I am learning more each day from my grandson!  He's over a year old and he
has been (almost - mom traveled and a few times dad had to use formula)
exclusively breastfed x 6 months, then started on solids.  He has been cared
for by a nanny who was strictly instructed NOT to overfeed, to follow his
cues, and allow him to be on HIS schedule.

Evan is in the 5th percentile, totally up to his developmental skills (or
above if you want to believe grandma) and VERY active - and still nursing
every 2.5 hours at night (which makes mom, my daughter in law, an ANGEL in
my book - especially as so many have encouraged her to "FERBERIZE" him).

I had attended some trainings on "Baby Signs" and shared the videos and
books with them.  Evan has been seeing signs since he was about 4 months
old.  He clearly understands and tells Daddy to read me a book - and the
sign for "all done" is very clear (in fact, we used it the other day to get
him to stop doing an activity - so he understood it applied not only for
food...).

All this was to say that at one point, Cindy, his mom, realized that the
nanny was really giving him much LESS than he usually eats when Alex or
Cindy feed him - until she instructed the nanny to  stop feeding him ONE
food - but try another - and the meal was done when he had signed "all done"
to at least 3 foods!  This has increased his intake during the day (done
nothing for night feedings, but you can understand that his night feedings
aren't just about FEEDING).

So we need to be aware of baby's cues - but also aware of their interest in
variety and be ready and willing to offer it to them as they get
older...after all, our breast milk changes in flavor and consistency - why
wouldn't a baby getting other foods want variety also?

I really worry about babies I see getting formula (same old, same old) for
MONTHS then graduated to "cereal" (same old, same old)...then graduated to
carrots or whatever - but with little thought to providing a variety of
flavors and textures.  Perhaps some of the overfeeding could be addressed by
offering variety?

When we are interested in offering education to moms about cue feeding, we
also need to give them the opportunity to learn what do THEIR baby's cues
mean?

(I have to say I DO like the use of the word "cues" - the more we use it the
more accepted it will become - and there is a lot of research from NCAST
(http://www.ncast.org/index.cfm?category=16), which I also teach to our
nurses, that addresses infant cues and teaches nurses to teach moms how to
responding to their baby's needs...and now Jane Heinig has even MORE
SPECIFIC information and courses being taught WIC staff using that term
also.)

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
California, USA

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