This has been the hot topic in my practice for the last few weeks, so I thought I’d share some of my tips and strategies to help with yet another feeding transition!

This one can be wrapped up with a lot of emotions, sleep habits, and cuddly routines that are hard to let go of. So, if you’re little one just turned one and you’re facing this next step, take a minute to feel all the feelings. Your baby is growing up and the transition away from the bottle (or breast) can be a tough step for parents. You might feel some sadness or grief for the loss of that last stage AND excitement for all that is to come. Totally normal.

If you’ve had a baby who is tough to get to sleep or stay asleep, the bottle or breast has likely been used to help him get to and return to sleep. That can be another scary layer when we talk about moving away to a cup. One thing at a time; my strategy for this transition is more strategic and gentle. Start with a small goal and move forward from there.

Hopefully, at this point, your baby has been drinking from a straw or other cup for practice, or even consistently with water at meals or snacks. Some of you may have even offered breastmilk or formula in the cup - and if you have been, you’ve laid a great foundation. If you haven’t already started offering liquid in cups, that would be your first step to make sure skills are there AND to create that expectation with meals. A straw cup is ideal for independent drinking and supports good oral motor (mouth) development. Check out this article on how to teach this skill if needed. My favorite cup for teaching this skill to older infants can be found here.

The next step would be to consistently offer breastmilk/formula or milk in the cup at meals and choose one bottle to skip which may be near a meal. For example, if lunch is usually offered and followed by a bottle, simply offer milk in a cup with lunch. Another option would be to offer a snack with water after nap instead of a bottle.

Toddlers should have 5-6 opportunities to eat/drink each day. That typically means 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. You can slowly eliminate bottles near mealtimes (replacing with cups), and keep the bottles as snacks initially. After you’ve mastered this schedule, slowly move to offering a snack with water or milk in the cup instead of the bottle. Usually, the bedtime bottle is the last one to go. You’ll get there, and in the meantime, start putting some space between the bottle and going to sleep if possible.

There are also some gentle ways you can introduce whole milk (or an alternative milk if dairy free) to ensure there aren’t major tummy upsets or constipation issues. You can milk milk with formula or breastmilk in different amounts to increase acceptance and monitor for tolerance. You can start with a 50/50 ratio for a few days, then move to 75/25 milk to breastmilk/formula ration before going all in.

Overall, in this transition, your child may end up taking less milk overall which is not only okay, but also part of the necessary change. Milk is NOT complete nutrition and is simply one option for dairy/calcium requirements - yogurt, cheese, and other foods can be sources as well. Toddlers typically should not be consuming more than 16-24 ounces of milk per day as it can then interfere in their appetite and willingness to eat a variety of foods. After one year of age, table foods should be the primary source of nutrition and the bulk of a toddler’s daily calories.

If you’re interested in a sample schedule along with other tips on making this shift after your baby turns one, check out my new digital download HERE. Set a goal of having your babe off bottles by 15 months for good oral development! (Get rid that pacifier too if it’s still hanging around ;) but one thing at a time!).