Does My Baby Need a Fast or Slow-Flow Bottle Nipple?

Oftentimes, the packaging for bottle nipples includes an age range, such as 0-3 months or 3-6 months. This can make parents feel as though their baby should be moving up in nipple sizes as they get older, but if the faster-flowing nipples are too fast for their baby, it can feel as though there may be something wrong. Know when to offer a fast or slow-flow bottle nipple.

Choosing the right nipple flow is a common concern. However, there is no developmental reason why a baby needs a faster-flow nipple as long as they are feeding well and gaining weight as well. In fact, most of the time, our babies feed better with a slow-flow bottle nipple. 

Here Are A Few Signs Your Baby May Need A Fast-Flow Nipple:

• They suddenly seem frustrated during bottle-feeding when they were previously feeding well on the bottle.
• Bottle feeds take longer than 30 minutes and your baby is not otherwise upset or having other issues on the bottle.
• They are sucking so hard on the bottle that they are fully collapsing the nipple.

Alternatively, Here Are A Few Signs Your Baby May Need A Slow-Flow Nipple:

• They are not able to coordinate a suck, followed by a swallow, followed by a breath in and out their nose. You may notice your baby sucks and swallows or gulps several times followed by a breath or a series of breaths. 
• They cough, choke, or seem to feel congested during or after feeds.
• Your baby spills milk out of the side of their mouth while they eat.
• They seem upset when eating.
• They drink a small amount of milk quickly and then refuse the rest of the bottle.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s bottle-feeding skills, please discuss this with your pediatrician. A feeding evaluation with a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist may be warranted to help identify the cause of your baby’s difficulty with feeding.