Ep 146 - Pediatric Feeding Specialist Teaches Parents Baby-Led Mealtime | Tooth Or Dare Podcast with Toothlife.Irene

Welcome to the 146th episode of the Tooth or Dare Podcast with Irene Iancu (@toothlife.irene) and this week's guest Dawn Winkelmann (@msdawnslp).

Do you remember learning how to eat? Were you a picky eater growing up? What does this have to do with dentistry? Surprisingly, a lot - keep listening to find out! 

Infancy is a critical stage of development, a time when babies learn survival skills and good (or bad) habits. Dawn emphasizes the importance of baby-led mealtime, in which babies learn to feed themselves instead of being literally spoon-fed by parents. Eating is a sensory experience with so much going on, and it’s crucial for parents to make sure their child is swallowing correctly, getting enough nutrition, and exposed to a variety of foods to prevent potential issues down the road. Having the right knowledge is not enough however, so Dawn also shows us how her specially designed baby-led utensils help teach tiny humans the safe way to enjoy liquid and solid foods.

Guest Bio:

Dawn Winkelmann is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Pediatric Feeding Therapist specializing in infant swallowing. She has over 25 years of experience teaching parents, therapists, and caregivers how to feed children of all abilities. Through her private practice, Ms. Dawn provides in-home feeding therapy and online coaching, helping parents start solids safely with the baby-led weaning (BLW) approach. She also teaches techniques to help with picky eating, tube feeding, children with special needs (Autism, Down syndrome, etc.), as well as medically compromised kiddos who struggle to eat a variety of foods + liquids. 

Ms. Dawn is the inventor of several feeding products, including the award-winning ezpz Tiny Cup & Tiny Spoon (for infants) as well as the Mini Cup & Straw-Training System, Mini Utensils, and Mini Feeding Set (for toddlers), available for purchase at Nordstrom’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and Amazon. She is the co-author of the book Making Mealtime ezpz, which has been highlighted on The View and Shark Tank. Her blogging and product design skills are widely sought-after by pediatric brands seeking expert medical advice. 

For more information and to connect with Dawn, check out her social media profiles:

Instagram: @msdawnslp

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