Banish that bottle
Bottle-feeding after the age of one is a no no say the experts. But how do you help your baby to stop?
• Start early – a six-month-old baby is likely to be a lot more compliant than a one-year-old.
• Create a new bedtime routine full of comforting features such as soothing music in the bedroom, cuddles, a story and a cup of milk before teeth cleaning.
• Let your toddler choose the new cup you buy as a bottle replacement.
• Promote the grown-up aspects, particularly if you have a baby in the family – tell your toddler that bottles are for babies and cups are special and she is grown up like daddy/mummy now.
• Don’t let your child wander around with a bottle; it is less likely to become an object of comfort if it is given in controlled circumstances.
• The last bottle of the day should be drunk on your lap rather than in bed. A mobile child often finds this so restricting they give up the bottle of their own accord.
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