Feeding isn’t just about calories. It’s communication.

When your baby latches—or doesn’t—there’s a message behind it. And at Phia, we’ve learned that baby feeding struggles are often the first signs that a mother needs help.

We asked our clinical team—IBCLCs, nurses, and infant therapists—what feeding tells us about maternal recovery, and why it’s often the earliest signal that something’s off.

Feeding is the mirror.

Sometimes the baby refuses one side. Or feeds frantically, like they’re panicked. Or falls asleep too fast, too often.

To most parents, it looks like “a baby problem.”

But to us, it can mean:

• Pelvic floor tension or surgical pain (when mom’s body position is altered)

• Postpartum anxiety (hypervigilance, feeding aversion)

• Oversupply from hormonal shifts

• Low milk due to undernutrition or stress

• Birth trauma (C-section, NICU separation)

• Silent mood disorders (especially when mom says “I’m fine” but reports a rigid feeding schedule or extreme guilt)

Feeding is a dyad. When something is off with one, it’s almost always a two-sided issue.

What we watch for:

Here are just a few baby behaviors that flag deeper support needs:

• Always feeding on one side: Can point to torticollis (baby) or pain (mom)

• Constant latching/unlatching: Suggests fast letdown, oversupply, or stress

• Falling asleep after 2 minutes: Might be ineffective suck or maternal low milk

• Gagging, clicking, leaking: Could be oral motor dysfunction—needs OT or SLP

• Weight gain stalls: Often blamed on “bad supply” but usually needs full dyad assessment

We don’t just send another PDF. We escalate—quickly.

What happens inside Phia when we see feeding issues

1. Lactation (IBCLC) checks latch, supply, feeding position, and maternal experience

2. If it’s motor-related, we loop in OT or SLP to assess baby’s tone, suck, and oral coordination

3. If there’s maternal pain, stress, or low intake, we escalate to RN, dietitian, or therapist

4. If needed, we refer to pediatric or psychiatric support for further eval

All of this happens in one system. Because this isn’t about isolated feeding—it’s about function.

When your baby eats better, so do you.

We’ve seen it again and again:

• Baby starts feeding calmly → mom’s milk increases → mom sleeps more

• Baby gains weight → mom stops blaming herself → mood lifts

• Baby switches sides → mom realizes her pain is real → PT starts

• Baby feeds safely → ER visit averted

This is what integrated care looks like: one symptom, full-body response.

Final note from the team:

At Phia, we treat feeding as a system—not just a latch problem. Your baby’s patterns tell us how you’re doing. And your body, your stress, your recovery all shape how your baby feeds. That’s why we built a team around the whole story.