Before their first birthday a baby’s main source of nourishment should be breast milk. If you are not breastfeeding then the baby should be mainly drinking formula, with baby food being only a secondary source for nourishment. Occasionally when your baby starts solids he will begin refusing to take the breast or bottle. If he does this there are several things you can do to help him get reaccustomed to the nipple.

1. Cut back on solids. If your baby has started refusing to nurse, cut back on the solids. It could be that you are feeding him TOO many solids and he is full.

2. Try to reintroduce breast. Put your baby skin to skin, letting him find his way to your breast on his own. Don’t force him, just lay there, acting like it is no big deal, and let him discover breastfeeding all over again.

3. Feed your baby when he is drowsy. If you catch your baby right as he is about to go to sleep, or just as he is waking up, you will probably be able to get him to latch on in his not-so-awake state.

4. Nurse baby before offering baby food. Use the baby food like a “dessert” with the breast milk or formula being the main course.

5. Try a cup. Often if your baby no longer wants the nipple, you will be able to get him to drink from a sippy cup and get his liquid that way.

Nursing strikes can be very common and is another one of those stages that your baby may or may not go through. Patience will help you persevere as a parent in helping to make sure that your baby gets the proper nourishment that he needs.

Chances are, if you introduce the sippy cup to your baby with anything but juice, or another sweet drink in it, he will not be in a hurry to drink from it. Nipples are much easier for the baby to get formula or breast milk from, than a sippy cup. Most pediatricians will tell you NOT to give the baby sweet drinks in a sippy as a way to get them to drink from it because it can lead to the baby ONLY wanting to drink juice from that sippy cup, making the switch to formula or breast milk that much harder.

One way to break your baby from their bottle is gradually. Cutting down the number of bottles you give during the day and only offering sippies. This works well for some mothers, if you have the patience and time to do it. Most will start by cutting out a bottle at a time for a week, normally starting with the morning bottle and offering just a sippy cup. Every few days or week cut out one more feeding till you only offer a bottle before nap and bedtime as a way to help their baby relax and fall asleep. Eventually cut out that nap time bottle, teaching your baby to fall asleep without the comfort of the bottle, hopefully making it easier to remove the bedtime bottle as well. Some mothers believe this it he kinder, easier way to wean from the nipple to the sippy cup.

The other way to break your baby’s habit is cold turkey. Cold turkey however requires a lot of patience and willpower on the part of the mother. When my daughter was 9 months old I decided to wean her off the bottle cold turkey. At that point she had no interest in the sippy cup. To avoid confusion I took away the pacifier at the same time.

If you are going to wean your baby cold turkey, you have to be prepared. Stock up on your baby’s favorite food and snacks. However, don’t be surprised if your baby doesn’t want them at first. Have a sippy of formula or milk waiting for your baby and available to your baby at all times throughout the day. Offer him the sippy, and food, but do not give in when he cries for the bottle. Don’t be surprised if the first and even if through the second day your baby refuses the sippy cup and all most of the food you are offering him. Remember, if your baby gets hungry enough he will eat. At this point it is a battle of wills between you and your baby. The first day will probably be very hard for both of you. There will be a lot of crying and screaming from your baby. By the end of the day you will be exhausted if not screaming to yourself as well.

The second day will go about the same, hopefully by the evening though your baby will have started to give in a bit and be willing to drink some from the sippy, and eat the other foods you offer. By the time the third day comes to a close, the worst is over and your baby has probably completely given in. The sippy is as welcome to them the morning of the forth day, as a bottle would have been, and they are back to eating and drinking as normal. This cold turkey method works well for most, if the mother has the willpower to stick to it.

There is no “right” way to wean your baby off of the bottle. It is best to make the decision based on your family and on their needs, planning appropriately ahead of time.

Breast milk and formula are specifically designed to be sensitive for your baby’s belly. Cow’s milk has certain proteins in it that breast milk and formula do not have. A baby’s digestive system is not capable of processing these proteins, and the lack of processing can make your baby sick. Cow’s milk also has a large amount of sodium, potassium and chloride that can be hard on your baby’s kidneys.

During your baby’s first year, it is important that he get the right amount of vitamin E, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals that cow’s milk does not have. These vitamins are found naturally in breast milk and are added to formula. Cow’s milk could lead to an iron deficiency in your baby and in some rare cases cause internal bleeding. It can also lead to dairy allergies as your baby gets older.

There is no doubt that cow’s milk can be more convenient that formula, but until your baby turns a year you should steer clear of giving him cow’s milk.

After 12 Months
Once your baby hits his first birthday and has his one year well-check, if your pediatrician gives the ok for you to give your baby cow’s milk, there are a lot of benefits to your baby. In most cases, for that second year of life, you will be told to give your baby whole, vitamin D milk. It is because this milk has the highest concentrate of vitamins that your baby still needs to grow. A great source of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and magnesium, whole milk will help your baby’s bones and teeth grow and become strong.

Now that your baby’s digestive system has matured, milk will give him the protein that he needs to run and play during the day. Calcium is important to a baby’s future health because it can help prevent later cases of certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and other medical emergencies later in life.

If Your Baby Won’t Switch
If you are lucky your baby will make the switch to cow’s milk smoothly and easily. If you are not lucky, your baby may fight the change. This could happen for any number of reasons. Milk has a different texture, temperature, color and taste from the breast milk or formula that you have been feeding your baby, and your baby may not want to adjust. If this happens try making it a gradual process. Try giving your baby cow’s milk straight from a sippy cup, instead of through a bottle. Also, try mixing cow’s milk and your breast milk or formula, slowly increasing the amount of cow’s milk, until it is only cow’s milk. If he won’t take it through a sippy cup, try spoon feeding it to him, or mixing it in with cereal and other baby food until he gets used to the taste.

To insure that your baby is as healthy as possible, ask your pediatrician about what he recommends when it comes to giving your baby cow’s milk. If you feel that your baby is not taking to cow’s milk well, then speak with your pediatrician to see if he thinks there is a problem, or has any suggestions for you to try.