BloomBaby Occupational Therapy and Wellness

05/29/2026

It’s that time again!

Join us for the first Belly Babies class of the summer! ☀️

Belly Babies is a casual and educational class designed for babies and caregivers to learn:
🌻tummy time positions and progressions
🌻 ways to support motor development
🌻 tips to prevent torticollis and flat spots
🌻 fun ways to make tummy time enjoyable for baby

Email [email protected] to secure a spot!

05/20/2026

Messy mealtimes = LEARNING 🧠

Babies learn about the world through their senses!

Touch✋🏻, Taste👅, Smell👃🏻, Movement🌀, Sight👁️, and Sound👂🏻

That’s why allowing babies to explore with their whole body is such an important part of development. 🌻

When babies squish, smear, and play with food, they’re building sensory pathways and learning to tolerate different textures. 🍓

This process is called desensitization! 🌸

Desensitization is the process of gradually reducing sensitivity or negative reactions to a sensory experience through repeated, safe exposure.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “A baby has to try a food 10 times before they figure out if they like it.”

This is desensitization. Each time the baby is exposed to the food and allowed to freely explore and play, the baby is being desensitized to the texture, taste, smell, sight, and sound of that food.🥑

The earlier we introduce it, the easier it can be!

So if mealtime gets messy, that’s OK! The mess is an essential part of learning. 💚
Hey there 👋🏻 I’m Emily - owner of , pediatric occupational therapist trained in neuro-developmental treatment, and infant feeding specialist 🫐 I help families help their babies flourish, thrive, and 🌸 BLOOM 🌱 follow for more if this was helpful!!

05/13/2026

✨The Guppy Pose ✨

The “guppy pose” is one of my favorite gentle stretches for babies.

It’s a gentle chest-opening position used to help lengthen tight neck muscles and encourage better posture which support optimal feeding skills!

During this session ⬆️, I am facilitating the “guppy pose” over the therapy ball.

This is one of the more advanced/challenging variations of the pose. There are many other medications that can be used depending on your baby’s age, comfort level, strength, and tolerance.

Some benefits of the “guppy pose” for infants:
🌸 Opens the chest and shoulders
🌸 Encourages neck extension and improved posture
🌸 Promotes mobility of neck and jaw
🌸 Supports more efficient breathing patterns
🌸 Encourages midline orientation and body awareness
🌸 Stretches tight anterior neck muscles and fascia
🌸 Supports vestibular and proprioceptive input

Babies spend a lot of time curled up both in the womb and after birth in containers, carriers, and swings. The “guppy pose” gently opens up the front of the body to encourage stretching, movement, and better alignment.

This pose is especially helpful for babies with torticollis, reflux-related posturing, feeding difficulties, tongue ties, and overall tightness through the chest, neck and jaw.

🌷In this picture, I added an extra challenge! 🌷
Suck training with the Avent Soothie pacifier to promote tongue range of motion AND strengthening…at the same time!

The “guppy pose” on the therapy ball can feel like an overwhelming stretch/exercise for caregivers at first! I provide hands-on education, guidance, and coaching to help families safely and confidently perform this stretch with their baby.

I also provide modifications tailored to each baby and caregiver’s comfort level! Because all babies are NOT the same.

Please only try this stretch under the guidance of a trained professional.

🌱This content is educational only and is not medical advice! Always consult your pediatric therapist before attempting new exercises with your baby. 🌱

04/08/2026

Does your baby only look one way?
Prefer feeding from one breast over the other?
Have flattening on one side of the head?

These can all be signs of torticollis ‼️

Torticollis is a musculoskeletal condition characterized by unilateral shortening or tightness of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, resulting in ipsilateral head tilt and contralateral cervical rotation.

In other words….
If your baby has torticollis, a tight muscle in their neck causes the head to tilt to one side while turning to the other side.

This postural asymmetry can lead to difficulty turning head to both sides, delays with head control (poor tolerance to tummy time), and feeding difficulties.

📽️ In this video, I’m gently stretching the lateral flexors of the neck (both sides) while stabilizing the opposite shoulder to ensure a deep, prolonged stretch.

It’s never too early to try this stretch! Newborns have been in a tight space for months🤰🏻Early movement helps to keep their muscles flexible and supports healthy development! 💪🏻

Babies tend to tolerate and even ENJOY this stretch! They are face-to-face with their parent which supports eye contact, connection, and even early communication (babbling)! 🗣️

Early detection and treatment of torticollis is KEY 🔑
The earlier we address the neck tightness, the easier it is to improve the baby’s range of motion and prevent issues caused by torticollis.

If something feels off with your baby’s head shape, preferences, or movement, DON’T WAIT!
Trust your gut and reach out. 🌸

Save this video for later or share with a new parent! 🌻

Hey there 👋🏻 I’m Emily - owner of , pediatric occupational therapist trained in neuro-developmental treatment, and infant feeding specialist 🫐 I help families help their babies flourish, thrive, and 🌸 BLOOM 🌱 follow for more if this was helpful!!

03/03/2026

When a family trusts you with something as vulnerable as feeding their baby... it means everything. 🤍

Watching a little one transition from a feeding tube to nursing and taking bottles is incredible, but empowering a mom to trust her baby and trust herself? That's the real milestone. 🌻

Feeding therapy isn't just stretches, exercises, and skill-building (although those matter). It's building confidence. It's creating a clear plan. It's believing in a child's abilities before they can show you what they're capable of. 🍼

Stories like this are why BloomBaby exists.🌷

"This support was just as life-changing as the physical progress."✨

If you're navigating infant feeding challenges, you are not alone. 🤍

Early support can change the feeding trajectory for you and your baby. LET’S BLOOM! 🌸

08/29/2025

When the dress code is BloomBaby Green 🌱

05/29/2025

03/27/2025

When your niece is model material 🍓

The fruit teether is my absolute favorite first teether toy! It is light weight and easy to grasp!
And they are shaped like cute little fruit! 🍇

I recommend introducing this teether at 3 months! 👶🏼

You can start by placing it in your baby’s hand and assisting them with bringing hand to mouth -> then working towards baby independently reaching and grasping the teether and bringing to mouth in all positions: back, tummy, assisted sitting, and independent sitting 🌸

At this age, a “teether toy” is used for oral exploration, tongue range of motion/strengthening, and coordination of hand to mouth rather than for “teething gums”🌱

Don’t wait until they are “teething” or your baby will miss out on practicing these important skills!🍊

02/18/2025

My clinical experiences have shaped me into the occupational therapist that I am today! ☀️

I was lucky to have leaders that cultivated learning and saw the importance of quality patient care. 🌱

I take everything that I have learned along the way and bring it to each of my BloomBaby sessions. Every past patient, every concerned parent, every knowledgeable teammate - they stick with me. 🌷

My BloomBaby dream came true because of them! 💫

02/07/2025

I get to work with the best families!
My goal is to educate parents and give them the tools to help their babies BLOOM 🌻 We are a team!