Services

Breast and Bottle

Feeding Support

Babies can experience feeding difficulties for a variety of reasons, including structural and functional differences in the mouth. This can result in painful nursing, poor weight gain, and unhappy babies. Structural and functional problems can affect both breastfed and bottle fed babies.

If you or your baby experience any of the following challenges, a comprehensive feeding assessment may be beneficial:

  • Baby is struggling to latch, maintain a latch, or is having trouble sucking from breast and/or bottle

  • Milk leaking from mouth during feeds

  • Difficulty gaining weight

  • Coughing or gagging during feeds

  • Feeds taking a very long time, or are very quick

  • Excessive gassiness

  • Excessive spit-up

  • Breast and/or bottle refusal

  • Pain with latching - including cracked and/or bleeding nipples

  • Feelings unhappiness or dread about feeding sessions

Tethered Oral Tissues

Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs), otherwise known as oral ties, or tongue and lip ties, occur when the connective tissues in the mouth are too tight or too short. When this happens, it can cause feeding issues (and a variety of other problems) because the movements of the tongue and lips is limited.

If you think your baby may have an oral tie, a comprehensive oral assessment, which examines structure, function, and symptoms, can help. Although a Speech-Language Pathologist cannot formally diagnose oral ties, oral function and the impact on feeding will be assessed. In addition, pre and post release education, support and therapy will be provided.

Kristen believes in a collaborative approach when working with babies with oral ties. She works closely with other providers, such as physicians, lactation consultants, dentists, and chiropractors, to provide comprehensive and holistic care for families.

Support with Solids

Are you ready to get messy?! Introducing solid food to your little one can be an exciting, fun, (and messy) experience! But figuring out where to start can be confusing. Are you unsure about trying purees or baby led weaning? Nervous about how or when to introduce potential allergens? Or maybe you have tried introducing solid food to your baby and you are noticing concerning behaviours, such as gagging, vomiting, refusal, and/or picky eating.

Parents can find that the have so many questions along the way, and there is so much overwhelming and conflicting information out there.

Kristen can answer the many questions that new parents have, and provide education on the different approaches to starting solids. After completing a thorough feeding assessment, we can create a plan for introducing solids that feels right for you and your baby.