3 week old dribbling a lot of formula during every feed - help!!

[Elb94]

Hi! My 3 week old is formula fed and we are currently using the anti-colic Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles with a size 1 teat but I’ve noticed whenever my lo is feeding, he seems to be drinking very fast, dribbling a lot from the corners of his mouth and gasping quite a bit and then coughing. I tried the MAM bottles, first with a size 0 teat and although he was no longer dribbling and choking, this was far too slow for him and he was taking forever to finish the bottle and would give up not even half way through and fall asleep, but then would be crying an hour later to finish off the bottle! We then tried the size 1 teat and again he seemed to be taking quite a while, my partner fed him last night and he left quite a bit of his bottle so when I fed him I used the tommee tippee bottles again and he drank the whole lot and then 3 hours later I gave him another tommee tippee bottle and he drank it all again!

He is putting on weight and has regular wet nappies, so I’m not concerned in the sense of him not eating enough but I can’t imagine this is comfortable for him? He is often drenched after a feed, I’ve had to start putting a muslin cloth underneath his bib just to soak it up! We have upped his bottle from 90ml to 120ml and now to 150ml as he was drinking so fast and finishing off the bottle after every feed, but now I’m worried that he doesn’t actually need to be on 150ml and it’s just that most of the bottle is running down his tummy!! So basically my question is, do I just stick with the tommee tippe bottles at 150ml (5oz) as he is finishing the bottles, even if he is pouring half down him or do I stick with the MAM bottles, but reduce the ounces and see if this makes a difference?

FTM and feeling a little bit lost on what to do for the best, so any advice is welcome 🤗 thank you!

Ususally dribbling lots of milk and gagging / coughing mean the hole in the teat is too big and too fast. If you can afford to, buy a few different bottles and teats ans try them out. Sometimes the bog standard basic bottles work better than the fancy expensive ones. Like these from Wilko.

Also try feeding him a little more upright and not so flat.

My DS was a terrible dribbler! Have your son checked for tongue tie? My DS had his tie cut at a few weeks old and this helped a bit with the dribbling (although not completely). I would stick with the size 1 teats personally, as it sounds like he's not getting enough from the size 0, but it may also be worth trying a different bottle with different shaped teats that may suit him better? We always used the NUK bottles as he seemed to prefer the shape of these but it was a bit trial and error.

That should say 'have you had your son checked for tongue tie'!

Are you ensuring your paced feeding?

Yes tongue tie is a good call. Google it and see if your son has a similar frenulum bit under his tongue as it prevents sucking properly.

Just dropping in to say tommee tippee bottles are worse than useless. Try a maam anti colic.

Are you making bottles when LO is due a feed or batch making and leaving them in the fridge? I use Tommee Tippiee closer to natural bottles with the slow teat for my 11 week old. He doesnt tend to dribble much however when i tried him with cold milk one night (i make them in the evening for night feeds), he dribbled alot so i now warm the bottles up & he doesnt dribble anymore. My LO is only on 180ml every feed (4/5 hrs apart) at 11 weeks.

Is it actually dribbling out of his mouth? I know that sounds like a silly question but we had the tommee tippee bottles and they leaked terribly, so DS would get covered in milk leaking from the bottle.

I would check for tongue tie like others have said. My boy has one and was a terrible dribbler. He's got better as he's got older. I never got it cut.

My baby struggled horrendously with the tommee tippee bottles, the midwives said loads of people struggle with them.

I tried mam bottles, they worked but the formula got caught in the bottom which I didn't like. So I switched to Nuk (boots sell them) and we've not looked back.