Closer to Nature Bottle Nipples

Getting Started

Great to see that you’ve purchased our Closer to Nature bottles. To help you get started and to keep your product working effectively, we’ve added all the guidance you should need within this area, as well as some handy hints and tips and troubleshooting advice.

Parts Guide

A step by step guide to how the teats attach to your Closer to Nature bottles.

Quick Start

Before you use your bottles for the first time, please:

• Disassemble all parts and place in boiling water for 5 minutes, this is to ensure good hygiene
• Wash all parts in warm soapy water
• Rinse using clean water and sterilize
• Assemble your bottle as per the diagram
• When assembling your bottle, it’s important that you check the valve (C), holding it to the light to check that the slit in the silicone hasn’t sealed closed. If it has, pinch it gently between your fingers to re-open. If the valve has sealed closed, your bottle won’t vent properly.
• After use, wash all parts in warm soapy water, rinse in clean water, ready to sterilize once more

How to use Tommee Tippee Baby Bottles

*Inspect before each use and pull the feeding teat in all directions

** For safety and hygiene reasons it’s recommended that the feeding teat is replaced every 2-months or sooner if damage or weakness is noticed

Where should the valve be when I'm feeding my baby?

The valve will work wherever it’s positioned but the best place for the valve is at the top, near your baby's nose.

Closer to Nature teats look the same, can I use them on Advanced Anti-Colic bottles?

No, you can’t use Closer to Nature teats on Advanced Anti-Colic bottles. Closer to Nature teats have a built-in air valve, and don’t work with our Advanced Anti Colic bottles. The valve in your Advanced Anti Colic bottles is situated inside the bottle, attached to the end of the venting tube and is shaped like a star. It’s important that you make sure you match the right teat to the right bottle.

How long do teats last?

Teats take quite a lot of hammering from little gums and teeth, so they need to be changed regularly. We recommend replacing teats every 2-months or at the first sign of any damage or weakness.

Can I buy bottles with faster flowing teats?

All of our bottles except the 340ml version currently come with slow flow teats as standard, as they’re best for newborns and most parents generally stock up on bottles before baby arrives. Our 340ml bottle comes with a medium flow teat.

As your baby grows and can feed more quickly, you can buy faster flowing replacement teats.

We have medium flow teats, which most babies are ready for at around 3 months, and a fast flow teat which is best from around 6 months. The ages are only guides though - you know your baby better than anyone and will be able to tell when they’re ready for a faster flow.

Cleaning & Maintenance

DOS

• Before first use, disassemble all parts and place in boiling water for 5 minutes, this is to ensure good hygiene
• Clean before first and each use
• Always wash the product immediately after each use
• Clean in warm soapy water or in dishwasher (top shelf only)
• Ensure that you take apart the venting wheel (D) and venting tube (E) and clean thoroughly with the brush provided
• For cleaning other bottle parts, use a TT bottle and teat brush
• Sterilize all parts of the bottles after cleaning and before use (all bottle parts are suitable for sterilization by steam (electric or microwave), boiling or cold-water tablet/liquid solution.
• Inspect before each use and pull the teat in all directions
• Throw away at first sign of damage or weakness
• For safety and hygiene reasons it’s recommended that the feeding teat is replaced every 2-months

DON'TS

• Do not clean with solvents or harsh chemicals
• Do not allow product to come into contact with oil-based foods e.g. tomato based sauces or carrots
• Do not turn the team inside out for cleaning as damage could result
• Store or leave in direct sunlight or near a source of heat, or leave in disinfectant (“sterilising solution”) for longer than recommended as this may weaken the teat
• Do not store with or allow to come into contact with solvents or harsh chemicals
• Not suitable for use in a conventional oven or a combination microwave with the grill feature switched on
• Do not heat in a microwave with the bottle sealed. Remove the teat, screw ring and bottle hand first

WARNINGS

FOR YOUR CHILDS SAFETY & HEALTH WARNING!

• ALWAYS use this product with adult supervision. Accidents have occured when babies have been left alone with drinking equipment due to the baby falling or if the product has been dissassembled
• Always check food temperatures before feeding. Heating in a microwave oven may produce localised high temperatures. Take extra care when microwave heating.
• Always stir heated food to ensure even heat distribution and test the temperature before serving.
• When making up a feed, follow the formula milk manafacturer's instructions and allow the freshly boiled water to cool before pouring it into the bottle
• NEVER use feeding teats as a soother.
• Continouse and prolonged sucking of fluids will cause tooth decay. Tooth decay in young children can occur even when non-sweetened fluids are used. This can occur if the baby is allowed to use the bottle for long periods through the day and particularly through the night, when saliva flow is reduced or if it is used a soother.

Is it ok to put bottles in the dishwasher?

Of course! Pop them on the top shelf though. As with all white and clear plastic things they can get a bit stained and yucky-looking in the dishwasher (blame that Bolognese sauce or carrot soup you had last night). If they do get discoloured there’s nothing to worry about - they’re perfectly safe, they just don’t look as nice.

Troubleshooting

The teat is collapsing during a feed – Why?

There’s a few things we’d suggest you check here: First thing to check is the type of teat you have. You should be using an Advanced Anti-Colic teat on your Advanced Anti-Colic bottle. To help you know the difference all of our anti-colic teats have anti-colic stamped on them. Do not use Closer to Nature teats on Advanced Anti-Colic bottles.

If you are using the correct teat, then the small slit in the star valve may be closed. It’s really easy to fix. Hold the star valve up to the light and if you can’t see the slit, pinch it gently between your fingers to re-open. If the star valve has sealed closed, your bottle won’t vent properly.

If none of the above apply, your little bundle of joy may be drinking faster and ready for the next stage teat. There are 3 more stages to choose from in our Advanced Anti-Colic teat range – medium, fast and vari-flow. The age guidance is purely a guide, so don’t worry if your little one is younger – go with what you feel as you know your baby better than anyone else.

My teats looks stained - What's happened / Are they safe?

As with other things around the kitchen, they can get a bit stained and yucky-looking in the dishwasher or even when you hand wash them (blame that Bolognese sauce or carrot soup you had last night).

Cloudy looking teats generally occur as a result of strong cold-water sterilization. Cold water sterilization is perfectly fine, but if you’ve gone a bit over the top with the sterilization solution (it’s easily done!), it can impact the colour.

Don’t worry though, as the teats are still perfectly safe to use, they just look a little different to the norm.

My teats don't seem to last very long?

Teats take quite a lot of hammering from little gums and teeth, so they need to be changed regularly. We recommend replacing teats every 2-months or at the first sign of any damage or weakness.