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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Slow flow teat for 18 month old?

19 replies

Imisssleeping · 21/01/2010 19:02

Minor problem really but I have just bought 3 new bottles for my ds's night feed mainly cos then I have enough to pop in the dishwasher and don't need to wash every day.

They came with the slow flow teat. Does it matter if he has these or does he need no. 3 every time?

Also my friend warmed her babies bottle up in the microwave with the teat in, I always put it on after - does that matter?

OP posts:
Wigeon · 21/01/2010 19:47

This isn't what you asked but: take the bottles back to the shop, and replace with a cup or sippy beaker (ie beaker with a little spout, like a tommee tippee). Will help your DC make the transition to an open cup. And can still be comforting to drink from as the bedtime milk drink!

accessorizequeen · 21/01/2010 19:50

I think an 18mo will struggle with the slow flow teat, will be v.frustrating for him. And agree with Wigeon, milk from a bottle at night is not v.good for their teeth. am trying to wean my dt's from their bottles at the mo (they're 15 mo).

poppy34 · 21/01/2010 19:51

Dd used no2 teats til a couple of weeks ago (is same age) and just made for slower feed at bedtime. Also heat without teat on . She is also 18 months.

And would that dd would drink from a cup!! Operation cold turkey on that one postponed til she recovers from flu.

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 21/01/2010 19:52

If you do want to keep with the bottles for now, then you will need faster teats I'm afraid. They're expensive, but slow flow will be far too frustrating.

NaccetyMac · 21/01/2010 19:55

Mine have always used the teats the bottle came with until we got rid of the bottle - so DS1 would still have been having a NB teat at nearly 3. He never appeared to have an issue with it at all. It was one bottle a day from the age of 1.

Original poster
Imisssleeping · 21/01/2010 20:04

Oh didn't realise you needed to wean them off a bottle at night time.
He obviously has cups during the day.
I've just checked his teats and realised he has been having slow or fast flow (whichever came to hand first, so think he may cope with slow flow)
Is it bad for their teeth though?

OP posts:
PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 21/01/2010 20:42

slow flow would be worse for teeth. DS still has a bottle for his night time milk - he is 2yo. He would take a cup but it takes him forever to drink it, and IMO that's worse for his teeth.

We brush his teeth straightaway anyhow

Original poster
Imisssleeping · 21/01/2010 20:49

Oh I'm doing it all wrong. I brush his teeth before he goes to bed and he has his bottle in bed.

OP posts:
Wigeon · 21/01/2010 20:49

Did you know you can give your baby/ toddler cow's milk now? Seehere

And here's some info on the link between bottles and tooth decay in older babies here.

The advice on that website is checked by midwives and health care professionals.

You might be surprised about how your baby takes to a beaker with a lid, rather than the bottles! Good luck.

Wigeon · 21/01/2010 20:52

That's great if your DS is having beakers during the day - don't worry that you are doing it all wrong - my DD still cleans her teeth THEN has her beaker in bed, even though ideally it would be the other way round...I think the main thing is that bottles are worse for their teeth than beakers.

Original poster
Imisssleeping · 21/01/2010 21:11

Thanks Wigeon he does have cows milk. (organic aswell - get me!)

He has a full bottle at night and I bfeed him in my bed in the morning.
During the day he has water from tommee tippee cup. I don't give him any milk during the day - should I?

Just read that link, the way I read it is they shouldn't have juice from a bottle cos of tooth decay ( I knew that already - hey I do know something!) but I can't see that it mentions milk from a bottle being a problem?
but please correct me if I'm wrong.

OP posts:
CrosswordGeek · 21/01/2010 21:19

The problem with any drink after a child has cleaned their teeth is that it can cause decay. It's worse with juice because of the sugar content, but milk is still bad too Because of a bottle/sippy cup, it tends to swill around in their mouth and on their teeth.

Why don't you give him a BF at night time? As far as I know, because of the way they drink from the breast, it goes straight down their throat and therefore you don't have to worry about cleaning their teeth after a feed, or the possibilty of tooth decay.
(I may well be wrong too!)

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 21/01/2010 21:44

you should not be giving him a drink in bed after you have brushed teeth.

I really don't understand why a bottle is so much worse for teeth - DS can drain a bottle in seconds, but takes 20 mins or so to drink the same amount from a cup - fluid is therefore in contact with his teeth for longer, so more possibility for tooth decay.

However he has it doesn't matter so much as you should be brushing teeth AFTER the last feed.

BF is different - asCG says, the way they feed is more efficient, the milk doesn't hang about in the mouth and goes straight down the throat.

Wigeon · 21/01/2010 22:11

Sorry, didn't mean to criticise at all - impressed about the organic! Sounds like he is getting plenty of milk (I think it's meant to be round about a pint at their age, and things like yoghurts, white sauces, milk on cereal etc etc count too) and all the benefits of BF too.

Just got to go to bed, but I'm sure I've read that milk is also bad for teeth when it's out of a bottle - I'm sure there's a link somewhere, er, can't find it now!

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 22/01/2010 00:01

Sorry - but it doesn't really matter how they get it - 5 mins sucking on a bottle + 5 mins proper teeth cleaning = no decay.

sucking blackcurrant out of a cup does not make it less harmful to teeth than if it were in a bottle.

Original poster
Imisssleeping · 22/01/2010 18:44

Wigeon you weren't criticising, just offering advice.

So do I take it i'm ok to still give him a bottle aslong as I brush his teeth afterwards?

OP posts:
Wigeon · 24/01/2010 20:11

Just back online - wasn't ignoring anyone!

Sorry about that link - it was about juice, not milk, wasn't it?! I'm sure I've read that milk in a bottle is bad for their teeth when they are older (ie when they have teeth, presumably milk in a bottle when babies are small can't possibly be bad?) - can't find a link right now, sorry! I think the advice about getting them off the bottle is more to encourage them to get used to drinking out of a "proper" container (eg tommee tippee and eventually an open cup), but as your DS can do this, I personally woulnd't stress too much about one bottle a day at night.

However, I'm just a mum muddling along like everyone else, not any sort of expert, so if an expert is reading this then feel free to enlighten me!

Galena · 25/01/2010 08:37

Milk has lots of natural sugar - that's what lactose is (If it ends in -ose it's likely a sugar - glucose, fructose, lactose, etc)

pigletmania · 25/01/2010 08:48

This is what i did, sterilise a needle and put holes in the teat it always works. My dd 2.10 still has one bottle at night for comfort and usually drinks normall from a sippy or open cup

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