receive sufficient calcium from other sources such as cheese, yoghurt, etc.