Tube to Table

Episode 19: Just Weight

This week’s episode is talking about weight. Why is it such a stressful topic? How can you handle conversations about weight? What else should we be looking at? Throughout our tube weaning process, we receive so many questions about the role that weight plays in child receiving a tube, preparing to wean, or while weaning. Weight is a topic that causes stress for families of children with feeding tubes, children with general feeding difficulties, or children who have had a complicated medical history. In this week’s episode, Heidi and Jennifer are unraveling what we know about weight and its importance on feeding and growth from the medical literature, as well as from their clinical experience. This episode discusses how weight becomes the main focus when looking at a child’s wellness and what other wellness parameters are being looked over. Heidi and Jennifer also dive into growth charts and what they really mean, how to start conversations with your medical team about your child’s weight, and the importance of starting this conversation during your feeding journey.  

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 18: Celebrations!!

Happy Halloween! It’s time for a celebration!! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a birthday party. These are all exciting celebrations in families that are a time to be together as a family and enjoy each other’s company. For tube-fed children, it can be hard to remember that these days are special and are about so much more than just the food. These are days where you can celebrate your child! Even if your child might not be able to enjoy certain foods, or if food is a challenge, it doesn’t mean the fun is gone. Your hosts discuss the importance of celebrating birthdays as so much more than a “cake smash” party. Jennifer and Heidi break down WHY the holidays or birthday parties are so important to celebrate with tube-fed kids and some strategies for how to do this. This can seem like an overwhelming task for many families who feel discouraged in their journey, but we are here to tell you that it’s time to stop comparing yourself to other families, take control of the mindset, and find other ways to enjoy these special days with your child! They will also discuss a few tips and tricks for Halloween and how to build responsive feeding strategies into this fun celebration! 

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 17: Out of Order: When is oral motor therapy appropriate?

When you hear the words “oral motor therapy” what comes to mind? Has this been a recommendation for your child? When is it appropriate? This week’s episode of the Tube to Table podcast will answer all these questions and more. Your hosts, Jennifer and Heidi, will break down what oral motor therapy really is, when it is appropriate, and when it doesn’t make sense. For some children, strengthening and range of motion exercises may be necessary and helpful, but for many others, this type of therapy happens at the wrong time and in the wrong context. Heidi and Jennifer discuss the foundations that need to be built and focused on within a responsive way, prior to working on oral motor skills. It is so important to take a step back and look at your child’s relationship with food, their motivation for the skills they are learning, and the context where they are learning those skills. This episode will also look briefly at the Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics Tube Weaning program’s outcome data for how oral motor skills develop throughout our program. 

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 16: Nibbles and Bits

Picture this: You’re starting a tube wean and you’re at the grocery store...what do you buy? On this week’s episode of the Tube to Table Podcast, Heidi and Jennifer are discussing a topic that is on every parent’s mind when starting to wean their child from the feeding tube. Making food choices while weaning can be very overwhelming for families. Parents are always asking for that “magic food” and although we wish we had that, it doesn’t exist. There is no one food that will help your child eat, but there are factors to consider when choosing certain foods. Helping parents with food choices during a wean can help eliminate some of the focus on the volume of food. It can feel complicated feeding a child who eats very little or who has never eaten before. We’re here to help! There are a few important factors to consider when shopping for food choices. These include ability for independence, consistency with food, texture/taste, and familiarity within the family. Heidi and Jennifer will also talk through some factors that should NOT be considered. You’ll hear a few of their favorite tips and tricks when they are helping families choose foods during a wean. 

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 15: Tools of the Trade

We’re back for Season 2! Thank you so much for listening to Season 1 of the Tube To Table Podcast, we are so excited for you to hear our upcoming season! Your hosts, Jennifer and Heidi, are back and ready for a great season! This week, Jennifer and Heidi are discussing the tools and tricks of the trade. What does that mean exactly? They are answering all your common questions including, “What cup should I use?”, “When should I introduce spoons?”, and “Is there a magic food?!” When starting treatment or preparing for an intensive tube wean, parents often ask these questions in order to feel prepared for getting started. While these are all great questions, it is hard to pick just one tool or utensil, so this week your hosts will discuss the spoons, cups, forks, and other utensils that might be helpful for your little one! There are three specific factors to consider when choosing these tools: familiarity, novelty, and control. Since the tool you choose will depend on your child specifically, this week’s podcast will discuss guidelines for where to look and how to choose.  

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! Please feel free to message us for our shownotes as well and we can email them to you!

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!