Wait… Why Is the Speech Therapist Talking About My Baby’s Eating?!

(And Other Questions Moms Secretly Google at 2 a.m.)

If you’ve ever wondered why the person helping your child say “mama” is also the person coaching you on how to introduce scrambled eggs without panic…
Hi.
Hello.
Welcome.
You are in exactly the right place.

As a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who has worked in schools, private practice, inpatient acute care at the hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing homes, and now specifically as a feeding coach for moms for the last four years, I’ve seen it all.

And yes — I’m very aware that the job title “speech therapist” doesn’t exactly scream “let me help you feed your baby without fear of choking.”

But buckle up, my friend.
Because today we’re diving into the real scope of practice of an SLP… and especially the part most people don’t know about (but absolutely should):

👉 FEEDING AND SWALLOWING.
Yes. Your baby’s eating is literally my jam.

So… what does a speech-language pathologist actually do?

Let’s break it down without the boring textbook language, shall we?
Because yes, I have a master’s degree and graduated with a 4.0 GPA (and worked my way through school to pay for it myself 👏), but I promise I’ll keep this fun.

SLPs are experts in:

✔️ Speech

Sounds, articulation, lisps, stuttering, and helping kids go from “uh?” to “I want more applesauce please.”

✔️ Language

Vocabulary, understanding words, using words, building sentences, and all the social communication skills that turn your toddler into a tiny stand-up comedian.

✔️ Voice

Helping people who sound like they spend every evening screaming on roller coasters… even though they don’t.

✔️ Cognition

Memory, problem-solving, attention, safety awareness — basically, helping brains function more smoothly.

✔️ Feeding & Swallowing

A.K.A. the part that shocks everyone but is actually one of the biggest parts of the profession.

And this is where we pause for the moms in the back who are thinking:

“…Okay but WHY?”

Why feeding and swallowing is in the SLP wheelhouse (and why it matters for your baby)

Here’s the tea:
Eating is literally one of the most complex things a little human ever learns to do.

There are 26+ muscles, 6 cranial nerves, timing, breathing coordination, posture, texture tolerance, sensory processing, and oral-motor strength all happening at the same time.

It’s basically the Olympics… except instead of gold medals, we’re aiming for:

🍓 Smooth transitions to solids
🥑 Safe chewing and swallowing
🍝 Confidence at mealtimes
🍼 Less stress and guesswork for YOU

SLPs are uniquely trained in the anatomy, physiology, safety, and developmental milestones involved in feeding.

The big things us SLPs look for a baby include:

• how they latch
• how they swallow
• how they gag (or don’t)
• how they react to new textures
• how coordinated (or uncoordinated) their oral muscles are
• how they handle foods emotionally and physically

When something feels “off” with feeding… it’s usually an SLP who can spot the early signs fastest. It's also the SLP who can assess the problem (evaluate), name the problem (diagnose), and fix the problem (treatment).

My experience in the feeding world (aka: why moms trust me)

I’ve been a speech-language pathologist since 2016, and I’ve worked in almost every setting imaginable:

• Nursing homes — where I learned everything about swallowing safety

• Acute care hospitals — where I worked with babies in the NICU 

• Outpatient clinics — where I helped everyone from toddlers to older adults

• Schools — where I currently supervise two SLPs

• Private practice

• And now… feeding and parent coaching (my passion zone)

For the last four years, I’ve been in the trenches with moms:

👉 Helping moms go from terrified to confident at the dinner table
👉 Teaching safe feeding techniques
👉 Preventing picky eating and choking risks
👉 Supporting moms emotionally and practically (because feeding is emotional)
👉 Creating courses, freebies, and coaching programs to make feeding feel EASY again

So while my job title says “speech,” my heart, passion, and expertise say:

Helping moms feed their babies safely is my calling.

But wait… do SLPs only help with feeding when something is “wrong”?

For most SLP, yes, but for me, NO.

I help with:

✨ Starting solids in an easy, step-by-step way
✨ Providing supportive feeding strategies for parents to implement
✨ Preventing picky eating
✨ Understanding what’s normal (and what’s not)
✨ Creating safe mealtime routines
✨ Choosing the right textures
✨ Using research-based strategies
✨ Building positive eating habits
✨ Supporting your baby’s developmental readiness
✨ Making feeding feel joyful instead of stressful

Whether your baby is breastfed, bottle-fed, puree-fed, BLW-fed, or team-“my kid throws everything on the floor instead of in their mouth,” I’ve got you.

So… what does a speech therapist have to do with feeding?

Everything.
Truly — everything.

Your baby’s mouth, tongue, lips, and jaw develop during feeding LONG before they ever use those muscles to speak.

When feeding goes well → your baby is set up for a healthy relationship with a variety of nutritious foods.
When feeding goes poorly → it increases chance of picky eating and ultimately can negatively impact their health and relationship with food.

An SLP supporting feeding is not random.
It’s actually makes the most sense.

If you’re a tired mom navigating feeding, here’s your permission slip:

You don’t have to figure this out alone.
You don’t have to read million contradictory facebook or blog posts.
You don’t have to be scared of choking every time your baby touches a piece of food.

You deserve:

💗 Confidence
💗 Clarity
💗 A step-by-step plan
💗 Real support
💗 And someone who gets it — both as an SLP and as a mom

And that’s why I’m here.

If you want help making feeding feel simple, safe, and successful — stay tuned for more resources, freebies, and support from me… your feeding-obsessed SLP friend who loves helping moms breathe a little easier at mealtimes and feel confident in motherhood.