Tube to Table

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! 

Episode 4: The Eating Instinct with Virginia Sole-Smith

In this week’s episode of the Tube To Table Podcast, Jennifer and Heidi sit down with Virginia Sole-Smith to discuss her child’s journey from feeding tube to family table. Virginia is a writer, contributing editor to Parents Magazine, and the author of The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America. Virginia is also the cohost of one of our favorite podcasts, The Comfort Food Podcast, and most importantly, a mom! Virginia has known both Jennifer and Heidi since her own feeding tube weaning experience with her daughter, Violet. In this episode, you will hear Virginia’s story about her daughter’s scary medical experience, why she needed a feeding tube, and how she worked with various professionals to eventually wean Violet off her feeding tube. We will talk through the things Virginia wish she knew, how her medical team played a role, and how a responsive feeding therapy approach eventually helped get her daughter off her feeding tube and become a happy and healthy 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 @Thrivewithsp on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 3: Hungry For More!

In this week’s episode of Tube To Table, Jennifer and Heidi are giving our listeners a brief history of how the Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics Tube Weaning Program started. They will discuss what brought them together as therapists and how their interest in feeding therapy and tube weaning first started. Jennifer shares how she found herself looking for more after working as an occupational therapist in feeding therapy for multiple years. For so long, therapy focused on skills including behavior, sensory, and oral motor, but a common observation was that the children she saw didn’t ever seem to enjoy food or mealtimes. After looking at the research behind what motivates children to eat, Jennifer worked to build a program that included hunger as well as responsive feeding techniques. This week’s episode breaks down why these two elements are crucial for building the foundation for a child’s healthy relationship with food while tube weaning. 

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 @Thrivewithsp on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 2: What To Do While You Wait

What can you do while you’re getting ready to wean?

Last week, we talked about what parents wish they knew when their child received their feeding tube. This week’s episode focuses on what you can do to help your child become a happy and healthy eater while they are still tube-dependent. We will talk through practical tips for parents to set their tube fed kids up for success for when the time comes to wean from the feeding tube.  Jennifer and Heidi discuss the importance of building a foundation for your child while they are tube-dependent to establish a positive relationship with food. Think about all the strategies, therapies, or changes that are happening during this time: are they hurting or helping your child’s relationship with food? This episode discusses why it is crucial to work through these steps prior to weaning. This includes building in rest, play, and taking a step back from anything that could be harming your child’s initiation and interest in food. Jennifer and Heidi will also provide our listeners with helpful strategies and tips you can implement immediately at home to help your child prepare for when it is time to wean. 

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 @Thrivewithsp on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook! 

Episode 1: What I Wish They Had Told Me!

Welcome to Tube To Table: The podcast about helping tube fed kids become happy and healthy eaters. In episode 1, you’ll get to know your hosts, Jennifer Berry, occupational therapist and founder of the Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics Tube Weaning Program and Heidi Moreland, speech-language pathologist and clinical coordinator of the Thrive Tube Weaning Program. In preparation for this episode, we spoke to multiple families of children we have helped wean from their feeding tube and asked them what they wish they had known prior to their child getting a feeding tube. In this episode, we specifically focus on children who have the goal of transitioning to oral eating and what parents wish they had known to help their child become a happy and healthy eater. We break down different feeding therapy approaches, importance of responsive feeding, and how self-regulation plays a role in all of this. We will also talk about the role your child’s medical team should play and how they can support you during this transition. Heidi and Jennifer discuss strategies that you can do now, while your child is fully tube-fed, to eventually help with the transition to weaning.

Check out this episode’s show notes page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com/blog) for more resources and more information on what we discussed today!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook!