Months 9–12.
Fewer bottles, cow’s milk on the horizon, and a plan for the last bottle. Yes, we make bottles. Yes, we’re telling you how to stop using them.
Every answer here is checked by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, the clinical credential for infant feeding. Where our IBCLC’s guidance differs from a published source, the answer says so.
Months 9–12: 4 things, in order.
About 6 minutes. Read it top to bottom, or tap the one you need. The short version is at the end.
- Milk a day
- About 24 ozStill milk before solids, until 12 months.
- At 12 months
- Whole milkNot before. Not low-fat.
- Bottles
- Done ~12 monthsOne at a time, over weeks.
Step 1: How much milk
About 24 oz. Milk first, still.
Roughly 24 oz a day.
Milk is still the main source of nutrition before age one, so keep offering milk before solids. Closer to 12 months you may see intake dip a little as solids pick up.
Sources: AAP; Nemours KidsHealth; NHS
It varies: anywhere from 5 to 8.
MedlinePlus gives 3 to 4 a day; our IBCLC’s range is wider.
Sources: MedlinePlus; NHS; AAP 5–8: guidance from our IBCLC
No. Until 12 months, breast milk or infant formula is the main drink.
Cow’s milk before then can cause bleeding in the gut, and babies under one find it hard to digest.
Sources: NHS; CDC; MedlinePlus
Step 2: Switching to cow’s milk
12 months. Whole milk. Gradually.
Whole milk (or breast milk) after the first birthday. No 1% or skim before age 2.
Formula isn’t recommended after 1 year. Children this age still need the fat for growth and brain development. If your child is overweight or at risk of it, or there’s a family history of obesity, high blood pressure or heart disease, ask your pediatrician which milk to offer.
Sources: AAP; Nemours KidsHealth; NHS Guidance from our IBCLC
Gradually. Swap bottles of formula for bottles, or cups, of whole milk over time.
Sources: Nemours KidsHealth; CDC
Fortified soy milk is the one plant milk that matches cow’s milk nutritionally.
No.
In a 2023 clinical report, the AAP called toddler milks generally unnecessary and nutritionally incomplete. Under 12 months they fall short of standard infant formula. After 12 months they offer no benefit over much cheaper breast milk or whole milk for most children, and in the US there’s no regulation holding them to a consistent standard.
Step 3: Dropping the bottle
The last bottle. A plan.
Aim to finish around 12 months.
The move starts around 6 months with the first open or straw cup, and bottles drop away gradually from there. The AAP gives 12 to 18 months and MedlinePlus 12 to 14; our IBCLC aims for around 12.
Sources: AAP; NHS; MedlinePlus Guidance from our IBCLC
Gradually, over weeks. Not all at once.
- Keep mealtime bottles for nowDrop the others first, especially naps and bedtime.
- Same drink, new cupStart the cup with what your child already drinks, so the only new thing is the cup.
- Water in the bottle, milk in the cupBetween meals, the bottle holds plain water.
Another way, from Nemours: gradually replace the milk in a bottle with water until it’s water only.
Sources: AAP; Nemours KidsHealth
Families do it both ways.
Some drop nap and bedtime bottles early and keep a mealtime bottle longest. Others keep the bedtime bottle last, as part of the routine. Either way, the bedtime bottle doesn’t stay in bed: it’s the one most linked to tooth decay.
Sources: AAP; Nemours KidsHealth Guidance from our IBCLC
Keep the routine. Swap the bottle.
Offer a cup of milk with dinner, then carry on with bath, story and teeth as usual. Extra cuddles and songs help. Stay consistent: the AAP warns that handing the bottle back when your child protests can turn a short rough patch into a longer battle.
Sources: Nemours KidsHealth; AAP
The advice doesn’t relax with age.
Milk pools around the teeth and causes decay, and a bottle left in the mouth raises the risk of choking and ear infections. If your child falls asleep with a bottle, take it out of their mouth and hands.
Sources: CDC; MedlinePlus; Nemours KidsHealth
Step 4: After the first birthday
Milk, water, and a cup.
- Cow’s milk
- 16 ozabout 2 cups a day
- Water
- 8–32 oza day, 1 to 4 cups
- Juice
- ≤4 ozallowed, not needed; with a meal, in a cup
- Flavored milk
- Not yetnot before age 2
Yes, from the start. About 16 oz (2 cups) a day.
More than 24 oz a day has been linked to iron deficiency, especially if your toddler isn’t eating enough iron-rich food. After the first birthday, offer solids before milk, and milk intake will gradually come down.
Sources: AAP; Nemours KidsHealth Guidance from our IBCLC
Milk or water. Never juice, soda or other sugary drinks.
If a bottle goes to bed with your child, it holds water only.
Sources: MedlinePlus; NHS
Allowed from 12 months. Not needed.
If you do give it: 100% fruit juice, no more than 4 oz a day, with a meal, in a cup, not a bottle. Watering it down helps.
Sources: CDC; AAP; NHS Guidance from our IBCLC
Not before age 2.
Chocolate, strawberry and other flavored milks have added sugar, which children under 2 should avoid.
Source: AAP
No. Keep washing after every use.
By now the goal is an open cup or a straw cup anyway.
Around 12 months, most can drink from one while you hold it, and many can hold it themselves.
Practice with a lidless cup can start from about 6 months, with help.
Sources: CDC; Nemours KidsHealth; NHS Guidance from our IBCLC
The short version.
Months 9–12 in 4 lines.
How much milk About 24 oz of milk a day, and milk first, still.
Switching to cow’s milk At 12 months, whole milk, gradually. No 1% or skim before age 2.
Dropping the bottle Aim to finish bottles around 12 months, gradually, over weeks.
After the first birthday After one: about 16 oz of cow’s milk a day, water in a cup, and juice isn’t needed.