Following your baby's cues is the best approach when deciding to change the teat to a different flow rate.
In general, as long as your baby is calm and comfortable while feeding and getting enough milk from the bottle, there is no need to change the teat to a different flow rate. You also do not need to change to a higher flow rate teat based on the baby's age.
We recommend starting with the teat that comes with the bottle and adjust from there. If you have no success after a few feeding attempts, change to a different teat flow rate.
Use a teat with a higher flow rate if:
- Your baby is not getting enough milk from the bottle or
- The duration of the feed is too long (for example, longer than 30 minutes) or
- Your baby falls asleep during feeding, gets frustrated or plays with the teat instead of drinking.
Use a teat with a lower flow rate if:
- Your baby is gulping the milk down or
- Milk leaks out of their mouth during feeding.
The Natural Response teats are available in flow rates from 1 to 5 in the United States and Canada and from 1 to 6 in other countries. Teats with the highest flow rate 6 are more suitable for thicker liquids or babies who want a fast flow.