Weaning off the bottle: when and whyIf you’re bottle-feeding your baby with either expressed breastmilk or infant formula, it’s recommended that you wean your baby off the bottle by the time they’re 12 months old. At this age, your baby can keep breastfeeding and/or drink from a cup instead. Show Bottle-feeding after 12 months can increase children’s risk of tooth decay, especially if children are settled in bed with a bottle. This is because bottle-feeding involves frequent contact between children’s teeth and the sugars in milk and some drinks. Bottle-feeding after 12 months can also increase children’s risk of obesity. This is because children who bottle-feed at this age tend to drink more milk, which is high in calories. They might also drink more of other high-calorie fluids like juice. Also, when children drink more fluids, they tend to eat less solid food. This means they miss out on important nutrients for growth and development, like iron, zinc and others. At 6-12 months, babies can have breastmilk, infant formula or small amounts of cooled, boiled tap water. At 12 months, healthy drinks for children are breastmilk, full-fat cow’s milk and tap water. How to wean off the bottleFrom around 6 months, you can help your baby learn to drink from a cup. This prepares your baby for weaning off the bottle.Some children wean easily off the bottle when you offer them drinks from cups. Other children might find it more difficult, especially if they rely on bottles for comfort or settling to sleep. This is more common in children weaning off the bottle after 12 months. You can use a gradual or an immediate approach to weaning off the bottle. It depends on what best suits you and your child. Gradual approach Here’s an example of a gradual approach for a child who has bottles in the morning, middle of the day, afternoon and at bedtime:
Immediate approach
If you’re not sure whether to take an immediate or a gradual approach to weaning, talk to your GP or child and family health nurse or another health professional. Together you can make a weaning plan that suits your child. You can also talk through any questions or concerns you have. Helping babies wean off the bottle: tipsThese tips can help weaning off the bottle go smoothly for babies:
Helping toddlers and preschoolers wean off the bottle: tipsThere are a few things that can help weaning off the bottle go smoothly for toddlers and preschoolers:
You might be thinking about weaning your child off night feeds. This is an option for breastfed children from 12 months and formula-fed children from 6 months, but there’s no hurry. You can choose what works best for you and your child. If children get upset about weaning off the bottleIf your child often asks for the bottle and they’re getting upset, they might:
If you think your child is hungry or thirsty, you can offer a snack and/or a drink from a cup. If they refuse, you can offer it again later. If your child wants comfort at bedtime or help to fall asleep, you can give them an extra cuddle, read an extra story, sing a favourite song together, or give them a special blanket or stuffed animal to take to bed. Your child might ask for a bottle when they really want to spend time with you. In this situation, you could play a game, draw or read a book together. For older children, you could ask them to help you with an important task like watering the plants. If weaning off the bottle is upsetting you or your child and this doesn’t settle down after a few days, it’s OK to stop and try again later. Eating and drinking should be a calm, fun and social experience for you and your child. |