Some babies always
use slow flow nipples, while others get frustrated if the flow of milk is too slow when they are a couple of months old.
If you do need to (or want to) offer a bottle before the age of six weeks, follow my paced bottle feeding suggestions and try to
use a slow flow nipples.
For breastfed babies the best way to avoid bottle preference is to
use the slowest flow nipple possible so that baby still need to make effort to get the milk.
You may also want to make sure you are
using a slow flow nipple or try a different type of bottle.
«Using paced feedings (
use a slow flow nipple, keep the bottle parallel to the floor, and tilt it just enough so there is milk in the nipple), and stopping frequently for burping will likely help.»
Additionally, it is helpful to always
use a slow flow nipple, regardless of baby's age.
Not exact matches
If you are not already doing so, try
using a newborn or premie
nipple as this can help
slow down the
flow.
«To make things easier, establish breastfeeding first before trying out different bottles so your baby can continue to build those muscles and skills,» says Leigh Anne O'Connor, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who also recommends
using paced bottle feeding to ease the transition and choosing a
slow -
flow nipple, which will be most like breastfeeding.
Using a
nipple shield can help
slow the
flow of milk.
Make sure you
use a bottle
nipple with the
slowest flow as this will help encourage your baby to really work hard to get the milk out.
How to encourage baby to keep breastfeeding during this time: Skin to skin 24/7 as much as possible, if
using a bottle
used paced bottle feeding and a
nipple with a
slower flow, feed your baby the bottle while holding them skin to skin, right against your breast, switch sides you are holding your baby on each time you feed them to mimic the movement of switching sides when breastfeeding.
If you need to
use a
slower flow, you can interchange the
nipples with any of the Born Free, Dr. Browns, and Think Baby ranges.
I tried
using a medium
flow nipple about a week ago and it was like he was drowning... I could hear him gulping air, then gagging, so I changed back to the
slow flow after a couple ounces.
We have been
using the
slow flow Playtex
nipples with the Ventaire bottles.
One thing I did for my daughter to transition to faster
flow was
use a paper clip to make the hole in the bottle
nipple just a tad bigger on the
slow flow nipple.
They are best
used between the ages of 0 and 2 months as they come with a
slow -
flow nipple that has micro-vents that minimize the chance of air bubbles mixing with the milk.
And if that happens, you need to follow my treatments to know what to give babies for gas: burping your baby, investing in a special baby bottle with
slow flow nipple, avoiding foods containing caffeine especially you can let your baby
use kinds of safe medicine such as simethicone, gripe water, Pediatric Probiotics.
♥ The
flow is
slowed when
using a shield which can cause a cranky baby and in turn a cranky and distressed mom who doesn't know why baby is distressed whilst feeding ♥ If the latch is not fixed (which with a shield it makes it harder to tell as they kind of block the pain) then the milk intake is reduced ♥ Overused — they seem to be a quick fix for any breastfeeding related problem rather than fixing the actual problem ♥ Making a mother feel like she has failed to properly breastfeed ♥ Further damage to the
nipples
, Gilliatt recommends
using a bottle with a
slower -
flow nipple so «the baby doesn't have to work as hard with Mom,» she says, or one, like the Philips Avent Natural bottle, with a
nipple designed to look and feel just like the real thing.
When we first started
using them it was a little too fast for our 5 month old and making sure the
nipple was always positioned at the
slowest flow was difficult.
The bottle does not require the
use of battery and makes it easy to transition from breast to bottle and the small bottles come with
slow flow nipples and taller ones with medium
nipples.
Since gas bubbles form most often from the gulping of air,
use a
slow -
flow nipple if you find your baby is sucking down his bottle like there's no tomorrow.
Bottle Tips and Tricks: Often times
using a preemie
nipple (usually one that is smaller and firmer with a
slow flow rate, or one that is angled and flat) on a bottle, or a silicone shield over the breast
nipple when nursing, enables an infant to suck more efficiently while
slowing the
flow of liquid.
It's ideal to let newborns and preemie babies
use this
nipple because its
flow is
slower and easier to control.
If we had done the right research, we would have realized that we were still
using the newborn
slow -
flow nipples that came with our initial bottles, and what we actually needed to do to speed up our daughter's liquid meal was invest in some quicker -
flowing nipples.
Towards this end, it is ideal to
use a
slow flow bottle
nipple, paced feeds, and to only offer 1 - 1.5 ounces for every hour mom is separated from baby.
If nothing else works,
using a thin silicone
nipple shield may
slow down the
flow.