The Infant OT: Feeding and Development

02/19/2026

10 Twin Breastfeeding tips (from a twin momma, infant OT/CLC) 💙🩷
1. Get early support — Work with lactation right away to discuss your feeding goals.
2. Protect milk supply — Nurse or pump frequently from day one.
3. Use skin-to-skin — Boosts supply and feeding success. The extra snuggles are an added bonus!
4. Learn tandem feeding — Double football hold is a great starting point. I used a My Breast friend support pillow to keep them close and contained.
5. Treat babies individually — They may feed very differently!!
6. Rotate breasts — Switch sides regularly to balance flow and stimulation.
7. Track intake early — Monitor diapers and weight gain at first to ensure proper growth and establishing routines.
8. Feed around the same time — Sync schedules when possible. You’ll thank me later 😉
9. Fuel your body — Eat, hydrate, and rest intentionally.
10. Prioritize mental health — Ask for help; feeding two is big work. ❤️

02/16/2026

This little lady graduated from OT in the morning and went for steak to celebrate for lunch. From shallow latching, post tongue tie release, mom had goals for continued breastfeeding support and Baby Led Weaning (BLW). If your baby is sitting up without support, has good head control, and is showing interest in food — they may be ready.

The first item on the menu: Steak.🥩
How to prepare: Large, ✌🏼finger-length strips of well-cooked steak that baby can hold, suck, and gnaw.

Around 6 months, a breastfed baby’s iron stores start to decrease.
Breastmilk is amazing — but it’s naturally low in iron.
Red meat provides heme iron — the most easily absorbed form of iron for babies.

And developmentally?
Gnawing on a strip of steak supports:
• Jaw strength
• Tongue lateralization
• Oral motor coordination
• Sensory exploration

Baby-led weaning isn’t about being trendy.
It’s about pairing nutrition with motor development.

So yes — steak strips at 6 months old.

02/13/2026

02/10/2026

Don’t overestimate the power of strategic, gentle touch to help baby perform their best. If you need some guidance in infant massage or feeding, send me a DM!

02/09/2026

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm starting the morning sharing a wonderful resource created by a local mother. She gave me permission to share this hoping it helps another family.

When trying solids, it's important to track a new food 15 different exposures for allergic reactions as they don't always show up the first time.

Research shows regular exposure to a food helps the immune system learn that the food is safe.

Notable reactions to foods can be delayed. Talk to primary care if your child experiences the following:
-Eczema flares
-Mucus in stool
-Vomiting hours later
-Behavior changes

02/07/2026

I want to know what you know 👀 🤱 More to come…

02/06/2026

🌿 Full Circle Moments | The Infant OT: Feeding & Development

From stiff neck & hips and a shallow latch… to strong, coordinated feeds and a beautifully symmetrical head shape. 👶🏼✨

This little OT graduate came to me with latching difficulties, significant body tension (especially through his neck & hips), and early flattening of his head. His sweet body was working so hard — but not efficiently.

Through intentional positioning, mobility work, oral motor support, and empowering his parents with the why behind what we were doing… everything started to change.

✔️ Hips softened and moved symmetrically
✔️ Latch became deeper and more efficient
✔️ Feeding became comfortable
✔️ Head shape rounded out naturally

No helmet.
No “wait and see.”
Just addressing the root cause and supporting the whole baby.

Watching families grow in confidence as their baby’s body organizes and thrives will never get old.

So proud of this little graduate — and the parents who did the work right alongside him

02/05/2026

Pacifiers can act as a motor tool for the tongue, offering consistent sensory feedback that supports early motor planning and organization when used intentionally.

02/03/2026

I love a good trend 🩵

02/01/2026

Lá Fhéile Bríde Sona Duit to those who are celebrating! Today is Imbolc, or St. Brigid's Day as it's celebrated in Ireland.

The patron saint of milk, dairy, midwives, and babies brought a message of healing, equality, reproductive justice, and care for the earth and is an important one to remember today. Imbolc marks the beginning of Spring and regrowth, the first milk from the sheep, and the end of the darkest weeks of the year.

01/28/2026

Triple feeding means breastfeeding → pumping → bottle feeding (often with expressed milk or formula) at every feed.
Why it’s not sustainable long-term:
Triple feeding asks one mother to do the work of three feeding roles—every 2–3 hours, around the clock.

• ⏱️ Time intensive: One “feed” can take 60–90 minutes, leaving almost no recovery time
• 😵‍💫 Physically exhausting: Pumping + feeding + cleaning parts = burnout
• 🧠 Mentally draining: Constant clock-watching and pressure to perform
• 💔 Disrupts bonding: Feeding becomes task-based instead of relational
• 📉 Often leads to early weaning due to overwhelm—not lack of desire

Because feeding plans should support the dyad
Not just baby weight—but mother well-being too!

01/27/2026

Ni**le shields are generally discouraged as a long-term solution because the can:
1️⃣ Interfere with milk transfer
2️⃣ Reduce milk supply by limiting contact with the breast
3️⃣Cause dependency
4️⃣ Lead to a shallower, improper latch
5️⃣At times mask underlying latch issues, such as tongue tie which need professional attention.
While useful short-term, make sure to follow up with lactation professionals to address cessation plans, monitor supply and improve latching to the breast.