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Virtual feeding therapy when done responsively can have many benefits. The therapist can focus on building parents’ capacity and confidence during mealtimes, which helps to build a confident and competent eater! Thrive at Spectrum Pediatrics is now offering virtual feeding therapy in the US and internationally. Please reach out with any questions or to learn […]

Welcome back to another episode of the Tube to Table podcast! We are continuing our “Parent’s Perspective” series with Joe’s story. On this week’s episode, Heidi sat down with Maggie, Joe’s mom who participated in the Thrive Intensive Tube Weaning Program at their home in Nashville. Maggie and Heidi talk through Joe’s history including his […]

There is a lot of pressure on families to keep up with school and work and therapy AND to make up for lost time with friends and peers, missing celebrations and life-events.  There is the additional well-meant pressure to “make the most of it” and “enjoy this time with family.” The intention is good, but the pace will become exhausting and impossible to maintain.   For all of us, […]

EZPZ Tiny Cup: Why we love it? This cup supports oral and speech development, promotes independence, and is soft and easy to clean silicone! When to introduce it? EZPZ says this cup can be used as early as 4 months to start open cup drinking practice! Tommee Tippee First Straw Transition Cup   Why we love it? This […]

9 Ways to Keep the Holiday Enjoyable for Kids and the Whole Family Focus on the togetherness: What goes in your little one’s mouth or belly isn’t the point of this holiday and shouldn’t be the focus of any meal. Shift your focus to fun and togetherness versus nutritional value or quantity consumed. Ditch the diet talk: Talking about […]

This week’s episode is talking about weight. Why is it such a stressful topic? How can you handle conversations about weight? What else should we be looking at? Throughout our tube weaning process, we receive so many questions about the role that weight plays in child receiving a tube, preparing to wean, or while weaning. […]

How fast should tube weaning really be? Is there a right speed? At Thrive, we hear from parents starting their journey, in the middle of weaning, or during follow up wondering about how fast to push their kid or how slow to go. Tube weaning often gets broken down into two simplified categories: Rapid weaning […]

This week’s episode is all about the safety parameters put in place during your child’s tube weaning journey and how we work together with your child’s medical team to establish boundaries to make sure your child is safe. In preparation for an intensive tube wean, the Thrive team collaborates with your child’s existing medical team […]

We are writing in response to the Ore-Ida “potato pay” ad campaign, in which they coach parents on how and how much to reward kids with French fries for eating their vegetables.  I am sure they mean well, and it seems like a good idea on the surface.  Rewarding kids for eating a nutritious food […]

Rusty was born full term, yet had many complications during his hospital stay such as noisy breathing, poor feeding, and poor growth. Rusty was initially breast fed, but due to difficulty with weight gain, Rusty received an NG tube for primary nutrition at 1 month old due to concerns of aspiration. Rusty then was diagnosed […]

Spectrum Pediatrics is honored to announce that our Feeding Tube Weaning Program was recently featured in the New York Times Magazine.  Virginia Sole-Smith wrote a deeply personal article entitled, “When Your Baby Won’t Eat.”  She bravely shares her family’s journey to help her daughter, Violet, become tube-free and learn to enjoy a healthy relationship with […]

According to the Family Dinner Project, which is a nonprofit organization operating from the offices of Project Zero at Harvard University, there are a number of benefits to having a family mealtime. Research indicates that children and adolescents who are part of regular family mealtimes have: Lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and depression […]