Babies do all sorts of funny things when they're feeding but, did you know, most of the time, this is likely them trying to communicate something to you. Let's have a look at what some of these funny shenanigans your little one gets up to, might be saying.

• Pinching/hitting/stroking your breast - this could be your baby cleverly trying to re-stimulate your breasts and signal to them the flow has slowed down but they aren't finished yet! By getting their hands involved, they are essentially trying to replicate what you might do when hand expressing, or what you might yourself do during a feed when you think another letdown could be stimulated. This is a great reason to make sure you don't position their hands in a way that restricts them too much. Even bottle-fed babies might hit at their bottle as an indicator that the flow is slow.

• Wide Eyes/Spluttering/Gulping - any of these, particularly if then followed by crying and your baby seeming uncomfortable could likely be a sign the flow is a little too fast and they're struggling to keep up or taking in air as they try to. Some babies are very subtle in their signs and it is just that slightly wide-eyed look they suddenly get during a feed that is trying to tell you "hey hey! I need a break". Any of these could be a response to the bottle or to the breast and may be a good time for you to pause, to allow some of the fast-flowing letdown to be caught in a steralised container or to adopt a new position that allows your baby to be more in control of the flow, rather than gravity. For example the Laid-Back Feeding/Biological Nurturing breastfeeding position, or Paced Bottle Feeding technique may help here. If bottle-feeding, you may also want to consider the size of the teat you're using and downsize to see if that helps your baby manage the flow better. Most babies will be fine staying on a size 1 teat at the largest for their entire bottle-feeding journey. But again, watch your baby (if spending the feed seeming frustrated at the bottle, perhaps it's too slow so increasing the teat size might help).

• Repeatedly turning their head away from the breast or teat - You may already be familiar with the baby who becomes easily distracted at the breast or bottle as they become more interested in the world. However, a distracted baby may still return to the milk source between looking around the room, just making their previously speedy feed, that bit more leisurely. In some situations though, you may notice your baby turning their head away, keeping their mouth closed, no longer rooting as they were at the start of the feed and, if on re-offering, they still turn away, they're probably just telling you "I'm all good for now, thanks!" Remember, it's not about finishing the whole bottle you lovingly expressed or made up following the formula box instructions to a tee...It's about following your baby's signals. Might it mean they decide they do want the rest in 10 minutes? Maybe....but sometimes I don't want my desert until I've had a little break either.

• Non-Nutritive suckling/playing with the teat or nipple - Remember that, for babies, their feeding experience is not just about nutrition, but about all the other benefits the activity brings: of being close to you and of calming and regulating their nervous system through sucking. A breast-fed baby may go from actively drinking at the breast to no longer swallowing so much, or latching more shallowly and not seeming bothered by the flow of milk slowing and stopping. A bottle-fed baby may go from actively drinking to chewing on the teat, playing with it but not drawing any milk out. One of my pet peeves is the phrase 'they're using you as a dummy' because, what they are in fact doing is using the breast as it was intended - for nutrition and for comfort - and from which the dummy was created to replace the breast. There is nothing wrong with this stage of feeding and you can let your baby stay at the breast or bottle suckling, without the flow of milk, as long as you like if you're both happy. 

Next time you're feeding your little one, watch them when you can. I wonder what your baby does while they feed and what they might be trying to say?