Breast fed babies do not need to learn to bottle feed. However there may be circumstances where for personal reasons they may prefer their infant to take a bottle here and there. And this blog is for families who have made that choice but who are struggling to get their baby to accept a bottle.

I support families of children who have feeding difficulties, I also support many parents, usually mothers, who feel low and isolated and who tell me they feel they feel helpless or that they are failing. It is important to me to always talk to families about how they are feeling and the journey they have been are on as I strongly believe that families can be traumatised by challenging early feeding experiences and that part of my role is to listen and help.

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.

For many families, moving on from pureed solids can seem like a daunting task, when thinking about what textures to introduce, how to know if your baby is managing and what to do if they gag or choke as you progress through solid foods. This article will help you progress through textures and gives hints and tips to help if you get stuck on pureed foods.

Beginning the weaning journey with your little one is such an exciting time for so many reasons, but there is so much to prepare for! Between deciding when your baby is ready, choosing a highchair, first foods, baby led weaning or purees and so much more, it’s important not to forget that above all, any food you serve needs to be safe!

What is a tongue tie?

A tongue tie, also known as ankylogossia is where the small strip of tissue known as the lingual frenulum, which connects the tongue to the floor of mouth, is too short, too tight or too close to the gum ridge.

When this occurs, it can impact on tongue movement, which in turn can impact on the feeding process.

There are two types of tongue tie, anterior and posterior

I met Sam during my time studying for my IBCLC lactation consultant qualification. Sam was pregnant at the time. She gave birth to her gorgeous daughter Roisin in 2019. Roisin has Down syndrome. In order to raise awareness of Down's syndrome on World Down syndrome day 2020, Sam is sharing her feeding journey.

If you are struggling to feed your baby who you think may have reflux then this article is for you.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is a normal process where the contents of the stomach can come back up out of the stomach into the oesophagus and mouth. This affects babies, children and adults. In babies this can look like the effortless positing and regurgitation of feeds. In some cases, the symptoms are much more severe and may need treatment of some kind. This is known as Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

ow's milk allergy (CMA) is the leading cause of food allergy in children under 3 years of age. It is thought to peak in the first year of life, with true CMA affecting 2-3% of the infant population.

CMA can be IgE or Non-IgE mediated or a mixture of both. IgE mediated allergy will present as an immediate reaction to the milk protein and your child may develop hives or breathing difficulties

If you would you like to continue to breastfeed your baby or toddler once you go back to paid employment, but aren’t sure how to make it work, this article is for you.

A shallow latch is a common cause of pain during breastfeeding in the early days and weeks.

What is a shallow latch?

A shallow latch occurs when your baby doesn’t take a large enough mouthful of breast tissue into its mouth when latching. As a result your nipple

This winter I have had a number of contacts from mothers of babies who have contracted bronchiolitis and who have needed support and advice with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, expressing and tube feeding during their babies’ illness. I am writing this blog to be a go to for any mum who may find herself with a baby with bronchiolitis and who needs access to feeding advice.

Introducing snacks for weaning and then managing them for toddlers can be a bit of minefield. When I do my social media Q&A’s snacking one of the most common question themes that comes up.

Did you know that only around 1% of mothers are physically unable to make enough milk for their babies?

The most common conditions or circumstances which may impact on a mothers’ ability to produce milk include;

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - only 20% of women with this condition are likely to struggle with supply.

Insufficient glandular tissue

I was very grateful to be able to contribute to this blog for Dr Brooke Vandermolen, Obstetric and Gynaecology Registrar. You can find Brooke over at @theobgynmum or www.theobgynmum.com

Not only is breastfeeding a challenge enough, but once you start expressing it can be a whole new minefield.

Whether you are pumping to help boost supply, to make a stash of milk when you go back to work, or just to allow your partner get involved in the feeding, here are 5 really useful tips to help improve your experience of expressing breast milk:

Starting weaning is an exciting milestone for you and your baby. However, if your child has a cow’s milk allergy, you may be worried about dairy free weaning. You may have questions like: what should a dairy free baby eat, what if they are allergic to something else, and how do I ensure they get enough calcium?

Selecting a highchair for your baby is a rite of passage. As parents we usually consider affordability, size, style and practicality when making our choice. But do we consider how it may help our babies eating?

Eating requires a number of finely tuned movements known as oral motor skills and they develop both with time - as our babies get older and with experience and practice with eating. The oral motor movements for eating are finely graded movements. They are aided by core or central stability

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.