Food and feeding

[becole]

Yup

[becole]

fem hikingmama222 continuing the conversation...
I had just posted on my May board about how I am a little nervous because of DS2s strong gag reflex and bottle refusal that there might be a delay with food and feeding and I've been trying to figure out if I should make an appt with an SLP or EI to discuss.
On the one hand- he's only been trying foods for a week and a half.
On the other hand, I was reading that you don't want to pressure the baby to eat or push to hard because it can cause anxiety with eating and cause more issues. I'm afraid I'll cause more of an issue than helping.

[fem]

becole I do have to admit I have not been doing the exercises I was given to help with the gag reflex. Maybe I should start there...

[becole]

fem I have a gagger as well. From what I've read, gagging is normal and just reassure them and smile at them. I think it's like the bottle, it's going to take time.
I mentioned to the pedi about his gag reflex and that we did exercises to dull his palate for learning the bottle. She suggested if he would do spoon feeding- to put the food up in the palate where he would have to use his tongue to push it backwards. Basically his own tongue would dull his gag reflex.

[becole]

Now I couldn't find anything on my states website about what EI covers and doesn't. I don't know if they work on feeding issues. I don't technically think he would qualify yet but I just feel like I want to get ahead of things.

www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/HealthAZ/TestsAndTreatments/SpecialDiets/Pages/Sensitive-Gag-Reflex-Transition-to-Textured-Foods.aspx

I've been trying to read up. I'll share articles as I find them.

[hikingmama222]

I'm trying not to stress about the whole eating situation, but DD is still the worst eater and I don't want to have a second bad one.

I don't really know what DS's issue is. He's a lazy nurser (mostly relies on my letdown), not sure if he's just being lazy about eating as well. If I can get him to open his mouth he'll eat what I manage to get in, I just can barely get him to open his mouth. Might just be stubborn? I think I'll switch to the BLW route and give it another month or so before looking into it further if it's still an issue.

[becole]

That's also my DS2 hikingmama222 he doesn't open up very wide so it feels like I'm force feeding him just to get the purée actually through his lips and into his mouth. When he went to the chiro as an infant, she stated that his jaw was tight and worked on loosening it but I still wonder if it's not all connected. She had referred me to a sacral cranio therapist ? (Something like that) and I never took him. He's very laid back also so he doesn't seem very motivated to learn. But he did like the mum mums and self feeding- he just needs big pieces until his fine motor skills get better. I'm learning too so I have to find foods he's really into and figure out how to do it. He seems to like squash and sweet potatoes .
jcrewgirl how do you do those sweet potatoe "finger" things?

[hikingmama222]

becole We took DS to a Chiro when he was little and he said there was no issue with his jaw. Who knows. Babies just like to make things difficult for us and keep us guessing.

[fem]

Thanks for sharing the info becole. O will open her mouth and acts interested in food, but even stage 2 purees can make her gag. And when she gags she always throws up with it, it's not just a little gagging it's a lot. So I think this is definitely an issue for us.

[becole]

Apr 27, 2017 13:19:14 GMT -5 fem said:

Thanks for sharing the info becole. O will open her mouth and acts interested in food, but even stage 2 purees can make her gag. And when she gags she always throws up with it, it's not just a little gagging it's a lot. So I think this is definitely an issue for us.

Did you talk to your pedi? Mine had said to keep trying and we can discuss at 9 months but I feel like that's too long to wait if he's still struggling.

[becole]

Apr 27, 2017 15:45:37 GMT -5 @kitchen said:

My opinion: it's too early for an October 16 baby to go to EI about solid food eating unless there's some other risk factor for oral motor or sensory problems. (and i'm usually an EI pusher...)

The typical development window for walking is 9-15/18 months (depending on how you define walking, steps versus walking walking). The typical speech development window is similarly large. If those two development ranges are so wide, you've got to believe that oral motor function has a fairly wide typical range as well.

Okay good. I was wavering between wait it out and get help early so I don't make things worse or cause more issues ( Torticollis as an example- you fix it the week they are born, it takes 7 day, you fix it when it's been that way 2 months- it will take 3-4 months.)

[fem]

Apr 27, 2017 13:36:04 GMT -5 becole said:

Apr 27, 2017 13:19:14 GMT -5 fem said:

Thanks for sharing the info becole. O will open her mouth and acts interested in food, but even stage 2 purees can make her gag. And when she gags she always throws up with it, it's not just a little gagging it's a lot. So I think this is definitely an issue for us.

Did you talk to your pedi? Mine had said to keep trying and we can discuss at 9 months but I feel like that's too long to wait if he's still struggling.

No I didn't. I'm​ not a huge fan of my pedi and keep meaning to switch, then never get around to it.

[becole]

Tonight we had a pouch of veggies while we were at the zoo and I forgot a spoon so we tried to see if he would open for the pouch and just squirt a little in his mouth. He actually did great! He was way more into the pouch than a spoon. I think because he's used to sucking from a bottle so he was trying to suck from a spoon which is closed lips. So maybe I'll try more pouches until he understands it's food and he needs to open.
His daycare teacher also said when they feed him, there's like 2-3 babies eating with him so by the time she gets back to him to give him the next bite, he's more eager and opens up.

[hikingmama222]

Gave DS some mum mums and he loved them. Chowed down on two rusks. Refused purees this morning. BLW it is.

[becole]

Apr 28, 2017 17:49:19 GMT -5 hikingmama222 said:

Gave DS some mum mums and he loved them. Chowed down on two rusks. Refused purees this morning. BLW it is.

My little is doing great on mum mums too.

[fem]

Apr 28, 2017 19:49:56 GMT -5 becole said:

Apr 28, 2017 17:49:19 GMT -5 hikingmama222 said:

Gave DS some mum mums and he loved them. Chowed down on two rusks. Refused purees this morning. BLW it is.

My little is doing great on mum mums too.

Mine gagged and pulled on the first taste.

[fem]

*puked. It won't let me edit right now.

[becole]

Apr 28, 2017 20:28:40 GMT -5 fem said:

*puked. It won't let me edit right now.

Will she do a paci yet? If she will, start those palate exercises again maybe..
I also dip the spoon in the purees and put it in front of him so he puts it in his mouth. Doesn't seem as surprised that way.
Are they still working on a bottle with her? I think that will help if they keep working on that stuff too. I'm sure it's just a texture sensitivity. We both will have to keep trying to desensitize these little ones.

[fem]

Apr 28, 2017 20:36:44 GMT -5 becole said:

Apr 28, 2017 20:28:40 GMT -5 fem said:

*puked. It won't let me edit right now.

Will she do a paci yet? If she will, start those palate exercises again maybe..
I also dip the spoon in the purees and put it in front of him so he puts it in his mouth. Doesn't seem as surprised that way.
Are they still working on a bottle with her? I think that will help if they keep working on that stuff too. I'm sure it's just a texture sensitivity. We both will have to keep trying to desensitize these little ones.

They have found one bottle she will take an ounce or two from. It's some old Avent bottle that they had at daycare. She has never taken a paci.

But she opens up and eats fine as long as the pure is this enough. So I'm really not too worried.

I do need to motivate myself to do those dang exercises with her though.