There is so much learning that can happen when children are given opportunities to explore and play with food. When I say ‘food’ I am covering both edible and dried food options too. It’s so important to give children the time and space to explore the sensory properties of different foods and become more comfortable with how it will eventually feel in their mouths. It gives them a context to play with food outside the regular meal times, which I have personally found, eases the pressure and gives my daughter the responsibility to decide whether she wants to have a taste or not.

Gagging is a reflex that is present from birth and remains with us for our whole lives. It’s purpose is to protect our airways and stop foreign objects and foods from ‘going down the wrong way’ and reduces the risk of us choking.

In babies the gag reflex is further forward in the mouth than it is in adults. By the age of 4-6 months your baby will begin to have some more control of this reflex, which coincides with being ready for weaning at around 6 months.

By Julia Wolman Registered Nutritionist

From the day your baby is born, it’s all about the milk. Are they feeding often enough? Should they be having more? Are they having too much?

After the first few months, when some semblance of routine is (finally) beginning to emerge, it’s time for something new – solids! To start with, milk feeds continue as usual whilst baby gets used to new tastes and textures. Some time between 6-12 months

I wish I’d known…

to feed my baby as soon as possible after birth.

If you can, feed your baby within the first hour of its birth. After this the baby can become sleepy for up to 24 hours and less interested in breast feeding. Benefits of this first early feed include keeping baby warm by being skin to skin, calming the baby, giving baby colostrum as its very first milk and releasing oxytocin which makes your uterus contract and reduces your bleeding as well as making you feel very in love with your new tiny one.

Introducing solid foods to your baby is an exciting time. However, for some of the parents I work with it can also be worrying for fear of gagging and choking. Below is some useful information to help you feel more confident when weaning your baby to solid foods.

Gagging is a normal protective reflex that is highly sensitive when weaning starts. This is because its designed to stop your baby from choking

I was invited by Victoria Rose, Founder at Allaboutbabies to write about every parents nightmare (and often reality) fussy eating. There's nothing worse than spending time and energy preparing yummy meals only to have your toddler refuse to eat them. Take a look at my facts and fixes.

Elevated side lying is a bottle-feeding position that’s being used more and more for preterm babies and infants who have feeding difficulties In this blog post I’ll tell you why I like it for all new born babies. I’ve put together a visual step by step guide for you so go ahead and give it a try…