Which teat?

[marytee]

Have finally got DD (17weeks) to accept a bottle of EBM with a NUK teat (medium flow.) She is clearly not that comfortable though, and still refuses sometimes, and i am wondering if changing the flow might help. She is fully breastfed apart from this, and i have quite a fast let down (i think - nothing to compare it to!). Just wondering what flow other people with babes similar age use, and would a variable flow be better? Or is this just to be expected and will pass with time? Thanks!

Hi, this is exactly when I also got DD to take a NUK teat. I think it was medium flow 0-6m, we have only just moved to 6-18m now, at 7.5m. I also have a notion that I had a fast let-down. I don't think our shops had different flow rates, only medium. Sorry, that's not much help probably. She's maybe still getting used to taking the bottle? Worth trying a slower flow if you can get one (my Boots had NUK teats on half price, but only saw medium flow ones)

mam teat worked for my wee chap, he choked on nuk. tried variable flow, he couldn't work out what to do with it.

Thanks for the ideas . I hadn't thought about a slower teat so will try that, and i think the MAM are possibly the only make we haven't tried so will give those ago too. I can't see the back of my cupboard for bottles!

MY DS(9WKS) wouldnt take avent or any others that i tried to give ebm in, he did take to tommie tippie ones-the ones with pimples on the teat (more like the breast) hth

I am BF counsellor and mum of two - always always recommend the Playtex teats - see my other posts. They are really soft latex, shaped like a nipple and work in the same way as the breast so they babies have to use the same action as they would on the nipple. They control the flow - it come in slow 0-6 months and fast. All my mums think this is the best system and even better - no colic.
They have a US website www.playtexbaby.com the phone number for the UK office is 01954 719899 and I have just rung to get their uk website which sell the teats www.infantcaredirect.co.uk but they will only work with their bottles. They also have really soft silicone teats.

Our breastfed granddaughter really started taking to bottles when we bought a Dr Brown bottle - yes its expensive and fiddly, but the teat is really soft and there is a special valve in the bottle to let air in and therefore stop colic. Once she was happy feeding with the Dr Brown, we re-introduced our avent ones and she was happier with them.

Going back to when my kids were little, silicone teats had just come in and the norm was latex/rubber ones. With my second I bought all silicon teats (Avent) believing everything the adverts said. But when she was tiny my daughter would only accept a soft latex teat (tommee tippee) with the hole enlarged with a darning needle. As she got a little bit older (and stronger) she accepted the silicone teat.

So it might be a case of finding one that is really soft and gentle, experimenting with hole size ... and making your own mind up. Its a case of horses for courses I suppose.

Agree with peaches - the softer and more gentle the better and also with the flow rate you baby controls the flow of your breast milk with their sucking reflex so you may need to experiment as well as look for a teat where the milk doesnt just drip out - adjustable flow or tri-cut might work! I used latex because its so soft....

Am pleased to say that the MAM teats did the trick