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.