How do you know when to move up to the next stage teat??

[cardamomginger]

Hi,
DC1 is 3 months old today and is FF. We are using Philips Avent bottles. She's still on the size 2 teats, but I am wondering when I should switch her to size 3, which it says is suitable for babies of 3 months+. How do you know when to switch up? And, conversely, if you give your DC the next size up, how do you know if they are not ready? Any signs of readiness or it being too soon might be a bit complicated in DC1's case, because we are still getting to grips with a severe cow's milk allergy so we still have quite a bit of regurgitation to deal with and sometimes some distress at feeding time.
Really greatful for any advice! Thank you!!

Buy one and see if he copes with it? If he can't then he'll not manage to swallow all the milk...

Only downside of staying on smaller teat is that feeds will take a bit longer, which in your circumstance might not be a bad thing.

I bought DS2 size 4 as I changed to bottles from BFing and was too mean to work through the inbetween sizes. He gulped/ spluttered for a few days and then got the hang of it.

Ah OK. Gulping and spluttering out milk are not part of DD's usual patterns of distress at feeding. So that's a good sign to look for! Thanks!

You could make the current teat slightly bigger using as needle and see how she copes with it before actually changing the teat/flow size

We're at the same stage and I tried size 3 teats - cue lots of dribbling and milk running down DD's face, so I returned to size 2. Unbeknownst to me a size 3 made its way back onto one bottle and when I fed DD in the middle of the night I think she thought I was trying to drown her.

poor thing!!

Oh, just posted similar answer on another thread about TT teats. We mix feed (mostly FF) and have been on the slowest teat until now but recently switched to variflow as I sensed that she was getting a bit tired towards the end of her feed as it was taking a while (well, 15 minutes or so, but she kept doing the big 'sigh'). She spluttered a bit when we tried the variflow the first few times (I think she was a bit surprised to get more milk out when she was going for it at the start - with variflow, they get more the harder they suck) but she soon figured it out and has learnt to pace herself. Feeds don't take quite as long and she seems happy. I think just buy a pack and see how she does with it before buying more.

hadn't thought of variflow - will give it a try - thanks!

I have wondered this too. We use Tommee Tippee bottles. I mix feed my daughter, mainly breast fed, with her having 2 bottles a day. She is now 10 weeks old and using stage 1 teats. Should I have moved her up or yo variflow? I don't want the bottle to affect the breastfeeding, which it hasn't so far.

Noteaforme I was using the No 1s as I didn't want to affect the BFing too, but she seems ok so far with the variflow (I think it was the Nursery Nurse at my surgery that suggested it first, as they only get milk out when they suck and they get more if they suck harder). However (and it's a big disclaimer!), I mix feed because we were never successful at BFing and my baby gets mostly formula in bottles rather than the other way around, so it may well be differnt with yours. If your baby seems happy with the number 1s, there may be no need to change at all. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Hello. I am using the Number 1 Dr Brown Teats and was wondering if I should move to the next size up. Abi is 12 weeks and has started to struggle at feeding times. I did think this was wind, but reading the posts above, I think that perhaps it is frustration at not getting the milk quick enough. I have not changed before now as I was worried that if she got the milk faster it would give her more wind. She is a windy baby so don't want to make matters worse. I will try and see what happens.