Tube Feeding - Mouth Play Ideas For Parents

Why it's important to introduce your child to oral feeding

Oral feeding is a skill that children learn. They need repetition and practice. If your child has not had opportunities, they might find it difficult to move to oral feeding.

It is important you start introducing them to oral feeding as early as possible. Have a routine in place for all their meals. Your speech-language therapist (SLT) can support you with this.

If your SLT says your child is not safe for feeding by mouth, use an appropriate non-food item. For example, a dummy or pacifier, a teething or mouthing toy or a parent's or carer's fingers.

Mouth play ideas for babies

Do mouth play for 3 to 5 minutes before a tube feed, then continue through the tube feed.

Make sure your pēpi is awake, comfortable and relaxed. Hold them close to you, either lying on their side or facing you. Skin-to-skin contact will help calm your baby.

Mouth play ideas for babies aged under 6 months

This is the time to get your pēpi used to being active during feeds. Get them to engage their lips, tongue, cheek, mouth and jaw throughout the feeding process.

Lots of touch

• do lots of kissing and stroking of your baby’s face leading down to the mouth
• stroke and touch your baby’s lips, tongue, cheeks and jaw to get them used to your touch
• then use an empty teat, finger toothbrush or soft toy to get them used to different sensations

Encourage sucking 

• encourage your baby to suck with a pacifier or on your finger
• dip your pēpi's pacifier in expressed breast milk or formula before giving it to them to suck
• check first with your SLT or health professional this is OK to do  

• Stop if your baby shows signs of distress. This includes gagging, pulling away or changes in their breathing. 

Moving From Tube Feeding To Oral Feeding

Mouth play ideas for babies aged 6 months and older  

Move from their outer face to inside their mouth

Make sure your baby is in a chair, seated comfortably or supported in your arms or against your body. 

Use mouthing or teething toys and place them on the outer face first. Touch the lips, cheek, upper and lower face. Then move them inside the mouth first touching the tongue and gums, as your baby lets you.

Encourage their tongue to move from side to side  

Use a non-food item that is stick shaped and move it side to side on the lips then the front gums and then to the back gums. This encourages the tongue to move from side to side, which is an early chewing skill. It is really important to encourage this skill at this age.  

Stop if your baby shows signs of distress. This includes gagging, coughing, pulling away or changes in their breathing. 

Encourage them to explore toys and objects with their mouth  

Encourage your baby to put toys and objects in their mouth. Make sure you do not use items which could be a choking hazard.

Stick-shaped toys are best, and you could also use other toys, empty spoons and cups. 

Help your child by placing your hand on theirs and guide them to move the item to their mouth. 

Use non-food items if your child cannot have foods yet. 

Encourage chewing skills using food 

Using food is better than non-food items if your child can have food.  

Foods that don’t break off easily are best to encourage chewing skills:

• baby rusks
• toast fingers
• biltong
• ginger nut biscuits  

Check with your SLT before introducing food items. Some of these food items may not be appropriate if your baby has teeth and could bite a piece off. 

A safe way to help your child try harder to chew foods is to wrap or put food in:

• muslin
• organza pouches
• silicone feeders
• gauze feeders 

Involve your baby at mealtime  

It is important that your child participates at whānau (family) mealtimes. Tube feed them at the table while the whānau is having dinner.

Your baby will learn by watching you eat and drink.

Talk to your SLT or feeding team if you have any questions.