Nourish: Pediatric Feeding Therapy and Lactation Support

09/14/2025

09/14/2025

Sucking has many incredible benefits. But if you are feeling touched out from non-stop feeding, or notice that baby needs a paci whenever he or she isn’t feeding, it might warrant a deeper investigation.

Nourish Therapy specializes in holistic feeding support to address the root cause of challenges. Schedule a consult to get started. 🔗in bio. 💻

09/12/2025

It’s true! And I hate when tongue ties get brushed off by providers who don’t specialize. The most obvious ways tongue ties impact little is oral function— feeding & speech. But did you know that the tongue also has a HUGE role in oral development, sleep, and breathing? And that improper tongue function can lead to underdeveloped jaws and crowded teeth, sleep disordered breathing, and ADHD symptoms??

The impact of tongue ties isn’t limited to the mouth. Ties can impact the nervous system, movement milestones, sensory processing, and contribute to retained reflexes.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you!!! 💪 🥳💞

A holistically-trained infant therapist is a must on your team. An SLP/OT/PT is evaluating and treating tongue-to-toes symptoms to help meet your feeding goals, set you on a solid path for development, and identify symptoms that require another set of 🙌🏻. Even better, when concerns pop up a year down the road, your therapist can still support you. 🫶🏻

When I evaluate toddlers with tongue ties or a history of tongue tie release, it’s not uncommon to see: constipation, toe walking, poor balance, weak core, anxiety, sensory differences, impaired feeding skills, chronic open mouth, etc. Older kids may have academic challenges- difficulty sitting in class, reading + writing, executive functioning skills, put everything in their mouth, etc. Is anybody talking about the relationship between oral ties, foundational milestones in early infancy and how they can impact kiddos down the road? 🤯 Let’s not pretend these issues come on suddenly- there were always signs.

A tongue tie release may be a part of the treatment plan, but infant development experts well versed in tethered oral tissues is absolutely clutch.

Nourish Therapy specializes in tongue ties, infant feeding, breathing, and oral development. Schedule a call to get started. Link in bio. 💻

09/06/2025

Food before one IS FUN, but let’s not confuse that with “just for fun”. Babies actually do have skills they need to learn between 6-12 months. And while that is plenty of runway for most babies to figure things out, parents should definitely advocate for early support if feeding isn’t progressing well.

Want to learn more about starting solids?? Join our free Starting Solids play group (fall dates coming soon!!!) OR schedule a consult if you have concerns for your little one’s feeding journey. 🔗 in bio. 💻

09/05/2025

Do you have a noisy eater? Typically, babies make a soft, rhythmic “kuh” sound that indicates swallowing. If you hear clicking, squeaking, gulping noises, or disorganized patterns- it could be a subtle symptom that baby is having a hard time feeding. What could it indicate?

🤱🏻 GULPING could be a baby struggling to keep up with a strong letdown, OR it could be that they have disorganized tongue movements, difficulty with swallow coordination, or poor range of motion in the tongue and throat muscles. It is often associated with air swallowing.

🤱🏻 CLICKING is the sound of the tongue losing suction during feeding. It could be a shallow latch, upper body/oral tension, muscle weakness, tongue tie. Babies also tend to swallow air with clicking.

🤱🏻 SQUEAKING is usually associated with a stridor or “floppy” airway. Baby may be disorganized in their suck-swallow-breathe rhythm, or sound like they’re being waterboarded when the flow is actually reasonable. A stridor often resolves with age, but therapy can help improve tone in the soft tissues of the airway and support more comfortable and coordinated feedings.

If you have concerns about your baby’s noisy eating, a feeding evaluation can provide a thorough assessment to determine root cause, and provide therapeutic activities to improve function.

Nourish Therapy provides holistic, whole body feeding therapy + lactation support. Schedule a phone consultation on our website to learn more about working together. 💻

09/04/2025

Tongue ties aren’t JUST about the latch. The tongue also influences the way we breathe, and how the face grows. The tongue should suction against the palate at rest, in order to shape the dental arches and grow a big, healthy airway- while also promoting nasal breathing. If your little one is having a tongue tie released, be sure you have a provider on your team who specializes in oral motor therapy.

Too often I see older kids with a history of a chronic open mouth. Maybe a tongue tie was ✂️ or maybe it wasn’t. But either way, oral function wasn’t addressed, and now the family is searching for help because of sleep disordered breathing.

What are the symptoms?

👅 Poor sleep/frequent waking/restlessness
👅 Tired throughout the day
👅 Inattention + hyperactivity
👅 Snoring
👅 Teeth grinding at night
👅 Night sweats
👅 Enlarged tonsils + adenoids
👅 Chronic ear infections
👅 Open mouth sleep

It is never too late to get support. I love helping families with their older infants + toddlers, but I would much rather see infants receive support for oral function and airway health right from the start.

Let’s work together to support feeding, breathing, and oral development. Schedule a free phone consultation on my website. ➡️💻

09/01/2025

Tongue ties are complex, but parents shouldn’t have to become experts to help their babies. They need a strong team they can count on. 💪

Are you a parent navigating tethered oral tissues? I’d love to help. Schedule a phone consult on the website to get started. 💻

Are you a provider looking to build a strong team that fully supports infant tethered oral tissues? I’m working on a resource for you! Comment TOTS and I’ll send you a DM to join my mailing list.

08/28/2025

Root cause will guide treatment. 🫶🏻

08/27/2025

That last one though 😆

08/24/2025

Feeding is a whole body activity— make sure your team is looking beyond the mouth 👀

Nourish Therapy specializes in holistic, whole body feeding therapy and lactation. Schedule a phone consult to get started. 💻

Did your baby have some of these symptoms? Share below ⬇️

08/21/2025

A baby with a chronic open mouth posture, and high palate should be evaluated for oral dysfunction. Changes to palate shape don’t happen overnight, but there is a lot we can do to influence growth and development, which supports breastfeeding AND airway health. 👌🏻

Were you told that your baby has a high palate? Let’s chat. Schedule a phone consult on our website. 💻

Hi 👋 I’m Carissa! Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, Infant Feeding Therapist, and Lactation Consultant. I support little ones for optimal feeding, breathing, and development.

08/15/2025

I had to share, because I think about this conversation often. Not all feeding issues are because of a tongue tie. And when there IS a tongue tie, there is so much more beneath the surface that needs to be addressed. For this reason, a team approach is best practice.

If your little one is having feeding struggles, start with a skilled IBCLC or feeding therapist. Nourish Therapy specializes in infant and toddler feeding, breathing, and tethered oral tissues. Schedule a phone consult to get started. 💻

Feel free to share your experience below ⬇️

Did you feel supported in your tongue tie journey?