Tube Weaning Program

A tube weaning plan is essential because it ensures a safe, structured transition from tube feeding to oral feeding. Every baby is unique, and factors like the reason for the tube, their developmental stage, their feeding abilities, even temperament must be considered to create the right approach. A personalized plan carefully balances your baby’s nutritional needs while simultaneously stimulating hunger, gradually reducing tube feeds and increasing oral feeds at a pace that’s comfortable for your baby. By following a carefully designed plan, we can support your baby’s development, meet their nutritional needs, and help them successfully transition to oral feeding with confidence.

No, we take a gradual, slow approach to tube weaning, prioritizing a safe and supportive transition. This method carefully balances your baby’s hunger cues with the need for sufficient hydration and nutrition, ensuring they receive enough nourishment throughout the process. By gradually reducing tube feeds and increasing oral feeding, we can monitor your baby’s progress closely, adjusting as needed to maintain their safety and well-being. This approach helps your baby adjust at their own pace while reducing stress and promoting a smooth, successful weaning experience.

Our tube weaning program boasts an impressive 95% success rate. With the support of our experienced infant feeding specialist, we provide personalized care to help babies gradually transition from tube feeding to oral feeding.

Each baby’s journey is unique, and we carefully monitor their progress, making adjustments as needed to ensure they thrive. Our approach focuses on comfort and confidence, giving both babies and families the support they need to reach this important milestone.

We do not provide medical advice. If you believe your baby’s troubled behavior is due to a medical condition, we recommended that you discuss this with your baby’s doctor. However, be aware that a diagnosed medical condition will not spare your baby from experiencing one of many developmental and behavioral problems often responsible for distressed infant behavior, feeding and sleeping problems. So if medical professionals have been unable to provide solutions to your baby care dilemma, it might be that the cause is due to a developmental or behavioral reason, both of which are within our field of expertise.

The length of our tube weaning process can vary and typically takes anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The exact timeline depends on several factors, including your baby’s age, how long the tube has been in place, the reason for the tube, any physical or neurological barriers, and the commitment to the program.

Our infant feeding specialist works closely with family, providing a personalized approach and adjusting the process as needed.

Yes, babies can still learn to bottle feed after the suck reflex fades. While the reflex typically disappears around 6-8 weeks, with the right support and practice, babies can develop the skills needed for bottle feeding. By using the right techniques and equipment, babies can learn to suck, swallow, and manage liquids successfully, even if they didn’t start bottle feeding right away.

We focus on tube weaning to bottles because breastfeeding introduces more variables that makes the process more complex. Breastfeeding requires a different sucking mechanism and can vary from one feeding to the next, making it harder to track how much milk your baby is getting. Bottles offer a more consistent and measurable way to monitor intake, which is essential when weaning from a tube. This approach also significantly increases the chances of successful tube weaning. It provides a more reliable method to adjust tube feeds and ensure your baby is getting the right amount of nutrition. Additionally, weaning to breastfeeding can be especially challenging if there is a low milk supply. Bottles offer a more controlled, predictable transition and improve the likelihood of a smooth and successful weaning process.

Once your baby has successfully weaned off the tube and is consistently bottle feeding, it’s possible to return to breastfeeding, though it will depend on your baby’s individual situation and how recently your baby has last breastfed.

During the first 12 months, milk serves as baby’s primary source of nutrition. At this stage, baby is still developing the strength and coordination in their facial muscles, which is essential for effective feeding. Sucking from a bottle or straw cup helps build these muscles, but a straw/ cup isn't yet suitable for full feedings. While it’s great for the baby to experiment with both a bottle and a straw cup, the main focus should be on the bottle, as it provides the most reliable way for the baby to get the nutrition they need. Most babies under 12 months are not yet able to drink a full feed from a straw cup. Some may begin to manage small sips earlier, but for the majority, it takes a bit more time to develop those skills. The bottle remains the best option during this crucial period of growth and development.

During the tube weaning process, it’s possible for your baby to experience a small amount of weight loss, particularly in the early stages. However, we ensure that your baby has a safe BMI and a buffer for any potential weight loss before starting the process. We take a slow and gradual approach to weaning, which helps minimize weight loss while ensuring a safe transition to oral feeding. Any temporary fluctuation in weight, similar to what might happen during a mild illness, does not affect your baby’s overall growth.

The decision to remove the tube will be guided by your consultant, as it depends on your baby consistently achieving full oral feeds and demonstrating positive bottle-feeding behaviors. Your consultant will assess your baby’s progress and ensure they are ready for this step, ensuring a smooth and safe transition.

If your baby has never orally fed, it’s still possible for them to learn how to bottle feed, as long as there are no physical barriers to oral feeding and they are medically cleared to begin. The first step would be to have a preparation tube weaning consultation, which focuses on laying the foundation for successful bottle feeding. During this consultation, we’ll work on building your baby’s comfort with the bottle and establish positive feeding behaviors. Once they are ready, we’ll gradually introduce oral feeding, focusing on developing the skills to suck, swallow, and manage liquids. This process is individualized and will progress at a pace that matches your baby’s needs, helping them learn bottle feeding and gradually transition from tube feeding to oral feeding.

If your baby has difficulty with sucking or swallowing, it’s important to ensure they are medically cleared for oral feeding and that a swallow study has been done to rule out any underlying issues. Once this is confirmed, we can proceed with the weaning process, keeping in mind that sucking and swallowing are learned skills that may take time to develop. Some babies may need additional support to build these skills. We’ll assess your baby’s specific needs and tailor the approach to ensure they progress at a comfortable pace. This may include using specialized feeding techniques or equipment to assist with their oral motor development. In some cases, further therapy, such as working with a speech or occupational therapist, may be recommended. Our goal is to help your baby gain confidence and competence in feeding, ensuring a safe and successful transition from tube feeding to oral feeding.

While we have a very high success rate of 95%, we do not offer guarantees, as every baby is unique and the tube weaning process is highly individualized. The success of the program depends on a variety of factors, including your baby’s specific needs, any underlying medical conditions, and their developmental stage. Additionally, a successful outcome is greatly influenced by the commitment and involvement of the parents in following the program and recommendations.

Although we cannot guarantee results, we are dedicated to providing expert guidance and ongoing support throughout the process. We work closely with families, tailoring the approach to your baby’s progress and any challenges they may face. While there are no guarantees, our focus is on creating the best possible environment for success, helping each baby transition from tube feeding to oral feeding at their own pace.

Our comprehensive assessment provides a thorough evaluation of your child's growth and development. We take into account their medical and surgical history, along with any previous and current health advice from professionals. Our focus extends to physical health, developmental milestones, and genetic predispositions through family history, ensuring a holistic understanding of your baby's needs.

We also assess feeding history, equipment, and behaviors, as well as sleep patterns, to create a tailored plan that supports your child's well-being and growth.

See our questionnaire here.

The email review option offers clients a convenient daily check-in via email for the selected duration, ensuring they receive personalized feedback and guidance tailored to their unique needs.

Unless otherwise agreed to between yourself and your consultant at the time of your appointment, support days are to be used as follows:

·   One email check in per day - for review of videos, feeding logs, overview of progress.

·   must be used within a two week period following the date of your consultation; and,

·   to be used as consecutive days.

·   Support days are non-refundable.

If the support days are not used within the 2 week period, they will be forfeited. This is largely because our consultants restrict the number of consultations each day, to accommodate support for their clients and support time is allocated to each day. Only in the event that a consultation is cancelled will support be refunded.

Support days are to be used for the issue consultation is booked. If any new issues, a consultation for relevant issue will be required.

Please note: Our company operates internationally, catering to clients across various time zones. While there may be occasional delays in email responses due time differences, we are committed to providing responses in a timely manner.

If you feel that you are needing more support, please email us and we can tailor a plan for you.

Yes, absolutely. Support can be purchased here.

All consultations are conducted online at a time convenient for you. When you receive your questionnaire, there will an option to select your preferred method of communication.

Your consultant will email you prior to your consultation with all the necessary details. Please be sure to check your junk mail.

If you need to cancel your appointment please email us at admin@babycareadvice.com

Please note the following terms.

More than 48 hours notice:

If you decide to cancel your appointment, you will have the option of a refund or reschedule. For all cancellations, a $30USD fee will be deducted to cover administration costs/ bank fees. Support days will be refunded in full

Less than 48 hours notice:

We will refund the full amount minus a late cancellation fee of $100USD to cover our consultant's time and administration costs/ bank fees. Support days will be refunded in full

Less than 24 hours notice:

We will refund the 50% of the consultation fee to cover our consultant's time and administration costs/ bank fees. Support days will be refunded in full.

No shows/ unable to proceed at time of call:

No refunds will be provided.