>Just had a mom at LLL meeting asking questions about her 9 month old-
>obviously well fed baby, who will not eat more than a bite or two of "food"
> The dr. has told her that her baby will miss the development of "feeding
>cues" if he is not started on more food *now*.  Any relevance to this?  He
>also told her not to nurse the baby before meals, not to sleep with the baby,
>no night feeds.... He is supposedly bf supportive around here.


This is "supportive"?  Sounds as if he is one of those who is supportive of
breastmilk, but not breastfeeding. Sometimes the "supportive" peds are
harder to deal with than the openly hostile. Wolf in sheep's clothing.

My babies did not begin solid foods till 10 mos and 12 mos and they, at 24
and 26 years respond quite well to "feeding cues" and they did so from the
time they had such cues at 10 mos and 12 mos.  Feeding cues will ideally
come from the infant instead of the physician, and this infant seems to be
sending plenty of cues, including those for nighttime feeding. Does this doc
perhaps think that this 9 month old is not "feeding"?

Twenty eight years ago we were told that if an infant didn't eat solid foods
from a spoon at 6 weeks she would not learn to use a spoon.  One mother
asked if she could give breastmilk with the spoon.  I observed many fully
breastfed infants who not only learned, in time, to use a spoon, but fork
and knife too.

Have this mom look around at other children at the LLL meeting and see how
developed their feeding cues are.  If it is like the meetings I used to
attend there will be plenty of good examples.  This has always been one of
the advantages of attending LLL meetings.  The moms can see ahead.

Pat Gima,IBCLC
Milwaukee