Your Childrens Health

Most experts say that toddlers should stop bottle-feeding by 12 months old, but breastfeeding can be continued until 2 years of age, if both mom and baby want to do so.

The transition from bottle to cup can be easy if you help your toddler with the process.  Get your child a cup with a snap-on lid, a spout and handles.  Start the process by giving your toddler a cup with a small amount of water and show him how to drink out of the cup.  Make sure to offer only juice and milk from the cup and water from the bottle.  This will help break your child from an attachment to the bottle.  If your child seems cranky, resist the temptation to give them a bottle, cup or the breast right away.  Make sure she is really hungry first.

Never put your toddler to bed with a bottle or cup.  It is bad for the teeth.  Offer your child the cup at just one feeding a day until she gets used to it.  It may be a few weeks or it may take up to 6 months for your child to get used to drinking from a cup.  If your child misses the bottle, offer a blanket or stuffed animal for comfort.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 at 6:01 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Diet and Nutrition, Growing Pains, Dental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.