Your child is growing up, and soon you will offer them their first spoonful of purée. Between excitement and apprehension, you may wonder whether you should stop the bottle as soon as your child starts weaning. Rest assured, the transition is gentle and, above all, very gradual. The joy of giving the bottle does not disappear overnight, and milk remains your child's main source of energy throughout, at least, their first year. So, for all parents who are wondering about this, let's explore together how to navigate the balance between milk and baby food serenely, one spoonful at a time.
CONTENTS:
- Weaning, a step for discovery, not for replacement
- How to balance bottles and purées on a daily basis?
- How much milk should you give your baby according to their age?
- How to organize your baby's meals?
- 3 keys to gradually introduce food
- The bottle beyond 12 months: a pleasure that can last
Weaning, a step for discovery, not for replacement
Sometimes, the start of weaning is experienced as the end of the bottle. However, alongside weaning, it is also a matter of complementary feeding: solids are added to milk but do not replace it. Purée is therefore, at that stage, more of a sensory experience than a real growth factor.
The nutritional role of breast milk or infant formula before 1 year
Before one year, your baby's stomach is still tiny (about the size of their fist). To grow, they therefore need foods extremely rich in calories and good fats.
- Until 2 years, your baby's brain has an immense need for lipids (essential fatty acids), which are found in abundance in milk but very little in the first steamed vegetables.
- Milk, breast or infant formula, is perfectly digestible by your baby and covers all their vital needs, especially iron and calcium.
Thus, even if your baby enjoys pea or carrot purée, before one year, vegetables alone would not be enough to provide the daily energy needed for their growth.
Why not stop the bottle too early?
Because without sufficient milk intake, a baby risks not only lacking calories, but also iron, which is essential for their immune defenses.
And, beyond nutrition, the bottle remains an emotional landmark. Moving from the pacifier, or the breast, to the spoon makes a huge difference. Keeping their bottle also means preserving the bond of nutrition, cultivating the gentleness of the moment and securing the landmarks of your child.
How to balance bottles and purées on a daily basis?
Instead of imagining your baby's future meals as an equation to solve between the number of spoons and the volume of milk in the bottle, why not consider them as a gentle coexistence? Because the idea is not to replace milk, but to invite new flavors into your baby's mouth. To work with your little one's appetite so that drinking and eating becomes and remains a sensory experience and a shared pleasure.
- 🥄 Did you know? Élhée bottles can be turned into baby food jars thanks to the cap that makes them perfectly airtight.
Should you give milk before or after food?
This is THE question at the start of weaning. And the answer, more instinctive than coming from a rule, lies in observing your child.
- If your baby is starving, to preserve the serenity of the meal, start with a little milk to soothe them before going to discover their purée, and finish with the rest of the bottle, in a cuddle.
- If your baby is calm and curious, take advantage of it to start with solids. More available without the pressure of their stomach, they will more easily be tempted by the new textures you will offer them. The bottle will then come to wrap up and close the meal.
How to read your baby's satiety signals?
One of the main challenges of weaning is to trust your child's instinct. Here, if you have already heard of BLW, Baby-Led Weaning, you know that your baby, as they grow, shows themselves to be increasingly capable of self-regulation.
If, after a few spoonfuls they turn their gaze away, do not worry: it is probably that their little stomach is full. Conversely, if theyopen their mouth wide and, immediately after their baby food, ask for their bottle, it is because they are drawing the energy necessary for their growth.
How much milk should you give your baby according to their age?
As always with babies, the numbers are to be taken as guidelines. What you should above all remember is that over the months the volume of milk adjusts, without however ever losing its place as the "star" on the menu.
Between 4 and 6 months: the awakening of the senses in complete safety
At this age, it is the very beginning of weaning. Many babies have not yet tasted any food other than milk.
- The guideline: 4 to 5 bottles, often from 210 ml to 240 ml.
- Bottle side: this is the moment when the roundness of the bottle reassures your baby. Even if they gradually discover the contact of the spoon, they appreciate finding the familiar softness of medical silicone and the comfort of the nipple.
From 6 to 9 months: learning to navigate between liquids and solids
The flavors settle in and your baby starts to understand that satiety can also come from the plate. The milk starts to share its throne, but it remains the guarantor of their balance.
- The guideline: between 500 ml and 750 ml of milk per day.
- Bottle side: the noon and snack bottles gradually lighten in favor of vegetables and fruits given as purées and compotes. But, in the morning and evening, milk remains sacred.
From 9 to 12 months: towards the affirmation of taste
Your baby becomes a little gourmet. Their digestive system is more mature, mimicry plays its role and their meals are structured more around solids.
- The guideline: generally 2 or 3 large bottles per day (morning and evening, and sometimes a snack supplement).
- Bottle side: this is where the 330 ml format takes all its meaning with its generosity.
How to organize your child's weaning meals?
Moving from theory to practice often brings many questions. So, so that logistics do not tarnish the joy of discovery, rely on reassuring guidelines while maintaining a certain flexibility.
For example, to support families, Adade Paris has designed evolutionary boxes that simplify every step of weaning. The principle is intuitive: the boxes, designed for children from 4 months to 3 years, contain table accessories, guides designed in partnership with doctors and recipe sheets. True companions on the road to keep mental load at a distance.
Also, to help you organize your baby's meals month after month, here is a summary table of the balances to aim for according to your baby's age:
| Baby's age | Milk quantity (average) | Number of bottles | Place of solids |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 - 6 months | 800 to 900 ml | 4 to 5 | A few spoonfuls of smooth purée at noon |
| 6 - 9 months | 500 to 750 ml | 3 to 4 | Purée + protein (noon) and compote (snack) |
| 9 - 12 months | 500 ml minimum | 2 to 3 | Full meals (blended or small pieces) |
3 keys to gradually introduce food
Beyond quantities, food weaning is also a matter of patience, taste and textures. To put all the chances on your side and your baby's side, here are 3 tips to draw inspiration from.
- The patience: present each new food alone for 2 or 3 consecutive days. It is the best way for your baby to tame a new taste, but also to detect possible allergies.
- The evolution of textures: the transition from smooth blended to soft pieces is a major sensory step. It must be done at your child's pace, often guided by the appearance of the first teeth or their first chewing reflexes.
- Each baby has their own pace: if there is one golden rule to remember with toddlers, it is that weaning is not a race, but a personal walk. There is no single progression, just your child's pace.
| Baby's age | Vegetables & Fruits | Proteins | Starches & Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 - 6 months | Sweet vegetables (carrot, zucchini) & fruits (apple, pear). | None (milk is enough). | Optional: gluten-free cereals. |
| 6 - 9 months | Broccoli, spinach, leek. Red fruits, prune. | 10g/day: chicken, turkey, cod. 1/4 egg. | Blended rice, small pasta, semolina. |
| 9 - 12 months | Almost all vegetables. Citrus, melon. | 20g/day: beef, salmon, tuna. 1/2 egg. | Fork-mashed, soft pieces. |
The bottle beyond 12 months: a pleasure that can last
Some children will however remain very attached to their bottle, sometimes until 3 years or more, and that is normal. Beyond the nutritional intake, the bottle is a transitional space, a moment of gentle regression and absolute comfort in a day of "almost grown up".
What if your baby rejects their milk?
Conversely, some children abandon their bottle earlier than you might have expected. If your baby refuses milk after tasting your best baby food recipes, don't panic, there are different ways to give them the calcium they need.
- The solid dairy products: plain yogurts, petits-suisses or fresh cheeses are excellent alternatives.
- The culinary trick : integrate the milk directly into your preparations (creamy purées, cereal porridges or even small homemade flans).
- The change of container : sometimes, the simple fact of offering the milk in a learning cup or with a straw cup is enough to restart your baby's interest.
Also, whether your child is a fan of their bottle or rather adapted to the spoon, trust yourself and above all trust them. As long as they grow well and keep their joy of living at the table, it means you have found the balance that suits them.
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