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Weaning and Sippy Cups

Parenting Tips

By , About.com Guide

Updated March 11, 2012

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Weaning is a gradual process. It moves babies from a bottle or breastfeeding to drinking from a cup. For bottle-fed babies, weaning to a sippy cup usually happens around a baby's first birthday.

Now that your baby is feeding himself, it's a good time to offer a sippy cup with his meals. Using a cup with two handles will improve your baby's coordination skills. Gradually substitute a cup for the bottle at the noon meal. Once your baby adjusts to that, do the same at the morning meal.

The evening bottle will probably be the last to go. Your baby is used to the bedtime bottle as a comfortable, secure ritual. Try substituting water in the bottle for the formula. Then just offer your baby a cup of water before bed. If you continue to hold and cuddle at bedtime, weaning will go more smoothly.

These tips were reproduced from the U.S. Department of Education.

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