Bottle Feeding. - Islip,NY

I started cutting back on the bottle around my son's first birthday. I would give him a sippy cup at every meal around 9-10 months and let him play with it, even though feedings still came from a bottle. Eventually he started to drink from it and then we just moved off of the bottle. I held onto that morning bottle until he was 15-16 months or so and then started giving him a sippy cup for that. It took a couple days for that feeding to go welland then we were done!
Good Luck!

Are you asking how long your baby should have a bottle? I think your answer will vary - it depends on what you believe, want, etc for your child. With my daughter, we introduced a sippie cup at 11 months (by babysitter as she was breastfed at night) and she was off a bottle within a week.

Some people continue to give their children a bottle up to age 1 or 2 years old. I know some kids who have had it until 4!

When your child can and will take from a sippie cup, I think it's time to cut the bottle out. Just my personal opinion, though!

Dear Dorann, I do not believe there is an age limit. This is up to your baby's needs. Some still have a bottle at 3 or 4... yes it does interfere with the growth of teeth. If you see a lack of interest in the bottle then it may be time to stop. Remember there are cultures that nurse until 5 years old. Some children need to suck longer than others. Have you tried a sippy cup? They have some really nice ones and this may take attention away from the bottle. I raised 5 by using my heart and my instinct(no book) Thank the Lord they are well adjusted and happy! Grandma Mary

With my 3 yr old I introduced a sippy @ 7 months. Just water or juice - it took her a month to drink from it & by the time she was 1 she liked it & only had a ____@____.com 15 months she was completly off w/o a fight. I believe that's why you find sippy cups by Gerber that say 7 months.

Everyone will give you different answers, but generally they recommned at 1 year, they should be weaned off. For me, each of my boys started sippy cups just before they turned 1 and were off the bottle within a couple of weeks if not sooner. The sooner the better, because the older they get, the harder it is to get them off it.

At least the first year, until they are off of formula (or breast milk). They really need alot so bottle breaking might make it difficult to get enough in. After the first year, it's up to you and the baby. The sippy cups are nice, but don't prolong using them. My daughter's 4 yr. old son is having to do speech exercises because he was on the sippy cups too long.

My pediatrician recommended my daughter give up the bottle at age one. She had already been successfully using sippy cups but still loved her bottles. I didn't have the heart to make her give up the bottles until after I had moved and we settled into our new place. Just after she turned two and during the Christmas holidays, we brought her bottles to her former nanny/family member who had recently had a baby. She gave them away happily but cried about it for days. After the third day of serious crying, she stopped and we've never looked back. It was difficult but necessary. My daughter has a small jaw (my pediatric dentist told me this - who knew?) and so drinking from a bottle or even sippy cups, exacerbated her overbite. So we just use the straw ones now. My daughter's cousin used a bottle for YEARS. I did not want her going down that path. It's easier for kids to break the habit when they are younger, even though it tears at our heart strings. Good luck.

I am a mom and speech pathologist. I would start introducing a sippy cup about 14 mos and give the child a little time to adjust by continuing to make the bottle available if they still want it. I gave my daughter a bottle when she first woke up and sippy cups during the day for a while. She seemed to like the bottle......it was familiar......but you can see what works for you.

Generally around age 1. You might find that the last before bed bottle is the last O. to go...kind of a comfort thing. Gradually eliminate the other bottles during the day and then stop the nighttime bottle....good luck!