245 Chapter 11 Providing for the Infant’s Developmental Needs
Weaning from the breast cannot
be abrupt either for the baby or the
mother. Abrupt weaning for the
baby is stressful. For the mother,
abrupt weaning can cause blockage
of the milk ducts and possible
depression. A woman may need
to consult her doctor during the
weaning process.
When weaning begins, parents
should offer the new liquid
(formula or whole milk, depending
on age) as part of one feeding. (The
early evening feeding is usually
best, because there is less breast
milk.) Increase the amount of liquid
offered at this feeding until the baby
has taken an entire feeding by bottle
or cup for several days.
Parents should wait at least
three days before replacing another
feeding with the bottle or cup. Then
apply the same steps to another
feeding until the baby is weaned.
(The early morning feeding is
often the last one to stop.) Often,
breast-fed babies accept a cup
sooner than bottle-fed babies.
Weaning to a Cup
For formula-fed babies,
weaning from a bottle to a cup may
begin as early as the child can use
the cup and shows interest in doing
so. Although this may be as early
as 9 months of age, a recommended
age to start weaning from the bottle
to a cup is 12 months. At this time,
cow’s milk can be given instead
of formula. This process is often
completed by 18 months.
Parents often teach babies to drink
from a cup in the following ways:
Give the baby a special baby
cup. The cup may have two
handles and be weighted to
keep it from tipping. Some cups
also offer special features that
make liquid less likely to spill.
Praise the baby when he or she
tries to handle the cup. Parents
should not expect this to be an
easy task for several months.
Even after that age, many
accidents will occur.
Give the baby a few sips of
liquid (about one tablespoon in
the bottom of a cup) at about six
months. The small amount is
less scary if it splashes against
the baby’s nose. It is also less
messy if spilled.
Let the baby drink small
amounts of milk at one feeding.
If the baby already drinks
small amounts of juice or water
during a feeding, choose that
feeding for putting milk in the
cup. A baby should work up
to at least four ounces of milk
from the cup at one feeding.
Gradually replace other bottle
feedings in the same way. The
last bottle of the day is often the
last to be replaced.
Spoon Feeding
Parents are often eager to see
their babies eat solids. Why? Parents
probably see this as a transition to
a more grown-up stage of eating.
Like many other skills, eating from
a spoon is developmental. Most
pediatricians recommend the baby
be six months old before being
introduced to solids, 11-6. This
is the time when most babies are
developmentally ready to begin
learning to eat with a spoon and
just before solids are nutritionally
needed. The closer the baby is to six
months old, the better he or she will