In this series, we are tackling common post-wean worries, both from a medical perspective and from a parenting one. And the first question we’re going to tackle in this series is a good one! It’s one that almost all parents have after being stuck in a tube-fed regiment for months and years, and it sounds something like this: “Why is it safe for my child to eat such inconsistent volumes? Tube feed volumes were so predictable – and they only ever increased! But my child’s eating feels really unpredictable! How can that be safe?”

The most common question we hear in the post-wean stage is, “but are you sure this is safe?” Most often, this question comes from parents whose children are settling into being fully oral, without tube support, in the stage where this new “eating life” looks really different than the life they were living on full tube feeds. For most parents, the unpredictability of oral eating can lead to some significant panic, and if we aren’t careful, sometimes that panic can cause parents to jump the gun to resume tube feeds unnecessarily.

This football season, we hope you get to spend game days with your friends and family, cheering for your favorite teams while indulging in some good foods. Whether you’re quietly celebrating at home, hosting a party, or taking a mouthwatering dish to the game day festivities, adding this pizza dip as part of the winning lineup is sure to please any crowd. 

Raising an anxious eater often invites well-meaning but unhelpful comments from others, like the suggestion that a weekend away will solve the problem. These remarks, though intended to help, can harm parents' mental and emotional well-being. Many parents feel trapped under a constant barrage of criticism, feeling unable to push back because they understand the comments come from a place of care. However, it's crucial for caregivers to set boundaries, not to change others' behavior but to protect their own well-being. After all, the only behavior you can control is your own.