Breastfeeding weaning

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who was at her wit's end with her one-year-old nursing. This is her third child and in her mind her last child. She believed that she "HAD" to wean him. She needed the sleep. She was moving and had to take care of the move plus her two older children. She felt that her sleep deprivation was because of her nursing at night. She was determined to sleep train her youngest. She had done this in the past but went to visit family and to deter him from crying, fell back into the same routine of nursing at night.

She dreaded the training. She felt that having him cry was just heartbreaking. So I asked her, why not just co-sleep without nursing? She loves to cuddle with her children. She loved to have her one-year-old beside her, it was just the nursing. I pointed out that the nursing was his comfort. His way of settling down. If she took the nursing away but slept with him, she could teach him to settle himself in other ways. Weaning is a delicate balance. Nursing/Breastfeeding is not just for nutrition but for bonding and comfort. The hardest for most moms is to find that a replacement for something that started from day one of their relationship with their child.

Co-sleeping, like breastfeeding, is a choice and it is not for everyone. But for those in this situation I point out that weaning and sleeping by yourself (your child) are two separate "battles". You won't win either if you fight them both at once. I have the parents/moms pick which one is most important. Then go from there.

It takes longer but like most things in life there is not quick fix without some serious emotional struggles.

The culturally picky eater

My oldest son is turning 9 at the end of this month. He does not like to eat: sandwiches, hamburgers, broccoli, carrots, salad, potatoes (unless they are fried), anything with tomato sauce. SO when we go out to eat or eat with our extended family there is always a fight or a struggle to get something for him to eat. He will eat PRETTY much anything that is, drumroll please, beige! french fries, chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, crackers, plain noodles.

So my husband says about once a month: your a feeding therapist, fix your kid! (in jest).

Here is why I don't worry: most of the food he rejects are mostly foods that I consider in the American style of cuisine.

Here is what he does eat: Gailan (Chinese broccoli -it is greener than american), Onchoy (Water Spinach - so wikipedia tells me), pea sprouts, and most other Asian vegetable that is green. He eats most meats stir fried in soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. He does like rice (white and brown).

He also eats sausages and potato balls that are from his German side.

Overall, he does eat a variety of foods from another culture. So, what is a true picky/limited eater? Someone that would not eat anything from ANYWHERE no matter what. Most limit eaters won't even want to be in the same room as foods that they cannot eat or tolerate.

So try different foods with your child. See if they just need to tap into their cultural taste buds.

Physical Therapy: an alternative to reflux med?

Majority of my clients that I see for feeding therapy have GER also know as reflux. They are on a variety of reflux medication from Reglan, Prevacid, Prilosec, to Zantac. Some are also on low grade antibiotics to help motility.

I have found in my practice that most children with reflux demonstrate some weakness overall. They are functional in their environment but are not quite where they should be for their age. One could argue that they are weak because of their reflux and lack of nutrition. It is a cycle - overall body weakness, reflux, decrease nutritional weakness, then back to weakness, etc. I noticed that when a good strengthening program is involved, most of my clients have a decrease in reflux symptoms. It is not a normal pathway of feeding therapy but one that I have found helps decrease reflux episodes and has helped with feeding therapy in general be a rewarding experience.

New Beginnings

Well it has been WAY too long since I last posted. Reading my past posts I think I was trying to hard to capture a very complex process. I hope that this reboot will be better and more consistent. I am more confident in my skills and feel ready to share a different view on feeding therapy for children with feeding issues. I hope that I can put on paper what I have learned in practice. Here I go, again!