If a baby refuses the breast  we  try and  get  him back on because  it is better for him  if we help him  back to the breast, than if we in effect say   ok  Johnny, you're right it is easier  to suck on a botte teat,   and you seem to be  enjoying formula  let's not bother trying  any more; if a baby goes on a nursing strike we try and  gentle him back to the breast,  we  know it is better for him to   have breast rather than formula.
Some mothers presumably still smoke,  but however interested a baby was in the  glowing stick in mummy's mouth a mother would not let him have a quick  drag.  
Helen

"A baby demanding to eat at 4 months....I would trust that completely." 

A baby of four months sees its mother stick something in her mouth, she is 
relaxed and enjoys it.  Wow, lookslike fun, no iea what it is, must try!!! 

Why would a baby who is interested in this connect this in his head with 
suckling at the breast and receiving nourishment?  The baby thinks it looks 
interesting, significant others are doing it...surely we dont' think babies 
are programmed to think 'they are all enjoying chips and mushy peas, when 
can I get some?' 

Trusting to curiousity: the baby has no idea is connected to food going into 
his GI tract, but *we do* -- !!!???  We know that it takes about 6 months of 
extra-gestate life for the gut, the immune system etc to mature and for the 
baby to be protected enough for food. 

This discussion is interesting.  I think that in the UK we have moved away 
from the kind of responses I have been seeing on this list -- and why?  
Because it is now five years that 6 months before offering complementary 
solids has been our government policy.  We have got used to the idea -- and 
got over the fact that we all gave our babies stuff earlier (remember - some 
of us gave our babies formula -- does that mean we defend that?) and *seen* 
how it works for babies and women.

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