How Cleft Lip & Cleft Palate Babies can Succeed in Self-Feeding with Vikash K. Modi, MD

#148: Can babies with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate successfully do baby-led weaning? July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness month and in this episode I’m joined by Vikash K. Modi, MD. Dr. Modi is a Pediatric Otorhinolaryngologist and Co-Director of the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Program. He’s explaining the difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with baby-led weaning and starting solids. For babies with cleft palates, there may be more challenges but Dr. Modi shares tips for promoting self-feeding success in these babies, even though the transition to solid foods occurs usually when the baby is awaiting cleft palate repair surgery. We also cover drinking for babies with cleft lips and cleft palates and how sippy cup and straw cups are not indicated for cleft palate but why open cup working will work. If you’ve struggled with feeding your baby breastmilk or formula because of cleft anomalies, please know that things WILL get easier when you make the transition to solid foods. Listen to this episode to learn: The difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with BLW How cleft palate babies can succeed with BLW leading up to and following surgical repair Why open cup drinking is preferred over straw and sippy cup for cleft palate babies Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/148 Links from This Episode: Dr. Modi’s Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center bio is here More info about the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Team is here Learn more about National Craniofacial and Cleft Awareness Month (July)  Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program   Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices