Oral exercises for babies
Oral Exercises help babies improve feeding skills!
The uterus is a tight place, and birth is a bumpy ride! All babies need time and a bit of help, to “unwind” post-birth - some more/some less. I call this…
“De-uterizing”
For babies with oral tension and/or ties, torticollis, and other body tension/asymmetry - bodywork and oral exercises are especially important. They help you get to know your baby’s movements, and help them start new motor patterns for better feeding. As you work with your baby note their strength and symmetry - and how they change over time. This will help you to see how much you are helping your baby to change and grow!
Feeling overwhelmed? I totally get it - this is a lot! Check out the videos below (in each section start with the ones marked ***, and come back for more when you are ready)
Let’s start with the basic set of skills, which are:
Tongue side to side motion (lateralizing)
Tongue extension
Tongue cupping
Suckling/undulation
Rhythmic jaw motions
A palate that can be touched without too much gagging
Infant Oral Exercises (***) and Infant Suck Training by Lisa Lahey, RN, IBCLC, OMT
Infant Suck Training Exercises, and Facial Massage and Oral Exercises by LA Lactation
Facial Massage and Oral-Motor Exercises by Mighty Kiddos
Think of these as quick/playful “can you follow my finger?” sessions. Great to try during diaper changes or when baby is on your lap.
Then add “suck training’
When baby is suckling on your finger (or a pacifier or an empty bottle nipple) from the above video ideas:
*** “Tug of war” to strengthen the suction (slightly pull your finger out so baby sucks back in response)
Feel for their tongue to:
Cup and stay on your finger the whole time (think of your finger as the hot dog and the baby’s tongue as the hot dog bun).
Stay forward (tip of the tongue between their gums and your finger) even while suckling
You should not:
Feel/hear air intake
Feel the tongue tip flick/retract back (or the baby’s gums)
Be able to easily pull your finger out while the baby is suckling.
Then challenge their ability to suckle with a wider mouth
*** Tug down on their chin while doing “suck training”.
Look for them to keep their tongue fully extended, lifted up and cupped even as you challenge them (here’s a baby having trouble with this skill)
Promote closed tongue/palate contact, closed mouth breathing, and tongue lift strength
*** Sleeping Tongue Posture Hold (also excellent for post-frenotomy (tie-release) stretches) -
What if your baby is not doing some of these skills?
There are many exercises to help - we will choose them to specifically work certain motions. Here’s one example - these Infant Oral Exercises by Bryna Sampey, IBCLC - where she shows specific ideas to aid a baby having trouble with tongue lateralization and cupping.
Enhance oral exercises with oral/motor implements (toys, teethers and pacifiers)
Instagram video with overview of oral motions and how to use toys/teethers to enhance them
Instagram posts showing toys/teethers in use - One, Two, Three
Use vibration! Hold something in your hand that gently vibrates (toothbrush, vibrator, or even one of these “oral jiggers”) - the baby will feel your finger vibrating as you do the exercises, which may stimulate their movements even more. You can also use direct vibration if it’s gentle like this infant toothbrush.
Recommended oral/motor toys and teethers (these are examples - feel free to get toy/teethers that are similar)
For tongue exploring (extension, lateralization, etc) - the O-ball, or any ball with texture (like these), this Innobaby “Star" Teether, these Fruit Teethers, or really anything the baby can push their tongue toward, into and around is great.
Tongue lateralizing, phasic bite/chewing and palate desensitizing - these Teething Tubes (also great for tongue exploration!), this Comotomo Teether, the “Bunny” teether, the Zoli teether, Banana Teether, this Nuk Brush. Really any teether/toy that has extensions to mouth, chew, and explore. This Round Teether with a wooden ring has shorter projections for a baby with a particularly sensitive gag.
Suckling - this Penguin Teether, and this ”Chicken" Teether are suck trainers and teethers/chewers at the same time. The Ninni pacifier is unique - it’s wider/softer than other pacifiers so it’s a bit more challenging to hold. Putting your finger inside of the Ninni can help them use it at first, and then progress from there (see an example in my video library.
Babies have a great grasp reflex, so anything that has a thin “bar” or graspable holds is easy for a baby to hold on their own (for how long depends on their age) - many examples above are in this category!
