Features:

  • Medium-fast flow nipple works with internal vent system for paced feeding
  • Each Level 3 Nipple has same consistent flow, so both you and baby know what to expect
  • Made of super-soft, high-grade silicone
  • Fits Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Bottles and Dr. Brown’s Options Bottles. Y shaped opening
  • The suggested age range for the Level 3 nipple is 6 months+ but baby’s preferred flow rate may vary
Excellent but baby had to work too hard to get milk

These are great nipples. The hospital NICU recommend them, as well as Medela, for our child who is a preemie. We found that the preemie nipples' slow flow require him to work too hard to get milk, so we're sticking to the #1 flow (also Dr. Brown). Actually, the hospital gave us a pack of preemie, so when these arrived in the mail, I requested to return them but they said it wasn't necessary yet refunded me! I appreciate that. Since they aren't opened, I'll try to donate to the NICU for another baby.

These are the BEST for breastfed babies!!!! Not such a fast flow.

Okay....so I am a breastfeeding mamma but I also work full time so I knew my son would eventually have to take a bottle. I had registered for the Avent Naturals and the Dr. Brown's bottles and had gotten the Level 1 slow flow nipples like I was told. At about 3 weeks after breastfeeding was established, I started pumping and had my husband give my son a bottle to start getting him used to them. We started with the Avent and he did fine with them...but he finished the bottle so fast! He was done in less than 10 minutes but would nurse for a good 20 minutes on each side at a regular feeding. Even with the slowest fliw nipple the milk was dripping out of his mouth and he also spit up more. I researched bottles that were good for breastfed babies and found medela Calma and Breastflow. I ordered them and my son took both of them but he still would finish the bottle way too quickly. The whole issue with bottles in general for breastfed babies is that sometimes baby gets too used of the ease of getting milk with the bottle and doesn't want to go back to the breast. At the breast babies have to work for it. I didn't want to jeopardize our nursing relationship so I kept reading and found a few posts from moms who had recommended the preemie nipples from Dr. Brown's. I didn't even know they made preemie nipples. I thought..what the heck??! I got them in and it has made a huge difference. It takes my son a least 20 if not 30 minutes to finish a 3.5 - 4 ounce bottle. He has to work for it just like at the breast. And because he's not drowning in milk he doesn't drip or spit up anymore. Dr. Brown's really should market these for breastfed babies. I've told several friends who breastfeed about these and all have switched!!

Good quality and slow flow

My daughter choked and sputtered a lot when bottle feeding. A speech pathologist told me she was having trouble learning the suck/swallow/breathe pattern of drinking, so she recommended Dr. Brown's bottles, since they have a slower flow. This has completely remedied my daughter's feeding problems. The bottles and nipples are specially designed to help prevent babies from getting gassy, which is a benefit, but I like them because they're slower flow than a lot of nipples on the market, so they're completely manageable for my daughter. The Speech pathologist also told me there is no need to graduate to a higher flow nipple; she said this is just a marketing gimmick bottle companies use, but babies are perfectly fine using #1 nipples all through their bottle-feeding days, if necessary. I'm going to stick with this level as long as needed: my daughter's 6 months now and this level is still working for her.

Made feeding time much better!

My eight week old son has acid reflux and we had to add cereal to his bottle. We tried cutting the hole bigger in size 1 and 2 nipples, but they would always end up too fast. I read somewhere about these nipples and decided to give them a try. They say nine months, but they work perfectly with rice cereal! I highly recommend these if you are in the same situation.

Great for my little one- even at 7 weeks old.

These have made a huge difference for my daughter, who was in NICU for about a week as she would lose oxygen when she tried to feed. The problem only subsided when she was put on slow flow nipples. However, as she has grown and we've gotten into bigger bottles, it seemed she was struggling with even the Level 1 nipples of many brands. I ordered these and I could immediately tell she was more comfortable feeding with them, and less milk leaked from her mouth, she coughed and spit up less, and overall it just made her feeding time more relaxing for everyone. I use them in the Dr. Brown's bottles but also found that they fit the "Parent's Choice" bottles from Walmart. She is now 7 weeks old and we'll be using them indefinitely. UPDATE: My daughter is now 16 weeks old (4 months) and we are still using these preemie nipples. I contemplated moving up to level 1, but she still seems comfortable and content with these, to the extent that I went ahead and ordered a fresh set.

It's soft and easy to clean

I find this to perfectly match my 5-10 minute feeding sessions at the breast. It takes the baby about the same amount of time to eat with this nipple. I originally wanted to stick to the premie size to encourage successful breastfeeding, but she was taking 20-30 minutes to eat 3 oz., which was hard to swallow (pun intended) when her other feedings are so short. We've been using this and the breast for about 5 months without any confusion. It's soft and easy to clean. I haven't had any issues with the hole enlarging over time.

Excellent quality and durable!

My son was barely 3 months old when he started eating a little less than before, he was also starting to "spit up" a lot more. When I looked up causes, i learned it was time to step up to the next size. As soon as he got his first bottle with these nipples, the improvement was very apparent. He went back to increasing his intake as well as stopped spitting up. These nipples are of extremely good quality and have lasted through repeated steamer sanitation after use. Their flow stays consistent and to sum it up, I am very happy with them.

Brown’s were our best bet, then I realized they made Ultra Preemie

These have been a lifesaver!! Our little one was born about a month early and had issues keeping up with flow, either directly from the breast or pumped milk in a bottle. We tried countless brands of “slow flow” and specialty bottles, and he would still gag, choke, gurgle, cough, etc. He always swallowed a bunch of air while he was gasping, trying to keep up. This led to an upset tummy and a very fussy baby. These are the only truly slow-flow nipples I’ve found. (Before this we thought regular Preemie nipples from Dr. Brown’s were our best bet, then I realized they made Ultra Preemie. There’s a huge difference, in my opinion! I would skip the regular Preemie and go straight to these, if you’re needing something slow.) He handles bottles like a champ now, and he’s even taking some feedings straight from the breast now that he’s learned to pace himself a bit. I definitely believe these nipples helped, and he’s had zero issues switching from bottle to breast. I absolutely would recommend buying these if you are having any troubles with feeding or need a slow-flow nipple. These have been amazing! **Update: Nearly 9 months later, we’re still using ultra preemie and sometimes preemie nipples. He takes 2 bottles a day and breastfeeds the rest of the time. He has zero problem switching from breast to bottle becasue he still has to work for the bottle since the flow is slow. We’ve tried transitioning to other brands or faster flows, but we always come back to these. Highly recommend for breastfed babies!!!

These are rated for 6 month + and they mean it!

These are definitely faster then the level 2 nipples. I bought these a bit early and thought my 4 month old might be able to handle them as he was sucking his level 2 nipples so hard he would suck air past the side of the nipple. I gave up that idea halfway through his first feeding with these and put them in storage for a few months as he could barely keep up and started gulping after about 2 ounces. I guess it kind of worked though, because after that he started slowing himself down to a "comfortable" pace with the level 2's. I'm sure there are some parents out there that will more or less say I should have know better, but I though perhaps these would be like a level "2.5" as there didn't seem to be that drastic of a difference between the level 1 and level 2's. I'm sure someone out there will tell the mathematical differences in orifice size and set the record straight. And yes, this is our first kid, so I (we) are still figuring it out. :)

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