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.

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Potential Harmful Ingredients:

Rare but possible, pouches could contain harmful ingredients or even toxins. The New York Times recently reported, How Poisoned Applesauce Found Its Way to Kids. At least 468 children in the United States had significant levels of lead in their blood after consuming applesauce pouches. The problem was narrowed down to the cinnamon in the sauce. There’s a problem in the spice industry where chromate powder is used to sort help make the color pop. The truth is, we don’t ever really know what is inside factory made products because there are flaws in how imported foods are regulated by the FDA. In this specific case, the facility where this applesauce was made was not visited by the FDA for the last five years.

Snacking vs. Eating Meals:

Snacking throughout the day can lead kids into not eating at their mealtimes, which is when children are more likely to consume food with higher nutritional value, not to mention when they can connect socially with their family. When children eat snacks to calm down, they are also learning how to eat with their emotions rather than listening to their physiological needs. That “easy fix” to avoid the temper tantrum earlier in the day can backfire when your child is anxious or sad and won’t eat at the dinner table. 

Oral Development:

The mechanism of sucking from a pouch does not allow the child to practice some of the many oral motor skills they need to learn to chew food. Babies first learn how to suck when drinking milk using a front-to-back movement of the tongue. When babies begin solids, they start to learn how to move their tongue side to side to push food to their lateral sides of their gums to chew. If the child is going to eat a purée, it is more beneficial to squeeze the pouch in a bowl so the child can work on spoon-feeding. With this method, the baby is moving the food from the spoon around the mouth and moving it to the back to swallow it. In addition, a pouch does not help with the skill of straw drinking, which some mistakingly believe, because the food is pushed into the mouth and little lip closure or sucking is needed.

Sensory Development:

The primary ingredient in most pouches is a sweet purée, typically made of apples. This masks the actual flavor of the fruit or vegetable in the pouch. As a feeding therapist, pouches were often the only way I saw children consume fruit or vegetables in a day. If this is the case, it is preventing them from learning the tastes, flavors and textures of these actual foods.

In Conclusion:

I’m going to express “tough love” here and urge parents to not buy pouches in the first place so the temptation is not there at home. I do not buy bagged popcorn for this reason! You’re still bound to give your child a pouch from time-to-time in this society, but it is tremendously more beneficial for your child to have the whole fruit or vegetable instead, whenever possible.

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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.

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.

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At Feeling Yum, we share recipes for sensory bin recipes with supplies you can find in your kitchen. If your child gets curious and puts some of the materials in their mouth, it will be safe because everything is edible. This recipe suggests to bake the flour prior to playing with it to kill any bacteria that may be present, since there have been some cases where E-coli has been detected in raw flour. In addition, you won’t have to shop for anything extra to create this fun activity! For this activity, we used Inspire My Play Sensory Bin for the container and adapted a recipe from their cloud dough recipe.

If your child is cautious about touching the textures at first, let them watch you mix and interact with the materials first. You can then offer them utensils, such as spoons or cups, so they could interact with the textures without touching them. Once they are more open to touching the materials, offer them a towel they can wipe their hands on so they are more open to exploring.

Moon sand is able to moulded and shaped, so get creative with what materials you’d like to add to the bin. In this example, we offered silicone muffin cups so your child could engage in pretend play and bake some cupcakes for a birthday! We are showing a Valentine themed bin and used dragon fruit powder (you could also use beet powder) to make the material a vibrant pink. Variations could include using cocoa powder (to make pretend mud or chocolate ice cream) or spirulina powder (to make it green for a St. Patrick’s Day theme).

This recipe does get messy, so some tips are to lay a tarp on the floor (such as a sheet, shower curtain, or picnic blanket) or take the activity outside. Also make sure to wear clothes that can get dirty or be washed.

Moon Sand Valentine Sensory Bin Recipe

Age: 3 years+

Messiness: Level 3/3

Ingredients

• 4 cups of flour
• ½ cup of vegetable oil (we used Safflower oil)
• ¼ cup dragon fruit or beet powder (alternatively, you could use powdered food coloring)

Directions

1. Spread the flour on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Scoop and pour the flour into the sensory bin container.
3. Mix the dragon fruit or beet powder with the flour.
4. Evenly pour the oil over and flour mixture and stir until combined and the mixture creates small balls.

The post 2 Ingredient Moon Sand Sensory Bin Recipe appeared first on Feeling Yum.

What Is a Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin is a container that contains wet and/or dry ingredients with at least one new texture your child can explore. Working with dry textures is easier than working with wet textures. 

Where to Start?

Your kitchen is your best resource! You don’t have to run out and buy special materials. Your kitchen contains plenty of textures and smells your child can explore. This is also a great way to use any expired foods in your pantry. In addition, your bathroom and yard are also great resources for materials.

How to Contain the Mess:

Lying the sensory bin on a collecting blanket, sheet, shower curtain etc. will help with easy clean-up. Doing these activities outside is also a great choice!

Additional Benefits to Sensory Bins:

Your child can also simultaneously work on their fine motor skills by scooping and pouring ingredients with different kinds of utensils. 

Pro-Tip:

WIth both wet and dry sensory bins, hide your child’s favorite toys inside so they can search and collect them. Bubble tongs, sand tools, ice trays, shovels, rake toys, squeeze bottles, spray bottles, and kid tongs are all very useful. Give them a task and include something they love!

Warning:

Sensory bins are only safe when the child is provided constant supervision, since they can contain choking hazards. 

Dry Sensory Bin Ideas:

• Dried Pasta (I love to use fun shapes and colored pasta from natural additives, such as spinach and tomatoes) or food-dyed pasta
• Oats with ground or whole spices
• Rice with sprinkles or food-dyed rice
• Dried beans (such as pinto beans, black beans, lentils, etc.)
• Coffee beans
• Cacao powder with cornstarch
• Whole or crushed cereals
• Corn kernals
• Any kind of flour
• Cotton balls
• Sand or kinetic sand
• Dirt with rocks, leaves, pinecones, seashells, flowers, etc. 
• Crinkle-strip paper used for wrapping
• Pom poms
• Feathers

Wet Sensory Bin Ideas:

• Whipped cream or Cool Whip
• Chia seeds soaked in water
• Flour wand oil
• Cornstarch and shaving cream
• Cooked spaghetti or pasta
• Baking soda and vinegar
• Boba pearls
• Fruit/veggie stamps (such as cut apples or celery) with condiment sauces or paints
• Cacao powder and water
• Bubble water
• Ice cubes in water
• Whole veggies and fruits (such as pumpkins) with paints

The post My #1 Recommended Play Activity for Picky Eaters 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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