Cups, Milk and Weaning the Bottle: From 6 Months to Age 1

From 6 months

• Start offering a little water (about 4 to 8 oz a day in total) in an open cup or a straw cup with meals. It's practice; breast milk or formula is still the main drink.
• Expect spills. An open cup you hold for them is a fine way to start.

Around 12 months

• If your baby drinks formula, switch to plain whole cow's milk over a week or two. Toddler or "transition" formulas aren't needed.
• About 16 to 24 oz (2 to 3 cups) of milk a day is plenty. More than that can fill them up, crowd out iron-rich foods and lead to iron deficiency.
• Breastfeeding can continue as long as you and your child want; the AAP supports it to 2 years and beyond. Breastfed toddlers still eat family meals.
• Serve milk in a cup with meals, and water between meals.

Moving on from the bottle

• Aim to phase out bottles between about 12 and 18 months. Long bottle use is linked to tooth decay and to drinking too much milk.
• Drop one bottle at a time, usually the midday ones first and the bedtime one last.
• Move milk to a cup at meals, and keep the bedtime routine cozy with books and cuddles instead.
• No bottle in bed: milk pooling around teeth at night causes cavities.

Juice and other drinks

• No juice before 12 months. From 1 to 3 years, no more than about 4 oz of 100% juice a day, if any; whole fruit is better.
• Avoid soda, sweetened drinks, flavored milks, sports and energy drinks, and caffeine.
• Plant milks: unsweetened, fortified soy milk is the closest match to cow's milk if your child can't have dairy. Rice, oat and almond drinks are low in protein and other nutrients; ask the doctor before using them as the main milk.
• From age 2, most children can move to low-fat (1%) or skim milk.

When to check in

Mention it at the next checkup if: - Your child drinks much more than 24 oz (710 mL) of milk a day and eats little food. - They have pale skin, low energy or very picky eating, which can be signs of iron deficiency. - Constipation after switching to cow's milk doesn't settle.

Call the pediatrician for milk allergy symptoms such as hives, vomiting or blood in the poop; call 911 for swelling of the face or trouble breathing.