Tube to Table

Latest Episodes:

Episode 42: The Measurement Trap May 20, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Tube To Table, Jennifer is joined by Jamie Hinchey, a member of the Tube Weaning program at Thrive. Jennifer and Jamie are talking about the measurement trap and how families can easily get caught up in it. Many families get stuck measuring progress with numbers, graphs, charts, and logs, rather than looking at their child and focusing on the responsive mealtimes. This is one of the most common difficulties that we see while working with families after an intensive tube wean. Letting go of the numbers is deeply embedded in the entire process that parents go through while weaning their child from a feeding tube. It is so hard to let go of strict measuring, but it is also a crucial part in building a confident and competent eater. Jennifer and Jamie will discuss why it is important to shift towards more responsive strategies, and how to identify success without focusing on the numbers.

Check out this episode’s show note page (www.thrivewithspectrum.com) for links to the resources we mentioned and more information on what we discussed in today’s episode! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram, @Thrivewithsp on Twitter, and @Thrivewithspectrum on Facebook!

Episode 41: A Parent's Perspective: Joe's Story May 13, 2020

Show notes

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 medical complications that led to the feeding tube, past therapy approaches, and how they ended up at Thrive. You’ll also hear Maggie talk more about what she learned about herself and about Joe during the process, as well as some of her favorite memories of Joe learning to eat. Every child’s journey throughout the Thrive program is different and unique, but Maggie talks about how this process helped her learn to trust Joe and build the confidence that he could be a happy and healthy eater!

Episode 40: There's No Place Like Home May 06, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode of the Tube to Table podcast, Heidi and Jennifer are talking about the “where” of tube weaning. Where should tube weaning take place? What are the pros and cons to different weaning settings? They’ll answer all of your questions and talk through the important factors to consider when making a choice for your child’s tube wean. At Thrive, we believe children should be weaned at home whenever possible, but that may not always be possible for some families. Different settings include hospitals, clinics, or through remote treatment. This can be an overwhelming decision for many families, but this is one of the most important factors to really look into. This week’s episode will go through all of the upsides and downsides of different settings to help families make the decision for themselves.

Episode 39: A Parent’s Perspective: Noelle’s Story Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of Tube to Table! We are so excited to have another episode as part of our “Parent’s Perspective” series. This week we are joined by Jessica & Chris, whose daughter, Noelle, went through the Thrive Tube Weaning Program a few months ago. Jessica and Chris are sharing their story with Heidi, the clinical coordinator of the program and Noelle’s therapist during her wean! Throughout this episode, you’ll learn more about Noelle’s history, what feeding therapy looked like for the first 5 years, and how her parents found Thrive. Noelle’s parents share their perspective on the intensive program including their experience while traveling to Nashville, Noelle’s amazing progress, and what they learned throughout the process. They will also share advice they have for families of tube-fed children who are either just leaving the NICU, just received a feeding tube, or ready to wean!

Episode 38: What's Love Got to Do With It Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to another episode of Tube To Table! This week, Heidi and Jennifer are talking all about love and attachment. How do loving and attached relationships impact tube weaning or your child learning how to eat? If there was ever a time that we are all more aware of building these relationships, it is right now. Things can seem hard right now, but as we’re all having more video calls, calling our grandparents more, or reaching out to friends, it’s important to think about how attachment and relationships play a role in tube weaning. In previous episodes, we’ve talked a lot about building loving, trusting feeding relationships, but we have never talked about WHY that’s important. Feeding and attachment are so closely linked that it is impossible to separate out the parent/child relationship around food. When that is separated, there can be a negative long-term impact on the child. Jennifer and Heidi dive into why feeding and attachment are so important and how you can help build that attachment with your child to strengthen the feeding relationship.

Episode 37: Trying to Wean During a Quarantine Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

We hope everybody is well and staying close at home, keeping themselves and everyone in their community safe. In this week’s episode of Tube To Table, Heidi and Jennifer are back together to answer a question we have been receiving from many families. Is this a good time to move forward with a wean? In the past, we have talked about how high stress times can be a difficult time to wean, but now that we are looking at the long-term view and unknown of how long this “new normal” may last, it’s important to address the pros and cons. There may be multiple opportunities that this crisis lends towards children with feeding tubes and their journey towards oral eating. Throughout this episode, Jennifer and Heidi will break down the important pros and cons to consider when choosing to wean during a quarantine.

Episode 36: When There's a Pause in Therapy Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

At Thrive, we miss seeing our families in person, but we are so happy we have been able to reach out and see our families online! For many children and families, this can be a challenging time because therapy is on hold or transitioning to teletherapy. Therapists are struggling to reach out to children, parents have multiple tasks to take care of, and families are feeling overwhelmed. In this week’s episode of Tube To Table, Heidi is joined by Jamie, a member of the Tube Weaning team. Our team at Thrive wants to reframe many of the things that people are doing everyday. Many of the routines and activities you are already doing are likely therapeutic, whether it is official therapy or not. So what to do when your feeding therapy is on hold? It’s OKAY! Mealtimes are so much more than just building oral motor skills and working on strategies, mealtimes are about the togetherness and comfort. In this week’s episode, Heidi and Jamie will talk through how you can help your child throughout this time and why it’s important to give yourself a break!

Episode 35: What's the Deal with Drinking? Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

We know that this past week hasn’t been easy for our families. We are thinking of you and sending a big virtual hug! It’s important to remember that what’s more important than what your kid is eating or how much they are taking by mouth is the comfort, security, and attachment they feel for you. There is a lot of evidence to show that your mental and emotional well-being are very important and can help make things easier, so hang in there! Although this might not be a time to dive into tube weaning, it could be a time to gather more information and map out a plan. At the Tube to Table podcast, we are going to continue to provide you with information and try to keep things as normal as possible for you and your family! In this week’s episode, Jennifer and Heidi are talking about learning to drink while weaning. This episode focuses on things to consider while weaning and learning to drink as well as some practical ways we see kids learn to drink!

Episode 34: Calming The Waters Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Heidi is joined by Jamie Hinchey, a feeding therapist and member of the Thrive tube weaning team. Heidi and Jamie are discussing the importance of bringing calm to a situation, specifically around children. This could be moving houses, a new baby in the house, spring break, or a change in the weather. If you are listening to this in real-time, then there are many of you who are dealing with a sense of chaos or disruption in your house right now. We’re here to help. It can be hard to manage when different situations arise, big or small. As the adult, you have the right and ability to bring calm into the situation for your family. Today’s episode will dive into a few strategies that we find helpful for parents when things feel chaotic. Jamie and Heidi will discuss the importance of reducing expectations, bringing familiarity to the situation, and linking the old and the new. The Thrive team is also celebrating 10k downloads on the podcast! Thanks for listening!

Episode 33: Autonomy over Efficiency Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode of the Tube to Table podcast, Jennifer and Heidi are talking about autonomy. What is it and why is it important in your child’s tube weaning journey? It is so important to allow your child to be autonomous and independent while building a healthy and happy relationship with food. This should be a priority over efficiency and skill development. We have received feedback from therapists and parents who are struggling to find this balance within therapy. Your hosts will elaborate more on what autonomy means, why it is important to prioritize, and how this helps children recover from any past traumatic food experience. So what does this look like in real life at the family table? Jennifer and Heidi will talk through how to build autonomy at mealtimes within your everyday routine, especially throughout the weaning process.

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