Feeding Infants and Toddlers: Paediatric Feeding Therapy Tips
Helping Little Ones Thrive: Feeding assessments and therapy for your child
Feeding an infant or toddler is one of the most important aspects of early development, but it can also be a challenging journey for many parents. Whether you’re navigating breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or solids refusal, understanding the best practices can help ensure your child is getting the nourishment they need.
Signs Your Newborn May Need To See a Speech Pathologist
While minor feeding challenges are common, persistent issues may indicate the need for feeding support for babies. Look for these signs:
Poor weight gain
Excessive crying or discomfort during feeds
Frequent choking or coughing while feeding
Refusal to latch or drink from a breast or bottle
Long feeding times (more than 30 minutes per session)
If you notice these symptoms, scheduling a feeding consultation for babies with a paediatric feeding therapist who can help assess and address your baby’s feeding needs.
Understanding Newborn Feeding
Newborns require frequent feeding to support their rapid growth and development. During the first few months, babies typically feed every 2-3 hours, whether through breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
Breastfeeding Support
Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it doesn’t always come easily. Feeding therapy for babies and support from a speech pathologist can help address common challenges such as:
Coughing with breast feeds
Babies falling asleep on the breast frequently
Lengthy breast feeds
Clicking with breast feeding
Tongue-tie or lip-tie assessments/queries
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, booking a breast feeding assessment can provide personalised strategies to improve feeding success. A speech pathologist can also refer to a lactation consultant for more specific breast feeding challenges related to milk supply, poor latch and expressing/pumping as required.
Bottle Feeding Support
Some babies may struggle with bottle feeding or refuse the bottle due to flow rate, swallowing difficulties, anatomical causes or many more reasons. Chubby Cheeks speech pathology can assess your baby’s feeding and determine reasons for:
Bottle Refusal
Choking or gagging while feeding
Coughing with bottle feeds
Clicking with bottle feeds
Book a bottle-feeding consult with a paediatric feeding specialist who can help parents choose the right bottle, adjust positioning, and improve feeding mechanics.
Solids Transition and Mealtimes
Some infants may have difficulty transitioning to solids for many reasons. They may also have challenging mealtime behaviours related to positioning, state regulation, oromotor delays and many more reasons. Signs your child needs solids/mealtime support include:
Choking or gagging (beyond an age appropriate level) frequently on foods
Meltdowns during mealtimes
Fussy eating and food refusal
Small volumes of solids
Only eating snacks and refusing foods at mealtimes
Book a solids assessment with a paediatric feeding specialist who can help parents choose the implement strategies to support mealtimes and solids introduction.