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How to wean baby from bottle feeding


From Bottle to Cup: Helping Your Child Make a Healthy Transition

​By: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP

You've probably heard that when your baby is around 6 to 9 months old, it's time to begin moving away from bottle feeding. But like many parents, you may feel a little apprehensive about this next step in your child's growth and development.

If your little one pouts, shouts or bursts into tears when you offer them a "big kid cup," take a deep breath. Protests like these are totally normal! After all, little humans don't like letting go of familiar habits any more than we do. And the comfort they get from sucking on a warm bottle can be hard to give up.

Like all growth stages your child will pass through, this one takes patience and time. But there are many good reasons not to give in when your child demands a bottle.

Why prolonged bottle feeding can cause health problems


Pediatricians and dentists stress the benefits of training your child to drink from a cup at mealtime as you gradually reduce the number of bottle feedings. Ideally, this transition will begin around 6 months, when you offer your child a cup for the first time. You will then reduce the number of bottle feedings slowly, completing the transition sometime between 12 and 18 months.

Letting children bottle-feed longer than this can cause them to:

  • Skip meals. Little ones who sip on bottles during the day often don't feel hungry at mealtimes. This may mean they're getting less of the fiber and rich nutrients found in solid foods. If you're begging your child to eat, bottles might be the cause.
  • Reach an unhealthy weight. For many kids, bottles become high-calorie meal supplements and snacks, leading to toddler obesity​. And while many people find chubby toddlers adorable, pediatricians point out that early obesity sets the stage for weight (and health) problems later in life.
  • Develop cavities. Early childhood caries, sometimes called "baby bottle tooth decay" or baby tooth cavities, happen when your child's teeth are constantly bathed in milk, formula, juice or other drinks. Little ones who drink from bottles well into their second year may also have tooth alignment problems and even speech delays, since little mouths need to strengthen the muscles for clear speech.
  • Resist even more. Toddlers cling to their bottles even more fiercely as time goes by. This can trigger a major power struggle between you and your child, so starting early is the healthiest path for both of you.

Tips for a smoother transition to drinking from a cup


The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that you offer your child a cup when they start eating solid foods, usually around 6 months. You can use a "sippy" (training) cup with a spouted lid or offer a cup and straw. Some children may choose to drink from an open cup without a straw – and that's just fine, too.

  • Sippy cups should be used only while little ones are learning. It's healthiest for kids to drink from an open cup by about 2 years of age. (If your child has a chronic illness, physical differences or shows signs of small motor skill delay, ask your pediatrician to help you put together a schedule that follows your child's abilities.) When your child is using a sippy cup, only fill them with plain fluoridated water without juice or sugar.  

  • Move away from the bottle gradually. When you begin weaning, tell your child they can drink from a bottle at mealtimes. Gradually eliminate bottle feedings at other times, especially naps or bedtime. Be ready to offer extra snuggles, songs or bedtime stories so your child feels reassured, but learns to self-soothe without a bottle. Giving your child plain water in bottles between meals and then moving to plain water in sippy cups or cups can help with the transition.

  • Start offering a cup to your child as early as 6 months. Bring one to the table with your child's plate and encourage them to give it a try. Begin by putting formula or breast milk in their cup—whatever they're drinking already. (This might feel more natural than starting with water.) As they get the hang of things, you can fill their cup with plain water at mealtimes, too.

  • Celebrate their success. Notice your little one's progress and offer them praise. If it feels right, put on party hats and sing a happy tune. Your child is eating and drinking like a big kid, which helps set the stage for lifelong health. Hooray!

  • If your child balks, do a little investigating. Maybe they aren't thirsty when you offer them a mealtime drink, and that's okay. Model good habits by drinking water when you eat together. If they seem to need a little more attention, don't hold back. "Wow, you took a sip! Good job! I love seeing you drink from your big-kid cup."

  • Bring everyone into the act. Let daycare providers, sitters, grandparents, siblings and friends know that your child is building a new skill. Other caregivers need to follow the same routine so your child can move forward.

Issues to watch for along the way


Bottle weaning can be tricky, so it's smart to know some of the challenges that parents and caregivers sometimes face. Here are a few extra tips for you.

  • Offer cups mainly at mealtime. Little ones who carry their cups around all day like security blankets may drink way too much (and need more frequent diaper changes). If your toddler is thirsty, offer them a little plain water, but then set the cup aside and remind them it will be there when it's time to eat.

  • Trust your child to self-soothe without a bottle. Temporary sleep problems can turn into serious struggles if you give in to your child's protests and offer a bottle at bedtime. Create a healthy new routine when your little one can snuggle with you, listen to a story or soft music and drift off. A pacifier may also help.

  • Offer healthy beverages. Plain water is the healthiest drink for your child, and the fluoride in tap water helps prevent tooth decay. (If you're wondering how fluoride works and whether it's safe for kids, here's a helpful article.)

  • Milk and juice contain natural sugars that deliver extra calories and increase cavity risks, so offer small portions. Avoid drinks with added sugar, especially carbonated beverages, which damage tooth enamel.

  • As your child transitions to an open cup, place one next to the bathroom sink or water dispenser so they can serve themselves. Help them practice with the faucet or dispenser valve and offer praise for progress. (Another big-kid milestone to celebrate!)

Choosing the right cup for your child

There are literally hundreds of choices out there, so this can be confusing. Many sippy cups have a valve under the spout to stop spills. But kids have to suck to get any liquid from them, which is just like drinking from a baby bottle. Not at all helpful for learning and development!

If you prefer a sippy cup rather than an open cup (with or without straw), choose one with no valve. It should have a snap-on or screw-on lid with a simple spout. Opt for one with two handles to help little hands get a grip. Some cups have a weighted base that pulls them upright when they tip—great for minimizing spills.  But remember, the sippy cup is an optional step toward using a “regular” cup. Many children transition from breast or bottle to a regular cup without a sippy cup in between!

What about breastfed babies?

With many parents pumping for convenience, little ones may drink breast milk from bottles as part of their regular routine. In this case, breastfeeding parents can follow the same steps for weaning as those who use formula.

If you have used no bottles at all, you can still follow a weaning routine that uses many of the same steps. Introduce a cup filled with breast milk around 6 months of age, and slowly reduce the number of breastfeeding sessions from several per day to one and then, eventually, none.

Keep in mind that your child can drink breast milk from a cup for as long as you want to provide it. Breastfeeding sessions will gradually become snuggle sessions offering your child physical comfort and love, just as you did when you were nursing.

Remember

Offer your child a cup around 6 months, and steadily move away from bottle or breast feeding between 12 and 18 months. The sooner you start, the easier the transition will be.

Your child's resistance doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. Be patient and trust that your little one will gradually start drinking like a big kid.

If resistance turns into a full-blown power struggle, talk with your pediatrician. Also consult your pediatrician if your child has a chronic illness, physical difference or developmental delay that will affect their ability to move away from bottle feeding.

More information

  • Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 & Younger​
  • Why It's Important to Take Care of Baby Teeth​

About Dr. Shu

Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, medical editor of HealthyChildren. org, is a board-certified pediatrician, author and mother living in Atlanta. She is also editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) book Baby & Child Health and co-author of Heading Home With Your Newborn and Food Fights.

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

FAQ: Baby Bottle Weaning | Patient Education

Patient Education A-Z

Weaning your child from a bottle may be a challenge. Once the decision to wean is made, consistency is essential and all caregivers should be aware that your child is transitioning from the bottle to the cup. Remember that weaning is usually a long, gradual process.

  • When is my child ready to be weaned from the bottle?
  • Why is it important to wean my child off the bottle?
  • How do I wean my child off the bottle?
  • When should I offer my child cows' milk?
  • What can I put in a bottle and what can I put in a cup?
  • If I'm breastfeeding my child, do I wean to the bottle or to the cup?
  • How can I make weaning easier on my baby?

When is my child ready to be weaned from the bottle?

In general, children can try a cup at 6 months and be weaned off the bottle around 12 to 18 months. Children are ready to be weaned when they:

  • Can sit up by themselves
  • Can eat from a spoon
  • Show more interest in solid foods
  • Have an established routine for mealtimes

Why is it important to wean my child off the bottle?

Children using bottles are more likely to have tooth decay or improper dental development, and they may not develop appropriate feeding skills. Also, children who depend on bottle feedings may not consume enough solid foods to meet their nutrient needs.

How do I wean my child off the bottle?

  • Wean your child during a relatively stress-free time. It is not a good idea to start when a new sibling has just arrived or when the family is moving to a new house.
  • Introduce the cup early, at age 3 to 6 months. Let your child hold and become used to the cup without liquid.
  • At age 8 to 10 months, substitute a sippy cup for a bottle at one feeding during the day. Choose a feeding when your child usually drinks just a little, rather than a major mealtime. Use this same feeding time to use the cup every day for a week.
  • Every week, introduce the cup at another feeding, slowly decreasing the number of bottles your child receives.
  • Feed very slowly. Help your child hold the cup and tip a small amount of liquid into his or her mouth.
  • Some children may need to suck as a way for them to control their behavior. This sets their mood to accomplish certain tasks such as sleeping, concentrating and running. Some children may continue to suck on a pacifier or bottles of plain water for the first few years.
  • Consistency is key to successful weaning. Be sure to give your child the cup at the designated feeding time and don't switch back to the bottle at this feeding.

When should I offer my child cows' milk?

Children older than 12 months may drink whole cows' milk. They will be more likely to accept the milk if it's introduced gradually. Mix whole cows' milk with part breast milk or formula, and gradually increase the amount of cows' milk.

Children under 2 years of age should not drink reduced-fat or fat-free milk. Fat is needed for proper growth and development of the brain and nervous system.

What can I put in a bottle and what can I put in a cup?

  • Put only breast milk, formula or water — no cows' milk before 12 months — in a bottle. Never put juice or other fruit-flavored drinks in a bottle.
  • During the weaning process, only use water or milk in the cup. (Remember, no cows' milk before your child is 12 months old.) If you put juice in the cup, your child may come to expect it. After weaning you can offer diluted juice in the cup.

If I'm breastfeeding my child, do I wean to the bottle or to the cup?

Most breastfed babies are given breast milk from the breast and from a bottle during the first year of life. If you have breastfed your baby only from the breast for nine or more months, wean your child to a cup rather than to a bottle.

How can I make weaning easier on my baby?

  • Offer other comforts such as a soft blanket or stuffed animal, or play soothing music.
  • Spend extra time cuddling with your child during the weaning process.
  • Buy cups with handles, spouted lids or baby cups with straws to make drinking easier.
  • Be a positive role model and drink from a cup with your child.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your child's doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your child's provider.

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How to wean a child from a bottle, son 2 years

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9000 #6

#7

Doesn't go to the potty (in diapers all day)

And constantly sticks to the boobs.

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#9

From six months she gave the baby water from a drinking bowl. I just found a convenient one for him, Tupperovsky. He has been drinking from a cup since the year. But I breastfed for a long time, perhaps because of this, the baby did not have cravings for bottles and nipples.

#10

At night they stopped giving a bottle and that's it. In the evening we gave him a lot to drink. Then they warned: if you ask for a drink at night, we won’t give it! He may not have understood well, or perhaps he understood very well what we meant. But still he asked. I cried a little, but we did not give. Since it was night and he had not yet slept off his, he fell asleep. After 4-6 nights, he stopped asking and began to sleep through the night without waking up. Since then, he does not wake up at night at all.

And from the bottle in general, I weaned him like this: I bought a glass bottle. Threw out the plastic ones. Then she told him: your bottle is made of glass, it can break like a glass. If you break it, there will be no more bottle. He was already 3.5 years old, so he understood very well what it was about. A month later, the bottle broke (it had to happen). As soon as she fell to the floor, he began to cry and said: how am I going to drink now? I consoled him, said that this happens and that he is already a big boy and can drink from a glass. He certainly "suffered" at first with a glass. But after 2 days I got used to it.

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Anya

I disaccustomed my son like this: When he first day went to the nursery, at 1. 9, in the evening he came home and asks for a bottle, I say, and everything the German teacher came and took away) ) you say the big boy has become already)) and it worked))) he really looked at me with regret, but he never asked for a bottle again, and he didn’t suck on a pacifier at all ... Something like that ...

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Why teach her 9006 at all??? There are no drinkers and mugs?

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Natalia

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9000 Guest

I'm wondering how to wean sissy??? April will be 2 years old. She doesn’t go to the potty (in diapers all day) And constantly sticks to her boobs.

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April 2015, 09:55

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Guest

I'm wondering how to wean sissy??? April will be 2 years old. She doesn’t go to the potty (in diapers all day) And constantly sticks to her boobs.

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9000

It is early for him to wean from a bottle. Let him drink from it. But it is necessary to wean drinking at night. We weaned ours at 2 years from the night bottle, and at 3.5 years from the bottle in general. 9May 16, 2015 April will be 2 years old. She doesn’t go to the potty (in diapers all day) And constantly sticks to her boobs.

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Thing

Why teach her at all???? There are no drinkers and mugs?

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9000 2015, 13:32

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I think the child will learn on his own, without "violent" methods)) Say sometimes that he is an adult, it's time to drink from a mug, buy a beautiful mug...

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I'm wondering how to wean sissy??? April will be 2 years old. She doesn’t go to the potty (in diapers all day) And constantly sticks to her boobs.

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