Wednesday, April 6, 2011

How to Spoon Feed

This post is based on information from Q. Fish's blog at http://gotdownsyndrome.blogspot.com/2007/10/spoon-feeding.html

This method of spoon feeding helps both with discouraging tongue thrust and encouraging lip closure. You can do this from the very first time your baby starts eating solids.

Hold the spoon sideways, so that the side of the spoon is touching each side of the mouth, let your baby get the food off it that way.

Immediately turn the spoon the other way (still sideways, but facing a different direction) and feed your baby.

Immediately turn the spoon again and let them get the last bit of the food off.

You do this 3x in a row, because then it helps keep that tongue in. If you just do the sideways spoon-feeding once, then your baby can put his tongue out to help swallow the food or lick the food off of his lips. After you do it 3x's your baby will hardly stick his tongue out at all after that time.

Try it on yourself. Feed yourself with the spoon like you normally would, from the front and you'll notice your tongue protrudes forward. But when you bring the spoon to your mouth sideways, your tongue is pushed back.

For more information, go to talktool.net and order the $12 DVD called As A Parent: What Can I Do to Improve My Child's Feeding and Speech?

Related Posts:

Baby Foods Contain Arsenic, Toxic Metals
Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula...
Nontoxic Feeding Sets
First Foods: GAPS Introducing Solids
First Foods: Yogurt & Bone Broth
First Foods: How & What & When to Introduce
Heal the Gut, Heal the Child
Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Coconut Oil Info and Recipes
More Reasons to Avoid Processed Meats
Healthy Meal Planning Blogs
Low Muscle Tone: What to Do
How to Bottle Feed & Nontoxic Bottles
First Foods: Root/Leaf Vegetables
Breastfeeding
Fats & Oils

1 comment:

sadafa said...

Hi,

My baby is 11 months old and hasn't ever as far as I know had issues with keeping his mouth closed or with his tongue protruding. Is this type of feeding still necessary to help with his speech?