Feeding Therapy

My experience and knowledge about Feeding Therapy is limited. However, one of my niece's was born early as well and was given a G-button for feeding. Her story has more to it but she did begin to undergo therapy, never being able to feed orally. I don't mind going into her story but would do so privately.

Now...I am a Special Education teacher for 3 & 4 year olds and have many students over the years with feeding issues. I have had students who had feeding tubes at some point from birth to age 3 and some that came to school still with a G-button. The ultimate goal is for them to feed orally. I think many professionals will say that feeding orally has the most benefits when it comes to nutrition, physical development and speech & language development.

Therefore, I think feeding therapy has many positives and should be considered for your daughter. Best of luck to you and your family!

YES! My daughter was born at 23 weeks and was fed via g-tube until recently. We took her to Our Children's House in Grapevine and loved the therapist there. It took way longer than I could have imagined, but today she is eating all her meals orally. In fact we pulled the tube three weeks ago! The biggest factor in her success, I believe, was implementing the techniques at home and staying consistent.

L. -

My daughter also had a G-button for 9 months due to heart problems that limited her stamina. Even after surgeries to correct the heart problems, we struggled with feeding for over a year. We finally went to OCH Baylor last year because she only wanted smooth/pureed foods (like pudding and yogurt) and within 3 or 4 months she was eating a fairly normal diet. She's now 3 1/2 and as I watched her eat dinner with us earlier this week, I told my husband I was amazed at how much diffrence a year has made.

Her progress with feeding therapy wasn't immediate (we'd tried it with ECI for over a year) and was extrememly frustrating at times, but it did make a big difference and showed me how to help her accept and adjust to new foods. I pray that you see even better results with your little one!!

I know two other moms who's kids had g-tubes and yes, they work. Both of these kids have had or are having swallowing therapy to help them adjust to eating as they get older. It kept them alive and healthy when they were at a point that they couldn't eat for themselves. Just hang in there!

I just wanted to know how it is going with your daughter. My son has heart defects and has gradually stopped eating. Now he is primarily tube fed. and is 12 months old. We have tried therapy with ECI but have made little progress. I am considering OCH at Baylor in Waxahachie. I am curious to hear about your experience with OCH -- and if anyone else has input as well. I live in Waco. Is it worth the extra time to drive there? --Or does anyone know of a great place near Waco?