Feeding is one of the first ways that babies get to know their mother and the outside world. From their first moments, babies learn how their mother responds to their hunger. Before they even know their mother as a mother or recognise feeds, they learn that they cannot always get what they want. Through feeds they discover that there is a world outside their body over which they have little control.
In the early days, feeding is often the only way a mother can soothe her baby's cries. She gives characteristics to her baby based on how they feed. One mother might see a baby who latches on easily and suckles quickly as good natured, while another might regard a similar baby as greedy. A slow feeder could be seen as lazy or, conversely, peaceful.
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