Learn how to make a creamy toasted cinnamon quinoa porridge that’s layered with coconut yogurt and a blueberry compote!

OT FEEDING TIP:

6-12 months: When serving the porridge, you can spoon-feed the baby or give them a pre-loaded so they can bring the spoon to mouth. If the baby is not opening their mouth or taking the puree at first, you can place a small amount on the tray so they can explore the texture through touch and smell.

12 months and older: For yourself or an odler kiddo you could add a little sweetener (uch as honey) and toppings (such as coconut chips or crushed nuts) to give the puree a nice texture. 

Quinoa Porridge

Serving Size:

4

Time:

35 min.

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1/2 cup of almond milk 
• ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. Add oil to a cold saucepan until it starts to shimmer. Add the cinnamon and quinoa to the oil and stir them together until the spiced oil mixture coats the quinoa and you can smell the cinnamon becoming more fragrant (about 1-2minutes). 
2. Add the almond milk to the saucepan and stir the quinoa and milk together. Raise the heat until the mixture comes to a light simmer and let it cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 
3. Spoon the quinoa into a bowl and set aside. 
   

Blueberry Compote

Serving Size:

4

Time:

8 min.

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups wild blueberries 
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from ½ lemon

Directions

1. Add 2 cups of wild organic frozen blueberries to a saucepan. Break up any large clumps with a wooden spoon. 
2. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Sprinkle in 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Stir until combined.
3. Once the mixture comes to a gentle simmer and the juices start to release (about 5 min.) turn off the heat. 
4. Using a hand blender, blend the blueberries until they start to break apart and make a textured puree. 
5. Scoop the berries into a bowl and set aside. 
   

To assemble the porridge mixture into a 2 ounce container, first add a large scoop of quinoa porridge, then a large scoop of unsweetened coconut yogurt and then one spoonful of blueberry compote. Stir together to combine before serving. Enjoy! 

Grain variations: you could also follow the same porridge cooking steps using different grains such as rolled oats or millet. You may need to adjust the amount of milk you use due to the varying way the grains absorb the milk

Yogurt variations: you could also use unsweetened full fat Greek yogurt, sheep’s milk yogurt, goat’s milk yogurt, cashew yogurt, or almond yogurt. 

Milk variations: you could use peanut cow’s milk, pea protein milk, oat milk, coconut milk or any kind of nut milk

Fruit variations: you could follow the same directions for the compote but use different berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. 

The post Make A Delicious Dish for your Baby-Quinoa Porridge with Blueberry Compote appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Saftey considerations to make when choosing a high chair include:

-An upright seat for ideal positioning 

-An adjustable footrest

High chair recommendations:

To prevent choking, have your child sit upright in a supportive seat, ideally with:

– Hips and torso at a 90 degree angle

• Legs at a 90 degree angle
• Feet supported on a surface to improve focus and mobility of arms
• Arms at rest on a tray or table

*Use pillows or rolled blankets if needed for comfot and stability. If they resist the chair they can watch you eat in your at lap first. 

Our Top Recommended Highchairs

Stokke Trip Trapp with Bucket Seat:

This chair offers excellent adjustable positioning from infant until adulthood. This chair pulls up to a 32.5 in. table and has a tray accessory available for purchase, if desired. 

Buy Here!

Stokke Steps:

This chair has an easily adjustable back and footrest to ensure proper psotioning from 6 months until teen years. It is also easy to wipe down and the harness is machine-washable. The chair pulls up to a 27.95 in. table and includes a tray accessory with this model. 

Buy Here!

Bugaboo Giraffe:

This chair, made from sustainable Beechwood, can be quickly adjusted to fit a 6 month old until adulthood. It is also very easy to clean. This chair pulls up to a 31 in. table and includes a tray accessory with this model. 

Buy Here!

*Tip: Although these chairs have ideal positioning and are adjustable throughout the ages, they are expensive. To save money, check re-sale sights like OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace or consignment shops for second hand items. 

IKEA Antilop:

This chair is a much more budget friendly pick. It is easy to take apart and bring on the go. This chair pulls up to a 35.4 tall table. It is easy to clean with a removable tray. We recommend buying an added footrest for better positioning and stability. 

Buy Here!

*With added footrest

Fisher Price Portable Baby and Toddler Dining Chair: 

This is a great  multi-use chair that you could be used when feeding or during play. It has 3 height adjustments to grow from infant until toddler years. The chair is portable and it straps easily and securely to a chair that fits these dimensions: 15.75 x 19.29 x 13.19 inches. This chair is also is easy to clean with a removable tray. 

Buy Here!

Best Clip-On Chair

This is a great option if you have a high table or countertop, which will allow the baby sit at the table with the family during mealtimes. It fits ages 6-36 months and up to 37 pounds. The twist-tight couplings are compatible with a table up to 3.35 in. thick. 

Buy Here!

The post Our Top 6 Highchair Recommendations appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Our children need to eat less than we think. Refer to our tummy size guide which illustrates just how small your baby’s stomach is during their first year of life. In addition, your toddler’s food consumption can vary greatly day-to-day, where one day they eat an entire Costco hotdog and the next day, just a few crackers.

There’s a great mindset shift you can take to ease the stress: “I will focus on food exploration instead of food consumption.“

The more a child is exposed to flavors and textures, the more their food repertoire will grow. Focus on describing the foods with their color, shape, smell, texture and taste. Check out Arielle Dan Lebovitz: 101 Descriptive Words for Food Explorers for ideas.

Food exploration also helps us learn about our child’s preferences and how to offer foods they have been denying in different ways. For example, if a child prefers crunchy foods over soft foods, try offering a mashed food (I.e. avocado) on a crunchy food (i.e. cracker). 

Research say foods need to be offered up to 15 times before we know if we like them! We just have to continue the exposure in fun ways. An additional way to explore foods outside the table is with sensory bins and food prep!

Furthermore, remind yourself that it is  developmentally normal for toddlers to resist foods. They are learning bodily autonomy, testing boundaries, and their senses are changing. 

So be patient and be confident that your child will expand their food horizons in time, as long as we keep offering foods in fun ways. Follow along on our newsletter and on social for ideas and inspiration! 

The post The Number One Mindset Shift to Take to Lower Anxiety at the Table  appeared first on Feeling Yum.

This experience is actually very common and is developmentally appropriate. Your child is learning object permanence! Most importantly, your child is getting more benefits than you would believe from this meal.  

However, for your sanity and respect to the produce you bought, here are some tips on how to ensure more of the food you prepared makes it to your baby’s mouth-or at least near their mouth. 

1. Bibs and Splash Mats: Mitigate the mess in a way that feels good to you. Babies learn a lot about a food by exploring the texture and smell through touch, but there are a variety of ways to control the messiness. If you’re ok with your baby getting a bit messy, you can have them explore foods wearing only their diaper. If you’d like to keep them dressed, there are great smock bibs and silicone bibs to catch messes. A splash mat on the floor is also very helpful so good doesn’t go to waste and you can place it back on their tray. If cleaning a splash at is too time consuming, try using a towel or newspapers.
2. Reduce the Servings Size: Remove the plate full of food and present one piece of food at a time on a plate. If you have a dog, it’s also helpful to put them away so you’re little one is not entertained by feeding them 
3. Stay Calm. To limit reinforcing the throwing behaviors by acting animated and giving the child attention, try to not react to the thrown food. Try to ignore it and redirect the attention to wanted behaviors (i.e. eating and exploring the food).
4. Guide the Baby’s Hand Back to the Tray or Their Mouth. Ideally before the baby drops the food, gently redirect their hand back to eating the food and give them praise. This action communicates to the baby the behavior you would like them to do and provides positive reinforcement. You will nee: to do this many times but babies learn through repetition. 
5. Read their Hunger Cues. When the baby is full, they’ll show signs such as turning away, closing their mouth, or spreading and rubbing food on their tray. It’s best to learn their signs so you can finish the meal before they cause a bigger mess and learn that you’ll respect their wishes before it gets to that point.

The post 5 Tips On What to do When Your Baby Throws Food Off Their Tray  appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Tongue ties occur when the frenulum (the string of tissue attaching your tongue to the floor of your mouth) is too short, thick, or tight, therefore impacting the overall function of the tongue. Impaired tongue function can contribute to difficulties in breastfeeding and bottle feeding in babies. If left untreated, impaired tongue function could also contribute to difficulties with swallowing, speech, and breathing.

What are Lip-Ties and Buccal-Ties? 

A lip-tie or buccal (cheek) tie occurs when the labial or buccal frenula are too short, thick, or tight, or insert low into the gumline, impacting function of the mouth. Impaired lip-tie and buccal-ties can also contribute to difficulties with feeding. If a tongue-tie tie is present, it is increases the likelihood there will be a lip-tie or buccal-tie. 

Tongue-Ties in Babies

Ties are often undiagnosed so it is important to be aware of the signs so you can seek professional advice on how to proceed. Most commonly, ties show signs of dysfunction when the baby is young and having difficulty with breast or bottle feeding. Both mom and baby could show signs of ties, which are outlined below.

Baby Signs:

• Shallow latch
• Clamping or chomping on bottle or breast
• Clicking sounds at bottle or breast
• Decreased milk transfer, or poor weight gain
• Coughing/gulping during feeds
• Frequent feedings or long feedings (> 40 min.)
• Reflux, frequent spit-ups, or GI discomfort
• Sliding or popping off breast
• Fussiness or arching away from breast/nipple
• Gagging
• Baby lip blisters
• Loss of liquid during feeds from baby
• Milk tongue (white coating)

Mom Signs:

• Maternal nipple pain
• Misshapen nipples after nursing
• Recurrent breast engorgement or mastitis 
• Decreased milk supply

Tongue Ties in Infants

A baby may not show signs of ties until they become an infant and start eating solids. This could manifest in what looks like picky eating,  physiological problems or oral motor skill deficiencies. A baby may have also gone undiagnosed with ties and may have a history of breast or bottle feeding difficulties. Below is an outline of signs of ties to look for in infants.

Physiological Signs:

• Poor weight gain
• Constipation
• Gi discomfort 

Picky Eating Signs:

• Food refusal of certain textures
• Disinterest in trying new foods 
• Preference for only dry and crunchy foods 

Oral Motor Signs:

• Frequent coughing or choking 
• Drooling 
• Poor lip closure/anterior food loss
• Mashing foods anteriorly with a munching pattern vs chewing on molar surface 
• Difficulty transitioning to age appropriate food textures 
• Food pocketing 

Tongue-Ties in Older Children

Furthermore, if ties continue to go undiagnosed into toddlerhood, there may be signs of breathing difficulty, swallowing , or dental complications. In addition they could contribute to speech difficulties, which is outlined below.

Speech Signs:

• Poor articulation
• Interferes with speech sounds
• Sibilants and lingual sounds
• Pronouncing certain letters

It’s important to get ties looked at by a specialist so they can help with treatments and referrals. Seek advice on how to move forward before struggling with feeding for too long and the problems get worse for baby and Mom. It is important to keep feeding experiences positive from the very beginning of life to build a good foundation.

The post Does My Child Have a Tongue-Tie? appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Where to Start:

If you have a baby and are experiencing breastfeeding difficulties or pain when nursing, it would be most beneficial to first see a lactation consultant (IBCLC). An IBCLC can work on latch, positioning, stretches, pumping and many other breastfeeding needs. If you have an infant having feeding difficulties with a bottle or starting solids,  schedule an assessment with oral motor specialist, which would be an occupational therapist (OT) or speech therapist (SLP). Oral motor specialists can work on gag reflex, chewing, lip closure, tongue lateralization and many other mouth functions needed for feeding.

Pre and Post Procedural Care:

If one of the above practitioners or yourself suspects a tongue, lip and or buccal-ties, I’d suggest seeing one or more than of the bodywork specialists which could help address the tightness in the body’s mouth. Chiropractors can help with bone and nerve alignment to increase range of motion. Osteopathic doctors can help with tongue-tie through gentle manipulation to help relieve tension in the neck and jaw. In addition, occupational therapist, physical therapists or lactation consultants could be trained in bodywork treatments that could include  Cranialsacral Facial Therapy (CSF), Cranialsacral Therapy (CST) or Myofacial Release can also help with stretching the releasing restrictions in the body. 

If a Frenectomy is Needed:

Once it is identified that a release of the connective frenulum frenectomy could be beneficial, a consultation could be set up with an airway centric dentist or ear nose and throat doctor (ENT).

To Review, the specialists in each area are outlined below. 

Frenectomy:

• Airway centric dentist 
• Ear nose and throat doctor (ENT)

Bodywork:

• Occupational therapist (OT)
• Physical therapist (PT)
• Lactation consultant (IBCLC) 
• Chiropractor (DC)
• Osteopathic doctor (DO)

Oral Motor Therapists:

• Occupational therapist (OT)
• Speech and language specialist (SLP)

Lactation Support:

• International board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC)

The post I Think My Baby Has a Tongue-Tie. Now What? appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Did you know the size of your baby’s stomach will start as small as a cherry and grow as big as a cantaloupe within the first year? When thinking about your baby’s consumption and how often they are feeding, it is helpful to visualize the size of their stomach throughout the feeding journey. When they are newborns, they feed very frequently due to the small stomach size, but by one year, they can consume solid meals and sleep through the night without eating.

1 Day Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of a cherry. Your baby will be consuming ½ -1 teaspoon (5-7 ml) per feeding; 8-12 feedings daily.

3 Days Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of a walnut. Your baby will be consuming 4 teaspoons (5-7 ml) per feeding; 8-12 feedings daily.

1-3 Weeks Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of an apricot. Your baby will be consuming 1.5-3 oz. (45-00 ml) per feeding. Your baby’s milk intake will increase to 9-25 oz. (280-750 ml) a day by the end of the third week; 8-12 feedings daily.

1-3 Months Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of a an egg. Your baby will be consuming 3-5 oz  (80-150 ml) per feeding. Your baby’s milk intake will be in the range from 20-35 oz (750 – 1035 ml) per day; 6-8 feedings daily.

3-6 Months Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of a an orange. Your baby will be consuming 3-5 oz (80-150 ml) per feeding.  Your baby’s milk intake will be in the range from 24 to 32 fluid oz (710 to 946 ml) per day; 6-8 feedings daily. 

6-11 Months Old:

Your baby’s stomach is the of a grapefruit. Your baby will be consuming 5-8oz. (147-236 ml) Per feeding.  Your baby’s milk intake will be in the range from 20 to 30oz (591 to 887 ml) per da ; 4-8 feedings daily + 1-3 meals of solids.

12 Months +:

Your baby’s stomach is the size of a a cantaloupe. Your baby will be consuming anywhere from none to 14 to 20 fluid ounces (414 to 591 milliliters) feeding; up to 4 times daily + 3 meals and up to 2 snacks daily.

The post The Baby Tummy Size Guide appeared first on Feeling Yum.

What Are Tongue-Ties?

A small percentage of babies have a tongue that is tied so tightly down, they cannot latch or nurse well or may cause pain to their mother when nursing. In addition to tongue-ties, a baby may have a frenulum that ties their top lip close to their gums or buccal ties that tie their cheeks close to their gums. This tightness in the mouth can also potentially negatively impact bottle feeding or eating solids, due to their limited motion in the mouth.

Who Treats Tongue-Ties?

Often a midwife or lactation consultant will identify a tongue-tie when they see a mother having difficulty nursing. Ties can also go unidentified for many months or may not show up until there are issues with feeding when a baby starts solids. A specialized dentist, oral surgeon or ENT (ear nose and throat specialists) can perform the procedures to clip the ties with scissors or a laser. The procedures can range from $200-$1250+.

There are bodywork specialists who can help with the stretching of the mouth to help avoid having a frenectomy or to help co-treat with a procedure for better outcomes. These specialists include chiropractors who specialize in ties or craniosacral facial therapists (who are typically a lactation consultant, occupational therapist, or speech therapist).

The Rise of More Frequently Performed Frenectomy Procedures:

Some versions of clippings have been done for centuries by pediatricians and midwives, which consisted of a quick snip under the tongue to increase movement. These clippings often naturally healed with breastfeeding and there was little follow-up. With an increase in mothers nursing with campaigns such as “Breast is Best,” there has been a recent steep increase in these procedures (up to 800%). The New York Times article cited above, identified three driven forces in healthcare that are harming patients by performing procedures that may be unnecessary:

1. Doctors have financial incentives to perform the procedures. Doctors are not always paid a salary and part of their pay could be tied to the procedures they are performing.
2. There is a push for the medical device companies (such as the laser companies used for frenectomies) that make these procedures possible. The medical device companies often provide loans to help practitioners buy the equipment or lend them the money they need to help set up the clinic to perform the procedures.
3. There is a large information void for medical advice that many doctors take advantage of to perform these procedures.

Benefits and Risks of Frenectomies:

There is limited evidence-based research on the benefits of frenectomies on helping with babies nursing, but some evidence suggests they can help with the pain of the nursing mothers. However, every mother-baby dyad is unique and it is difficult to measure the benefits when there are so many factors involved in feeding. Personally and antidotally, I have seen babies’ latch for nursing and bottle feeding significantly improve after having a procedure. In addition, a mother’s soreness of nipples due to shallow latching could improve or the babies’ ability to explore and chew food could improve.

Risks involved include: babies developing oral aversions, malnourishment, or acquiring of a feeding tube. Some parents have reported the procedure leaving large sores in their baby’s mouth. A practitioner may also not explain pre-procedure or post0procedure stretches well, which could lead to re-attachment of the tissues and the procedure needing to be re-done.

In Conclusion:

If you are having difficulty nursing, schedule an appointment with a lactation specialist (IBCLC), occupational therapist or chiropractor, who could assess your unique situation. The main concern you should be treating is function (if your child is eating well and gaining the appropriate amount of weight). If the child is having difficulty feeding or the mother is in pain from nursing, try to have the practitioner help identify if a tie correction would be helpful.

Once you think you may be interested in a frenectomy, you can schedule a consult with a dentist, oral surgeon or ENT. Keep in mind the incentives the practitioner who performs the procedure may have and schedule a second opinion with a different practitioner if you would like to compare opinions. Knowledge is power, so gather all the information you can to make the best decision possible for you and your child.

The post Benefits & Risks of Tongue-Tie Procedures appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Your child should be eating foods you are comfortable preparing and are excited to share, however; it is the responsibility of a parent to expose their child to the most well-rounded diet as possible to prevent allergies and selective eating in the future. We also want our children to have positive associations to all foods to create a healthy relationship with foods This means you may need to adapt your child’s meals from your own. Below are some guidelines to help follow to ensure your child is getting the nutrients they need. 

Focus on Whole Foods:

This means avoiding processed foods and serving as many foods in their original form as possible. This means serving fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and fats.

Diversify:

The lack of fruits and vegetables children are receiving in the United States is staggering. The recommended goal is to aim for your child to eat 30 vegetables or fruits a week. Benefits include reduction in pickiness at a later age, building a diverse microbiome to in return, build a stronger immune system. This may sound challenging at first but if you count onions, garlic, herbs, etc., one smoothie or bowl of soup could easily contain 5-10 of these ingredients that count toward your weekly intake!

Serve a Balanced Plate:

If your personal diet is more protein heavy, you may want to focus on serving vegetables and whole grains with each meal. If your diet is more plant-based, make sure your child is eating a complete set of amino acids (i.e. complete protein) by incorporating legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. You will also need to ensure your child is getting enough iron, calcium and B vitamins through targeted vegetables. Servings of these food categories can be spread throughout the day, so there is not a need to stress if a food category is missing from a single meal). However, the more balanced the plate is (e.g. including protein, starches and healthy fats), the more satiated the child will feel. 

Keep it Positive:

Above all, mealtimes should be enjoyable! Our job is to offer the foods in a fun way to avoid resistance and stress. There are many opportunities to try a strategy again later that day or later that week.

The post Should My Child Share My Same Diet? appeared first on Feeling Yum.

More often than you’d expect, I have a child come in for an initial feeding evaluation and the child takes bites of foods they previously never have eaten before. This happens in clinic and home settings. Yes, feeding strategies are being implemented, but there are some easy environmental changes you could try at home that may make your child more open to trying foods.

A tip is to create a comfortable and calm vibe that would encourage your child to explore and enjoy their meal, similar to a relaxed “dinner party” vibe.

Once you choose some new strategies to implement, be consistent with trying them for a couple weeks before trying a new strategy. The new strategies may take a few trials before seeing any results.

Environmental Modification Suggestions:

1. Serve the food calmly in a non-stressed manner or find a new caregiver who could serve in this way 
2. Turn off distractions: such as a TV in the same/next room, toys within the child’s line of vision, and/or any pets from the dining area
3. Turn on joyful, soft music 
4. Dim the lighting by pulling the blinds or using a dimmer
5. Change the child’s place setting, dish, utensils, and/or cup
6. Face the child’s chair at a different seat at the table and facing away from any visually cluttered spaces
7. Bring a fun visual to keep the child happy, such as blowing bubbles or a puppet or stuffed animal who pretends to eat the meal with you 
8. Eat outdoors at a patio table or on a picnic blanket
9. Eat indoors in a different area, such as in a fort, tent or on a blanket 
10. Eat with your child within their eye level 

Let us know how any of these strategies made a meaningful impact at your table or if there are any helpful changes you have made that we should add to the list!

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