Tube to Table

Episode 14: Getting Unstuck

In this week’s episode, Jennifer and Heidi are discussing the common traps in tube weaning and how people can easily get stuck on their journey from feeding tube to family table. As discussed in previous episodes, Jennifer and Heidi will use the pyramid infographic as a reference for building the foundations to become an oral eater. When time is spent in the foundational aspect of the tube weaning process, the final stages feel easier and have a better flow. This episode will work through each foundational step of the pyramid and at each stage, discuss what the common breakdowns are and where parents feel stuck. One of the most common breakdown happens when families try to do things out of order and skip over the foundational pieces. Often families may feel like they are ready or want to rush the process and what people don’t realize is that by “skipping” steps you are adding pressure and not allowing your child the time to build trust and understanding with food. Jennifer and Heidi walk through the 6 phases of the tube weaning process: First, Do No Harm, Rest and Play, Creating Responsive Mealtimes, Discover Internal Drives to Eat, Supporting Skill Development, and Thrive.  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 13: Structure Without Stress

In this week’s episode, Jennifer is joined by Brianna Brown, a speech therapist and member of the Thrive Tube Weaning Team. Brianna works in the Spectrum Pediatrics clinic in Alexandria, VA, working in Early Intervention, as well as working with families in our tube weaning program. Brianna and Jennifer will dive into the topic of structure around mealtimes, and how you can use structure without added stress. They will discuss how to help kids that need more structure or support through the tube weaning process in a way that doesn’t interfere with responsive feeding. The internal drives for eating have been discussed in previous episodes, but what should you do when a child has a hard time being able to tune in to these abstract feelings? Structure can look different for every child, but it is important to continue to use a child-directed, responsive feeding approach when building in these strategies to your child’s mealtimes. Jennifer and Brianna will discuss all the different options for building in structure, including visual schedules, first/then boards, choices, and social stories. This episode will review all of these strategies in more detail and discuss how to implement these strategies in a way that will allow your child to feel safe and build a positive relationship with food. 

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 12: Tricks and Treats

On this week’s episode of Tube to Table, Jennifer and Heidi discuss how tricks and treats are used to encourage children to eat or make progress in therapy and why this is detrimental to their relationship with food. This can happen at a family mealtime as well as during structured feeding therapy. Throughout this episode, Jennifer and Heidi will talk through both situations and the length people and therapists will go to “get” their child to eat with tricks or how they use treats to encourage eating. “What does this therapy look like?” “How do I know if I’m “tricking” my child?” This episode will guide you through what behavioral therapy looks like, why it can erode your child’s relationship with food, and what you can do instead. There are basic fundamental reasons why behavioral strategies should not be used to help a child eat, especially those who are tube-fed. Heidi and Jennifer review how tube-fed kids are most susceptible to this therapy, and how they both came to the realization that every child should engage in responsive feeding, tube-fed or not.  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 11: The Tortoise and the Hare

How fast should tube weaning really be? Is there a right speed? At Thrive, we hear from parents starting their journey, in the middle of weaning, or during follow up wondering about how fast to push their kid or how slow to go. Tube weaning often gets broken down into two simplified categories: Rapid weaning and the “wait and see” method. At Thrive, we are typically put into the rapid weaning category, but in this week’s episode, Jennifer and Heidi discuss how our therapists make clinical decisions while weaning.There is not one “fast” or “slow” lane, as it is extremely important to respond to the child and every child is different throughout their weaning journey. This episode reviews why it is crucial to acknowledge that children develop at different rates, learn skills at different times, and for some children weaning can happen fast, while others need to slow down. Jennifer and Heidi will review why sometimes a child may need to slow down or take a break while weaning, and while other times it is important to move faster. At Thrive, our philosophy is unique and we respond to each child individually by learning their cues and encouraging parents to do the same. 

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 10: Safety First

This week’s episode is all about the safety parameters put in place during your child’s tube weaning journey and how we work together with your child’s medical team to establish boundaries to make sure your child is safe. In preparation for an intensive tube wean, the Thrive team collaborates with your child’s existing medical team to make sure there is a discussion tailored to each child’s needs to ensure safety during this time. As discussed in previous episodes, it is crucial to educate your child’s medical team with information on how children learn to eat, but then it is also necessary to get their feedback about what parameters a child needs in order to stay safe during a wean. Heidi and Jennifer talk more about what this dialogue looks like with your child’s medical team, and what categories we specifically focus on when establishing medical readiness and building safety parameters for your child. This dialogue starts as early as the evaluation and continues throughout intensive treatment and into follow-up. Jennifer and Heidi will also discuss more specific parameters, why it is important to have a physician on board, and how to help identify the parameters with your child’s medical team.  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 9: Learning to Swim

Teaching a child how to eat when they aren’t experiencing hunger is like teaching that child to swim in a pool without water. What does this mean? In this week’s episode, Jennifer and Heidi are breaking down this analogy that we use in tube weaning to explain the importance behind the need for a context when learning to eat. We often hear that a child is not eating yet, and therefore not ready to learn how to eat because they don’t know how. This is a confusing topic for families to work through as they are thinking about starting their tube weaning journey. Imagine learning to swim, if you are standing on the dock and flapping your hands, you are not really swimming. If a child is sitting in a highchair with an empty spoon, they are not really learning to eat. As we have discussed in past episodes, hunger is NOT the magic bullet, but it is WHERE the learning needs to take place. Like the water in the pool, children must have the internal drive and reason in order to learn a new skill. Heidi and Jennifer will discuss two common misconceptions we hear about learning to eat, the difference between learning and relearning a skill, and why the context where you are learning a skill is crucial for development.  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 8: Every Moment Matters

Is there a moment in time that stands out for you during your tube weaning journey? This week’s Tube to Table episode focuses on the moments that matter! Whether you are working on building the foundations for eating, just starting your tube weaning journey, or already have an eater, there are moments that MEAN something! This episode focuses on all the moments that stand out for both therapists and families during their tube weaning journey. This week’s guest, Jamie Hinchey, is a feeding therapist and a full-time member of the Thrive Tube Weaning Program. Jamie and Heidi will discuss their own experiences early in their career that led them to the Thrive Tube Weaning Program. They will also talk through the lessons they’ve learned while working with families during this time, as well as some of the most exciting moments they have experienced during the weaning process. This week’s episode also features reflections from parents who have gone through the tube weaning journey with Thrive. We will talk through their responses to questions about their most difficult times, lessons they have learned, and the moment when they knew their child was an eater!  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 7: Better Together

What should a family mealtime look like? How can I create happy and healthy mealtimes for my child? This week’s episode of Tube to Table discusses the principals behind building a positive and happy mealtime environment for your child. These mealtime foundations are relevant for children with a feeding tube, children with a feeding aversion, or families who are looking to improve their family mealtimes. Responsive mealtimes are mealtimes that encourage togetherness between family members, facilitate self-regulation, and are known to set the stage for a life-long healthy relationship with food. The family table is an important place to pay attention to and make improvements because it has been shown that what happens at the table sets the stage for eating habits later in life. Jennifer and Heidi break down the 6 most important foundations to think about when creating a responsive mealtime environment for your family. They will also discuss various strategies to help you during mealtimes, as well as helpful resources to help families of children with all ages! 

 

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 6: First Things First

In past episodes, we have talked about some of the foundations to our program, including hunger, signs of readiness, and what you can do while you wait to wean. This week’s episode focuses on the specific progression from feeding tube dependency to eating orally. Heidi and Jennifer will walk you through the five crucial steps that the Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics Tube Weaning Program focuses on while working with families who are ready to start their journey to being tube-free. The five steps are: Do no Harm, Build Trust, Create Responsive Mealtimes, Discover the Internal Drive to Eat, and lastly, watch your child THRIVE and GROW. They will dive into each step specifically and discuss why it is important in your child’s tube weaning journey and what you can do to help your child no matter what stage they might be in right now. As children work their way through each step, you are helping them build a positive and strong foundation for a lifetime of happy and healthy eating.  

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 5: Ready or Not

Wondering if your child is ready to wean from their feeding tube? How do you know? In this week’s episode of Tube To Table, we are discussing feeding tube readiness and what makes a child ready to transition from feeding tube to oral eating. There are many important factors to look at when making this important decision. Heidi and Jennifer talk through the series of readiness criteria that the Thrive Tube Weaning Program looks at.  At Thrive, we focus on medical readiness including weight gain and growth, safety readiness, developmental readiness, and family readiness. Jennifer and Heidi will discuss each of these criteria in more depth and review why it is so important to assess all these areas prior to moving forward. They also dive into a discussion about why waiting is NOT always the right thing to do and why although feeding tubes save lives, when they are no longer needed it is crucial to identify the criteria for readiness and move forward. 

 

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blogs) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook!