Your baby's happy, fed and thriving — what's next? Parents eager to witness another exciting milestone may wonder when they can go hands-free at mealtimes and let their children take over the task.
The time range when your baby will start holding her own bottle is a wide one, and some kids may go straight to grabbing a sippy cup. Here's what you should know about an often-overlooked milestone in your baby's first year.
When do babies start holding their own bottles?
Your little one may be up to the task at around 6 months and possibly later up to 10 months, but don't be surprised if she doesn't fit neatly within the norm. Every baby develops on a different timeline, so there's no one answer to when babies should feed themselves.
Yours may even choose not to hold the bottle at all — it could be that she's content to let her caregivers feed her, or that she hasn't had the opportunity to try it out!
Signs babies are ready to hold their own bottles
Your baby may start reaching out for the bottle when she's ready to try holding it herself. There are a couple skills she has to develop, however, before she's up for it.
Grasping and hand-eye coordination
Bottle-feeding is no small task. Your baby has to master a few skills first, including holding the bottle in her hands and lifting it to her mouth to drink. Newborns can clutch with their hands early on due to an innate palmar grasp reflex, but they have a long way to go before they can transport a bottle to their lips with precision.
When she's around 4 months old, your baby may discover a new hobby: mouthing any object she finds intriguing (favorite toys, her fingers, the occasional dust bunny). At about 7 months, most babies have enough control of their hands to exchange items between them. These developments in hand-eye coordination can pave the way for your baby to her bottle all by herself.
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Sitting up
Your baby should bottle-feed while tilted upward — not lying down unsupported — to reduce the risk of choking. So she'll need to be sufficiently strong to bottle-feed herself, particularly in her head and torso.
In the six to eight months range, your little one may be able to sit up straight — after you help her get in place, of course. At about 9 months, she'll likely reach another milestone of independence: sitting up on her own without your guiding hand.
Can I prop my baby's bottle?
If your baby isn't ready to hold her bottle herself, you'll need to hold it for her. Never prop a baby bottle, even if you're busy — not even with a product purchased expressly for that purpose. There are a number of dangers to bottle propping, including:
Ear infections
Bottle propping allows liquids to enter your baby's Eustachian tube, which connects her throat to her ears. And when that liquid combines with bacteria, a painful ear infection can occur.
Tooth damage
Breast milk and formula are packed with nutrients your baby needs to grow up healthy and strong. But the sugars within them can damage teeth when they remain on the enamel too long. When babies aren't hand-fed, the liquid in a propped bottle can spend too much time in their mouths and cause tooth decay.
Instead of propping, feed your baby yourself and clean her teeth afterwards.
Choking and suffocation
Proppers remove the middleman — the caregiver — who controls the bottle and stops the feeding according to the baby's needs. If a bottle propper is in the picture, a child may choke when she needs a break.
Another risk of bottle propping is aspiration — breathing the milk or formula into the lungs. Using a soft propper like a blanket is also a hazard. Just as a baby should sleep free of these items in her crib, she shouldn't be left to feed around them in case they impede her breathing.
Can my child be left alone with her bottle once she can hold it?
Do not let your child bottle-feed without supervision, even if she's able to hold the bottle and no proppers are involved. You'll want to stay with her not only in case she begins to choke, but also for the opportunity for the two of you to bond. Feeding times are openings for you to do just that.
If there are multiple caretakers in your bottle-fed baby's life, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that you switch up who handles feeding to help both build connections. These valuable moments you spend together now will promote healthy social development and support her emotional wellbeing in the long run.
What if my baby isn't holding her bottle?
Your baby's personality and preferences can factor in here. Is your baby happy to let you do the heavy lifting, or is she still working on some of the developmental milestones she needs to master?
If the latter, it's worth speaking with the pediatrician to make sure all is well, but she may just prefer having you take the lead.
When to switch from a bottle to a sippy cup
It's good practice to phase out bottles completely sometime between the first and second years, according to the AAP. You can begin preparing your baby for the switch by introducing a sippy cup when she's around 6 months.
If your baby can already hold a bottle, she might take the change in stride. She'll need some extra coordination to handle an open cup, though. Kids can generally use cups when they're about 12 months old with some spills, but practice makes perfect.
Making the switch away from beloved bottles can be tough for kids, but weaning off them helps keep their teeth healthy and transition little ones to a diet appropriate for their age.
Your baby's growing up fast, whether she reaches for the bottle at 6 months or waits for the introduction of a sippy cup to try drinking herself. Enjoy the quality time that bottle-feeding gives you both, and marvel over your baby's new skill!
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