How do you feed a one year old?

I gave birth to two of the world's least talented cup drinkers. They both drank from bottles until they were almost 18 months old. No big deal. Today at ages 21 and 18 they drink fine from cups. ;*) Eventually they were able to transition from bottles to straw cups. I just put the milk in the bottle instead of the formula.

Until age 3, children only need 16 ounces of milk a day. It should be whole milk, as her brain still needs the extra fat.

I'd start by mixing her bottles with 3/4 formula and 1/4 cow's milk. Then after a few days move to 1/2 and 1/2, then 1/4 formula to 3/4 milk, and then finally straight milk.

Happy birthday to your little one!

Edited to add - yes, I did the same for our now 18 year old daughter, except instead of Strawberry Quik, it was Carnation Instant Breakfast. She still loves chocolate milk.

When she switches to cow's milk she should drink more then 20oz a day. You can offer it in any kind of cup you want. Sippy cup, open cup, straw cup, it doesn't really matter.

There are a couple ways to transition. You can just stop buying formula and start right in on milk. Or mix the milk and formula, decreasing the amount of formula each feeding. You can also keep offering her bottles of formula, and cups of milk at mealtimes. After a few days of both you can pack up the bottles and formula.

Also, cow's milk is a learned taste for some kids so don't get anxious if she doesn't like it right away or ever. There are lots of other healthy sources of fat, protein and calcium that you can offer if she isn't a fan of milk. Full fat greek yogurt and cottage cheese as well as leafy green veggies and lean meats offer many of the same nutrients as milk.

There is no magical event that happens on the first birthday that means bottles are suddenly very harmful. If your daughter is not yet able to efficiently get liquids from other containers than bottles, don't toss the bottles just yet.

Do try different kinds of cups. Some toddlers do better with a soft spout, some do better with a hard spout, some prefer straw cups, and with a little help a child this age is even able to learn to use a regular open cup. My own son never took to a sippy cup, but mastered a straw cup from the word go and now has all liquids from one. You never know until you try.

With formula 12 months is also not a magical cutoff age. It is fine to first mix formula and whole milk, or to offer whole milk one bottle and formula the next, whatever works for your child. Some are even not quite ready for whole milk at 12 months, so if you notice a bad reaction in your child it is fine to stick with formula a little while longer. But some kids also switch to whole milk in one go and barely seem to notice the difference.

As for how much: about 16 ounces. It's usually recommended not to offer more than 24 ounces, to avoid filling her up to the point of no longer having an appetite for solid food. She does need at least 24 ounces of liquid a day though, so it's important to also offer other beverages. Water is still the best choice for that to build healthy habits.

Edit: In my experience it is true what Pippin says about the role of a toddler's growing independence. I never gave my son a bottle anywhere but in my arms, with me holding the bottle. That just seemed more natural to me; you also wouldn't hand a breastfed baby a boob and walk away!

Once he started wanting more independence (pushing away the bottle and pulling it back towards himself again to get more control) I could seamlessly switch him to the straw cups (offered on his high chair tray) he was already using for other liquids. Basically he initiated the switch, so he had no reason to resist it. His evening bottle before bed was last to go, which seems to be a pretty universal experience. That one he just lost interest in.

I mixed formula with whole milk until it was just whole milk, but my son still didn't like plain milk so I add strawberry quik to it. Sue me, I hate plain milk too, I prefer chocolate. My kid prefers strawberry. I don't add a lot, just enough for taste. He gets about 3-4 cups of milk a day (5 oz). Try to get a sippy cup with a silicone spout. It's all my boy will take right now. I love the Avent sippy cups.

First of all, there is no great rush to get her off the bottle. (I always find it ironic that breastfeeding moms are encouraged to nurse for longer than a year, and lauded for doing so -- but formula feeding moms are so often told that baby MUST be off the bottle by his first birthday. While formula and bottles of course don't have the active benefits that breatmilk provides, neither do they become *bad* or poison on his birthday.

As long as she isn't sucking on a bottle through the night, or walking around it with, it won't harm her teeth.

If/when you do feel it's time, please dont' talk about 'breaking'her. Wild horses are broken. Babies are weaned.

Continue to work on introducing a cup -- she may be more willing to take water or diluted juice than milk from it. (She identifies milk with the comfort of suckling.) And keep giving the bottle, but insist that she always take it while held in your arms. Dont' let her walk around with it, or hold it. Her growing need for independence over the next few months will likely make her more willing to take the cup.

Once she is on the cup and drinking whole milk, there is no set amount that she needs. Its' generally advised to offer no more than 20-24 ounces a day. (Much more than that is likely to fill her up and take away her appetite for solids.) Remember that whole milk isnt' a direct replacement for formula. It's part of a general diet of varied, adult foods.

By giving it to her. Most start sippy cups at 9-10mnths old.