Choosing a Nipple Size for the Bottle

Many parents are concerned that their nursing baby will not want to breastfeed again if given a bottle with pumped milk or formula. Concerned that the baby might enjoy the flow of a bottle more than the breast, some parents choose a small, “slow flow” or preemie nipple for the bottle so that the baby has to work harder for the milk. However, the premise that a larger nipple will produce such a fast flow that baby will prefer it and refuse to return to mom’s breast is an unfortunate and common misconception.

Mother’s breasts and nipples can vary widely. The mother’s nipple has more than one opening flowing at a time, and for some mothers the milk flow can be quite robust and even too fast for the baby to keep up with. This means that some breastfeeding babies can experience a greater milk flow from the breast than from their bottles.

How to Choose a Nipple

If your baby needs a bottle for a feeding now and then, or even daily, the better nipple choice is the one that helps the baby get the most out of the feeding in a reasonable amount of time, and with the least amount of stress or exertion.

If the small, preemie nipple works well for your baby, you can use that. If a standard nipple for 0-3 month olds seems to work well, you can use that. The nipple flow will not interfere with your baby’s ability to switch between breast and bottle.

The ability to switch is based more on which type of feeding the baby does more frequently.

Preventing Baby’s Refusal of the Breast

If the baby is given a bottle more often than the breast, there is a higher risk of the baby refusing to latch on in the future. To prevent this from happening, focus on breastfeeding for as long as you are able to, and offer an occasional bottle only as needed. Start with 1-2 times a week, then after a few weeks, you can increase up to 3 times a week. Pay attention to your baby’s ability to switch back and forth, and if things are still going well, then increase the bottles as needed. If your baby shows signs of rejecting the breast, cut back on bottles for a few days to reintroduce the breast. Then, return to offering the bottle once every few days and increase again as needed.

If you choose to switch to bottle only, continue to pump for as long as possible. Remember, some infants will switch between breast and bottle casually. Other infants will take a bottle, then go back to the breast, and refuse to bottle feed again. And still other infants will take the breast, take a bottle, and then never breastfeed again. Since we cannot predict which infants will do both well, or reject either bottle or breast, you’ll want to have a backup plan in case baby defies your original feeding plan.

If you are concerned about introducing regular bottles, or about finding the right sized nipple, reach out to our team for guidance. We’re here to help by phone, video chat, or in person.