In-Home Services

Join me all month for facts, myths, support, and acceptance! 🥳 #asha #slplife #slpeeps #callitpfd #arfidawareness

Join me for “Feeding Foundations: Expert Tips For Feeding Your Infant During Their First Year” on May 19 from 12:00-1:00 PM at LIFE Wellness Collective in Stratham, NH! This interactive workshop encourages families to bring their little ones along and is geared toward caregivers of infants between the ages of 0-12 months who are looking to: ✨Understand Feeding Developmental Milestones ✨Learn How To Read Their Infant’s Hunger Cues ✨Promote Responsive Feeding ✨Address Feeding Challenges ✨Build a Strong Feeding Foundation ✨Receive Expert Guidance and Support By the end of this one-hour workshop, caregivers will gain valuable insight into their infant’s feeding and learn how to identify any potential concerns early on. Caregivers will learn practical tips and strategies for common feeding challenges, such as picky eating, feeding aversions, and mealtime struggles that can be implemented immediately and have a lasting impact on their child’s feeding habits. I am so excited to meet you and your little one! Secure your spot using the link in my bio! 💫 #pediatricfeeding #pediatricfeedingtherapy #pediatricfeedingslp #callitpfd #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #lifewellnesscollective

Navigating feeding challenges is complex and far from black and white. Many of us seek that one perfect solution to ease our child’s feeding struggles, hoping for a quick fix with immediate results. However, the reality of feeding is much more nuanced. While we recognize the importance of addressing tongue ties, it’s crucial to approach them with caution. The overdiagnosis of tongue ties has skyrocketed in recent years (866% from 1997-2012), and the evidence supporting their revision is limited. It’s essential to consider a holistic approach, looking beyond just the tongue tie. As healthcare providers, we must delve deeper into the root causes of feeding difficulties, explore minimally invasive treatments first, and ensure families are well-informed before considering any procedures. While we remain vigilant for tongue ties, we also prioritize understanding why these challenges exist and addressing them with appropriate interventions. Recent research highlights that the most significant benefits of tongue tie revision are often seen in improving maternal breastfeeding symptoms. This includes enhancements such as better latch, reduced nipple pain, improved milk transfer, and decreased infant discomfort during feeding (Pados, 2022). Our focus is always on protecting mothers’ milk supply, enhancing maternal comfort, and prolonging the breastfeeding journey whenever possible. Together, let’s approach feeding challenges with a comprehensive perspective and provide the best care for our families.

ATTENTION EVERYONE!! Starting in June I will be taking the leap and seeing Well Fed clients FULL TIME for the first time ever! Thank you to everyone who has helped my business grow and trusted me with their families. I cannot wait to work with even more of you! I have been plans to create new programs that will allow families to work with me before baby arrives earth side, educational and support groups for families of all ages and stages, and even more fun social media reels. Share so that others can learn about this awesome update! (Don’t mind the stain on my shirt, to quote one of my kiddos Dad’s: “feeding therapy could be an episode of Dirty Jobs!”) 🥳

Drop your best guess in the comments! 💜

There are some major updates coming soon to Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy that I cannot wait to share with you! Any guesses what it will be? 💜 #pediatricfeedingdisorder #callitpfd #pediatricfeedingtherapy #lactationcounselor #lactationsupport #lactationeducation

It’s a classic 💥 Double tap if you have also experienced the madness of this song!

I’m not just a regular SLP…I’m a cool SLP. Aka a SLP who is also a CLC. Confused by all the acronyms? I don’t blame you. Basically I have a masters degree in speech-pathology, which encompasses swallowing and swallowing disorders, research, neonatal and child development, and oral motor development. Plus thousands of hours of clinical work and thousands of hours of post-graduate doctoral work and fellowship. Then thousands of more hours of clinical work plus 4 awards for continuing education (ACE) for completing at least 70 hours of CEUS within a 36 month period. PLUS an additional certification as a lactation counselor that requires coursework, a practical, and a passing exam score. But above all else, I am a clinician who values connection and family support. I will explain not just what I’m recommending but WHY. And I will always value your experiences and treat you as the expert on your child. How does that sound to you? 💜 #callitpfd #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorder

3.5 years later and I’m still so happy that I got my CLC. Drop a 💜 in the comments if lactation support was a game changer in your breastfeeding journey. As a Speech Language Pathologist, I had hundred of hours of learning and thousands of hours of training and direct treatment of feeding and swallowing disorders, but I noticed that I wasn’t able to help my breastfeeding families as much as I want. They would come in for the evaluation and ask questions about feeding development and bottle feeding, and I was able to answer those questions no problem. Then they would ask about breastfeeding and I had to tell them that they needed to schedule a separate appointment at a separate time and at a different location with a different provider. “But I thought this was a feeding evaluation?”, they would say. I decided I needed to do more to help my families, so I signed up to become a Certified Lactation Counselor. This involves course work, a practical exam, and a written exam. It was exactly what my practice was missing. I have been grateful to collaborate with many amazing Internationally Board Certified Lactation Counselors, and refer to them whenever my clients need even more expert care. Interprofessional practice is so important to me and I think there is space for all of us at the Pediatric Feeding table.

Conversations about tongue ties are always a hot topic. People on both sides of the fence have strong opinions and there is TONS of misinformation readily available on the internet. Our best research supports revisions to improve breastfeeding outcomes and reduced maternal pain. There are many providers who still jump too quickly into recommending revisions without first exploring other less invasive options. On the flip side, I also see many people continuing to recommend potentially noxious interventions (stretching, massage) and advising against revision while completely ignoring the ongoing functional feeding deficits (maternal pain, reduced milk supply, short and frequent feeds, not progressing with solids beyond purées). This is so frustrating for families because they hear differing opinions and complicating information from providers. When I conduct an oral motor evaluation, I am looking at all of the above…structure, function, and family experience. Sometimes we will try positional and flow rate changes first, and sometimes I will recommend revision. What I won’t recommend are ongoing interventions when they are not showing functional carryover and improvement in breast, bottle, or solid food feedings. That is no good for the child’s feeding experience in the short or long term, or family stress. When you work with me, you can trust that you unbiased, evidence-based care that values your experience just as much as what the research says! I also am a mom of 2 child who had their tongue ties released, at different ages, for different reasons. This helps me see the issue through both a professional and parent lense, which I think gives families a sense of comfort. Tell me about your experience with tongue ties!

I have had the honor of working with many CHD super heroes and their families on their feeding and swallowing. I love working with families to help them learn how to utilize infant driven feeding strategies when bottle and breast feeding, read their child’s stress cues, and engage in positive oral experiences. It is always so rewarding to see those strategies in action and watch each child grow and gain weight, which is so crucial when it comes to being able to have later surgeries. Here are some facts about CHD: ❤️ More than 2.4 million US children and adults are living with CHD ❤️ one percent of newborns are born with a CHD each year ❤️ About one in four babies with a CHD have a critical CHD. Infants with critical CHDs generally need surgery, or other procedures, in their first year of life ❤️ 15 to 20% of CHDs are related to genetic conditions

I am proud of all my tubie kiddos and their families. I have worked with children with tubes of all kinds! NG, G, J, GJ 💜 Each child’s needs and timeline with their progression toward positive oral and feeding journey is different, and every experience should be honored. Keep advocating for your child, keep trusting your child, and know that you are doing best by your child in the moment when the decision is made for a feeding tube to be used. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about tube feeding! #pfdawarenessmonth #tubefeedingawarenessweek

Thinking back to how cool last Monday was and how grateful I am to be extending my service to the Seacoast 🥰 I will be starting to see clients in-office on Sundays, starting February 18, until June. Then my summer schedule will allow me to be out in Stratham even more frequently. I can’t hardly wait!! I’ve been brainstorming some groups for my nursing moms and Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) starting ASAP! I can’t wait to help build a tribe of supportive families that can share their experiences and lean on one another. What type of group would you be most interested in joining? Drop of heart emoji (or 2!) of the group that best fits your needs best. I can’t wait to meet you! 🩷 Breastfeeding 🧡 Pumping 💛 Mixed Feeding (breast and bottle feeding) 💚 Tube Feeding 🩵 NICU Grads 💜 Preemies 💙 Starting Solids ❤️ Picky Eating @lifewellnesscollective @ridgelinephysicaltherapy @blissfulbeginningsppc @holisticabilitiesot @the_lipstick_hippie #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #callitpfd #lactationsupport #nhlactationsupport

2023 was a year of bravery, faith, and firsts. Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy saw its first client, and then some more, and then some more. My company was able to help over 25 families in 10 different towns in New Hampshire. Clients ranged in age from 9 days old through 21 years old. I treated both acute and chronic Pediatric Feeding Disorders for oral feeders, tube feeders, and mixed feeders who were weaning from tube feeding to oral feeding. I collaborated with local pedi GIs, pedi Allergists, pedi ENTs, pedi Neuro, PCPs, IBCLCs, RNs, NPs, PAs, fellow SLPs, OTs, and PTs. I expanded my tribe of knowledgeable providers. I strengthened my bonds with my ongoing tribe members. I completed over 110 hours of continuing education pertaining to PFD, oral motor supports, tongue tie assessment and intervention, lactation, and tube feeding support. I could not have made this leap of faith without my family’s support -@carolannfahey @bob.fahey for always believing in me. My husband, Tommy, who encourages me daily to follow every wild idea I may have. Thank you to my daughters who provide me with love and positive affirmations to believe in myself and be my own boss. Thank you to my therapy besties @khagan889, @holisticabilitiesot , @playful.progress who have made this journey so much fun. Thank you for always being willing to answer the phone and listen to my soap boxes and new ideas. @ktgeery -Thank you for being the best Mom for your daughter but also the first person to extend a helping hand to another woman in business. My SLP feeding therapy friends from afar- @michelledawsonslp and @erinforward.slp, thank you for paving the way and being so generous with your times. Finally, thank you to every person who trusted me with their most precious gift in life- their child. I will forever work as hard I possibly can to make sure they are in knowledgeable, trusting, and supportive care when they work with me. Thank you to everyone who has liked, commented, and followed me on social media. It is not easy to put yourself out there for the public to see. Here’s to an even better year in 2024. I have some big things in store for you ⭐️

Have I done this in the past? Yes. Do I know better now so I practice better? Also yes. Offering external rewards after engaging in therapist set food interactions never felt natural to me. It left me feeling icky and I saw a lot of distress cues in my clients. BUT it was the major feeding strategy being taught when I first started feeding therapy, so I felt like I had to use it. Over time, I learned a lot more about responsive feeding, the division of responsibility, getting the client’s permission, & prioritizing intrinsic motivation over external motivation. I focused on building trusting relationships with food & mealtime partners over the number of foods added into a child’s repertoire. The way I explain it to parents is that everyone has a price. I hate beets but would eat them if it meant I could earn something at the end…say $100. If you put cockroaches on my plate & said I could earn $100 for eating them, I would say no thank you. The reward isn’t worth the risk/effort/discomfort. If you upped the prize to an *NSYNC reunion tour ticket per eaten cockroach, then I may suck it up & eat 2-4 of those nasty things. I also remind families that eating new or non-preferred foods can invoke a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response in their child. I see the fawn response a lot in feeding therapy. Children may try things despite feeling internal distress because they want to please their parent, they want to get out of this stress inducing activity faster, or just want to get to their preferred toy & the non-preferred food is the thing standing in their way. When this happens, has the child actually learned anything? Have they built any trust in the food, in mealtime, or with their caregiver? Was the experience actually positive and nurturing? Many of the families I work with will tell me that it wasn't. They will tell me that previous feeding therapy didn’t work, & sometimes that feeding therapy made their child’s eating worse. We cannot prioritize short term wins that do not prioritize a client’s sense of safety and autonomy over long term goals. It may feel good in that moment but that moment will fade and you will be right back where you started.

Do you have FSA or HSA dollars left to spend? Put those funds to good use and schedule a feeding and swallowing evaluation for your child before they run out! I still have spots available! If you have been experiencing difficulty with any of the following and have been considering an evaluation, NOW is the perfect time! 🔆 Painful breastfeeding 🔅 Poor infant weight gain 🔆 Infant tongue clicking when breast or bottle feeding 🔅 Bottle or breastfeeding sessions that are 45+ minutes 🔆 Bottle or breast refusal 🔅Difficulty transitioning from NG/G tube feedings to oral feedings 🔆 Difficulty transitioning to solids 🔅 Excessive gagging, coughing, or vomiting during mealtimes 🔆ARFID 🔅 Restrictive food repertoires You and your child deserve to feel confident and supported at mealtimes. Let me be there to help you on your journey to bringing joy back to mealtimes! #pediatricfeedingdisorders #callitpfd #nhbaby #nhmoms #nhkids

And that’s a wrap on #asha2023! 🫶🏻✌🏻Learned lots of new information, got to play with lots of new gadgets, and got to see many of my favorite people!

Life has been life-ing for awhile, am I right?! It has been really hard to find the time or creative energy to make these reels. I want to share content that is informative, supportive, and fun. I don’t want to make content just for the sake of having content. If you are a parent who can relate to the mental exhaustion that comes along with school, activities, worries about your child, and worries about if you’re being a good enough parent- just know that I FEEL you. 💕 #asha2023 #callitpfd #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy

I got to FINALLY meet the one and only @michelledawsonslp today after following each other on social media, sharing mom chronicles, and bonding over our love for PFD!! This was the highlight of my day!

Maybe next time I’ll be able to play it cool. Just know that if you’re a feeding professional who priorities child autonomy, intrinsic motivation, exploring the feeding environment before jumping to manual interventions, values connection over compliance, rejects fear mongering and pseudoscience, loves lifelong learning, isn’t afraid to admit you don’t know everything, and will hype up other professionals…know you will always have a place in my tribe 💜 Want to join my tribe? Don’t forget to like, comment, or follow!

Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility allows a child, from infancy, learn how to eat what the family eats and follow their bodies hunger and satiety cues. ✨The parents is responsible for what the child eats, when the child eats, and where the child eats ✨The child is responsible for what they eat from the meal and how much they eat ✨Arguably the most important aspect of this dynamic is that the parent needs to TRUST their child. “When a parent does their job with feeding, the child will do their job with eating” ✨This may feel extremely difficult at first and may take some language reframing. Instead of telling a child “I know you’re still hungry, just have a few more bites”, you could say: “I see you’re slowing down with eating. Is your belly telling you that it’s full?” ✨If you have a child who won’t eat at a meal but comes back around 15 minutes later saying they’re hungry, you may say at the meal: “This is our eating time. You can be done if your belly is full, but once this meal is over the kitchen will be closed until breakfast tomorrow” ✨If they ask for something off-menu, you could say “That’s a great idea for snack tomorrow! Can you be in charge of reminding me?” ✨And finally, if they ask for more of 1 food without having eaten anything of something else on the plate, don’t withhold the food that they want! We aren’t a fan of “one polite bite” over here, it just promotes compliance and that’s not what the Division of Responsibility is about. They want to eat more of something from that meal so LET THEM. There are days that we want me of a certain food and less if another. Some days we are feeling the veggies and some days we just want allllllll the cheese. Why do we think kids would be different? 💜 #callitpfd #pediatricfeedingdisorders

I’d like to speak with HR about these working conditions. ✨ Oh wait. I am HR. 😭 ✨Also, I do really value strong documentation skills and enjoy objective writing that still tells the story of the treatment session. Plus, describing feeding therapy can be quite silly sometimes!

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When your body perceives stress, it responds by activating our “fight or flight” system (freeze and fawn are other reactions some people experience). If you think of it in terms of coming across a bear, coyote, or moose in your front yard- your body wants your blood flow to go to the vital organs that will help you survive that situation aka your heart and your lungs, not your stomach. We do not need to get hungry and sit down for a snack/meal while encountering that bear, we need to run away or fight it off. Stress also delays gastric emptying, again we do not want to sit and 💩 on purpose when trying to run away or fight that bear. Our body is not able to stop the fight or flight response form kicking in when it perceives stress, and our body is not able to understand that a new food is not the same as a bear in our front yard. It will continue to shut down hunger cues and delay gastric emptying no matters what. It is helpful for us to understand, however, that our children’s body are feeling the same level of stress as if they are being chased by a bear when they are offered a new food. Stress when being introduced to a new food can be from not recognizing the food, not knowing how to chew the food, not knowing how it will feel in their mouth, or feeling like the smell is overwhelming. I’m feeding therapy, we provide many opportunities to decrease stress at mealtimes and when being introduced to new foods. Feeding therapy should always promote child autonomy, respect boundaries, and prioritize intrinsic motivation over compliance. If you would like examples of what fight, flight, fawn responses could look like during mealtimes comment an emoji of your favorite food!

Check out my new visual timer! How CUTE is that Narwhal?!

“Are you sure you can help our family? Mealtimes are so stressful and it’s affecting everyone” Did you know that 25-40% of all children, and 80% of children with developmental delays, present with some kind of feeding disorder? That’s A LOT of children. If you’re feeling lost and overwhelmed at mealtimes, you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. It is possible to come to the table as a family unit and enjoy eating. It is possible to cook one meal for everyone in the family. It is possible for everyone to stay at the table without needing to use a phone or iPad. It is possible to go to the grocery store and feel like you have choices when buying foods. I have over 10 years of experience as an SLP and many areas of training that will help your child develop a positive relationship with foods, foster bodily autonomy and self feeding skills, and avoid feeling pressured to eat. My goal is always to help teach you, the expert on YOUR child, how to carry these strategies over when I’m not there. When you work with me, you will gain support and confidence with feeding your child, and will be empowered to enter mealtimes without anxiousness. #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pickyeaters #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy 💜

We all love a freebie! In honor of Pediatric Feeding Disorder Awareness month, the first 10 people to drop a 💜 in the comments will get a Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy sticker! #pfdawarenessmonth

In honor of one of my favorite tiny humans who just tried cheese balls and loved them…I bring you “Chaining Cheese Balls to Broccoli” I love creating food chains. The best part is that they can be as flexible as you need them to be and can go in so many different directions! There are many mini-steps in between the major ones mentioned here. For our most anxious eaters, you may want to expose them to cheese curls first by making a separate bowl and just casually eating them in front of your kiddo. You may mix the cheese curls into the same bowl as the cheese balls. It may not even be a 50-50 mix at first! The broccoli may be drowned by the cheese at first, in order to mask the texture and flavor of the broccoli. As the child becomes more familiar with this food the ratio of broccoli to cheese may change. (That’s pretty much how I started eating broccoli 🙋🏼‍♀️) It is easy to get caught up on what foods the child is eating or how many new foods they have accepted. Remember, the most important thing is their relationship with food is POSITIVE and that they are trying the food because they want to and feel safe doing so. That means there is no pressure to eat before they are ready, no constant reminders to “take a bite”, no sticker rewards after taking 3 licks. All of that promotes compliance and is based on extrinsic motivation and fuels an environment surrounded by external pressure. Keep mealtimes positive. Keep mealtimes no pressure. Keep mealtimes full of exposure and opportunities to learn. 💜

This was how I prepared my kids salad tonight Salad is a big “learning it” food for both my girls & something we have been working towards for literally *years* It’s also something that many of the picky eaters I work with wouldn’t touch with a 20 foot pole, & it makes sense why. There are so many textures coming at you. One second you’re munching on some crunchy lettuce & then BAM a wet, gooey tomato explodes in your mouth. Next, you’re chewing crunchy, dry crouton & then all of a sudden a crunchy, wet cucumber rudely makes it way in While the colors of a salad can be beautiful to some, it can be overstimulating to many. Is the red thing is a strawberry, a cherry, a fruit snack or a tomato Then you have the FLAVORS. Who knows what kind of cheese is in there. Croutons have a billion flavors. Dressing is an in your face flavor that packs a punch no matter the kind. I’m stressed just thinking about it. So how have I worked with my daughters to like & eat a whole bowl of salad? Exposure, zero pressure to eat, & discussing the food properties based on foods they are already familiar with. Croutons have been long described as “extra crunchy toast”, & the “buttery” flavor was right up my oldest’s alley. Cheese has always something they are willing to try, & I kept the shape consistent with it being shredded. My little one was tipping her head back & guzzling the cheese, while my oldest said “Mommy, I tried the cheese but I don’t really like the flavor”, so we poured her cheese into the little one’s bowl because she wanted more. The turkey is a familiar food from school lunches. Liking that came about from repeated exposure & a variety of different offerings like it rolled up in a burrito & then cut into different shapes on bread. The lettuce has been something the little one has eaten for awhile, but my oldest said just last week “I think I want to start trying the dark green, crunchy lettuce with no dressing on it”. So far they have tried blue cheese, ranch, and Caesar dressing The little one scoops blue cheese with a spoon (don’t yuck her yum, right?), & the older one tastes a dab on her tongue with a fork but hasn’t found a dressing she likes yet 🤷🏼‍♀️

I WILL PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH AND HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET 🫣🫣🫣 But first I will be queasy and anxious about it for an hour.

Have you said these things to your child at mealtime? If you have, it doesn’t make you a “bad” parent. We are all learning and growing. Why do we want to avoid making comments like this? They are compliance-based comments and can actually have the opposite effect that the caregiver intends. Children naturally want to please their caregivers and will comply with demands placed in them even when they don’t want to. Unfortunately, this creates a negative experience with the specific food or mealtime. This experience is stored as a memory that can later be triggered by our senses whether it be the smell of a food, a specific location, a specific caregiver, etc. When this sense is activated within the brain, it also alerts our fight, flight, freeze, fawn response. Our cortisol levels rise, which is the bodies response to stress, and now the body has associated mealtime with stress. This can then cause power struggles between the child and caregiver, the child and food, or all three. If your child is avoiding a certain food, try talking about the properties of that food instead and link it to a preferred food. “This carrot is crunchy like your cheese itz, let’s hear how loud you can crunch!” Try to link the food to a physical action, “these eggs have lots of protein in them, protein grows our muscles and helps us run faster and jump higher!”, or encourage your child to honor their hunger cues and allow them to eat more of their preferred foods from that meal. (Even as adults, sometimes we want more rice but aren’t really feeling green beans that day) “I see the carrots are on your plate, is your belly telling you that it’s full?” Or “I see the carrots are on your plate but your rice has disappeared! Would you like some more rice?” Do you think I should create an infographic of helpful mealtime scripts for families to use when mealtime has become a power struggle?

Who can relate?! Also, can’t wait to share with you all the awesome knowledge that’s about to be dropped 🎤 at the Feeding Matters International Feeding Disorders Conference this week!

Starting solids is still an area that feels overwhelming for many families. You hear from family members about they used to feed babies, you see your cousin’s child starting solids and immediately feel guilty that your kid might not be meeting their milestones, your doctor told you it was okay to start but your gut is telling you to wait. What should you offer? Fruits first? Veggies? Purées? Baby led weaning? 🤯 First step- take a breath. You don’t need to keep up with the fantasy your Facebook feed is selling you about other kids. You just need to know the facts. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that most children can begin eating solids at about 6 months of age. This is because at 6 months, children have head and neck control, can usually sit independently, and are integrating their tongue thrust reflex. There is no particular order in which to introduced foods but you do want to talk to your doctor about when and how to introduce high allergens, such as peanuts, if your child has eczema, an egg allergy, or there are known food allergies in the immediate family. Starting with single ingredient foods is recommended over the course of 3-5 days as this will allow you to confidently identify if there are any foods that trigger either immediate or delayed allergic reactions. Getting messy is ENCOURAGED and allowing the child to self feed is even better, because it lets them control their intake amounts while also practicing lots of fine motor movements. But the most important part? Mealtimes and starting solids should be FUN! If mealtimes are stressful in your household, send me a DM so I can help! 💜

Have you try what feels like every bottle on the market? Bottle feeding can be much more confusing and frustrating than it would seem. There is not a current standard for what designates a “slow flow” from a “fast flow”, and a lot of companies promoting their products as slow flow are actually quite fast. Fast flows can overwhelm a baby because the liquid is continuously flowing into the infants mouth even when they aren’t trying to eat. When talking with families, I always compare this to running on a treadmill that is going a bit too fast and that you can get off of. Eventually you’re breathing heavy, your form breaks down, and all you want to do is get off the treadmill. This is why we see babies fall asleep as soon as they start feeding, coughs or gag, or try and get away from the bottle. Slower flowing nipples allow a baby to be in control of the bottle, not the bottle to be in control of the baby. If you have been experiencing this and still are struggling, send me a message and talk about if it is time for a feeding evaluation! Comment and talk about what your experience with bottle feeding has been like! 💜

Please stop doing this 👋🏻 Infants are not mini robots. They have hunger cues just like us. Some days they are hungrier than others and some days they aren’t as hungry. Feeding is just so stressful with a new baby that most parents are desperate for some schedule, but unfortunately, strict, rigid, time based schedules are just not conducive to feeding success. 💥 I like to give the families I work with examples they can relate to. If you’re constipated, do you want to eat a big meal? No!…If you just “emptied the tank”, are you going to be wicked hungry? Yes!…If you’re sleeping, do you want someone sticking food in you’re mouth? Most likely not! 💥 When we let our infants show us when they are hungry and full, it leads to more consistent with meals, better growth, and positive feeding experience. 💥 When we decide when a baby eats without considering their feeding cues, it can lead to over feeding (which leads to excess gas, GI discomfort, and reflux) and unintentional force feeding (which can lead to bottle aversions) 💥 So how do we know a baby is ready to eat? They are able to sustain arousal, they show hunger cues, and they have good tone in their arms and legs aka they don’t look like a floppy fish. 💥 As always, there are times when medically we need to adhere to a more strict feeding schedule, but this should be discussed and decided in with your child’s medical team while also trying to allow the infant to regulate their hunger cycles as best as possible 💜

I love helping families feel more confident in their ability to enter into mealtimes with their child! What brought you to my page? Comment and introduce yourself! 💜

Did you know? Liquid loss out of an infant’s oral cavity during bottle feeding is one of the top indicators that the nipple flow of that bottle, and maybe the position too, is way too fast for the infant. . Why? . The oral motor pattern required for extracting liquid out of a bottle is sucking-swallowing-and breathing. When we swallow, our vocal cords close to protect our lungs and we stop breathing for a split second. After we finish swallowing, they open back up and we take a breath in. . So why do we see liquid loss when the flow rate of the nipple is too fast? . If the liquid is coming out of the bottle at a pace that an infant cannot keep up with, they will do what they need to do to protect their airway. Hate to break it to you but breathing trumps eating every time. The infant will attempt to accommodate the bolus size and flow in a manner that allows them to safely swallow and protect their airway. This means kicking out the extra liquid! We often see the latch on the bottle loosen to allow this liquid to be lost out of the mouth. . So why avoid squeezing the cheeks?. . Squeeze the cheeks forces the infant to have cheek tensions and a tight lip posture. All of this tension forces the liquid to stay in the mouth. While this means the infant isn’t losing any “volume”, it is creating noxious stimuli to the face due to excessive touch, blows past the infant’s stress cues and creates a negative feeding experience, and has the potential to cause an aspiration event. Is getting the volume is really worth all of those adverse feeding experiences and outcomes?? There are some instances where applying cheek pressure is useful, such as with our children with neuromuscular involvement, but the decision to apply extra facial stimulation during feeding should be entered into cautiously and with the child’s best interest in mind. Did you know this? Comment below 👇

To all the special women in my life who have shaped me into the woman I am today...thank you. Today is not only about acknowledging all of the women who came before us but also to embrace equity. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. We must continue to call out discrimination, be advocates, and act as allies. Give a shout out to some incredible women in your life! #embraceequity

If you have ever been around a child age 2 or older, you have likely experienced this situation. You offer a delicious looking dinner that you are SURE they will eat. Maybe they take a few bites and stop, maybe they flat out refuse, or maybe they only eat 1 thing on the plate and leave the rest. No more than 15 minutes after the meal, you hear a little voice that says "Can I have a snack? I'm hungry." If a child is able to constantly access their favorite snack after not eating dinner, guess what they'll start doing? Not eating dinner! Giving a flat out NO may also not be the best strategy either, unfortunately. It creates a power struggle between you and your child, and can also teach them to ignore their hunger cues. That's why it's important to start being the meal even begins. Have them help you move cut up food into bowls, mix up ingredients, or set the table. If they are insisting that they are done but you think they may just be avoiding the meal to get to something else, say something like "Is your belly telling you that it's full or is your brain telling you that you want to go play toys?", "Dinner time is the time that we listen to our belly, if we ignore what it's telling us then we might have trouble sleeping", or "This is the time for eating and the kitchen will be closed until breakfast". Make the bedtime snack something that happens every night, so that it isn't viewed as a reward or something that replaces dinner. That way when your child comes to you 10 minutes after dinner saying they are hungry, your script can be something more like "I bet your belly is still a little hungry. Dinner time is all done now but you can have your bedtime snack before we go upstairs to brush teeth, shall we set a timer" Remember, you are the expert on your child and not every day or situation is the same. What strategies have worked well for you? Comment below! #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorder #callitpfd #pickyeaters #problemfeeder

Bottles, and cups, and spoons, oh my! 🦁 🐅 🐻 Check out my website to see all my favorite products for infants and toddlers 💜

Things you won’t catch me doing in feeding therapy. Why? Because I’m not an OT creating a sensory diet or interventions that may reduce injurious or unsafe behaviors. Feeding therapy should use food and resemble mealtimes as much as possible. What good does chewing on a silicone tube do when the child moves in to an actual food that breaks off when you bite into it? They will have a motor plan for compressing but not for using a rotary chew pattern or moving bites around with their tongue. For most kids, that’s enough to scare the 💩 out of them. As an SLP, I can make changes to shape, texture, temperature, flavor, and size. I can use co-regulation to emphasize hunger cues and independence. I can give a child words to describe how their body feels, their emotions, or adjectives to describe food. Too often I see children after years of having tools put into their mouth without their permission. Their parents come in tired, frustrated, and believing feeding therapy doesn’t work. The child remains fearful of foods and still with a limited food repertoire, sometimes with less foods than when they started. (Because seriously, who WANTS a stranger sticking their fingers or things into their mouth- not me!) I start by regaining everyone’s trust in therapy (child and parent). I need the child to know I am a safe person and that I will never push their body beyond what feels safe. The moment feeding therapy becomes a negative environment or a child loses trust in you is the moment of no return. FOOD FOR THOUGHT 💭 Has there ever been a time in your life where you were forced to eat something you didn’t like or be part the “empty plate club”? How did it make you feel? Can you still remember which food was involved? Drop a 👍🏻 or a 🤯 of this resonates with you! 💜

“If it’s flipping hamburgers at McDonald’s, be the best hamburger flipper in the world. Whatever it is you do you have to master your craft” -Snoop Dogg Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t do anything less than 100% of my very best! Drop a ❤️ if you’re happy to be here too! Click on my website link in my bio to book and evaluation ☺️

Thank you so much for that story Sarah. It was everything I didn’t need to know. 🙃 Drop a 💩 in the comments if you have been personally victimized by a detailed recount of a child’s bowel movements.

Gas, baby sitting, deductibles, co-pays, coinsurances, time off work to bring your kid to therapy appointments all pile up quickly. Working with an out-of-network provider often surprises people with the cost saving benefits it can provide families. Never mind the fact that your child can be seen in their own environment. That alone is priceless. Or the fact that if you’re a breastfeeding parent, you get not only a Speech-Language Pathologist, who is the preferred provider for treating feeding and swallowing disorders, but also a Certified Lactation Counselor. Talk about a 2-for-1! Check out my website for some common signs of an acute or chronic pediatric feeding disorder. If the symptoms listed sound like your child, consider booking an appointment! 💜 #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricfeedingtherapy #lactationcounselor #lactationsupport #pickyeaters

Hint: the answer is in the lyrics 🎶 Comment if you have questions or want to leave more about cue based feeding! 💜 #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricfeedingtherapy

Fun fact ✏️ you are not a bad parent if your child struggles with their feeding and swallowing development. There are hundreds of reasons your child may be having difficulty. It should not be all on you to figure out the reason or reasons. When you work with me at Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy, you allow me to be the detective and expert about feeding and swallowing, while you get to be the parent and expert on your child. Questions about what things might warrant a feeding evaluation? Check out my website for specific lists! If the symptoms listed sound like you child, send me an email to book an appointment! 💜 #pediatricfeedingdisorders #feedingtherapy

Let’s become friends and help me bring joy back to your mealtimes! I have over 10 years of experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist with infants, toddlers, and children experiencing Pediatric Feeding Disorder. I’m also a Certified Lactation Counselor. I am ready to help you and your family through your Pediatric Feeding Disorder journey! 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #callitpfd #nicugrad #pickyeaters #slplife #certifiedlactationcounselor #lactationsupport

Let me paint the scene for you… you got home after a long day of work, or maybe you start dinner after a long day of coordinating chaos in your own home…You prepare a meal for your family that you are proud of… you set the table and put out all the food and your child comes up to you and says “I’m not eating that . I only want ___.” You try your best to hang in there and fight the good fight, but before you know it, you’ve pulled out the food that you weren’t planning to serve for dinner, and give them to their demands. You feel defeated, frustrated, and just plain old tired. You tell yourself, “next time will be different, next time I won’t give into their demands, and I’ll stand my ground.” next week rolls around and before you know it, this same scene has played out once again in your kitchen. redirecting, strong-willed, children and picky eaters can be difficult, especially when you’re feeling tired and lost. The good news is, there are some Scripps that you can use at meal times to help you maintain the power over mealtimes well also allowing your child to have some input over what they eat at meal times. if you have concerns about your child’s feeding and swallowing development, and this story resonates with you, it may be time to set up a feeding evaluation with me at Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy! Visit my website to learn more! 💜

Happy Feeding Tube Awareness Week! 💜 Let’s hear your feeding tube wins!

I got you boo. Give your “gentle parent” voice a rest and let me help out for awhile. You don’t need to travel far or pack up bags of stuff to make progress in therapy. Progress can be made right in the comfort of your own home when you choose Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy! 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders

This one is for the parents that cringe thinking about their child’s next mealtime 😣 It is possible to feel confident going into mealtimes. It is possible to feel confident that your child is eating and drinking enough. It is possible to feel confident that the bottle you’re using is the right bottle. It is possible to feel confident that breastfeeding sessions won’t always end in tears. It is possible to feel confident that you won’t always have to use their tube to feed them. I will be there to guide you on your journey through Pediatric Feeding Disorder. I will be your cheerleader when you need confidence. I will be your shoulder to cry in when you just need to let it all out. I will be your champion when you need an advocate. I will be your listening ear when you think no one understands what you’re going through. And I will be megaphone to shout your milestones from the rooftops. #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders 💜

⚡️ This might shock you but…. Not every healthcare professional is going to listen to you and your concerns. ✨BUT✨ A good provider will. If you feel like your provider isn’t listening to you or acknowledging your experiences, it is okay to get a second opinion. It is okay to get a whole new provider. It is okay to fill out those after visit surveys and say “I didn’t like how that visit went”. Providers who know their patients, who listen to their patients, refer to other specialists when they don’t know the answer, and explore all options do exist. Don’t settle for subpar care. I always let my patients know that I will advocate for their needs and be the squeaky wheel if they aren’t able to. I’m willing to veer from the “textbook treatment protocols” and try something different. Sometimes the best plan for right now comes out of compromise between what I want and what the patient wants, but the only way to do that is to listen 👂🏼 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders 💜

Did you know? 🤔 The Journal of Perinatology published and article by Hall, Ryan, Beatty, and Grubbs in 2015 which outlined recommendations for peer-to-peer support for NICU parents. ✅ Every parent of every admitted to a SCN or NICU should be offered peer-to-peer support from a “veteran” NICU parent mentor ✅ Email, phone, group, or online community support are all viable options ✅ Peer support in any form is best started in the antepartum period and continued through discharge ✅Parents who have experienced infant loss should be offered a bereavement mentor who has lap experienced a neonatal loss ✅ Peer support should not be limited only to the parent, but could also be offered to siblings and grandparents ‼️ If your hospital does not have it’s own support program, then a referral should be made to a national parent support organization. I personally love @feedingmatters 💜

Did you know these tips?? ✅ Using a warm compress has been shown to render significantly increased volumes compared to non-warmed breasts ✅ Check that your flange size is correct. Flanges that are too large or too small not only cause sore nipples but also yield less volume ✅ Warm your pump flange(s). This has been shown to decrease the time required to remove 80% of total milk yield ✅ Lubricate the pump flange with a small amount of coconut oil. This can provide a soothing sensation when pumping. ✅ Cover the bottles/bags so that you aren’t focused on the volume. A perceived deficit in pumped milk volume can cause stress in thinking that there is an insufficient milk supply. This can cause mothers to abandon breastfeeding all together or introduce formula when it isn’t needed. #worldbreastpumpingday

I wish I knew about the last back when I was pumping at work 😩 Listen, attaching yourself to a machine really isn’t what most women look forward to in their day. But staying on a schedule with pumping and effectively emptying your breasts is vital to maintaining your milk supply. Here are my top tips for making pumping a more enjoyable and productive experience: ✨Get in the zone: Did you know that stress can impact your milk supply? Try listening to guided meditation, open your phone to a photo album of cute pictures of your little one, and pull out a piece of clothing that smells like them ✨Go hands free: a hands free pump allows you the ability to eat your lunch, make a call, or send a text. This also helps with staying on schedule with your pumping! ✨Be lazy: if you are feeling rushed to pump and washing all the pieces of equipment is overwhelming, consider keeping the pump equipment in the fridge after each pump session and wash it all at the end of the day Happy pumping! 💜 #worldbreastpumpingday

With Friday being #worldbreastpumpingday , I plan to bring you a new video each day this week about the benefits of pumping and the challenges that come with it! First up is a hot topic which remains a stronghold in our culture and one that comes with many myths. ‼️Women who “pump and dump” are selfish because they are putting their personal pleasures above the health of their child‼️ The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states: “moderate alcohol consumption by a breast-feeding, mother, up to one standard drink per day, is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least two hours after a single drink before nursing or expressing milk to be fed to the infant.” The only reasons you should pump and dump is if you are exceeding those 1-2 drinks or the length it would take to wait to pump would result in engorgement (because pain, leaking, possible mastitis 😳) A general rule of thumb is: if you couldn’t drive a car then you shouldn’t feed your baby with that breast milk. Other things you need to know for safe alcohol use when nursing include: ✨ Alcohol concentrations are highest 30 to 60 minutes after drinking ✨Drinking more than two standard drinks daily is discouraged Cheers! 🥂💜

Give yourself some grace on this Monday 💜

✨I work with many families who initially struggle to identify and honor their child’s feeding cues. They will look at the clock and say, “It’s been 3 hours, it’s time for them to eat” but meanwhile the child is sound asleep. ✨Or they are feeding their child, who has since fallen asleep and is no long actively feeding, and they start to blow air on their child’s face and wiggle the bottle to wake them back up…because there is “only” a half ounce left in the bottle. ✨Did you know these approaches are called “volume driven feeding” and can actually create a stressful association with feeding and can lead to feeding refusal. Continuing to feed the child despite them showing they no longer are interested can result in unintentional over feeding. This can lead to reflux and other areas gastrointestinal discomfort. ✨I like to put it in adult terms. How effective would you be at eating if someone tried to feed you while you were fast asleep? Do you wake up in the morning immediately ready to eat, or does it take you a bit to get your body in a state ready for eating? If you decided to go ham on some (insert your favorite food here…for me it’s buffalo chicken dip) do you feel the effects after? Reflux? Bloating? Gas? Belly ache? ✨Utilizing a cue-based feeding approach is one of the best ways to optimize a child’s feeding development and promote positive feeding experiences. ✨If you learned something from this post, make sure you 💜! Shaker, C.S. (2013) “Reading the Feeding”. ASHA Leader, February Issue, 42-47

I am ready whenever you are! Starting feeding and swallowing therapy can be a scary step to take, but trust me, you won’t regret it! I pride myself on explaining complicated things in an uncomplicated way. My goal is always for caregivers to become confident in feeding their child and to always feel supported. Visit my website to request an appointment! 💜

You have enough to do and worry about! Let Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy do the traveling for you. You probably will even be able to drink your coffee while it’s still hot while I’m there working with your little one. Come on, that’s basically a vacation! 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #nicuslp #nicugrad #pickyeaters #problemfeeders

Home-based feeding and swallowing therapy just makes sense. If you work outside the home and your child needs therapy, your options are: use you earned time to leave work and go to appointments, settle for whatever after school/work time an office has even if it doesn’t work for your family, or sit on a wait list for sometimes months at a time. And if you’re a stay at home parent, it’s not much better. Getting infants and children out of the house is basically a workout. By the end you’re sweating, they’re crying, and you’ve forgotten something. It’s different with Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy. Pick a time that works for you and I come to to you. Honestly, you could even stay in your pajamas. This is a no-judgement zone over here friends! 🙋🏼‍♀️ 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders

Take a moment today to reflect on yourself and see which side of the fence you have stood on.

Breast, chest, bottle, cup, g-tube, ng tube, gj tube, solid, liquid, straw. You name it, I can treat it. With over 10 years of experience as an SLP and 3 years as a CLC, I have seen so many complex cases and worked with so many families during their acute or chronic Pediatric Feeding Disorder journey. If you aren’t sure if what you are experiencing with your child needs the help of an SLP, check out my website for some common symptoms! 💜Www.wellfedfeedingtherapy.com #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricfeedingtherapy #dysphagia #nicugrad #pickyeaters #problemfeeders

Happy Friday! May your coffee be stronger than your toddler! 💜

If you have been thinking that your infant or child needs feeding or swallowing therapy, look no further! Pediatric Feeding Disorders are stressful for families, but when you work with me at Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy we try to always squeeze in time for fun and laughs. That’s what eating is supposed to be, right? A time for families and friends to come together and enjoy each other. Let me help bring joy back to your mealtimes! 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricfeedingtherapy #dysphagia #nicugrad #foodchaining #pickyeaters

Yes 🙌🏻 this is absolutely a thing! Feeding therapy should be done in a neutral to positive environment, and outpatient clinics can be scary for some children (and adults!). Why sit in an uncomfortable office chair when we could sit in the glider or chair that you spent so much time deciding on? Keep those sweat pants on, messy bun in, and slippers on because that is how you feeding your child 95% of the time. Let me get stuck in the red lights for you when you are exhausted after a night of no sleep. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #pediatricfeedingdisorders #callitpfd #nicugrad #pickyeaters #slplife

Let’s face it, leaving the house with a child is hard work! This video is for all my caregivers who felt so overwhelmed with making it to their feeding therapy appointment on time that they forget the bottle, breast milk, formula, pump, food, utensils, you name it! -When you work with me at Well Fed Feeding Therapy, you don’t need to worry about any of that because I came to you! -No more packing bags with enough diapers, wipes, blankets, change of clothes, cups, utensils…the list goes on and on. We can work at your speed in the comfort of your own home. -Visit my website to request an evaluation today! Www.wellfedfeedingtherapy.com

Does thinking about mealtimes make you feel stressed? Do you feel lost figuring out what bottle to feed your baby with? Is breast or bottle feeding a constant battle? Let Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy bring joy back to mealtimes. Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy is now accepting new clients! Check us out at: www.wellfedfeedingtherapy.com

2022 was the year to take the leap and start my own business, 2023 will be the year to grow it! I want to thank everyone who has supported this dream of mine. Keep spreading the word about Well Fed Feeding and Swallowing Therapy, I am ready and waiting to spread some joy and change some lives! 💜 #happynewyear #womanownedbusiness #smallbusinessowner #2023goals #2023letsgo #pediatricfeedingdisorders #pediatricfeedingtherapy #medicalslp #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy

On this World Prematurity Day, I want to say thank you to all of the families who have allowed me to care for their warriors. I love what I do and having the opportunity to be a part of your journeys. I will continue to advocate for your children, your family, and your needs. I hope I’ve been able to bring support, confidence, and maybe even some laughs during life’s most challenging moments. I hold you all in my heart.💜 💜

I have always said to my patients that swallowing is not something we need think about until something happens to it. But OH MAN, when something goes wrong with the delicate dance that is swallowing, we can’t help but notice. When a person swallows, they use 26 muscles and 6 cranial nerves. Our brain orchestrates the entire process to move food and liquid through the body. When this process is disrupted, it can be scary, painful, or unsafe for an infant or child. My role is to work with the family to learn about why the child may be experiencing difficulty feeding and swallowing, and help them feel confident at mealtimes! #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #feedingmatters #callitpfd

Hi folks! I’m Lauren, a Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Lactation Counselor with a passion for helping infants, children, and families experiencing Pediatric Feeding Disorders. 1 in 37 children under the age of 5 in the US are diagnosed each year with PFD, but unfortunately most families experiencing PFD feel alone, stressed, and unsure about where to go to find help. I am so excited to turn my passion into a private practice and be able to serve clients at their homes and in the community within 30 minutes of Londonderry, NH! My goal is to always provide family-centered, trauma-informed care that is based on the most up-to-date research. I strive for each of my families to feel confident and supported at every stage of care. Well Fed is just getting started, so for now feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or topics you’d like to see covered here! If you are a past client of mine, please feel free to leave a memory or review from our time together 💜 #wellfedfeedingandswallowingtherapy #callitpfd #feedingmatters #pediatricfeedingdisorders