LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — First-time mothers can face obstacles with their newborns that can be scary but there’s help. One of those issues is feeding.
Kelley Carter, the owner of Speakeasy Therapy Services, is not only a speech pathologist, she is also an expert in infant feeding challenges whether it’s on the bottle or the breast.
In two to six sessions, she gives new parents tools and tricks to figure out why they are struggling. There are also exercises to practice.
If feeding issues linger, a baby could struggle with solid food and ultimately not fully develop. Carter said it can be frustrating for new moms.
“If you don’t have the information, you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s hard to make progress if you don’t have it. The goal is to take them from an hour to feed to 15 minutes. A feed should only take 15 minutes and then have a three to four-hour gap. So getting the information and getting them stronger will give them more time,” she said.
She said feeding can also be impacted by undeveloped muscles in the head, neck, and mouth.
In addition, Carter sees other problems like babies who are kept in carriers or buddled up for long periods of times.
She said parents should understand the baby needs a balance of free movement to increase their strength. She recommends tummy time.
