Eats + Speaks Therapy

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Eats + Speaks Therapy

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Eats + Speaks Therapy, Speech Therapist, .

We are committed to transforming the lives of families through wellness-centered, collaborative services and supportive resources in the greater Rockford, IL area.

14/08/2025

🛑 STOP: Are you a newborn mama?? This is for YOU ↓

👅 What you need to know about newborns + tongue ties ...

✨ First, what is a tongue tie?
Tongue tie occurs when the thin piece of skin beneath a baby's tongue (the lingual frenulum) restricts tongue movement.

✨ Are tongue ties common?
Yes, it’s relatively common, affecting 4-11% of newborns.

✨ What are the signs of tongue tie in newborns?
Look for difficulty latching during breastfeeding, poor weight gain, and fussiness or frustration while feeding.

✨ Why is intervention important?
Early intervention supports successful breastfeeding and bottle feeding and lays the foundation for healthy breathing and speech and feeding development.

📲 If you suspect your baby may have a tongue tie, don’t hesitate! Click the link in our bio and schedule an appointment with one of our skilled therapists.

13/08/2025

🤱POV: You’re dealing with mastitis and just trying to survive.

What is mastitis?
It is an inflammation or infection of the breast, and it can feel overwhelming. Symptoms include flu-like fatigue, fever, body aches, and intense breast pain... leaving you exhausted and in need of relief.

♡ Mastitis affects up to 1 in 5 breastfeeding mamas and is one of the top reasons breastfeeding ends earlier than planned. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

🫂 With the right support and care, you can overcome mastitis and continue your breastfeeding journey.

Here’s how lactation therapy can help:
✔️ Optimize latch and positioning to reduce pain and prevent plugged ducts.
✔️ Learn techniques for full breast emptying.
✔️ Use therapeutic breast massage and cold application strategies for relief.
✔️ Receive personalized support to manage stress, fatigue, and other risk factors.

🤲 You don’t have to navigate this alone. You DESERVE expert support and guidance.

✨ At Eats + Speaks, we’re here to provide compassionate care and strategies to ease your pain, prevent complications, and make feeding stress-free.

💌 Ready to find relief? Click the link in our bio and let’s make breastfeeding work for you!

12/08/2025

🥦 POV: You just want your kiddo to eat one veggie a day...

If your child pushes vegetables away, you are NOT failing.

✨ Research shows it can take 8–15 (or more!) exposures before a child is even ready to accept a new food. That means rejecting it once or even ten times doesn’t mean they’ll never eat it. It means they’re still learning.

So what can you do??

4 Feeding therapist-approved strategies to support your child:

1️⃣ Offer tiny portions of new foods next to familiar favorites, no pressure to eat, just a chance to explore

2️⃣ Model it yourself! Kids are more curious when they see you genuinely enjoying the food

3️⃣ Let them try it with a peer or sibling who likes it...social modeling goes a long way!

4️⃣ Read books where the food appears, then offer it as a snack or meal after the story

✨ Little moments matter. They build trust, reduce anxiety, and help your child feel safe around food.

🔗 Sharing is caring, so share this with your mama friends who might need it!

11/08/2025

🍽️ No one really talks about this... BUT we will!

🎉 One of theBEST ways to get your kiddo to eat and build a positive relationship with food? Have FUN!

🍽When we shift the focus from “eat this now” to playful, low-pressure activities, mealtimes feel safer, more exciting, and so much less stressful for kids (and parents, too!)

5 ways to bring more fun to the table:
✨ Singing silly songs about food
✨ Making colorful food art
✨ Playing "Guess That Smell" with different foods
✨ Doing a "Mini Taste Test" blindfolded
✨ Challenging them to find foods by color ("Choose something GREEN!")

🍽 When kids are relaxed and having fun, they're much more willing to explore new tastes, textures, and smells, and eating struggles often start to melt away.

🔥Hot tip: Sensory games during mealtime aren’t just for picky eaters; they can help any child build positive, joyful connections with food.

👉Remember: It’s not about forcing bites. It’s about creating a space where food feels safe, interesting, and fun to explore.

💌 Know a mama who could use these tricks? Send this her way! We’re all in this together!

08/08/2025

🎉 August marks 3 years of smiles and support at our front desk with Steph!

If you've ever called, visited, or checked in at E+S, chances are the calm, kind, and wonderful Steph has greeted you.

💫 She makes every family feel welcome and keeps our clinic running like a dream.

We truly couldn’t do it without her!

👇Help us celebrate her 3rd work anniversary by dropping a ❤️ or a kind word below!

07/08/2025

👅 Do you know where your tongue should rest when you're not speaking or eating?

If your answer is "no", it is okay... It's not common knowledge, and most Moms don’t learn about this until there’s a concern.

💥But here’s the thing we WANT more moms to know: Resting tongue posture impacts far more than just the mouth.

It’s important to your child’s overall health.

Tongue posture plays a key role in:
👉Jaw and facial growth
👉Airway development
👉Dental alignment
👉Sleep quality
👉Speech clarity
👉Even digestion and focus

When the tongue rests low or presses on the teeth, it can lead to mouth breathing, crowded teeth, a narrow palate, snoring, and even sleep apnea.

What does an ideal tongue posture look like??
✨Tongue gently resting on the roof of the mouth
✨ Lips closed, teeth slightly apart
✨ Breathing through the nose

This posture supports healthy growth, restful sleep, and strong oral function from infancy through adulthood.

🚩 Thumb sucking, tongue tie, allergies, or low muscle tone can all interfere with this pattern.

Our team at E+S uses myofunctional therapy to retrain the tongue and set kids up for long-term health and development.

💬 Drop “E+S” in the comments if you’re curious, our skilled SLPs are here to help!

06/08/2025

📣 Let’s talk feeding GOLDEN rules from skilled feeding therapists↓

🥄 Eating challenges happen for so many reasons: sensory sensitivities, independence, medical, or even family dynamics. But how we respond as parents can make a huge difference.

6 things we NEVER recommend as feeding therapists and what we suggest instead.👇

1️⃣ Forcing kids to eat
Making kids eat when they’re not ready creates stress around meals. Instead, we honor their hunger cues and keep offering foods with no pressure.

2️⃣ Labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
Food is food! We avoid making certain foods “bad” because it creates guilt. Instead, we talk about what foods do for our bodies, like giving us energy or helping us grow.

3️⃣ Using dessert as a bribe
“Eat your veggies or no dessert!” might seem harmless, but it teaches kids that dessert is the “best” food. Instead, we serve it alongside the meal so it’s not a reward.

4️⃣ Pressuring kids to try new foods
Encouragement is good; pressure is not. Instead of “just take one bite,” we focus on making new foods fun and exciting through play and exploration.

5️⃣ Using the word ‘picky’
Words matter. Instead of labeling, we acknowledge they’re “still learning” to like certain foods. This approach leaves room for growth.

6️⃣ Discourage messy eating
We understand mealtime messes can be frustrating! But mess is how kids learn to explore textures and develop self-feeding skills.

✨ Why this approach matters:
Feeding is about more than nutrition, it’s about fostering confidence, curiosity, and a positive relationship with food that lasts a lifetime.

⬇️ Have questions? Drop below.

📲 Follow along for our best tips and tricks.

05/08/2025

🤱If you are a breastfeeding mama, this is for YOU!

Let’s be real... Breastfeeding takes:
💪Determination
💪Problem-solving
💪Serious mental and physical strength
And a whole lot of support.

If resumes had a section for grit, growth, and showing up every day, breastfeeding would be top of the list!

If you're in the thick of it, keep going! Don’t let the tough moments convince you that you can’t do it. At Eats + Speaks, we've helped countless moms reach their breastfeeding goals.

We have seen it all: pain, supply dips, latch issues, emotional overwhelm, and everything in between.

🫂 If you have questions or doubts, know we're here for you.

You deserve to feel proud of yourself and have a plan that works for YOU and your baby.

👉 Click the link in the bio and get support to reach YOUR goals.

04/08/2025

✨If you’re looking for expert-backed baby + toddler products…

You've come to the right place!🙌

🥄You’ve spent hours in Google scroll, comparing bottles, wondering which cup won’t spill and won’t mess with your baby’s oral development.

You’re juggling tabs about teething toys, pacifiers, utensils, and whether the fork your toddler is using is helping or hindering self-feeding skills.

We get it! Because we help mamas with these exact concerns EVERY SINGLE DAY!

As pediatric SLPs, we’ve tested products in real life, with real babies and toddlers, and we’ve gathered our absolute favorites into one easy place.

🍼We’ve taken out the guesswork and saved you time! From the best bottles for oral motor development, to cups that support healthy swallowing, teethers that soothe (without interfering with speech), pacifiers we recommend, and utensils that make self-feeding so much easier.

📲Click the link in our bio and head to “Our Favorite Products” to shop the tools we use and trust in therapy.

30/07/2025

How cool is this?!

Well done Ogle County Health Department!

🥳🎉🫶🏼

29/07/2025

🎉 Help us celebrate Michelle’s 4-year work anniversary at Eats + Speaks!

💛 From day one, she’s brought passion, care, and dedication to every family we serve. Michelle is our BTS warrior. She works tirelessly to ensure insurance claims are paid and each families benefits are used to their fullest.

We’re so lucky to have her on our team and we are so thankful for her!

✨ Double tap to show Michelle some love and help us say THANK YOU for 4 amazing years!

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00

Website

https://www.eatsandspeaks.com/

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