Why do bottle fed babies need a faster nipple flow?

[Fizzyfefe]

My son has been on the slowest nipple flow since birth, and he gets breast milk and formula. I've been seeing some posts recently about babies needing to go up a size because they are fussing at the bottle and the flow is too slow. Why is that? Do breastfed babies get a faster flow the older they get? Do all babies need to go up a size eventually? My MIL bought my son some faster flowing nipples, but we've never used them, and he seems content with the slow flow. (Honestly, I think one of the reasons I've kept him on the slow flow is because I am still hoping he will feed from me some day.) Anyway, there's really not a point to this and I have no plans to go up a size. I'm just genuinely curious!

 

[AK89]

So he isn't breastfeeding? I was gonna say if he's breastfed and he takes the odd bottle, the reason he wouldn't need the faster flowing teat would be that he's used to working harder for it from the breast so he'd probably choke on it (at least til he got used to it) if you upped the flow.

 

[hanni]

I've never heard of this. My LO drinks formula, expressed milk and boobie and has no issues being on the smallest teat size. I think you have to go up sizes as they start to get older and can suck and swallow more but I'd never have thought there was a difference between formula and breast milk.

 

[AP]

Some babies are just content on the slow flow, others change. I guess thats it really

 

[StaceyKor]

Yeah it varies for each baby. DD1 was on avent bottles and went up from a newborn teat to the next size at a month old but never had to go up again. DD2 stayed on the newborn teats until 2 months (tommee tippee), then she was getting frustrated so we put her onto the next size. At about 5 months she got fussy on that so we switched her to variflow teats. These are perfect for her as she has full control over the speed she gets the milk. The harder she sucks the more she will get. I guess, like everything, it just depends on the individual baby. Some may always be happy on the first teats xx

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Interesting. So does the flow of breast milk get faster as the months go on? Or is the flow the same the entire time? I guess I was just wondering if a breastfed baby ever got frustrated at the breast because the flow was
too slow... What would happen then?

 

[mel28nicole]

When babies get better at sucking, sometimes sucking too hard collapses the nipple of a bottle, where as the breast nipple wouldn't do that. It makes it harder to get the milk hard and frustrates the baby. Moving up to a faster flow can help the baby get more milk without sucking so hard.

DD is almost 9 months and I've never moved up in the flow. If she collapses the nipple too much I pull it out and let the air flow back in. I just continue doing this til she's done. I probably should move up but I don't see the point since she's not fussing about it

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Oh, that makes perfect sense! Thanks.

 

[MrsKChicago]

The flow from a breast doesn't increase over time, but there's variation during the course of the average day, based on how full the breast is. Generally, though, it's harder work at the breast. A breastfed baby getting occasional bottles (milk or formula) would stay on a slow flow nipple as part of paced bottle feeding, in hopes of preventing them from developing a preference for easy bottles when mom wants them to keep nursing.

A baby who's strictly bottle fed can upgrade as he grows because there's no preference or comparisons to worry about. That goes for formula or pumped milk.