Flow is how fast baby milk comes out of the breast or bottle nipple. Breast flow varies from mother to mother, and even varies within a feeding. Bottle nipple flow rates are packaged as Slow, Medium, and Fast. How do you know which nipple flow rate is right for your baby? Newborns and young babies will start with a Slow flow nipple. You will know the nipple flow is JUST RIGHT for your baby when your baby feeds calmly and:
- Sucks 1 to 2 times before swallowing
- Looks at you while eating
- Has fisted hands with arms bent and tucked into sides of body
- Finishes in less than 20 minutes
Need help choosing the best bottle nipple flow for your baby? We list slow flow nipples from slowest to fastest in Appendix B of Balancing Breast and Bottle. We also have a handy worksheet to help in our virtual class Beginning Bottle Feeding. Check them out!