Slow flow is generally preferable for newborns, while you’re both learning how to feed. If the flow rate is too fast it makes paced feeding more difficult. In which case babies would have very little control over how they feed: milk would flow into their mouth faster than they can swallow it. This might make your baby cough or splutter, or struggle to keep up with the flow of milk so it dribbles to the side of their mouth. This could also mean they feel upset, get indigestion and bring up lots of milk. Parents who bottle feed find that they may need to move onto using larger bottles as their baby grows and milk consumption increases. Every baby is different so there isn’t a set age for when this should happen (Unicef, 2019). It’s important to follow your baby’s feeding cues and signs that they need more milk, such as finishing each feed and seeming to want more (NHS, 2015; Unicef, 2016). What type of feeding bottle is best? Our support line offers practical and emotional support in many areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700. There is no “right” time to change your baby’s teat level. Some babies are content using Level 1 throughout their feeding days, while more aggressive eaters may advance sooner than expected. Your baby will offer signs if the flow is not fast enough and it’s time to move up a level. Typical signs include baby:

You may hear that you should keep the teat full of milk to avoid swallowing air. However where the milk flow is too fast and not in your baby's control, it is more likely to cause indigestion or gas (Kellymom, 2020). Anecdotally, babies whose parents use paced feeding suffer less from gas (Herman, 2021). Some parents are cautious about using latex teats due to the risk of developing a latex allergy, particularly if there is a family history of allergy to latex (Kimata, 2004).As a baby’s feeding develops and they are taking a longer time feeding from a Level 3 teat, many parents choose to move up to a Level 4 teat. Teats are made from silicone or latex. Silicone is less flexible but more durable than latex, which needs to be replaced regularly (Which? 2019).

Kimata, H. (2004), Latex allergy in infants younger than 1 year. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 34: 1910-1915. Available at doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.02128.x If you’re planning to breastfeed it isn't necessary to buy bottles ‘just in case’. Over 90% of maternity units in the UK are now Baby Friendly Accredited, which means a midwife on the infant feeding team should be able to support you if you do have any difficulties with breastfeeding straight after birth (UNICEF 2017). They’ll help you with hand-expressing your colostrum and feeding it to your baby using a spoon, syringe or feeding cup (Unicef 2017). Find out whether your maternity unit is accredited here. Whether you're looking for an anti-colic baby bottle, a self-sterilising baby bottle, or an environmentally-friendly glass bottle for bottle feeding - the range comes in sizes from 130ml (4.5fl/oz) right up to 330ml (11/fl/oz) with suitable slow to fast flow teats and accessories are available. Bottles come in two sizes, small ones which hold 150mls (5 fl oz) and large ones which hold 250ml (9 fl oz). For the first few weeks, newborns feed little and often because their stomachs are so small (Unicef, 2019). The smaller bottles are more suitable for this period. Babies who feed from larger bottles consume more milk, which may lead to overfeeding (Wood et al, 2016). Step 1: Assemble clean bottle parts as follows: base with silicone valve, teat with screw ring, bottle body and protective cap.Perfect from newborn, our baby bottles help parents build a bond with their baby when bottle-feeding. Safety is our number one priority for your family, and our bottles are easy to assemble, leak-proof, shatterproof, are BPA and BPS free and are manufactured in the EU.

MAM's range of dummies offers both latex and silicone, which both have substantial benefits as soother materials. Silicone does not age, has no taste and is slightly harder than latex. Latex is the more bite resistant of the two, with silicone, which although bite-resistant must be thrown away as soon as the first bite marks appear. If you think your baby may need a soother material that is more bite-resistant then maybe latex would be the better choice for you! Latex is also a naturally grown product, giving it pure and natural qualities which many parents value.Allow bottle to cool down before removing from microwave. Recommended cooling time: 10 minutes at opened microwave door.

Perfect for travelling babies and parents, the MAM Self-Sterilising baby bottles can be sterilised in just three minutes using a microwave. Pour 20ml water in the base of the container, arrange the components on the top (don't screw!) and in minutes your baby's bottles are safe to use.Appropriate if your child has shown consistent feeding with no difficulties and is taking larger amounts at the breast and bottle. The self-sterilising function of the Easy Start™ Anti-Colic is proven to be effective for killing common household germs and bacteria. This method is completely sufficient and safe. For the best results, please follow all instructions carefully and use only as directed. Herman (2021) How you offer a bottle can be more important than what’s inside, Available at https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/breastfeeding/paced-bottle-feeding/ [Accessed 6 December 2021] Consider using a teat that is more suited to paced bottle feeding. This means it will hold enough milk when held in a horizontal position, rather than have to be tipped up so your baby can access the milk. It’s also recommended that babies stop drinking from bottles with teats by the time they are one year old as drinking through a teat leaves the teeth coated in milk and can lead to tooth decay (NHS Choices, 2015; Oral Health Foundation, 2017). Read more about this here.