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Weaning is defined by the process in which parents offer food supplements in place of or in addition to mother’s milk. This process begins the moment parents offer a bottle of formula or when their baby first tastes cereal. It is a gradual process.

When weaning from breastfeeding, it’s typically easier to drop the late-afternoon feeding first. Replace each feeding dropped with six to eight ounces of formula or milk, depending on the baby’s age.

Weaning from the bottle typically begins with your baby’s arrival at his first birthday. Again, it is a gradual process. Most moms wean straight to a sippy cup with great success. As you replace each bottle (one at a time, though) with a sippy full of milk, be patient. It will take time for your child to catch on to drinking from one of these cups, and you don’t want to unduly frustrate him in the process.