Will the "flow" of the nipple make a difference?

[Mia31]

Hi,
While BFing I sometimes give DD a bottle, and have been trying different nipples to see what she likes. She doesnt seem to get that much out even on the medium flow nipples....but I read when BFing you arent supposed to go to fast flows. Should I try it? DOes it matter? She's almost 4 months.
TIA!!

[nitaghei]

I would stick with a slow flow nipple for now. DS was more like 8 months when we switched to a medium flow nipple. OTOH, I'm pretty paranoid about nipple confusion, so keep that caveat in mind while evaluating my advice!

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[quikeye]

I'd also like to know-- we stocked up on slow flows to give ebm, but ds doesn't seem to get more than a few mL on those times that he actually sucks... He is pretty much used to my fast flow/letdown (I can pump 2-3 oz in less than 15 min in one side, and ds works on the bottle for 20 & gets less than 1/4 oz. He is also fighting taking the bottle though; perhaps a fast flow nipple would "drown" him & turn him off from bottles even more? Hoping a more experienced mom has advice for us! :)

Aija y Kai, 1/25/04

[Mia31]

Ya, I'm right there with you! I can pump about 2 0z. in 10 minutes (depending on when i fed last) and she totally works for a while and it looks like she doesnt get much even with the medium flow....Im nervous for fast flow as well.
would love some expert advice on this!

[christic]

My daughter used only the Avent newborn nipples until she stopped getting ebm a little after 1 year. It was always someone else giving her a bottle, so I can't even say for sure whether they seemed too slow--but I never got any complaints from her dad or her babysitter so we never moved to a faster flow nipple.

[Momof3Labs]

Hmm, Colin never used anything other than the Avent slow flow (stage 1? or is it 0?) nipples, right up to his last bottle around 14-15 months old.

[calebsmama03]

Same here - Caleb still uses newborn flow at 12 mos, and will until we end bottles in the next few months.
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

[miki]

I have a pretty fast letdown. I started with the #1 Avent which is the slowest. After my kid was about 3 months old, it seemed she had to suck so hard on those that she'd break the suction and get a lot of air. We switched to the #2 and she ate better. It didn't really change the way she BFs. She still prefers the boob unless she has discomfort from teething.

[HallsofVA]

I've been wondering the same thing. My DS has become very fussy when taking a bottle of EBM, that I was wondering if it's because the nipple is too slow. When we first introduced the bottle at 3 weeks, and gave him one regularly for the next 2-3 weeks (while my cracked nipple healed), there was never a problem with him taking it. But now, it's a struggle to get him to take even an ounce from the bottle. I recently bought the Avent #2 nipples to try out. Like several of you, I have very quick let down and flow (4oz in 10 minutes w/the pump), where I can actually hear the milk spraying into his mouth when he nurses on my right side. (My left side is much slower.)

I'm heading back to work after Easter, so I'm hoping that we can get him back on the bottle before then.