#106: Tongue and Lip Ties and Feeding Challenges with Leah Walsh, CCC-SLP

Stephanie interviews Leah Walsh, certified speech-language pathologist specializing in infants and children with feeding and swallowing disorders. We’ve talked about tongue and lip tie concerns from a lactation consultant’s perspective and  a naturopathic doctor’s perspective, and today we further that discussion and address tongue and lip ties from a speech and language development perspective.

Enjoy the listen! You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Instagram or Facebook.

Topics Discussed:

• Signs and symptoms of tongue and lip ties and how they’re evaluated
• Techniques to help your baby transition easier to a bottle
• Core principles families should have before starting solids
• Baby-led weaning vs. purees from a developmental perspective
• Red flags that a child may not just be a “picky eater” and need additional support

Show Notes:

• Follow Leah on Instagram
• Tiny Mighty Voices website (stay tuned for upcoming changes!)
• FB Group: Tongue Tie Babies Support Group
• Dr. Ghaheri
• Dr. Kotlow
• Bottles mentioned:
  • Dr. Brown’s newborn or preemie bottles (slow flow helps transition from breast to bottle)
  • Mam, Comotomo, Nuk (may be better for tongue ties)
• Num Num Baby Spoon
• The HMHB Weekly Email Series
• Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!
• Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD’s online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.

Guest Bio: Based in Austin, Texas, Leah Walsh has spent the last ten years as a ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. With a passion for helping infants and children with feeding and swallowing disorders, she has specialized training in fragile infants, tethered oral tissues (tongue and lip ties), traumatic brain injuries, and stroke rehabilitation. She is a self-proclaimed foodie, nature and dog lover, and mom of two sweet and spicy kiddos. She gets to put her expertise into practice daily with her three year old son as he works through sensory processing disorder.

Leah is also the creator and host of the podcast Tiny Mighty Voices. A podcast where families can find education, inspiration, support, and community as their children are learning to eat, speak, and build language, as well as for families with children with special or extra needs. It’s a safe place to feel heard and inspired and learn that we are all in this together - whether you are working with an extra chromosome or just need some tips on how to support your child’s speech and language development.

Please remember that the views on this podcast and website are not meant to be substituted for medical advice, shouldn’t be used to diagnose, treat or cure any conditions, and are intended for general information purposes only.