Many parents underestimate their baby's ability to know when and how much he or she needs to eat from the breast or bottle. Babies can communicate this information, if parents allow their baby to "share the control of feeding". Ellyn Satter, a respected authority on child feeding, believes that babies tend to be at lower risk for problems like obesity or eating disorders later in life, when they are allowed to share the control of feeding as babies.

Parents and Babies Share Control of Feeding When:

• Parents let baby decide when to start feeding and when to stop (by watching baby's visual clues)
  
• Baby is allowed to feed on demand (not fed by a schedule)
  
• Baby is allowed to continue feeding after a pause (continue to offer the nipple after baby fusses or pauses for a moment)
  
• Baby gets parents complete attention when feeding (creating eye contact and holding still while breast- or bottle-feeding)
  
• Baby is given a chance to "open up" before the nipple is placed in mouth (touch baby's lips first before inserting nipple- do not force)
  
• Feeding is not interrupted (for instance, don't stop to check the bottle to see how much baby has eaten)
  
• Baby is allowed to slow down or stop sucking (parent does not continue to force the nipple into the baby's mouth if the baby is not responding to it)

Adapted from Ellen Satter, "Feeding With Love and Good Sense", 1997