Little Eaters & Talkers

08/06/2026

Breastfeeding is going great… but baby absolutely refuses the bottle? 🍼

If you’re going back to work soon or need some time away, don’t wait until the week before to figure it out.

Bottle refusal can have many different causes, and the earlier we figure out why a baby is refusing the bottle, the more options we have to help.

If your breastfed baby is refusing bottles, especially alongside concerns about intake or weight gain, a feeding evaluation may be worth considering. 🤍


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08/06/2026

Your pediatrician said "feeding therapy." You started searching. Now you're staring at SLP and OT with no idea which one to call.

You're not missing something obvious — both genuinely treat feeding, and almost nobody explains the difference in plain language.

Here's the short version.

An SLP comes at eating through the mouth: chewing, swallowing, textures, and the feeding-speech connection. An OT comes at it through sensory processing and motor skills — better when food is one item on a longer sensory list alongside clothing tags, haircuts and loud rooms.

Plenty of children need both. They're not either/or.

But the letters matter less than three questions: Do you specialise in pediatric feeding? Are parents in the room? What approach do you use?

New blog is live with all of it — link in bio.

08/05/2026

From ICU + intubation + NG tube… to FREE TO FEED! ❤️🎉

This little guy’s progress has been incredible. We slowly increased his oral volumes, trialed different ni**le flows with pacing, and carefully monitored his safety along the way.

His repeat swallow study showed some pe*******on, but overall he did amazing and was cleared to feed orally!

A swallow study is a guide—not a prediction of a child’s feeding future.

With individualized care, careful monitoring, and a team willing to reassess along the way, babies can show us just how much they’re capable of. 💙

08/05/2026

Houston parents of picky eaters — school starts in eleven days and you already know how this goes.

The lunchbox comes home full. The teacher says he "didn't seem hungry." You pack the same four foods because at least those come back empty sometimes.

Here's what most people miss: a school cafeteria is one of the hardest sensory environments a child eats in all year. Fluorescent lights. Two hundred voices. A twenty-minute window, eight of it standing in line. Smells from forty other lunchboxes. And a kid who's already using every bit of regulation he has just to sit still.

Your child isn't refusing lunch to be difficult. He's out of capacity by the time the tray hits the table.

Swipe for the five things I'd change about your lunchbox before day one — none of which are "hide a vegetable in it."

And if the cafeteria part hit home, that's the piece worth understanding first. Comment SENSORY and I'll send you our free Sensory Explorer guide — what's actually happening at the table, and what to do about it.

07/31/2026

Surviving the Atlantic bounce houses so we could earn our sauna session. 🤌🇮🇪 The ultimate Castlegregory game plan. Save this for your next trip to the Di**le Peninsula!

07/31/2026

It's 11pm. Your child ate three bites of dinner. And you're on your phone typing "toddler won't eat anything is this normal."

I know, because that's how most parents find me.

The problem isn't that there's no information out there. It's that there's too much, most of it contradicts itself, and none of it knows your child.

That's why I started the newsletter. Once a month, one real topic, explained properly by someone who does this every day in clinic. No fear-mongering, no "every child is different" non-answers.

Feeding and speech, plain English, free.

Comment NEWSLETTER and I'll send you the link.

07/30/2026

07/30/2026

Wondering when to wean your baby off the bottle?

Most parents ask me this around the one-year mark — usually right after someone
else told them it was "time." Here's the thing: readiness isn't a birthday.
It's a set of skills.

Swipe through the 5 signs I look for in clinic before I tell a family they're
ready to start bottle weaning 👉

The one people miss most? Sign #5 — you have to be ready too. A wean rushed by
outside pressure almost never goes smoothly.

If your baby is drinking from a straw or open cup, eating solids well at meals,
and reaching for the bottle more for comfort than hunger — those are the green lights.

And if they're not there yet, that's okay. There's no prize for weaning early.

📍 Feeding & speech therapy in Bellaire, TX — serving Houston, West University,
Southside Place & Meyerland families. In-office, virtual, and home visits available.

Save this for when you start wondering if it's time 🔖