When to Stop Bottle Feeding Baby

As your baby gets older, you’ll reach many exciting milestones like crawling and baby’s first steps. The reality of parenthood, though, is that sometimes these milestones aren’t easy. Of course, they can come with joy, but they can also entail a fair share of challenges and exhaustion.

One of these milestones is saying goodbye to the bottle. Because many babies associate their bottles with comfort, the weaning process can be challenging for babies and their parents. Regardless if you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, there will come a time when your baby transitions to using cups and eating more solid foods. Knowing when and how to make that transition can help you best prepare for a potential emotional rollercoaster—for baby and you. The Tushbaby Carrier can provide extra support to help you comfort your baby when you reach the inevitable time to ditch the bottle or the boob.

Battling the bottle separation is exhausting, but hang in there and use your Tushbaby to carry, cuddle, and soothe, especially when you and baby are both tired. You can even use the Tushbaby while seated with your baby: the open design makes it a versatile hipseat carrier that puts safety at the forefront of its construction. Unlike other carriers, the Tushbaby is worn the same whether you’re carrying a baby or not—that means you can keep it on, pick your baby up, or put ‘em down as demanded with ease.

Tushbaby is the up, down, all-around essential carrier when it comes to weaning off the bottle. But before we get into that, let’s learn more about when to stop bottle feeding.

Why does baby need to be transitioned out of bottle feeding?

Aside from just being ready to stop cleaning baby bottles, you may be wondering when and why your baby will need to transition out of bottle feeding. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s recommended that your baby is weaned from bottle feeding at 12 months of age and is completely transitioned by 15 months at the latest (American Academy of Pediatrics). Here are just a few reasons why it’s important to ditch the bottle at 12 months:

Dental health: Transitioning away from bottle use is an important part of your baby’s dental health. Bottles of milk or juice contain sugars that can cause tooth decay and cavities, impacting your baby’s likelihood of having dental problems early on, including impact on their smile.
Nutrition: If your baby continues to rely on their bottle, they may miss out on introducing solids that will provide essential nutrients for their development. With a full belly from drinking their bottle, your baby may not want to try those exciting new fruits and veggies, even if they’re being fed from a spoon pretending to be an airplane.

What are the different ways to stop bottle feeding?

While there’s no exact science to making the transition from the bottle seamless, there are certainly steps you can take toward stopping bottle feeding at a comfortable pace. It’s important to remember that no matter how challenging the change may seem at the time, it’ll be worse to hold off past the recommended age. The earlier you start, the more manageable the transition, and the better it will be for you and your baby. Here are just a few tips for transitioning out of bottle feeding that you can keep in mind as you plan your baby’s bottle wean:

Start the cup early: Offering a cup over a bottle early on can help your baby become accustomed to this new change. There are plenty of spillproof or baby sippy cups that can help ensure those liquids don’t land on the floor or carpet. Cups can be introduced as early as six months, so it doesn’t hurt to try introducing them as soon as you start introducing solid foods.
Make it gradual: To make the process more manageable, it helps to phase out bottles over time. This can mean starting to swap a bottle for a cup during one meal every day and increasing over time. While all babies are unique, stopping cold turkey can be quite a challenge for babies and their parents. The sooner you can begin, the longer the gradual transition will be to allow everyone time to adjust.
Find new routines: For many families, a bottle becomes part of the daily routine, especially at bedtime. So it’s normal for your baby to become emotional without their usual bedtime bottle. Since babies thrive on routine, it’ll help to adapt your routine to your family’s new needs… and stick to it. This can include story time instead of a bottle or even extra snuggles as you read a bedtime story. You can use your Tushbaby carrier to hold and comfort your baby while rocking them or reading a book. Strap your Tushbaby carrier high and tight above your natural waist, sit or stand, and free up one arm for a bedtime story while supporting your baby with the other. The extra snuggles can help calm a fussy baby while the Tushbaby carrier supports your back and arms—it’s a win-win!

What do pediatricians say about transitioning from bottle to cup?

When it comes to making the transition from the bottle to a cup, pediatricians recommend transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup or straw by 18 months. It’s recommended that you begin offering your child a cup when they start to introduce solids, or at around six months.

How to start the switch from nursing or bottle-feeding to cups

Starting the transition from nursing or bottle-feeding to cups can be an emotional time for parents and their babies. Not only do parents know that their baby finds comfort in nursing or the bottle, but they also may feel like their baby is no longer a baby! As we’ve mentioned, delaying your start to weaning will only make it more challenging in the long term. So as tough as it may seem, you’ve got to start somewhere.

Our suggestion for starting is to find ways to make it fun. Get a special sippy cup with your baby’s favorite cartoon character or animal. We can probably all remember the nostalgic cartoon plastic cup or plate we had in our family cupboards for years. You can treat this cup as a reward or something to look forward to as you gradually swap the bottle for a cup! Be patient, parents, as there can be a big learning curve when switching to a cup. Sippy and straw cups can help and are highly recommended.

Common concerns for weaning a baby off the bottle

As we mentioned, weaning a baby off the bottle comes with mixed emotions for parents. Some common concerns for weaning a baby off the bottle include:

A fussy baby: Many parents worry how their baby will react to changes in their routine, especially when taking a source of comfort or security away. This concern is valid, and the reality is, you’ll likely have an upset baby at times.

Instead of giving in to the bottle, it’s important you find other ways to calm your fussy baby. For example, extra snuggles and hugs from Mom and Dad can help soothe your baby. Use your Tushbaby hip seat carrier to ensure no soothing is cut short due to aches and strains. You can support your baby with one arm while they comfortably perch on the plush padded seat, distract them with toys, and even read a storybook with the other arm. Distraction can be your best friend in times of tantrums.

Troubles getting baby to sleep: Bottles often become a part of sleep routines for babies, and parents worry their baby won’t be able to sleep without them. But actually, your baby will adjust and find ways to self-soothe in place of their usual bedtime bottle. Extra patience will be needed in this transition, but you and your baby will both get through it.

With a transition as significant as bottle weaning, it’s natural that both you and your baby will need a bit of time and extra comfort to adjust. Using products like the Tushbaby hip seat carrier is one of the great ways Tushbaby can help you calm a fussy baby and save your back. Our streamlined carrier is designed to support your back and your baby—through both the happy and the challenging milestones.