No sooner has the bottle been warmed to the right temperature and given to your baby than it's already empty! In just 10 minutes, your little angel has gobbled it all up, without leaving a drop behind.
Your best friend's baby, on the other hand, sometimes takes more than half an hour to eat.
- How is this possible?
- But above all, should we be worried?
Find out in this article! 🍼
CONTENTS :
- Why don't all babies take the same time to drink their bottle?
- Does it matter how long baby spends drinking from his bottle?
- How can you tell if a breast-fed baby is a fast or slow drinker?
- Is your baby drinking his bottle too fast? Beware of colic!
- Baby is slow to drink his bottle... What if it's the pacifier?
- The learning cup: a smooth transition
- Advantages of the learning cup for babies/a>
- In a nutshell
Why don't all babies take the same time to drink their bottle?
First of all, you should know that there are big eaters and small eaters, even among babies. Just as there are little and big sleepers, you may have a baby who swallows the milk from his bottle in a flash, or on the contrary, who savors every milky moment with... relish. In fact, character plays a big part!
Just like her physical state when she took her bottle:
- fatigue,
- nervousness,
- appetite...
Does it matter how long baby spends drinking from his bottle?
It doesn't really matter how long it takes if it seems to suit him. What's important is that the pace suits him, rather than you. In fact, it's not advisable to encourage baby to drink faster. Nor is there any point in removing the bottle every 2 minutes if the rhythm doesn't cause your child any particular discomfort.
You can take a break in the middle of the meal to allow your baby to free himself from the air he may have ingested while feeding. In other words, to help him burp! 👶
How can you tell if a breast-fed baby is a fast or slow drinker?
Mothers who have breastfed their babies know: it's impossible to know exactly how much milk they drank at each meal. The same goes for the speed with which these little gourmands devoured the breast milk within their reach.
However, it is possible to tell whether your baby is fast or not during feedings:
- If you empty your breast quicklyit will become soft within minutes, and you'll even feel lighter!
- If your breast seems to take a long time to become and remains firm for several long minutes, your offspring is certainly taking its time, or not concentrating...
Falling asleep at the breast is more frequent than with a bottle.
You can stimulate baby by stroking his head and saying gentle words, so that he finishes emptying your breast. At the end of the first feed, it's a good idea to offer him the second breast to make sure he's fully satisfied.
Is your baby drinking his bottle too fast? Beware of colic!
However, a baby who drinks his bottle quickly is more likely to develop infant colic... If you feel that your baby is upset after a bottle, crying, screaming, turning red and squirming, clenching his fists, it could be that his tummy is hurting him.
Infant colic is impressive to behold and demands your attention: relieving baby's pain is a priority.
But if baby gobbles up his meal at lightning speed, that doesn't always mean he's starving! Perhaps he's forced to swallow quickly because the flow of milk means he has to.
The choice of pacifier may seem like a small detail to you, but it can mean a lot to your little one 😉 If the pacifier turns out to be unsuitable, it will cause discomfort and even risk for your child.
For the first few months, it's best to opt for a slow-flow teat .
Baby is slow to drink his bottle... What if it's the pacifier?
An age-inappropriate pacifier
Just as a baby can drink too quickly because of an unsuitable teat, so he can drink slowly because the flow has become too slow for his age! As the milk flows too slowly, baby takes longer to observe it, especially as quantities have increased from 90 mL to over 300 mL in just a few months...
This situation often occurs around 6 months of age, when baby's sucking force is no longer comparable to that of a newborn. The time has come to choose a medium-flow or even fast-flow teat, according to baby's age and preferences.
More or less liquid milks
Note that powdered milk tends to be thicker than breast milk.
If your baby is prone to acid reflux, or still seems hungry after drinking a bottle, your paediatrician may advise you tothicken the milk to help him feel better. This will slow down the passage of liquid through the teat, which is not designed for this purpose.
Here again, we recommend swapping your old slow-flow teat for a fast-flow model. Milk texture plays a role in the speed of baby's feedings.
Did you know that there are different types of teats?
The physiological silicone teat, for example, offers great comfort and contains no toxic materials such as microplastics. It is designed to reproduce the shape of your nipple. So a breast-fed baby is more likely to accept a bottle easily!
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
Découvrir notre gamme
The learning cup: a smooth transition
If your baby drinks his bottle irregularly, takes it, throws it away, pushes it away or gets upset, it may be because it no longer fits. Baby has grown up, and may now want to move on to the next stage!
Have you ever tried offering him water in a glass?Autonomy is at hand... but so is damage. A baby in a hurry to discover the world and imitate his parents doesn't realize that his gestures still lack precision. 💦
You can't leave your baby a glass of water or a cup of milk with your back turned... The risk of your baby getting soaked or hurting himself is far too great. So what can you do?
A good solution is to swap your bottle for a training cup! This leak-proof cup has a spout instead of a nipple.
Our models are shown below.
Advantages of the learning cup for babies
More practical than a tumbler, which often has handles that are awkward for little hands to grasp, Elhée's system allows you tomake the transition calmly and without fear of spillage. The container is made of medical-grade silicone, so it won't allow any pathogens to enter baby's body. The water contained remains healthy and retains its original taste without being altered by plastic.
The best thing about this generously-shaped gourd? It won't break, so it's safe for baby to use.
In a nutshell
- The speed at which your baby drinks his bottle may be a character trait, or a technical problem... The teat is sometimes unsuitable for your child's age, forcing him to take longer to swallow the entire formula.
- As early as 6 months you can introduce your baby to the training cup. This system ensures a smooth transition from the "grown-up" glass to the bottle.
The little extra of the learning cup Elhée? The suction spout is compatible with the innovative Bib'Rond, also made from medical-grade silicone!
