RE: Tongue Thrusting

[Guest guest]

I know that the tongue thrusting reaction is the first reaction of all

breast fed babies to solid food--my daughter did that the first few times we

introduced her to solids, and I was told by our pediatrician this is normal, to

try again in a month or so; when she was ready to eat at 6 mo., she stopped. My

son w/ MDS had both the breast and the bottle early on and didn't do this

when introduced to solids. Does Kaylee show an interest in solid food--ie. does

she smack her lips or perk up or reach out when she sees you eating it? Is it

possible her interest in solid food is just developing a bit later, or is

this a true oral motor problem, I wonder? Has her speech therapist suggested

she is hyper-sensitive to different textures which is an issue a lot of kids

with DS have? (Every speech therapist that evaluated Anton early on checked for

this. Anton is under-sensitive, hypotonic which is common as well). What

does your pediatrician say?

Good luck,

--, mom to Forester, 4, and Anton 21 mo. mDS

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

I know w/ Forester my pediatrician told me to wait two weeks, then try again

and that I did this several times. Early on with both kids I let them hold

the spoon themselves for brief periods of time which they liked. Also Forester

liked finger foods better than baby food from the beginning--soggy pieces of

bread, bananas, cut up grapes--(actually we didn't cut them up, but you're

supposed to), cheerios--and now that I'm thinking back, she never really did

eat baby food, and never really did respond well to us feeding her, so you

might try finger foods if baby food isn't working. She's still gaining weight,

right? You might just have her iron checked since at around ten months babies

who are still breastfeeding a lot can become iron deficient. I know with

Forester she was always way more serious and exclusive about breastfeeding than

Anton who likes it but can give or take it, so maybe Kaylee's the same way?

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks so much for responding. Now that you mention

it Kaylee really doesn't show much interest in what we

eat. Her therapist said that she does not show signs

of sensitivity to texture nor does she have an

unusually sensitive gagging reflex. I wonder if it

really is that she just isn't ready.

One mom out here (in my town) recommended flicking her

tongue each time she thrust it out (ouch!) and another

recommended pulling it (no, I wont try that either )

I really think that what you've said makes the most

sense. Maybe she's just not ready, but when??? Should

I just continue to try each day until she expresses an

interest?

Thanks again,

Sandy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

Maybe if you were animated when you are eating and then made it seem like

she would like it (my son really liked the yellow squash) then she would be

more interested in doing whatever you were doing -> Jiust a thought - I

wouldn't do anything to her tongue (that just doesn't seem right) you want

her to join you not stop doing something.

Darlene - Mom to (9) and (7)

>

> ,

>

> Thanks so much for responding. Now that you mention

> it Kaylee really doesn't show much interest in what we

> eat. Her therapist said that she does not show signs

> of sensitivity to texture nor does she have an

> unusually sensitive gagging reflex. I wonder if it

> really is that she just isn't ready.

>

> One mom out here (in my town) recommended flicking her

> tongue each time she thrust it out (ouch!) and another

> recommended pulling it (no, I wont try that either )

> I really think that what you've said makes the most

> sense. Maybe she's just not ready, but when??? Should

> I just continue to try each day until she expresses an

> interest?

>

> Thanks again,

> Sandy

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

One thing that I did with all of my babies when they began eating, all were

breastfed, is give their first bites of food on my finger. They knew momma's

smell, and would suck the food off. I would try my little finger first, because

of the size. Also, try checking out Sara Rosenfeld-. She is a speech

thereapist with great ideas and helping with the lack of tone our kids have.

She has simple ways of helping with tongue thrust and other issues.

It is a bit frustrating when they are 10 mo old and continually needing to eat!!

LOL You feel like you have a permanent attachment and want your chest back!!!

LOL!! Hopefully she will be interested in something other than mom soon.

Hope this helps!!

Irene in TX mom to Nat 12 MDS, Luke 10, Emilia 7, Lillian 5, Isaac 2.5 and #6 to

arrive in Feb!

Tongue Thrusting

Hi to all!

Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

Thanks,

Sandy

Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

Kaylee MDS 10 months

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __

[Guest guest]

When Adam was Kaylee's age he was like this. He could only drink from the

playtex nurser bottles which are shaped most like mom. He absolutely could not

drink from a regular bottle. Anything going in his mouth made him gag and was

pushed out immediately. He also did not thrust his tongue at any other time.

We just keep trying and with a ton of patience, he finally started eating. We

would put the tiniest little bit of baby food in his mouth so he could get used

to it. I'm saying a little dot. As he go used to that, we would make the dot a

little bigger. If we put too much, it would come right out. He didn't eat

anything that wasn't perfectly smooth until he was about 2 1/2. He is still a

picky eater and would rather fill up on milk than eat. I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Donna - Adam's (4 mds) gram

Nordgren wrote:

Hi to all!

Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

Thanks,

Sandy

Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

Kaylee MDS 10 months

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

Wow, that sounds frustrating. Hang in there! When Aidan was little I had to

stick in his pacifier and then hurry and pull it out and stick in something else

while he was still trying to suck to get him to try it. I had to do that for

breastfeeding for awhile even. He also appears to be undersensitive in his

mouth and doesn't have much of a gag reflex. I would try the finger thing.

Most babies who nurse will suck on a finger also. That sound like a good idea

to me.

Good luck!

Aidan (MDS) 4, a 2, 9 months

Donna Spudic wrote:

When Adam was Kaylee's age he was like this. He could only drink from

the playtex nurser bottles which are shaped most like mom. He absolutely could

not drink from a regular bottle. Anything going in his mouth made him gag and

was pushed out immediately. He also did not thrust his tongue at any other time.

We just keep trying and with a ton of patience, he finally started eating. We

would put the tiniest little bit of baby food in his mouth so he could get used

to it. I'm saying a little dot. As he go used to that, we would make the dot a

little bigger. If we put too much, it would come right out. He didn't eat

anything that wasn't perfectly smooth until he was about 2 1/2. He is still a

picky eater and would rather fill up on milk than eat. I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Donna - Adam's (4 mds) gram

Nordgren wrote:

Hi to all!

Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

Thanks,

Sandy

Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

Kaylee MDS 10 months

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandy,

I breastfed my daughter Lily until she was 2 1/2yrs because of a similar

problem.. Lil had no idea how to suck on a bottle or straw..She never

mouthed anything and was pretty much wholly breastfed without any other

food..I saw a speech therapist and i was told to do tongue exercises which

consisted of me rubbing her tongue with my finger before feeding..I dont

know if they really helped though..It got to the stage where i decided i had

to stop breast feeding her so she would take fluid and nutrition from

something else other than me..I guess i was lucky because she started to

drink from a soft spout cup..It was messy to begin with but we persevered

and now is 5 1/2yrs and eats and drinks independently..and has been for some

time..

Good luck with it.

Mum to Kadeem 13yrs,Zak 11yrs (severely disabled),Shakirah 9yrs,Yasmin(dec)

and Lily 5 1/2 mds

>

>Reply-To: MosaicDS

>To: mosaicds

>Subject: Tongue Thrusting

>Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2006 07:16:23 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hi to all!

>

>Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

>breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

>bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

>at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

>soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

>out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

>mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

>around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

>She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

>but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

>

>I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

>when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

>her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

>

>Thanks,

>Sandy

>Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

>Kaylee MDS 10 months

>

>__________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I recall when my son was small that the therapist had a little sponge star

shaped toothbrush that she would use to rub over his gums, tongue, lips and the

inside of his mouth to aid in sensitizing. I believe that you or your therapist

can get these from a pediatric dentist. A thought that might be helpful.

Also, passing along some information relating to ears, I have discovered that my

son has a buildup of ear wax in his ears. It was not something that his

pediatrician had ever mentioned and I didn't think to ask about - not that he

would have cooperated with having it removed when he was younger-but thought it

was worth mentioning to you all. I happened to find out through a special

olympics screening and am now debroxing his ears. A very large chunk of wax

came out of one ear and we are working on the other. He noticed a difference in

his ability to hear right away and keeps asking to have the other one completed

so I know he can hear clearer. My daughter said that when the ears have so much

wax in there its like your hearing everything under water as she has had this

problem. A doctor told her she has excess wax and so she debroxes hers every

three months.

Terry, mom to Craig, 18mds

Tongue Thrusting

>Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2006 07:16:23 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hi to all!

>

>Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

>breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

>bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

>at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

>soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

>out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

>mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

>around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

>She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

>but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

>

>I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

>when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

>her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

>

>Thanks,

>Sandy

>Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

>Kaylee MDS 10 months

>

>__________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

I am not sure if this will help as Karlee did not push much food out of her

mouth, but I'm not sure if it was how I feed her. I always spoon feed her by

placing the food in her jaw area just inside her mouth. This encouraged her to

use her tongue from side to side to reach the food and also making her tongue

and jaw muscles stronger. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Beets (mommy to Karlee 7 (mds) and Eli 2)

Tongue Thrusting

Hi to all!

Kaylee is 10 months old and still almost 100%

breastfed because she cant keep food or drink from a

bottle in her mouth. She does not thrust her tongue

at all while playing or in everyday activities but as

soon as we try to feed her solids her tongue thrusts

out a mile a minute pushing all of the food out of her

mouth. When I try to bottle feed her the liquid pools

around the front of her mouth and then just runs out.

She can put her tongue down to get the spoon on top

but the tongue thrusting pushes everything back out.

I was told by her therapist to resist wiping her mouth

when trying to feed her but that honesty is not it,

her thrusting is totally involuntary. Any ideas??

Thanks,

Sandy

Mom to 14 yrs, and 12 yrs and

Kaylee MDS 10 months

__________________________________________________