Materials and shape

Despite bold marketing statements from manufacturers, no bottle or bottle nipple will work or feel like a mother’s breast.

Bottles are the milk containers. They vary in shape, size, material and features (some are vented, some are wide-necked), but what’s usually most relevant is the bottle nipple, and not the bottle itself. Bottle nipples are commonly available in either silicone or latex. Silicone bottle nipples are clear and firm. Latex bottle nipples are usually tan-colored and are a little bit softer and squishier than silicone. Your baby may have a preference.

Considerations when selecting a bottle nipple are the shaft length, the base of the shaft (that still fits in baby’s mouth), the material, and the flow rate of the nipple. Slow-flow bottle nipples may be labeled “slow flow”, “newborn”, size 0 or size 1, or by listed by age: 0 to 3 months.

Avoid bottle nipple shapes or latch positions that keep the baby’s mouth tightly pursed or encourage clamping or chomping to control flow. These behaviors don’t translate well when practiced back at the breast! A bottle nipple with a wide base may encourage your baby to keep her mouth open wide, with jaw dropped and lips flanged out like a fish.

Go with the Slow flow: Join the Slow Food Movement

For a breastfeeding baby, almost always, slower bottle feeding is the way to go. It should take about 15 to 30 minutes for a baby to do a “full” feeding from the bottle. The same 3 ounces of milk, offered with a slow flow nipple, will be so much more satisfying to the baby when given over 20 minutes using the slow flow nipple. If he guzzles the same 3 ounces of milk rapidly, in just 5 or 10 minutes, he may not seem relaxed and content at the end, so the caregiver will assume the baby is still hungry, and reach for more milk. In this way, a baby can plow through an alarming volume of milk in a short amount of time.

Slow Flow: Avoid creating a “Flow Rate Preference”

If a baby becomes accustomed to the instantaneous, rapid and easy flow of milk from the bottle, he may become impatient and fuss when needing to work and wait a bit more when at the breast.

Keeping the bottle flow slow and requiring the baby to suck for more than just a few minutes to get their full feeding may help reduce the risk of impatience when back at the breast.

Though people talk about “nipple confusion” – a related and significant issue is this “Flow Rate Preference”. Keep the bottle feeding slow, requiring time and work, in hopes to avoid this flow rate preference with negative consequences back at the breast. Maintaining a strong milk supply is another critical factor: a baby will soon learn to cry and wait for the bottle, if they work hard at the breast for little payoff.

When or why change to a faster flow?

There is no need to move to a faster flow nipple simply because your baby’s age is beyond the ages listed on the package. The flow rate controls the speed in which a baby can drink the bottle, and for breastfeeding babies, slower is almost always better.

It should take about 15 to 30 minutes for a baby to take a “full feeding” from the bottle. A full feeding may be about 2 or 3 ounces at 1-2 months, gradually increasing to about 4 to 6 ounces by six months. Just because a baby usually finishes a bottle doesn’t mean the milk wasn’t enough, or that he should be offered more. Drinking large volumes of milk too quickly may lead to a baby feeling less satisfied, even though the milk volume (meal size) was enough. Babies usually need lots of sucking time to feel content when bottle feeding.

Move to a faster flowing bottle only when an older baby is taking too long to drink a bottle (30+ minutes), or seems frustrated at the slower flow. There is no reason to move simply due to the age suggestions on the nipple package. A 6 month old can still use a 0-3 month bottle nipple. Many babies continue to use the newborn or stage one nipple all through their first year.

If your baby drinks a large amount of milk in a short time (under 10 minutes) and still does not seem satisfied, rather than assuming he needs more milk, consider switching to a slower-flowing nipple and also pacing the feeding by offering more pauses and breaks during bottle-feeding.

Different brands of bottle nipples will work differently, even if they are each labeled “slow flow” or “newborn”. Holding the bottle upside down to see drip rate is not an accurate way to assess flow rate. Most bottles will drip several times and then stop. Try for yourself with the bottle, nipple and water – take a few sucks from several different nipple sizes and brands. You’ll easily be able to assess flow rate differences!