Once breastfeeding is established and going well (after around 6 weeks) some mums may want to introduce  a bottle of expressed milk (or formula) so dad can share in the feeding, to have a rest,  for occasional well earned evenings out, or to prepare for returning to work.  Some babies will happily take a bottle with no problems but others will be resistant and take a while to get used to a new method of feeding - after all mummy milk is far more appealing to baby than a plastic teat!  With patience and a bit of time the vast majority of babies do learn to take milk from a bottle.

If you're struggling to get baby to take a bottle try out some of the Boobdudes top tips:

• Get dad or a friend to give the bottle whilst mum hides in another room.  If baby can hear, see or smell mum they will resist the bottle.
• Run warm water over the teat so its not so cold.  If using refridgerated milk warm it to room temperature under running water.  (Always check that its not too hot and there are no hot spots by swilling the milk in the bottle as you warm it.)
• Try different teats/bottles.  There are several on the market that are shaped more like the breast which babies can prefer. Dont go mad and buy every one out there though - bottles can be really expensive so try a couple and if no luck keep perservering with the ones you have!
• Offer the bottle before baby gets really hungry. Or offer it part way through a breastfeed.
• Move about - rocking, swaying or walking will calm baby and distract them from how they are been fed.
• Try different positions.  Some babies like to feed in a similar position to breastfeeding, others prefer to be sat more upright or facing away.
• If baby gets really distressed put the bottle away and try again another time.
• If you are planning to give formula, get your baby used to expressed breastmilk first then switch to formula once they are happy taking  a bottle: Same taste, different method is far easier than different taste and different method of feeding all at once.
• Don't panic - it can sometimes take weeks to get baby to take a bottle but most get there in the end.  If the big day of returning to work or going out arrives and baby still hasn't taken the bottle don't worry; babies never let themselves go hungry and childcarers have lots of  tricks and experience to get milk into babies.  If you're in no rush to get baby onto a bottle then leave it for a week or two then try again.

If  all else fails and baby refuses the bottle there are alternatives:

For younger babies you can spoon feed, use a medicine syringe, or cup feed (allowing baby to lap from the lid of a bottle often works really well). Ask your Health Visitor or Breastfeeding Peer Supporter for advice on the safest ways to use these methods)

For older babies, over 4 months you can go straight to a free flowing feeder cup.  Use with or without the lid and allow baby to feed themself.  Very messy but lots of babies prefer it to the bottle.

Remember you don't have to introduce a bottle at all if you dont want to.  Often mums are told that they need to introduce bottles early otherwise baby will never take one but don't worry - you can teach your baby to drink from a bottle or cup later on if you need to,  babies that do take a bottle at a young age often refuse it later on anyway, and with all the hassle of expressing and sterilising it's often easier for mums to just feed baby themselves.

 What makes me mad about these reports are that surprise surprise the research is linked to formula and infant food companies.  A bit of digging around has shown me that three of the four authors “have performed consultancy work and/or received research funding from companies manufacturing infant formulas and baby foods within the past three years"  and Mary Fewtrell the big name behind it has worked for none other than than Nestle Nutrition Institute!!!!

So we all know babies need nothing but breastmilk for around the first 6 months, but what then...most health professionals promote gradual weaning starting with pureed fruit and veg and gradually introducing thicker and lumpier foods. But there is an alternative...Baby Led Weaning.

BLW has been used for centuries by 2nd time mums who don't have the time or energy to make baby foods with a toddler underfoot.  Instead they work on the basis that just as in breastfeeding, babies eat what they want when they want.  There are no purees, and no ice cube trays of mush in the freezer.  Instead babies are offered a range of finger foods  cut into holdable shapes from 26 weeks (or later if they show no signs of been ready to wean.)

As with any weaning; foods containing salt, sugar, additives, and nuts (if a history of allegies) should be avoided.  All other age appropriate foods can be given in any combination.  Examples of foods include: steamed sticks of fruit and veg, breadsticks with humus, pasta, meatballs, chunks of cheese, pizza, peas...in fact baby can try any food you have in the cupboard. At first in BLW baby may not actully eat very much food at all but they will love exploring the taste and texture of different foods.  Baby will begin by playing with the food, then they will suck, then chew and spit it out, and eventually start to swallow it.  (Its a happy day when you open a nappy and find real poo instead of lovely breastmilk poo!)  As with any style of weaning, breastmilk continues to be baby's primary source of nutrition up to 12 months so if only small amounts are eaten in the early days  baby will continue to thrive on the goodness of breastmilk.

The advantages.

Babies who are allowed to feed themselves can join in easily with family meals, mum doesn't have to feed baby separately or spoon feed whilst her meal goes cold.  They are also less likely to become fussy eaters as they experience a wide range of textures and tastes from an early age. BLW-ers learn to eat when they are hungry and control their own appetite rather than eating just because food is been put in their mouths.  They have less food related issues such as been unable to move from purees to lumpy foods.  Mums who give only finger foods don't need to find a microwave to heat up food when they are out and can often share their own meal with baby rather than buying separate foods. It's altogether easier and less stressful. The only real disadvantage of BLW is that it can be very messy as baby learns to feed themselves so a mess mat is essential.

Mum's views.

"Having weaned my first baby on purees at 4 months, and my second on mashed foods at 6 months, baby number 3 was weaned exclusively on finger foods and I recommend BLW 100%.  Weaning has been so much easier and more enjoyable, he eats a huge range of foods and meal times are relaxed family times.  We all eat the same food together and our  family and friends have been amazed by what he manages to eat at such a young age." Jude

"We breastfeed on demand so it made perfect sense to let Niamh decide when and what she wanted to eat. No spoons, no puree, and no fuss.  Its great, we make a meal and everyone in the house eats it, no messing about with blending and freezing etc.  Niamh took to it straight away, but it took other family members longer to adjust. Mainly Niamh's grand-parents were worried that she would choke- she never did , a few times she gagged but she always managed to move the food in her mouth to where she wanted it." Claire

In recent years the Dept of Health guidelines on weaning babies have changed from 4 months to 6 months. Yet mums are still weaning their babies earlier than recommended.  There is a huge pressure on mums to move their baby onto the next stage as quickly as possible. With the mother in law, friends and even some health professionals pushing for early weaning it can be really hard for mums to hold back and wait yet evidence shows that babies that wait to around 6 months to wean are better able to cope with solid foods and progress quicker.  Weaning can be an exciting time as baby explores taste and textures for the first time and mum takes many a photo of yogurt covered, orange stained faces for future embarrassment.  But only if baby is ready.

Unlike formula fed babies, breastfed babies experience a wide range of tastes as their mothers milk changes its compostition and flavour with every feed. There is no window of opportunity in which the breastfed baby needs to experience flavour because they are already used to changing tastes. Mum can therefore wait until baby shows the signs of been ready to wean rather than basing their need to wean on the calender alone.

Is my baby ready to wean?

Signs of readiness to wean include sitting up unaided (or with a little support), increased breastfeeding for more than 5 days at 6 months (its normal for breastfed babies to have growth spurts at 4 and 5 months and to begin feeding more frequently during the night at around 4 months but this is linked to developmental changes rather than hunger). Crying whenever you eat and reaching out to grab other peoples food are also indicators.  Baby may become increasingly unsettled, and despite lots of breastfeeds seems to be all milked out.  At around 6 months a baby's tongue thrusting reflex begins to fade as well so a good test to use is to put a tiny amount of mashed up banana on baby's tongue; if they are not ready to wean they push their tongue out, if they are ready they pull their tongue in.  If baby is showing several of these signs then they are ready to wean.

Advantages of waiting to wean at 26 weeks.

There are many advantages to waiting until baby is ready to wean.  Obviously as a mum you get 2 more months of baby needing nothing but breastmilk so you get  a little longer to enjoy your tiny baby and save on carrying endless amounts of food, bibs, and cups around with you.  Plus you get extra time to find your pre-baby brain and get geared up for the task of thinking what to feed baby.

On a more scientific level...there is a decreased risk of allergies because babies start producing the antibodies that prevent the intestines absorbing allegens around (you guessed it) 6 months. They also have an increased ability to digest food; before 6 months babies digest food poorly which can cause unpleasant reactions.    Waiting to wean also assures mums milk supply stays high.  When baby takes solids they reduce their milk intake and mum's supply decreases. Giving solids early increases the chance of mum weaning from the breast earlier too.   Then there's the problem of contaminated foods; in areas of the world with unclean water early weaning has been seen to lead to more babies dying of  infections and diarrheal diseases.  Although some women's experience proves otherwise, late weaning can help with child-spacing.  During exclusive breastfeeding a woman's fertility is lower than once baby starts other foods.

Weaning Myths.

1. Baby will sleep better if I wean.  Sadly this view although widely promoted is not based on fact. Babies who are given solids early are no more likely to sleep longer than babies given breastmilk alone.  In fact early weaning can make baby sleep worse because when they fill up on solids during the day they have to take more milk during the night to make up for missed feeds during the day.  Plus early weaning can give babies tummy ache and wind which certainly does not induce sleep.

2. There is a window of opportunity for weaning.  Again this is false. Not all babies are ready to wean at the same age.  Watching baby rather than a calander will tell mum when baby is ready.  Some babies who are prone to allegies are not interested in food until 8 or 9 months or even later.  If baby  is still gaining weight, seems healthy to mum and is breastfeeding on demand then weaning can wait. (Offering food every few days until babybegins to show interest is important and if mum become concerned about baby a doctors opinion should be sought.)  There is no window of time in which babies who miss it will somehow never be able to learn to chew, have you ever met an adult who can't eat!

3. There's not enough iron in breastmilk after 6 months.  Healthy full term babies have an iron store which lasts at least 6 months, and although the amount of iron in breastmilk is small it is better absorbed than the iron in formula or cow's milk.  Anemia (iron defficiency) is uncommon in breastfed babies but if a mother is concerned a simple blood test can put her mind at rest.