Guide Bottle Feeding Featured article

Finde den richtigen Milchdurchfluss für dein Baby

Every baby has their own feeding style. That’s why BIBS bottle nipples have different flow rates. Read on to find out how.

Learn more about why flow rate is important and how to find the right flow rate for your child with registered nurse Kirsten Lise Andersen:

Find your flow

Some babies gulp quickly. Others take their sweet time. To help your baby get the nourishment they need, it’s important to find a flow rate that accommodates their natural pace. To support these different preferences, BIBS bottle nipples have different flow rates. The flow rate refers to the size and number of holes in the nipple, which affects how quickly milk flows into your baby’s mouth. BIBS baby bottle nipples are available in Slow, Medium, and Fast Flow – all work equally well with milk and water. If you ever forget which flow rate you’re using, all BIBS nipples have a number underneath the nipple base, corresponding to each rate: 1 is Slow Flow, 2 is Medium, 3 is Fast.

Growing and flowing

When your baby first starts bottle feeding, you might need to try out different flow rates to find the best one for them. But it’s usually a good idea to start with a slow flow to mimic breastfeeding, control milk intake, and prevent overeating. As your baby grows, they might start wanting a faster flow rate, so keep an eye on any changes in feeding behavior or signs of fussiness to determine when it might be time to switch flows. Each baby’s feeding pace will vary, but a general recommendation for BIBS baby nipples is Slow Flow is usually best from 0+ months; Medium Flow from 2+ months; and Fast Flow from 4+ months.

Flow when breastfeeding

When you give a breastfeeding baby a bottle, registered nurse Kirsten Lise Andersen (our go-to advisor for all things health- and baby-related) recommends that you always start by using a bottle nipple with a slow flow rate. This is because breastfed babies need to make more effort to draw milk from their mother’s breast than they do from a bottle. That way the slow flow bottle nipple will approximate the flow from the mother’s breast. If it's too fast for your baby, they might get frustrated or even refuse their mother’s breast. It should take approximately 15–20 minutes for your baby to finish a bottle. If they’re much faster than 15 minutes, maybe try them out on a slower flow rate nipple. If they’re considerably slower than 20 minutes, then try and see if they’ll take a faster flow rate nipple.

Flow when formula-feeding

If you’re formula-feeding your baby, you don’t have to try mimicking the breast as much. But you’ll still need to try different flow rates to find the right one for your child. When determining the right flow rate for your baby, here are some useful signs to keep in mind:

The flow rate may be too slow when…

• It takes longer than 15-20 minutes for your baby to finish their bottle.

• They fall asleep while feeding.

• Your baby gets impatient or aggravated during feeding.

The flow rate may be too fast when…

• Your baby gulps their food down too quickly.

• They start coughing while they feed.

• They choke on their food.

• Or they seem to be swallowing too much air.

Learn more about why flow rate is important and how to find the right flow rate for your child with registered nurse Kirsten Lise Andersen:

Kirsten Lise Andersen is a registered nurse and runs her own private nursing practice, Working With Baby. She has decades of experience working with children as a registered professional nurse, and not least is the mother of four boys. Kirsten is our go-to advisor for all things health-and baby-related.