It's a question all parents ask themselves when faced with their growing baby. Whether it's because you've started to diversify your baby's diet, or because he refuses to go to bed without it at night, you' re wondering at what age you should start bottle-feeding. If, as is often the case, there's no precise answer to this question, there are a number of avenues to follow to help you think things through.
CONTENTS :
- The feeding bottle, a practical and reassuring object
- At what age can a baby start drinking from a glass?
- How can you help your baby discover other containers?
- The gourd as a transition between bottle and glass
- Why switch from bottle to glass?
- In conclusion, there's no age to stop bottle-feeding
The feeding bottle, a practical and reassuring object
A feeding bottle is practical. It fits comfortably in the hand and slips into mom's purse. It's filled with good milk, it doesn't break when it's dropped (especially if it's made of soft silicone 😉 ) and it's always available, or almost. Indeed, for babies fed on infant milk or for moms who have opted for mixed breastfeeding and breast pumps, the bottle is the simplest, safest and, above all, perfectly essential accessory for feeding up to eight times a day.
But for most children, the bottle is also a very reassuring object. Along with the pacifier and the comforter, it's one of the essentials that baby can't do without and that's always close at hand. In the event of serious grief, it's a source of soothing, and it's also behind it that tiny tots sometimes hide when they need reassurance.
Finally, no pediatrician forbids bottle-feeding at any age. The best way to break away gently is to let your child manage his or her own needs and attachments. At the same time, you can regularly offer your child alternatives in the form of a transition.
At what age can a baby start drinking from a glass?
Here again, there's really no cut-off age for a child to be able to drink from a glass. One year is considered a good average, but it varies according to habits and aptitudes. To introduce it, you can essess occasionally, or leave the bottle and glass at your child's disposal.
How can you help your baby discover other containers?
From the age of one, especially if your child is in a day-care center or group setting, it may be a good idea to offer him containers other than the bottle, if only to vary his experiences. Of course, the bottle can be left on hand to avoid too abrupt a change, which could have the opposite effect to that intended.
- Offer him a glass, straw, cup or flask and leave the object, such as the bottle, in plain view and within easy reach on the table.
- As often as possible, have breakfast at the family table, with your youngest child in his or her highchair. This way, he'll see you eating and drinking with different utensils.
- Introduce him to other foods, such as ripe fruit, and see if he's tempted to try them.
To ensure that this presentation goes as smoothly as possible, you can first offer the empty container so that your child can discover its shape, grasp its weight and texture, and test its grip... Then, outside mealtimes, when the thirst for milk or water is less urgent, offer a small trial.
The gourd as a transition between bottle and glass
Among the various utensils you can offer your baby, the water bottle can be an excellent alternative for a smooth transition from bottle to glass. To make things easier for you and your baby, at Élhée we've designed a flexible, unbreakable bottle made from medical-grade silicone, like that used for bibs.Round. A bottle that can be customized thanks to its various interchangeable components. A practical, easy-to-use baby bottle, with its non-leak suction spout, also compatible with our bibRound.
With the Bubble baby bottle, your child can drink his or her fill of milk, stay hydrated with water or taste his or her first squeezed fruit juices. Like the bibRond, you can also use Bubble as a container for baby food (the gourd is dishwasher dishwasher and bain-marie safe 😉).
Why switch from bottle to glass?
There's really no age limit for switching your baby from bottle to glass. Similarly, there's no real reason why your child should have to do without his bottle if he doesn't want to. Rather than switching from bottle to glass, it's more a question, at certain times, of switching from milk to water.
- Encouraging dietary diversification
Once food diversification has begun, pediatricians recommend around 500 ml of milk a day. However, to go from 900 ml of milk up to 6 months, to 600 ml after 6 months, you need to eliminate at least one large 330 ml bottle or two small 150 ml bottles. This is the ideal time to gradually replace a bottle-fed meal with a solid one.
- Implementing dental hygiene
Every time baby falls asleep with his bottle, milk is deposited on his teeth. Infant formulas, like breast milk, contain natural sugars that can promote the development of baby bottle syndrome or baby bottle tooth decay. Whether you keep the evening bottle or replace it with a solid meal, it's a good idea to start brushing teeth early on. This does not prevent your child from taking a bottle of water to sleep in, or even a training bottle with a non-leak spout to prevent minor accidents.
- Promoting autonomy
According to pediatricians, the longer a child goes without a bottle, the more difficult it becomes. However, by the time your child reaches nursery school, and especially kindergarten, bottles will have disappeared from the classroom. Introducing a glass or cup a few months before the first day of school is therefore a good idea, so that your child can manage more easily.
In conclusion, there's no age to stop bottle-feeding
Yes, there's no age to stop bottle-feeding! Nine months in the books, but more like two or three years in reality, it's up to your baby to decide according to his own rhythm and needs. If you give him enough time, he'll show you that he's ready to get rid of one, then two and finally all his bottles.
Keeping in mind that morning and evening feeds are the most solidly anchored, you can trust your baby. Slowly but surely, through a natural transition, weaning from the bottle will follow the rhythm of your child's small steps towards his first form of independence.
