Feeding Therapy
Pediatric Feeding Therapy in St. Louis and St. Robert, MO
Compassionate, Evidence-Based Support for Infants & Children
Feeding should feel safe, connected, and nourishing — not stressful or overwhelming. At The Abeille Feeding Clinic, our Pediatric Feeding Therapy services support infants and children who struggle with eating, drinking, growth, or mealtime participation.
Whether your child has difficulty with bottles, breastfeeding, transitioning to solids, chewing, swallowing, or expanding food variety, our specialized feeding therapists help uncover why feeding is hard and create a plan that supports your child’s whole body — not just their mouth.
What Is Pediatric Feeding Therapy?
Pediatric Feeding Therapy helps children who have difficulty eating or drinking in a way that supports healthy growth, development, and family mealtimes. Feeding challenges are often multifactorial and may involve:
Our team looks beyond surface behaviors to address the underlying contributors impacting feeding success. and efficiently before compensations develop.
- Oral motor skill development
- Sensory processing
- Body tension or asymmetries
- Medical history or prematurity
- Structural or airway considerations
- Learned feeding stress or aversion
Our team looks beyond surface behaviors to address the underlying contributors impacting feeding success. and efficiently before compensations develop.
Signs Your Child May Benefit From Feeding Therapy
Feeding challenges don’t always look obvious. We frequently work with families experiencing:
If feeding feels stressful, confusing, or exhausting — support can help.
- Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle feeding
- Use of feeding tube for additional nutrition
- Gagging, coughing, choking, or frequent spit-up during feeds
- Prolonged feeding times or fatigue with eating
- Difficulty transitioning to solids or textures
- Limited food variety or picky eating
- Food refusal, distress, or meltdowns at meals
- Poor weight gain or growth concerns
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- History of reflux, tongue tie, or oral restrictions
- Feeding challenges following NICU stay or medical complexity
If feeding feels stressful, confusing, or exhausting — support can help.
Our Whole-Body Approach to Feeding Therapy
At The Abeille Feeding Clinic, feeding therapy is never one-size-fits-all. Our approach is child-led, trauma-informed, and grounded in functional feeding outcomes.
We focus on:
Our feeding therapists may integrate:
This collaborative model allows us to support feeding in a way that feels safe, effective, and sustainable for your family.
We focus on:
- Supporting feeding skills within your child’s developmental readiness
- Reducing feeding stress and pressure
- Improving oral motor coordination and endurance
- Addressing body tension and postural support
- Collaborating across disciplines when needed
Our feeding therapists may integrate:
- Speech Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Bodywork techniques (including CST and CFT when appropriate)
- Nutrition counseling
- Lactation expertise for infants
This collaborative model allows us to support feeding in a way that feels safe, effective, and sustainable for your family.
Feeding Therapy for Infants, Toddlers & Children
We support feeding across developmental stages, including:
Infant Feeding Therapy
Transitioning to Solids
Toddler & Child Feeding Therapy
Infant Feeding Therapy
- Breastfeeding or bottle feeding difficulties
- Poor latch, milk transfer, or feeding endurance
- Reflux-related feeding stress
- Oral motor coordination challenges
- Support before and after tongue-tie release
Transitioning to Solids
- Difficulty accepting purees or finger foods
- Gagging or vomiting with textures
- Delayed chewing skills
- Fearful or resistant responses to solids
Toddler & Child Feeding Therapy
- Picky eating and limited food variety
- Sensory-based feeding challenges
- Mealtime anxiety or power struggles
- Difficulty chewing age-appropriate foods
Still Have Questions?
What to Expect During Feeding Therapy
Your child’s feeding journey starts with a comprehensive feeding evaluation. We take time to understand your child’s medical history, development, feeding patterns, and your goals as a family.
Therapy sessions are:
We work closely with parents and caregivers — because feeding doesn’t stop when the session ends.
Therapy sessions are:
- Play-based and developmentally appropriate
- Child-led and relationship-focused
- Centered on building skills and confidence
- Designed to support carryover at home
We work closely with parents and caregivers — because feeding doesn’t stop when the session ends.