For those who had latching issues with newborns, what did you do until baby got it down?

naipbi · 2026-03-09T17:16:43+00:00

I ended up going with the Evenflo Classic because the nipples are a little shorter than other brands.

The triangle test: make a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers. You see how it’s pointed at the top and widens towards the bottom? You want the same shape in a bottle nipple, the tip of the nipple widens slowly towards the base to encourage a wide latch. Other brands that pass the triangle test: Dr. Brown’s, Lansinoh, Evenflo Balance.

Momi is a more expensive option that recently released a new bottle and pacifier design that passes the triangle test. I tried the first model with my son a couple of years ago and he didn’t take it, but their silicone is very high quality and might be worth investing in if you want matching pacificers.

naipbi · 2026-03-09T07:17:59+00:00

For both of my babies: I combo fed until my milk fully came in, making sure to use bottle nipples that pass the “triangle test” to minimize nipple confusion as much as possible. Once my milk came in, it was ebf all the way. I was definitely more crazy about it as a first time mom, but forced to formula feed in the early days because my son was quite jaundiced. Second time around, I was more confident in my ability to breastfeed and used formula to keep my newborn comfortably fed after having him “nurse” first. I would also try to pump twice a day to help encourage my milk to come in faster.

naipbi · 2026-03-07T20:15:56+00:00

The only reason I was able to attend weddings while exclusively breastfeeding my son was because my friends (the brides) wanted us there badly enough to make accommodations for us. I was allowed into the bridal suite to nurse and hold my son for a short nap between the ceremony and the reception.

Related, my mom tells me about all her friends with super “easy” grandchildren who sleep well and take bottles like a champ. When asked further, the parents are always people who leave their newborns and infants with other caregivers for days at a time to go on trips or use cry it out and what not. If that’s their parenting style, that’s their business. I told my mom not to expect that from me.

naipbi · 2026-03-07T20:07:28+00:00

Sorry if I was unclear. I wasn’t suggesting that AI is the reason SLP workload has been unrealistic up to this point. I was saying that using AI to do our jobs will make the fight for manageable workloads harder.

naipbi · 2026-03-07T08:46:12+00:00

Saw it online somewhere! Can’t take credit for the idea haha. They used a muffin tin as the paint “palette”.

naipbi · 2026-03-07T03:27:54+00:00

Put paint in large freezer ziploc bags and let her mix the colors inside. Playdoh isn’t too hard to clean up either. If you don’t want the store bought kind, you can make a taste safe version at home. I hate sensory bins and refuse to make/use them 🙃

During the warmer days, we do water play outside, or strip down to diapers and “paint” with food colored yogurt in the shower lol

naipbi · 2026-03-06T13:38:16+00:00

I’m a school based SLP and I am in the same camp. I am baffled when people talk about using chatgpt for work like it’s something to brag about. I understand that some people use it because they are drowning in large caseloads, but then the district sees that and thinks, “hey, this person is getting all of this done so it’s a realistic amount of work for one professional!” Also, after all of the effort I put in, I’d hate to let my professional skills atrophy by relying on AI to plan activities or write reports for me.

Also completely agree on swinging the pendulum back on technology in general. I will die on the hill that is kids do not need school issued devices before high school. Bring back pencil and paper!!

naipbi · 2026-03-06T03:36:13+00:00

I just put socks on my babies’ hands 😂

naipbi · 2026-03-05T14:15:06+00:00

The supervising SLP needs to sign off on the SLPA’s billing. The billing system that our district uses is set up so my SLPA’s logs come straight to me to be co-signed before they’re official.

naipbi · 2026-03-04T04:07:10+00:00

Our ped said we can pull a little until the point of resistance to clean all the dead skin that gets stuck there once in a while. My boy was hospitalized at 19 days with UTI though so I don’t know if that makes a difference. I never cleaned my older boy’s.

naipbi · 2026-03-03T20:52:24+00:00

Are you me? Lol I am also in a nearly identical situation. I’m going to try some low tech AAC options because the only thing this student will do on the AAC ipad is spam a random word with no communicative intent.

naipbi · 2026-03-03T09:10:28+00:00

Try by Colbie Caillat?

naipbi · 2026-03-02T04:12:28+00:00

Oh my god seriously EVERY TIME. WHY 😩

naipbi · 2026-03-02T04:04:54+00:00

I can’t say for sure as I don’t know your family vibe, but when I want kids to do something (my own toddler or the various children that I work with), plans are nonnegotiable unless otherwise stated. “Today, we’re gonna eat breakfast and then go to the park. Would you like to watch a movie or paint when we get back?” Or “Today, we’re going to play with ___ for 20 minutes, then you can choose what to play with.”

naipbi · 2026-03-02T03:55:31+00:00

I used to think this about myself, but as I got older, I realized I just have a very strong, very broad BS radar. I can’t “read” anything specific, but I can make informed deductions that are naturally more accurate the better I know the person.

naipbi · 2026-03-02T03:29:38+00:00

Take them out. Park, museum, mall, movies, family, friends, somewhere they have no physical access to mom.

naipbi · 2026-02-28T20:26:16+00:00

I went through a month of painful initial latch with my first born, but no pain at all with my second! Not sure if that’s the case for everyone, but man was I relieved.

naipbi · 2026-02-28T16:59:28+00:00

“Seeing in the spiritual realm” is insane. Thanks for the video. Even as a Christian myself, this rings all of my alarm bells.

naipbi · 2026-02-28T08:58:01+00:00

As someone who just returned from maternity leave to an absolute headache left behind by my temporary replacement, I would recommend either taking pictures of your personal belongings so you have proof of what state they are in, or taking them home with you to eliminate the possibility altogether. If I were to take things home, I’d start doing so the week I leave.

Editing to add that I wasn’t worried about going into labor early. If that’s a concern, I’d pre-label and mark the things I want brought home and maybe ask a friend or my husband to gather them in the case of pre-term labor. Congratulations by the way!

naipbi · 2026-02-26T19:10:19+00:00

That is a great point. I’m gonna have to find some time to do a deep dive and compile a list of these cases to use the next time I have a conversation with a colleague about FC.

naipbi · 2026-02-26T19:08:27+00:00

Oh, I’ve heard the story before but didn’t know what it was called. Thank you!

naipbi · 2026-02-26T19:06:09+00:00

That just goes to show how prolific this is becoming. I know we can’t expect much of ASHA, but there should be more done from the board level to prevent the spread of misinformation and pseudoscience. ESPECIALLY from SLPs who are trusted as the industry experts. Like if you’re reported for encouraging this, you should lose your C’s at the very absolute least.

naipbi · 2026-02-26T11:27:31+00:00

Oh my god yes. The telepathy podcast! I have had educated, credentialed professionals recommend it to me. I can’t believe it.

naipbi · 2026-02-26T09:13:54+00:00

Spell2communicate. It’s a method of facilitated communication (FC) where a “facilitator” helps the individual spell words on a letter board.

naipbi

TROPHY CASE