Tube to Table

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!