A Team Effort: The Benefits of Feeding Support Physiotherapy‍

Infant feeding can be a wonderful experience for both parent and child. It can also be a major challenge for all parties involved. When those challenges include improper form, inefficient function, range of motion restrictions, and inflammation, this is where physiotherapy can help. 

The Dyad: A Feeding Relationship

Infant feeding involves an interaction between two parties - generally being the parent providing feeding, and the baby. Collectively, when the caregiver and infant are working together as a team in the act of feeding they are referred to as a feeding dyad. 

Parent providing feeding + baby receiving feed = feeding dyad

Infant feeding support physiotherapy is able to address concerns both on the maternal side of the relationship, as well as the infant side. And in doing so we are able to have an impact on the entire feeding dyad.

One + One = Three ??

When providing support for breastfeeding, we often say it is like we have three patients. We have the mother, the infant, and the third patient is the feeding dyad. If the infant is primarily bottle fed, then the dyad would include the parent providing feeding, the infant and the third patient is still the feeding dyad. In our physiotherapy sessions we are assessing all three “patients” to determine where the feeding challenges are originating. The concerns physiotherapy can treat include, but are not exclusive to:

Infant Factors

• Torticollis 
• Plagiocephaly (flat spot on head)
• Jaw muscle restrictions
• Uncoordinated suck mechanics 
• Difficulty developing a wide open mouth for latching
• Ties (lip and tongue) 

Maternal Factors

• Blocked ducts
• Inflammation of breast tissue
• Musculoskeletal concerns - neck, back, shoulder, elbow and wrist pain with feeding

Caregiver Factors

• Ergonomics of bottle feeding
• Musculoskeletal concerns - neck, back, shoulder, elbow and wrist pain with feeding

Dyad Factors

• Difficulty achieving deep latch
• Positioning of person providing feeding and infant
• Following proper phasing of feeding

Once we have determined the source of the feeding concerns, we can determine a personalized approach to address your concerns and get your feeding back on track. Depending on your concerns, this may include infant bodywork for neck and/or jaw restrictions, post frenectomy body work and exercises, education and positioning to determine most effective feeding positions, manual therapy and breast massage for mom*, among other techniques. 

Generally speaking, once we determine an appropriate treatment plan, we can expect your concerns to resolve with 1-4 physiotherapy sessions. 

The Physiotherapist’s Role

A physiotherapist’s direct focus is on the means in which or HOW the feeding takes place (function or mechanics), not on how much or even what baby is being fed (nutrition).  Factors that feeding support physiotherapy does not address include:

• Feeding schedules
• Maternal supply concerns
• Supplementation (breastmilk or formula)
• Prescription of feeding support techniques / devices
• Assessing tongue or lip tie

For concerns of this nature, we work collaboratively with our lactation consultants and your medical team.

If you have further questions about feeding support physiotherapy, or are wondering if it could be right for you and your baby, book in for a 10 minute virtual consultation with our physiotherapist, Terri Robicheau.