Sucking Difficulties

Feeding is one of the first and most important skills a newborn learns—but for some babies, especially those born prematurely, sucking from the bottle or breast can be a challenge.

Difficulties with sucking may affect your baby’s ability to feed effectively, gain weight, or stay alert and comfortable during feeds. Even full-term infants may show signs of feeding difficulty due to oral motor immaturity, poor latch, fatigue, or other developmental factors.

Why Sucking Matters

Effective sucking requires coordination of the suck–swallow–breathe cycle. If this coordination is disrupted, babies may:

• Tire easily during feeds
• Take a very long time to feed
• Struggle to latch or maintain suction
• Gag, choke, or show signs of stress during feeding
• Have difficulty gaining weight or staying hydrated

What to Expect During a Feeding Assessment

Our speech therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your baby’s feeding skills, which may include:

• Physical examination of oral structures (tongue, lips, jaw, palate)
• Assessment of your child’s sucking skills
• Observation of your baby feeding at the breast or with the bottle
• Assessment of suck strength, rhythm, and coordination
• Review of your current feeding techniques, positions, and equipment

Following the assessment, we will work closely with you to develop a feeding plan tailored to your baby’s needs.

Supporting your child’s feeding

Based on your baby’s feeding profile, recommendations may include:

• Adjustments to feeding technique, pace, or positioning
• Changes to nipple flow rate or bottle type
• Modifications to feeding schedule to support endurance and hunger cues
• Oral motor exercises or activities to strengthen sucking reflexes and improve coordination

All interventions are gentle, developmentally appropriate, and focused on making feeding a more comfortable and effective experience for both you and your baby.

Working with the family

We understand how emotional feeding challenges can be in the early months of life. Our role is to support, educate, and empower you with the tools and knowledge to help your baby feed safely, grow well, and enjoy the feeding relationship.

If you’re concerned about your baby’s ability to feed at the breast or bottle, you are not alone—and help is available.

Contact us to schedule a feeding assessment or to learn more about our early feeding support services.