Feeding is one of the most fundamental yet complex aspects of a baby’s early development. It is about more than just nutrition—it is a learned skill that develops over time, influenced by a baby’s sensory preferences, oral-motor abilities, and experiences.
While some babies take to feeding with ease, others face challenges that can make mealtimes stressful for both baby and parent. Whether it is bottle refusal, milk aversion, difficulties transitioning to solids, or sensory-based food refusal, understanding the reasons behind these struggles is key to finding solutions.
As a Paediatric Feeding Specialist and Speech and Language Therapist with a Dysphagia background I work with families navigating these feeding challenges every day. I see firsthand how distressing it can be when a baby struggles to feed, and I also see how the right approach can make a real difference.
This guide will help you:
Understand feeding at every stage—from newborn feeding to solid food transitions.
Recognise common feeding difficulties and what causes them.
Learn practical strategies to support your baby’s feeding skills.
Feel more confident in your approach—whether your baby takes to feeding easily or needs extra support.
For those facing specific feeding challenges or just don't know where to start, I have developed free expert resources to help you take action today:
Access our Break Free From Bottle Aversion Mini Course – A step-by-step approach to overcoming bottle aversion.
Get The Truth About Weaning Guide – Practical strategies to support a smooth transition to solids.
Infant Feeding: The Foundations
Newborn Feeding: More Than Just Intake
Feeding your newborn isn’t just about getting milk into them—it’s a learning process for both of you. Your baby is developing the skills to suck, swallow, and breathe in a coordinated way, while you’re figuring out how to support them.
For some babies, this comes easily. For others, it’s not so straightforward. Maybe feeding is taking longer than expected, maybe they seem unsettled after feeds, or maybe they’re struggling to latch or take a bottle. If feeding feels harder than it should be, you’re not alone—and it’s not your fault.
Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination of both, it’s about more than just intake. It’s about skill, comfort, and confidence—for both of you.
What’s Normal in the Early Weeks?
It’s completely normal for feeding to take time to establish. In the early days, you’re both adjusting to:
Positioning and latch (for breastfeeding) or flow and pace (for bottle feeding).
How much and how often your baby needs to feed (which may not match rigid schedules).
Signs of hunger and fullness, so you can respond to your baby’s cues.
Your baby’s individual feeding abilities, which might take longer to refine.
Some babies settle into a rhythm quickly. Others need a little more support, especially if they were born early, have reflux, or have difficulties with latch or sucking. The key is to focus on how feeding feels—not just how much milk they’re taking in.
Signs That Feeding Is Going Well
Rather than focusing purely on millilitres or minutes, the most reliable way to tell if feeding is going well is by looking at how your baby is feeding overall.
Sucking rhythmically and pausing to swallow.
Finishing feeds with a relaxed body, rather than fussing or pulling away in distress.
Producing regular wet and dirty nappies, appropriate for their age.
Gaining weight steadily, following their own curve.
If your baby is feeding frequently but still unsettled, refusing feeds, or taking in very little, that’s a sign something isn’t quite right. This isn’t about whether you’re doing something ‘wrong’—it’s about figuring out what’s making feeding difficult.
Why Some Babies Struggle with Feeding
There’s a huge range of reasons why feeding can feel harder than expected. Some babies:
Find it difficult to latch deeply (making breastfeeding inefficient or uncomfortable).
Struggle with milk flow—whether that’s too fast, too slow, or inconsistent.
Have reflux or discomfort, making them reluctant to feed.
Develop feeding aversion due to negative associations with feeding.
Find it hard to transition between breast and bottle, particularly if they have oral-motor challenges.
The most important thing to know? These issues don’t just ‘fix themselves’. Babies don’t simply grow out of feeding difficulties—they need support to make feeding feel easier.
Bottle Feeding Challenges & What to Do
If your baby is refusing the bottle or only feeding when drowsy, it’s usually because feeding doesn’t feel right for them—either physically or emotionally. This can be due to:
Flow rate discomfort (milk coming too fast or too slow).
Negative past experiences, where feeding felt stressful or forced.
Sensory preferences, meaning certain bottles, teats, or positions feel more comfortable than others.
Oral-motor difficulties, making sucking from a bottle physically harder.
Trying multiple bottles without addressing the root cause can sometimes make things worse. If your baby is struggling with bottles, I’ve created a free Mini Course to help you understand why and what to do next.
Transitioning to Solids: A Critical Stage in Feeding Development
Introducing solids isn’t just about getting food into your baby—it’s about teaching them how to eat. This stage is when babies start developing:
Oral-motor skills, including chewing, tongue movement, and swallowing.
Sensory processing, as they explore new tastes, textures, and temperatures.
Self-regulation, learning to listen to hunger and fullness cues.
For some babies, weaning is exciting and intuitive. For others, it’s overwhelming, confusing, or uncomfortable. The key to a successful transition is understanding your baby’s developmental readiness, sensory preferences, and feeding abilities—rather than just following a schedule.
When & How to Introduce Solids
Current guidelines recommend introducing solids at around six months, when a baby:
Can sit upright with minimal support – Good postural control reduces choking risk and helps with coordinated chewing.
Shows interest in food – They watch others eat, reach for food, or open their mouth when offered a spoon.
Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex – This means they can move food back toward swallowing rather than instinctively pushing it out.
However, not all babies are ready at exactly six months. Some may show signs of readiness earlier, while others may need a little more time. The most important factor is not just age, but whether they have developed the skills needed to eat safely and successfully.
Red Flags That a Baby May Need More Support Before Starting Solids:
Poor head or trunk control, making it hard to sit upright.
Frequent gagging or difficulty managing their own saliva.
Disinterest in food or turning away from the spoon.
If your baby struggles with these areas, it doesn’t mean they won’t eat solids—it just means they may need a different approach to weaning.
Key Considerations for Weaning Success
Oral-Motor Development: Building the Skills to Eat
Babies are not born knowing how to chew, move food around their mouths, or swallow textured foods. These are learned skills that require practice. Some babies pick up these skills naturally, while others need a more structured introduction to textures.
Signs Your Baby May Need Extra Oral-Motor Support:
Difficulty moving food around their mouth (food stays at the front, or they suck rather than chew).
Over-reliance on purées (difficulty transitioning to mashed, lumpy, or finger foods).
Gagging on thicker foods or difficulty swallowing.
How to Support Oral-Motor Development:
Start with soft, easy-to-mash textures like well-cooked vegetables or ripe fruits.
Offer a variety of textures from early on—don’t wait too long to introduce lumps.
Encourage chewing practice with safe finger foods (even if they don’t eat much at first).
Babies who struggle with textures, gag excessively, or seem to have weak chewing skills may benefit from more focused guidance, like I teach in How to Wean Well (online programme coming soon!!!).
Texture Progression: A Developmental Approach
When babies start solids, they are not just learning to eat—they are developing oral-motor skills that will support chewing, swallowing, and even speech development later on.
Rather than following a rigid, staged approach (smooth → mashed → lumpy → finger foods), it’s more useful to think of texture progression as a continuum that adapts to your baby’s abilities.
How Babies Learn to Manage Textures
Babies explore textures with their mouths first, before their hands. You might notice that even before weaning, they:
Put their hands, toys, or clothes in their mouth to explore.
Chew on their fingers, even without teeth.
Show interest in what you’re eating, reaching out or watching closely.
These are all signs that they are developing the sensory and oral-motor skills needed for eating. But just because a baby is interested in food doesn’t mean they are ready for every texture. Some babies will need more practice with mouthing and chewing before they can handle more complex foods.
Rethinking Texture Progression
Instead of focusing on moving through 'stages', it’s more helpful to think about offering a variety of textures from the start, adapting to what your baby can manage.
Babies do not need to start with smooth purées though for some babies that is best. While some parents choose to, others go straight to soft finger foods or a mix of both. The key is giving your baby the opportunity to explore and practice.
Soft, squishable foods that break down easily in the mouth (ripe banana, roasted sweet potato, avocado).
Meltable textures like soft-cooked pasta or baby crackers that dissolve with saliva.
Dippable foods that let babies explore different sensations (a spoon with mashed lentils, strips of toast with hummus).
Chewing practice with safe, firmer textures like strips of well-cooked meat or large pieces of steamed veggies that they can gnaw on.
Why This Works:
Babies experience a wider range of textures from the start.
They build oral-motor strength naturally, rather than relying on sucking purées.
They stay curious about food, rather than getting stuck on one texture.
What If Your Baby Struggles with Textures?
Some babies find texture transitions more challenging. They might:
Gag frequently (which is normal at first but should improve with practice).
Reject anything lumpy or mixed-texture (e.g., mashed foods with small bits).
Hold food in their mouth instead of swallowing.
How to Support Your Baby Through Texture Sensitivities:
Offer a small range of textures early, rather than waiting too long to introduce new ones.
Let your baby explore food with their hands first—touching food helps with acceptance.
Encourage chewing practice with safe, chewable foods, even if they don’t eat much at first.
Avoid going back to only smooth foods—this can reinforce texture sensitivity rather than help them progress.
If your baby struggles to handle different textures, you may need a more structured approach—this is exactly what I cover in How to Wean Well.
Sensory Processing: Why Some Babies Reject Food
Some babies have strong sensory preferences, which can affect how they accept food.
Some babies are:
Sensory Seekers – They love bold flavours, crunchy foods, and lots of texture.
Sensory Sensitive – They prefer smooth, mild foods and may gag on textured or mixed foods.
Signs of Sensory-Based Feeding Difficulties:
Gagging at new textures, even before they reach the mouth.
Preferring only one type of food (e.g., smooth purées but rejecting lumps).
Aversion to certain temperatures (e.g., refusing cold foods).
How to Help:
Expose your baby to a variety of textures, colours, and temperatures early—before preferences become rigid.
Let them touch and explore food with their hands—this helps desensitise them.
Go at their pace, but keep offering variety—avoid getting stuck on just one type of food.
If your baby struggles with gagging, texture rejection, or sensory-related feeding issues, How to Wean Well will provide specific strategies to help them adjust.
Feeding Environment & Responsive Feeding: Setting Your Baby Up for Success
Babies thrive when mealtimes feel enjoyable, low-pressure, and predictable. A stressful feeding environment can lead to food refusal, negative associations, and even feeding aversion.
How to Create a Positive Weaning Experience:
Allow your baby to explore food at their own pace—without pressure to eat a certain amount.
Offer meals in a calm, distraction-free environment (no screens, no rushing).
Follow their cues—look for signs of hunger and fullness rather than forcing another bite.
Why This Matters:A baby who feels pressured to eat is more likely to resist food in the future. A baby who feels in control of their intake is more likely to develop confidence around eating.
Struggling with Weaning? Here’s How I Can Help
If you’re feeling unsure about weaning, worried about gagging, or struggling with food refusal, you’re not alone. Weaning is a skill-building process, and some babies need more support than others.
That’s exactly why I created How to Wean Well—to help parents navigate solids step-by-step, so their baby learns to eat with confidence.
Inside How to Wean Well, you’ll learn:
How to introduce solids in a way that supports skill development.
The importance of texture progression and how to move from purées to table foods safely.
Why gagging happens and how to manage it without fear.
How to spot feeding challenges early and prevent mealtime battles.
Practical, real-life strategies to make weaning easier for both you and your baby.
This isn’t just a meal plan or a list of foods—it’s a structured approach that helps your baby develop the skills they need to eat well.
Want to be the first to access the programme? Follow me on Instagram for updates!
The bottom line? Every baby’s weaning journey is different, but every baby is capable of learning to eat. If you’re struggling, it’s not a reflection of your parenting—it just means your baby needs a little more support. And that’s exactly what How to Wean Well is designed to give you.
Supporting Your Baby Through Weaning: Expert Guidance & Personalised Support
Weaning isn’t just about offering food—it’s about helping your baby develop the confidence and skills to eat comfortably and safely. If you’re feeling unsure about textures, struggling with gagging, or facing food refusal, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Many families come to me after trying to follow generic weaning advice that doesn’t work for their baby’s needs. That’s why my approach is different. I provide expert-led, personalised guidance to help your baby develop the right skills at the right time—so weaning is smoother, less stressful, and built on a foundation of strong feeding abilities.
For families who need clear, structured support, I offer high-value 1:1 weaning support packages designed to provide practical strategies and expert coaching, ensuring you have a step-by-step plan tailored to your baby.
If weaning has felt overwhelming—or if you want to ensure your baby builds strong feeding skills from the start—the right support can make all the difference.
Thank you for trusting me to support you on your baby’s feeding journey.
Laura x
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