Feeding Clinic tips

[Anonymous]

I think it’s try for a few bites, keep pulling back like no fun, and then try again in a little while. I guess the idea is that if they’re going to have to sit there, they might as well have fun. But she also said stop if he’s really crying hysterically (like Ian today). I could be hazy on this point…I’d go by your gut (they told us that too). If Noah really won’t after a good 4-5 trys with breaks in between, probably try again in hour or two? Really try to get that first bite in with lots of hoopla-cheers, laugher, sounds, toys, whatever. So he really gets the point it’s fun. You can tone it down later.

Good luck!!! I really hope it helps you a little.

Tracy

[Anonymous]

Well it was a no-go. First bite she took willingly of course but then
gagged at the pasta. She tried a few more times because she likes the
taste of the sweet potato so much but then gagged and spit up a ton and
then got upset. I got the backup meal and she’d only eat it once she
realized it wasn’t the pasta (I do make the oatmeal pretty thick at
least) and even then only ate half the usual amount. But then sucked
down a big bottle about an hour later.

I can’t really blame her – it must be so confusing to have this smooth
puree with all these weird lumps. I think I’ll just keep trying with
either purees, thickened purees or finger foods. Or maybe now that she
likes the taste of bananas I’ll mash one up but not puree or thin it
and see if she’ll take a little of that by spoon AFTER her normal
breakfast tomorrow.

I agree – don’t push the solids until Ian’s feeling better. M never
eats her solids well when sick. Hope he feels better soon – funny that
you both used to be actors!

[Anonymous]

We were told (by the feeding team at Children’s Boston) much of the same techniques you mention here (and used them with great success), but we were told to stay away from mixed textures, like yogurt with lumps of fruit or Stage 3 foods that are puree w/ lumps. They said the mixed textures were way to confusing for these little ones who are reluctant to eat – they don’t know how to deal with it – “do I try to chew this or just swallow – uh oh – barf.” They had us very gradually (over a period of months) thicken purees (with rice cereal) until they became almost a a real “solid”…I never thought it would work, but it really did…by a year he could eat a few bites of a PB&J. Now – he would still gag/barf occasionally (and still has a hair-trigger gag reflex) and was a long, long time before he would eat anything mixed or slimy, but in time he got over that as well. Good luck – sounds like you are on the right path!

[Anonymous]

Yea Tricia – I’ve heard that (abotu Stage 3 foods and mixed textures)
from a few sources and we’ve decided to totally forget about those. She
can handle thickened purees (we use oatmeal) and I’ll keep making those
thicker and I guess just keep trying with slimy and other textures. We
took her out for dinner with friends last night and she was freaking
out she wanted my meal so badly (I had pasta with mini meatballs). I
was going to give her a tiny piece of pasta even though it had tomato
sauce (she hasn’t had it yet) because i felt bad but she wouldnt’ pick
it up (slimy). She did let me feed her one piece and shuddered and made
a face and spit it out and wouldn’t try again. Poor little girl.

[Anonymous]

Sorry all for not posting about the feeding plan… between the surgery and our move, i have just set up our computer.

Our plan is similar to Tracy’s but be careful.. you DO NOT force even the first bite for a baby that has a feeding aversion. NO FORCING at all…. I think that some babies are fussy and are bad eaters and others have aversions. With a baby with an aversion (and therefore sensory issues) you cannot scream or clap or do anything too radical until she is eating well, or so we were told. It really needs to be a calm environment…. so our approach is similar but we really do not do anything other than say “OPEN” when the spoon is close to Matthew’s mouth, we leave it there for 5 seconds and take it away if he does not take it. If he eats it, we say “well done” very quickly and calmy adn go on as if it were no big deal.

Also our plan is more directed to a baby who can suck well (because Matthew can) but is unwilling to take any food… the whole point of our exercise is really to get him to open his mouth (not really eat too much) because they told us that it is really important to get them to open pretty big so that they will be able to chew.

I do not have the scanner on but when i do i will email the stuff to anyone who wants it. Yes it works in teh sense that Matthew opens his mouth but no, no change in the amount that he is eating.

(sorry to hijack here Tracy and hope Ian is feeling better).

[Anonymous]

Thanks Thais. Hope the move went well. How is Matthew doing with the tube? How are you doing? Thinking of you guys..

[Anonymous]

Hi there Thais – thanks for explaining the differences in what your
feeding doc said – would love to see the sheet whenever you have a
chance. As Lori said above, I hope the move went well and that Matthew
is doing well – thinking of you guys…

[Anonymous]

Hi Thais-welcome back! Hope the move went on and that Matthew’s doing well on the tube. Also have been thinking about you two.

I just wanted to add my two cents on feeding clinic updates. I want to be very clear that the putting the first bite in his mouth is/was (we haven’t had to do it since first day) not a harsh movement. The doctor told us we’re the parents and Ian wont know it could be fun/or taste good until we give him a bite. He would literally just make a noise like “no” and look around. Ian actually has been labelled as having true feeding aversions (he is on bottle and was on his way to becoming a aversion with solids before help from clinic). We even had our first Early Intervention meeting today and they have pretty much confirmed it’s sensory of why he doesn’t like being on stomach or putting toys to his mouth. But like I said prior, he’s never clamped his mouth on me and now, he’s been opening wide (until he’s done-he’s getting very good at vocalizing when he’s had enough and we don’t force it). If he clamped his mouth, I wouldn’t have the heart to force food in there and I don’t think the clinic was endorsing that. I would do as Thais said, pull back like I’m having no fun.

On the other note about excitement versus calm, I think it’s important to think about your baby and what suits them. Ian responded really well in the beginning to fun sounds, laughter, and singing, etc-it really got him to eat. But now we just say ‘open’ and a short upbeat praise and it’s enough. Other babies may respond to quiet. We never screamed and actually not much clapping either as he didn’t seem to like it. Thais and I have different doctors at the clinic and I think they gave us advice based on our babies.

I just wanted to be clear because anything that will help your baby is good and you just have to trial and error. Right now, even with a virus, Ian’s eating solids (not bottles LOL) really well for him. I think this is a good discussion to have to exchange methods. But like everything on this board, we’re not doctors so one has to respond to their baby. I’m still scared everyday Ian will develop an aversion to solids but I’m (learning) to take it one day at a time.

I’ll post Early Intervention meeting later. It’s an awesome service and I’m so glad we’re doing it!

[Anonymous]

Thais, I’d also love to see the sheet when you get up and running again!

Tracy, thanks for the input! I don’t think that purees is the way to go with Hailey at this point anyhow. I just wanted to give it a try.

[Author]

Posts