Do you need to change the bottle teat depending on the baby's age?

In short: no

You have surely seen the markings on the packaging: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6+, and it is not even about the size of the teat itself, but about the fact that for each age they offer teats with a different milk flow.

In fact this is a marketing trick to make you buy more, although there is no need for it. And now you will understand why.

Why the teat does not have to be changed with age

Your nipple does not change, and the flow rate from the breast stays approximately the same throughout the whole breastfeeding period. When the baby is 2-3 months old, the milk flow does not increase, and at 8 months it does not become faster either.

That is exactly why, when feeding from a bottle, it is important to keep the same principle as in breastfeeding.

It is important for the baby to make an effort to get the milk. We do not want it to simply flow into their mouth.

When it is worth considering a different teat

If feeding is accompanied by choking, tantrums at the bottle, very long feeds, or by the baby sucking actively while almost no milk comes out, then it is worth considering a different teat. But for most babies this is not relevant.

Often even for an older baby a slow flow is preferable, because the bottle should not be easier than the breast, but be guided by your own baby.