Tube Weaning
Many healthy children, who are capable of feeding orally, continue to be tube-fed long term because of behavioral reasons for feeding refusal which are overlooked. Tube-feeding then serves to further reduce a baby’s motivation and willingness to feed orally.
We understand that tube weaning can be a challenging and overwhelming journey for parents. Our team believes that taking a holistic approach is crucial for achieving long-term success and creating a positive experience for your family.
With Rowena Bennett's tube weaning program we take a gentle and gradual approach. We closely monitor your baby's progress and make adjustments to the plan as needed. Our ultimate goal is to help your baby develop a positive relationship with food and learn to eat independently, at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home
Our team is always available to offer guidance and address any concerns or questions that may arise during the weaning process. We also provide helpful resources and tips for maintaining successful oral feeding habits and preventing relapse.
With a 95% success rate, we are proud to have assisted over 1000 babies in successfully weaning off their feeding tubes and thriving on a healthy and well-balanced diet. We are dedicated to providing the best care and support for your little one and your family, and we are excited to join you on your journey towards tube-free feeding.
There are various reasons why a child may be tube-fed..
◦ An unresolved breast or bottle-feeding aversion
◦ Poor growth
◦ Extreme prematurity
◦ Medical condition
◦ Ineffective sucking and swallowing
◦ Aspiration risk
◦ Preparation for surgery
Although our tube-weaning program boasts an impressive 95% success rate, it is not possible for us to guarantee success for all tube-fed babies. Largely, this depends on the underlying reason for a child’s reliance on tube feeding, and whether this is medically warranted or not. For this reason, we are very specific about the clients which we accept, and we offer two approaches to tube-weaning in order to best prepare your family for success.
Is our program suitable for your baby?
Some babies have a greater chance at successfully tube-weaning compared to others.
Babies who score a ‘1’ on the Success Rating Scale, have the greatest chance at a successful tube wean; babies who rate a ‘6’ have the lowest chance of successfully weaning, although it is not an impossibility:
Which approach is best for your baby?
For some babies, a preparation tube-weaning consultation is required to set them up with a greater chance of success, before they can attempt a tube-wean.
We have two options for our tube weaning program:
1. Preparation tube-weaning consultation (1st stage) + standard tube weaning consultation (2nd stage - booked at later date - additional cost)
2. Standard tube weaning consultation
Preparation Tube Weaning Consultation
If your baby meets ANY of the below criteria, a preparation tube-weaning consultation will be required:
◦ Baby scores a 4 – 6 on the tube-weaning Success Rating Scale
◦ Baby has not fed orally for a month or more
◦ Baby has a complex medical history (eg. congenital birth defects, surgical interventions, requires oxygen)
◦ Baby is severely underweight in BMI
Once you have completed your preparation tube-weaning period and baby is ready to attempt a tube-wean, you can then book a standard tube-weaning consultation.
For all other babies who do not meet the above criteria, a standard tube-weaning consultation is suitable.
Standard Tube Weaning Consultation
If your baby doesn't meet the preparation tube wean criteria, you are welcome to book a standard tube weaning consultation.
Please email admin@babycareadvice.com if you are unsure of which consultation your baby needs.
What's included:
1. Questionnaire
Once you have booked a consultation, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to an online questionnaire.
2. Video
After reading your answers to the questionnaire, your consultant might request to see a video of your baby feeding.
3. Discussion
Your consultant will contact you at the scheduled time via the communication method of your choice. This part of the consultation process generally takes about an hour. Your baby does not need to be present during this conversation.
4. Individualized plan
As soon as possible following the discussion, your consultant will send you a written plan. This includes the information discussed, plus links to online articles that you may find helpful.
5. Support Days
We have optional support days available for our Preparation Tube Wean (not included in 'consultation only'). We also have 2 daily email support options available for our standard Tube Weaning Consultation (7 or 10 days). Please note it is for consecutive days.
Testimonials
My daughter was born at 28w+3d. Got her home with strict instructions to feed her 90mls 4 hourly & increase feeds every weight gain. I followed that regime religiously to the point where I’d force her to finish even 5-10mls that was left, not realising the impact it would have on her. 6 weeks at home of force feeding, then one morning she refused her 1st bottle, then 2nd & then 3rd. I panicked & took her to the emergency, where after spending 6 hours, we got admitted only to be released 10 days later with a feeding tube. I visited many speech pathologists but the only advice I got was to keep the tube and hope that when she will start solids, it will all be okay. I was not convinced, & started looking for help online. I came across BCA and the program. I booked in a consultation with lovely Lindsay. Days1-3 were the hardest, with little to no visible progress, but by reassurance from Lindsay, we started to see some progress made by day 4. My baby took her tube out herself on day 8, we felt it may be too soon because her progress was slow, but she had other plans, she took all her feeds post tube removal and she went on from there tube free. I can’t thank Lindsay enough for all her assistance, check ins and reassurance from the start, if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be able to achieve this and see our baby tube free. So THANK YOU Lindsay, for everything! I highly recommend getting in touch with Lindsay to start your journey to be aversion and/or tube free.
I’m so happy I can share my experience with other parents needing help! I’m so grateful for this program! My son was born small for his gestational age. He was born 5 pounds 11.4 ounces and was also born with a tongue tie, a large VSD and a small ASD. My son had a tongue tie release and open heart surgery. After his surgery he got a Ng tube in and was eating well in the beginning then he began to eat less. We tried feeding therapy 4 times a week and that didn’t work. Then one night I came across Rowena’s website as I desperately looked up solutions for feeding aversions and it was the best thing I ever did! My husband and I decided to give this program a chance. We had the amazing Lindsay help us every step of the way! She was extremely helpful! Within the same week of starting the program my son’s aversion was completely gone and he was tube free! We finally had our baby back to feeding normally and loving his bottles again! My son started having 21 ounces of breastmilk and drinking more and more each day and it’s all because of this program. My only regret is not finding this program sooner! Thank you so much Rowena for your program and thank you so much Lindsay for all of your help! I finally feel like I can enjoy my baby. If you are hesitant about this program don’t be, trust the program, trust the process it really works!
Our Daughter Camila was born at 31 weeks and was the size of a 27 week. She stayed in the NICU for 4 months. The Doctors explained that she wasn’t consuming enough milk in order to thrive due to acid reflux or a possible milk allergy. When she didn’t drink enough milk the rest was given to her through an ng tube. We tried to push our Daughter to drink a little more every time we bottle-fed her, and she started to reject more and more, eventually leading to a bottle aversion, leading to a Gtube placement. It was truly the hardest time of our lives seeing our Daughter go through this. One night I started researching online and I came across BabyCareAdvice and scheduled a consultation with the lovely Lindsay. Words truly can’t describe how grateful we are to have met Lindsay, besides being so sweet she came up with a specific tube wean plan for our baby Camila and stuck with us through the tube wean until it was successful. Many times we thought our baby wouldn’t be able to do it and other times we were filled with anxiety through the process, but Lindsay was there every step of the way to give us reassurance and hope! Our daughter was tube weaned successfully within 3 weeks and could have been even sooner if she didn’t catch a cold.
Our Daughter is happily drinking her bottles and eating solids! We can’t thank Lindsay enough for her patience and dedication through out the process! We highly recommend Baby Care Advice to parents that come across similar situations.
I don't even know where to start. I found this program after reading Rowena's bottle feeding aversion book and struggling to navigate the program on my own. We were seeing a local feeding therapist who was telling us to force the bottle into my son's mouth and distract him during every feed. Before I knew it, he was hospitalized at due to failure to thrive and getting a NG tube placed. It was supposed to be a short term solution and after 2 months passed my son became tube dependent. The GI dr and local feeding therapists recommended a G-tube to be surgically placed. This was our last and only hope. At first, we were skeptical about the consultation as the price was high for me as a young single mom but I took the plunge. We met with Lindsay who reassured us that this can be fixed. She walked us through the entire program during our consult and listened to our concerns and questions with empathy, as she went through this herself with her own child. Everyday she supported me and guided me to a successful wean as she was always honest and knowledgeable about all the issues we faced during the program. I didn't feel so alone, depressed, and desperate for help anymore. After 7 days of the tube program, my son (who was originally taking nothing orally) is now taking 27oz. He is happier and we are now ready to be off the tube. It's the best feeling in the world watching your child enjoy eating again. If you are on the fence trust me it is worth it. Forever grateful
I'm just amazed at what this program can do! Our daughter was born with oesophageal atresia and therefore unable to swallow. Over the next few months we were told to forget the bottle as she would never take it. I decided it was time to book a consult with Lindsay. Lindsay is AMAZIng! So supportive & giving so much of her time to answer questions, give feedback on my MANY videos & even lend an ear during my emotional times. It turns out we have a particularly stubborn and independent little girl and after 7 days of tube weaning she showed very little progress, and it was emotionally very difficult. She barely touched the bottle and only occasionally allowed it into her mouth. We decided to stop the tube wean & do a second attempt a month later. Lindsay left us with a plan and I continued to offer the bottle, still following the rules. 2 weeks later our daughter grabbed the bottle from my hands and started to rub it over her two teeth. A week after later I offered an evening bottle before I tube fed her, she suckled the bottle & drunk 15ml. I was in awe. I did not expect this. On the following day she drank 350ml. The next she drank 270ml & on the 4th day after that little suckle, she drank more from a bottle than I had ever tube fed her. I now can’t make her bottle fast enough because her little hands are trying to grab it from me while I’m making it! We couldn’t have got to this point without Lindsay and we are eternally grateful to her for her help in getting here.’
I have been looking forward to writing our “success story” for quite some time now. My son, Noah has been on an ng tube since birth. He is now 7 months old, diagnosed with CHD (multiple heart issues). He has been through two open heart surgeries and two cardiac catherization procedures in his short little life. He vomited every single day for almost 7 months. We needed a change. Eventually, after doing some research, I found “Your Baby’s Bottle-feeding Aversion: Reasons and Solutions.” Just a few pages in, I thought to myself, “Oh my gosh! This is us! I booked a pre tube ween consult with Lindsay then booked the tube ween with Lindsay for the following week and we started. I was told to trust the process, so I did. In the beginning, I thought that even though it worked for all of these other families it wasn’t going to work for us. The first day Noah drank FOUR ounces. My From there, he only continued to take off. Four ounces, then eight ounces, then ten, eleven, fifteen and so on! He hasn’t thrown up in TWELVE days. No more gagging. No more retching. We are immensely thankful for Lindsay and Baby Care Advice, for without them we would be looking at another surgery and indefinite tube feeds. This experience and process has been life changing. We have our life back. We have an even happier baby and I can’t thank Baby Care Advice and more so, Lindsay for her dedication and pure passion for her job. I will forever be grateful.
Ashley, Chris & Noah Sagistano