Help with Teats

[Babymakesthree]

Hi,
I am having some problems finding appropriate teats for my 7 week old daughter. We have been using the Pidgeon S cut type, which have been great as she was born three weeks early and was a bit smaller than the average baby - she could get a good seal around them. However, I now find she is falling asleep during feeds and isn't getting a full bottle. I do try to wake her, shich works sometimes but other times she is out for the count. When I put her down to sleep she wakes up after half hour or so and is hungry and so we go ..... Also, to get her to have the whole bottle or at least most of it, sometimes is taking more than half an hour and is quite a tedious task. I have tried the Avent and Prima brandas with no luck. Also the NUK First Choice btu they were too fast for her.

Any suggestions, recommendations, advice etc etc etc would be greatly appreciated!!! While she is gaining weight and doing ok, I am concerned that she may begin to not do so well and stopping gaining.

[the pero clinic]

Dear Babymakesthree,

It can be stressful enough with a new baby let alone one who isn’t feeding as well as they should be! It’s great to hear that she is currently going well with her weight and growth, but you are right – if she continues to take less formula on a regular basis, and tires with feeding, then her weight gain is likely to slow down.

It is very difficult to make recommendations regarding specific teat types or feeding strategies without actually seeing your bub feeding. So below are some general guidelines.

If you are finding that she is becoming fatigued during feeds, then it may be best to avoid valved teats – such as cross-cut or y-cut teats, as your baby will need to work to suck from these. Also, given her age, stay away from medium or fast flow teats as these are only likely to cause coughing and choking. Perhaps you could try a standard shaped / straight slow-flow teat? Keep in mind that it is not necessary to buy the most expensive teats – they aren’t necessarily the best suited teats for your bub.

Also, you could perhaps reconsider your bub’s feeding schedule. It is possible that the routine you established a few weeks ago no longer match your bub’s natural hunger and sleep cycles. Let her guide you as to when she is hungry – this may not be every 3 hours on the dot.

Please see your doctor, child health nurse or a paediatric feeding specialist if you continue to have feeding difficulties with your bub. Feeding issues can often be quickly and easily overcome while bubs are still young.


the pero clinic