As Moms, we’re always searching for the right answer. We are constantly looking for the dos and don’ts and putting pressure on milestones that are supposed to be happening. We’re receiving lots of advice, sometimes solicited and other times not welcome.
All that in mind, I’ve come to terms with one key thing. There are no rules. Everyone has their own way of parenting and every child has their own way of developing.
During Elia’s 12 month doctor appointment, I was told it was time for her to stop using a bottle. To those who aren’t a parent, this transition seems minimal, but, if you have a child, you know this is actually really difficult. I decided to follow the doc’s orders and went home and tried removing it.
She was a nightmare.
I know you’re supposed to weather the storm, but something in my gut told me she wasn’t quite ready to pull the plug completely, so I decided to take a gradual approach over the course of a few weeks to ween her off.
I’ve been using Dr. Brown’s bottle since the day Elia was born. They are simply the best and known to reduce colic, spit-up, burping and gas. They also preserve the milk nutrients and help with digestion. For me, choosing them was a total no brainer.
All this in mind, you’ll understand why I was SO excited to find out that Dr. Browns actually carries an entire line to help you transition from a bottle to a cup.
For us, the transition started with a sippy spout that we could put directly on her Dr. Brown’s bottle. It was enough of a change to introduce something new, but at the same time it has the same feel of a bottle which definitely comforted Elia.
From there, I had more confidence that introducing her to new cups wouldn’t totally freak her out. About 3 days after we tried the sippy spout on her bottle, we tried the Baby’s First Straw Cup and just put her water in it. This allowed her to learn how to use a straw, but gave her more time to adjust to drinking her milk out of her new sippy spout. I love the Baby’s First Straw Cup because it’s completely spill proof (and she literally has no self-control when it comes to how she holds things) and it has handles which made it easy for her to grasp.
After about a week of drinking water from her straw cup, we decided to try putting her milk in the insulated sports cup with a straw during the day and save the bottle just for naps/bedtime. She seemed to really enjoy drinking from a straw, so we felt like this cup was a good option for us. We’re also on the go A LOT and this cup keeps her milk cold.
She seemed to take to it pretty well so after about a week of this, we finally cut her bottle completely and only used the cups! By that point, she was so used to drinking from them, it didn’t seem to bother her very much. We also found that using one type exclusively for milk and one for water helps Elia know what she is getting and has made her more vocal about what she wants (a win win).
So, did we ween her off her bottle right at 12 months? No. But with just a few weeks and a little creativity, we had a completely painless transition!
Doctor Brown’s honestly couldn’t have made this time any easier for Elia. The different phases are designed to graduate from one product to the next at whatever rate works for you and your little one.
Like I said, there are no rules! You know in your gut what’s going to work best and don’t be afraid to take your time and make sure everyone is happy and comfortable!
Love always,
Erica
