How your baby's feeding develops
From birth, your baby will be:
- sucking
- rooting and giving other feeding cues
- able to attach to the breast
When your baby is born, their digestive system and kidneys are immature. This means your baby can only eat and drink breast milk and infant formula.
Feeding your baby allows you to build a relationship with your baby, which makes them feel safe and helps their brain grow and develop.
Your baby wants to be close to you so they can feel secure and loved. When your baby feels secure, they release a hormone called oxytocin.
Oxytocin makes your baby happy and helps them become confident children and adults.
From 4 to 5 months old, your baby will:
- reach out for objects
- be interested in what other people are doing
- enjoy watching other people eat
- be more awake at night
- want to be fed more
However, these are not signs that they need solids yet. They are still developing the skills they need to cope with solid foods.
Page last updated: 9 June 2023
