Hi Moms -
My daughter gets very tired eating. She always has had sucking issues due to her high palate. Her pediatrician suggested that we could move her to size two nipples to make it easier for her, but didn't say we absolutely should do so. Has anyone used a stage two nipple with an infant under three months old? Do the babies tend to choke or overeat?
Thanks!
I moved my boys to a stage 2 nipple (not Dr. Browns) at around the same age and they did fine. The first few times they drippled some milk out a little bit, but it didn't take long at all for them to get use to it. Give it a try, what will it hurt.
It's really not going to hurt to buy one pack of Level 2 nipples and try. When our son was 1 month old, we found out he had swallowing issues (long story), and we were advised to by Level Y nipples. We used these for about 2 weeks and went back to the therapist. After watching him eat, she said she thought he needed a slower flow. She suggested we try Level 3, and that seemed to be about right for him. The also make a Level 4, so for a couple of weeks he was actually two level faster. He didn't suffer too much for it. The food was just coming a bit faster than he would have liked.
Give it a try. If she has trouble you can always switch back really easily. But it could work and be a big help!
Relax. Babies aren't *that* fragile. A size 2 is just a larger opening. She might sputter and spurt some when she first starts because she's not used to it.
Our sons switched to 2s at about 2-3 months old and then quickly went to a three. Both of them rejected the 4s outright. So just take a deep breath - women have been feeding babies for thousands of years. It'll be ok. :)
I was just noticing your last question:
"Do the babies tend to choke or overeat?"
The answer is no to both. Babies do not tend to choke. They actually have an amazing gag reflex. Our ped told us that people sometimes think baby is choking because they will gag. But this is nature's way of helping them out. It is not something to be concerned about. Baby is still learning how to eat and learning what to do with extra saliva in the mouth. She might gag a bit while getting used to a faster flow, but that's ok.
Babies also will not overeat. Babies and kids are very good at listening to their bodies. If they are no longer hungry, they will stop eating. Adults have usually long forgotten how to listen to their bodies - that's why so many are overweight. Babies don't usually have that problem.
It's really about too fast, not too much. We switched to the state 2 at the recommended age and he sucked the whole bottle down in like 5 seconds and threw up everywhere. We went back to stage 1 and never changed. If your daughter has sucking issues, you can try and if she eats too fast then move her back.
Do experiment and see what works best for her. The age guidelines are just that a guideline for the average child. You want to do what works for your daughter to make it easier for her. Try the size 2 for a couple of feedings to see how she does. Also pick up a couple of different types of bottles to see if a different brand works better. My grandson does not drink well from wider bottles even though he also breastfeeds and they are supposed to be closer to breastfeeding. He also went to a faster flow quite early.
It is a trial and error thing, I hope you find something that makes feeding easy for her soon.
