Bottle nipple question: Stages and EBF?

[catbus]

Dumb question, I think. If you breastfeed but baby takes bottles of expressed milk from other caretakers, are you supposed to step up nipple sizes as you would if baby were exclusively bottle fed? I can't decide how I think this should work; on one hand, it's not like breast flow increases as baby gets bigger (AFAIK), so they shouldn't need a faster-flowing nipple. On the other hand, I feel like I've heard that babies get frustrated with a slow nipple at some point, even if they also nurse.

So, how does this work? Obviously in any case I wouldn't step up to the next stage nipple unless/until E is protesting the smaller one.

[Deleted]

Exactly what you said: you stick with the slowest one baby will tolerate. This helps make feeds longer, which helps baby be more satisfied.

[Brie]

C is still using the slow-flow newborn nipples but I think I am going to get the medium flow ones this weekend. He's having trouble taking a bottle at daycare and I think it may be because he is frustrated and used to my overactive letdown and chugging his meals. He can empty a side pretty well in under 5 minutes now.

[catbus]

Jan 4, 2013 12:45:41 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Exactly what you said: you stick with the slowest one baby will tolerate. This helps make feeds longer, which helps baby be more satisfied.

Cool. So I can expect that he will, at some point, want faster-flowing nipples? That was my question, but I realize I kind of wandered off that point while writing the post, LOL. And logically it makes sense that he would.

[Deleted]

I used slow flow until DD switched to sippy cups at around 10-11mos.

[Deleted]

Like Brie said, it probably depends on your let down. Some babies will be happy forever with newborn flow, some of them really would be happier moving up a stage.

[jenjen]

DS still uses the slow flow nipples and according to daycare, still can suck down a bottle in record time. I also have an over active letdown so I think he's used to a fast flow but hasn't had any problems with bottles.

[mie]

All of my kids took slow flow nipples until we switched to a sippy cup after one year.

[Deleted]

DS is 10mo and EBF, but DH or my parents give him a bottle occasionally. He still uses the slow flow nipples with no issues. But he's an easygoing baby, he doesn't seem to be bothered by much of anything.

[marclovesme]

DD was a slow eater so we used preemie for awhile and then Level 1 once she went to DC. She actually had spit up issues when she moved to the sippy b/c the flow was so much faster.

[nonsenseabound]

I asked daycare to let me know when my kid started collapsing the nipple. That was usually a sign to move up. My kids were about 1 month behind the curve for uping to a faster flow nipple. So if it says 0-4 months on the package, they moved at 5 months.

[whitterbugk]

We still use slow flow nipples at 5.5 months. He doesn't seem bothered by them, as far as I can tell.

[Ashley&Scott]

We've always used level 1.

[catbus]

Thanks for the feedback! Part of the reason I asked is because my Target has level 1 Tommee Tippee nipples on clearance for ~$4.00 per pack of two. I bought a pack the other day as back-ups, but couldn't decide whether I should get any more. I may go see if they have more. I figure some are bound to get lost/trashed.

[Ashley&Scott]

We use Born Free but in nearly 12 months we haven't had any nipples get lost or ruined.

[BlueNotebook]

I always stuck with the slowest flow nipple. I wanted bottle feeding to be as close to nursing as possible. My fear was that if baby used a faster nipple and was able to eat more quickly on the bottle, they might start to refuse nursing. DD used the slow flow until she was 12 months and we stopped bottles. DS used slow flow until he refused bottles completely at 8ish months and we switched to sippies.

[Mushe]

Jan 4, 2013 15:01:56 GMT -5 catbus said:

Thanks for the feedback! Part of the reason I asked is because my Target has level 1 Tommee Tippee nipples on clearance for ~$4.00 per pack of two. I bought a pack the other day as back-ups, but couldn't decide whether I should get any more. I may go see if they have more. I figure some are bound to get lost/trashed.

I'd stock up! My baby is 13 mo, and never went beyond TT level 1 nipples. No issues switching back and forth.