Infant Feeding Wellness and Therapy Sessions
with Stacia Paganelli, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC, IMH-ELet’s create a personalized feeding plan for you & your baby!
Balancing Breast and Bottle
Breastfeeding does not come easy to all mothers OR all babies. There are many reasons why a newborn may struggle at the breast, and while you continue to work toward breastfeeding success, it’s important to optimize how you are supplementing with the bottle and managing the overall feeding schedule. Prolonged use of triple feeding, parent or infant stress, and signs that your baby is also struggling with the bottle are ALL reasons to consider scheduling a functional feeding session with me today. Feeding your baby should be enjoyable and there are many strategies to help you reach your feeding goals. Let’s meet so we can talk about your baby’s state regulation, temperament, cues of hunger/fullness, sucking skills, and how you as parents are doing in this transition as those are all things that can impact feeding.
Bottle-Feeding Support
Common challenges I can help with:
Slow/poor weight gainBaby falling asleep during feedingDifficulty latching on the bottleConcerns regarding tongue, lip, or cheek tiesLack of progress after a tongue/lip tie releaseDigestive concerns, reflux, or significant gasClicking, liquid loss, or loud gulpingCoughing/choking during feedingFinding the best bottle fit for your babySupporting “nipple confusion” concerns
Not sure I can help? Let’s talk…
Bottle Refusal and the Transition Back to Work
Preparing for the end of your maternity leave is an emotional and sometimes stressful time. If your baby struggles to take a bottle, let’s work together to
Discover what your baby is communicating and how we can ease the transitionDetermine the best bottle/feeding tool to tryProvide safe, comfortable practice with feeding outside of the breast prior to the transitionBuild your baby’s skills and comfort level with swallowing milk outside of the breastCreate a plan with clear guidelines for care providers so your baby will be fed in the most nurturing way and without pressure
Transition to Purées or Table foods
Common reasons for consultations:
Frequent gagging that doesn’t improve over timeDifficulty learning to chew; overstuffing or swallowing foods wholeRefusing or spitting foods out (difficulty swallowing)Coughing or choking during eating or drinking from a cupParent worry/anxiety about choking, food allergies, or baby’s weight gain
Toddler Mealtime Challenges
Navigating mealtimes with toddlers can be quite challenging! Some common reasons families contact me include:
Poor chewing resulting in limited foods accepted/swallowedFrequent food refusals and "picky" eating habitsDifficulty transitioning from a bottleChallenging behaviors at mealtime including throwing food, tantrums, and pushing food awayParent AND child stress during mealtimes
If you’re struggling to survive mealtimes with your toddler, I can help! Schedule a “Toddler at the Table” parent education session today so we can problem solve your biggest challenges and create an individualized plan together to eliminate stress at mealtimes!
More about my services
All services are PRIVATE PAY ONLY at this time. I do not accept insurance, but DO accept payment via HSA/FSA cards. I can also provide a superbill with your payment receipt if you would like to submit documentation for reimbursement to your insurance company on your own.
Every session includes assessment (babies change so quickly and so does the feeding dynamic) and next steps for improvement of feeding skills. My goal is to provide feeding support, developmental information and strategies, AND the space and time for you to have all of your questions answered and concerns heard. I am also available for questions via email or text between sessions or when you need more support.