The beautiful time of breastfeeding was left behind, the kindergarten looms ahead and the baby's entry into a real adult life. But there is in between these two facts one middle that spoils everything. Her name is a bottle. For many mothers who have never experienced artificial feeding, the problem does not seem difficult. After all, it is much more difficult to wean from the chest. But to take away the cherished "soy" from your own child, who, for example, is more than 1.5 years old, this is not an easy thing to do. How can you get rid of it without hurting your baby?
How to wean your child from a bottle?
What is a bottle for a baby who is on artificial feeding? First of all, it is a symbol of his peace and comfort. Waking up at night or in the morning while mom is still sleeping, he can independently find his favorite "soy" and fall asleep again with her. If the milk suddenly ends, for a child this is akin to tragedy. Therefore, in the issue of disaccustoming a child from a nipple, it is important that the child is psychologically ready for this process. Given that the shelf life of children's bottles is approximately 3-4 months, the time when it ends, it may well be suitable for weaning from the treasured nipples. It is important to follow several rules:
- the kid must be able to drink from the drinker and the cup;
- the moment of weaning from the nipple should not coincide with the emotional stress of the baby;
- a child must be able to eat solid food from a spoon and sit alone;
- The baby should be less than two years, otherwise it will be much harder to part with the pacifier.
Pediatricians are advised to begin the transition from a bottle to a normal intake of food from about 9 months. The longer the parents regret their child and allow them to enjoy the "sauce", the more problems this will bring the baby in the future. For example, a long use of a bottle can lead to the development of an incorrect bite and the development of caries. The second reason for the doctors' negative attitude towards bottles is that the child consumes twice as much milk as he needs. This leads to the fact that the body is coping worse with solid food, and some trace elements are simply washed out of the body.
So, having adjusted to resolute actions, be patient and follow effective advice how to wean the child from the bottle.
If the child is not yet a year old:
- Starting from about half a year, during the active introduction of complementary foods, let the baby try to drink from the cup. At least a couple of sips each day will allow you to completely switch to drinking from the mug by 9 months. In the same period, a bottle with a spoonful is perfect. It will allow the child to perceive solid food and will soon learn to eat from a regular spoon.
- If the child was breastfed until 8-9 months, then weaning from the chest, do not offer him a bottle, but immediately teach to drink from the cup.
- Accustoming the baby to the cup, let him drink directly while bathing. There you will not worry that he will get dirty and get drunk.
How to wean from a nipple baby, which is more than 12 months:
- During the daytime meal, do not give the baby a bottle. First, excessive consumption of milk or any liquid interrupts the appetite. Secondly, you can replace the nipple with drinking from a cup.
- Try to play the principle of "edible-inedible." For example, add a little bit of salt or water to the milk from the bottle. And pour in a cup of normal milk. Over time, the baby will understand that it is more delicious to drink from a cup and leave a bottle
- For parents whose children over the age of the question of how to get rid of the nipple is the most problematic. Babies become attached to the bottle, and weaning is very traumatic and difficult. In this case, the step-by-step methods will not work, so try a few other options:
- if the child is already two years old, it is worth explaining to him that he is already big and it's time to part with the bottle. Suggest a kid game: a week before the separation start to prepare it for this event. More often let's drink from the mug. Suggest that he choose the brightest and most beautiful mug. To not be bored without "suck" the baby can be offered to hug your favorite toy. On the day of X you need to remove all the bottles and show that now it's time to live without them.
Reward and encourage the baby if he spent the whole day without a bottle and without hysterics; - A great way to wean a child from a nipple without tears is to limit the "bottle holiday". You can arrange it, for example, by visiting friends who have an infant. Decorate the bottle with bows and ribbons and explain to the baby that now it is more important for "Lali". Let your child solemnly present "lyale" this very bottle. Be sure to praise him for being an adult, and he's a great boy, that he made such a gift. The kid will be proud of his act and the nipple will cease to be of interest to him.
To painlessly wean the baby from the cherished bottle, you need not only to torment his psyche and suffer from it, but also give the right examples. Do not drink bottles from the baby, because more than half of his actions he performs, copying his parents. Show your baby how convenient and delicious to drink from a cup. And then weaning from the nipple, instead of tragedy, will turn into an important and responsible stage of growing up.