16 May Early Feeding Skills: What’s Best For My Child?
As mom’s we often wonder, what’s the right thing to do? The answer isn’t always as clear as the question. And the answer is often different from child to child. Breastfeeding or bottle feeding? Formula in the bottle or breast milk in the bottle? When do I start purees? Vegetables or fruits first? The list goes on!
As a mother myself, I struggled to breastfeed. With my first pregnancy, I didn’t make enough milk and my daughter was getting worn out breastfeeding. We switched to 100% formula at 6 weeks. In my second pregnancy, there were 2 babies (twins), a NICU stay and a whole lot of hormones going…so we also switched to 100% formula by about 6 weeks along. They did great transitioning to purees but reflux was a problem that needed medical management for us. I can remember begging my mom to come over right around meal times because it would mean I got a break from feeding them. But I’m a speech therapist…how can I feel this way?!?!! I had so much guilt over those feelings. So when I say “I understand the struggle” I mean that literally.
I have now been a speech therapist specializing in feeding difficulties going on 13 years. My education and professional experience mixed with my personal experience made this article really speak to me. I wanted to share it with you all. Feeding difficulties in young infants is a challenging puzzle to piece together and understanding all the pieces matter!
This is a blog by Krisi Brackett, MS CCC-SLP. I always love attending her courses and often say “I want to be like her when I grow up.” I hope you find it as helpful as I have!