Choosing bottle nipples

The best nipple is the one that fits comfortably into your child’s mouth. There are varieties of nipples to choose from and this can make it very confusing . Most newborns accept whatever nipples they are given when they are hungry so this shouldnt really be a problem.

There are 3 basic nipples you can choose from.

• orthodontic meaning the nipple is flattened to  look and feel like the breast
• angled meaning it is slanted so that it automatically slants into your baby’s mouth
• vented means the nipple has a tiny hole in it to let air into the bottle while your baby sucks milk out . This is done to prevent gas producing bubbles

There are  different sized nipples. There are preemie nipples, newborn nipples which is from birth to about  6 months. There are  also ones  for infants which 6 months and older. Nipples for older babies have a larger hole to allow formula or milk to flow faster. A small baby who drinks from a big nipple cant suck effectively because it doesn’t fit correctly in his mouth.

Even though you may think nipples can prevent gas, they really don’t have much impact on that. You can buy angled bottles that limits the amount of air your baby takes in or bottles with  plastic liner inserts  that allows you to press the excess air out as your baby drinks. However you have to know that babies have a lot of gas that comes out throughout the day. Gas is a natural part of digestion. It is an indication that the child is processing food.