Episode 72: From reflux and fussy eating to peace at the dinner table, this is Jemma’s story.

Today I’m joined by Nourishing Kids member Jemma, a mum of two who shares her journey from the early days of reflux and sleepless nights to navigating fussy eating and finding peace at the dinner table.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Jemma for several years, and her story is one that so many parents will relate to. From the guilt of wondering what’s “wrong,” to the relief of discovering the right support, Jemma’s experience is a reminder that feeding challenges are not a reflection of failure, but a part of parenting that can be transformed with the right tools.

In this episode, we talk through the ups and downs, the small wins that built momentum (like that first bite of chicken!), and the mindset shifts that helped Jemma change her family’s relationship with food. If you’re raising a picky or fussy eater, this conversation will reassure you that you’re not alone—and that positive change is possible.

Links:
https://nourishwithkarina.com/feedingbabies
https://nourishwithkarina.com/membership

Highlights:

From Mealtime Struggles to Peace at the Table: Gemma’s Story (00:00.29)
From Fussy Eating to Food Freedom: Gemma’s Story of Letting Go of Guilt (02:12.684)
From Reflux to Peace at the Dinner Table: Gemma’s Story (04:33.398)
Something’s Not Right”: Trusting Your Gut as a Parent (09:18.274)
From Guilt to Growth: A Mum’s Journey Through Reflux and Fussy Eating (11:43.554)
From Band-Aid Fixes to Real Change: A Mum’s Journey With Fussy Eating (13:42.06)
The Surprising Secret to Fussy Eating Success: It Starts With Us (16:05.88)
Overcoming Reflux, Fussy Eating and Mum Guilt — Together (18:21.454)
Mindset, Mealtimes and Mum Life: Turning Fussy Eating into Fun (20:40.48)
It’s Just a Phase: What Parents Need to Know About Fussy Eating (23:06.326)
The Power of Knowing: Why Trusting the Process Matters with Fussy Eaters (25:26.764)
The Big Shift: Why Fussy Eating is a Process, Not a Problem (27:48.152)
You’re Doing Great: A Message for Parents of Fussy Eaters (30:16.266)
Trust the Process: From Reflux Battles to Mealtime Wins (32:42.988)
Hope at the Table: How One Family Transformed Mealtimes (35:05.87)

Show notes

READ TRANSCRIPT

Show Notes

If you’re struggling with a picky eater or fussy eater and need practical tools, my Fussy Eater Program inside my Nourishing Kids Membership will help you move towards calmer, happier mealtimes.

Explore more nutritious foods and quick easy food ideas with my Healthy Recipes for Kids.

For tailored support, visit me at Nourish with Karina.

From Mealtime Struggles to Peace at the Table: Gemma’s Story (00:00.29)
Being able to go through the motions and change the mindset and watch the new patterns emerge, having that stress go down and the guilt and all of that is, yeah, it's just amazing. You're listening to the Easy Feed podcast, episode number 72. From reflux and fussy eating to peace at the dinner table. Here, Gemma's story. Hi there.

I'm Karina Savage and with over 20 years experience feeding children, including my own, I've learnt all the secrets that busy mums need to get their children eating better and actually enjoying healthy foods. So a huge welcome to the Easy Feed podcast.

It is a huge pleasure. I'm very excited to welcome Gemma to the podcast today. Gemma has been a beautiful mum that I've known now for many years. And I've been wanting to chat to Gemma on the easy feed for quite a while now. And we finally got it sorted and I've finally got her on and I'm really, really excited to have Gemma here with me today to chat about her journey.

beating her children. a huge welcome to you, Gemma. Thank you so much for being here. Thanks. Hi, Karita. It's so good to be on here. I've always thought, you know, listening to your podcast, I'm like, come on, there was a, so here's the day. You manifested it. I must have. No, it's wonderful to have you here chatting today because, you know, you've been through a journey and I've watched, you know, you really transformed the way that you

feed your children and, you know, ridden the highs and the lows with you. And yeah, I just wanted you to share that journey because I think, you know, it's very, a very common journey for parents. I've certainly experienced a similar journey myself. And so I wanted to share it with others because I think it can definitely help when we share our stories. And, you know, as moms and new moms, the guilt, the guilt. so.

From Fussy Eating to Food Freedom: Gemma’s Story of Letting Go of Guilt (02:12.684)
You know, being able to share this journey, I hope that I can sort of take some of that away from, from other new moms or, know, especially when you sort of think there's something not right. I need help. Reach out. Yeah. Great. All right. Well, let's dive into it. I wanted to start off by asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself. Yeah. So,

I've got two young kids. My husband and have a little three-nager at the moment. And we also got a wee boy, he's just gone 18 months. So it's fun at the moment in our house, to say the least. I have a few fun questions for you to start off with. One of them is if your child could live off, and you can pick, or probably your eldest, I guess, or you can pick both of them. But if your child or children could live off just one food forever.

What would it be? Oh gosh. I've taught my daughter everything I know. So I think that would have to be sugar or chocolate. I think and pasta. and my boy, he's, he's a little bit of a savoury nut. He, um, he just loves biscuits and crackers and stuff like that. Biscuits and crackers. It's not interesting how, you know, my kids are quite different too with their taste preferences. Um, and yeah.

Yeah. Okay. So one's more of a sweet tooth and one's more of a savoury. Yeah. She sort of follows me and he follows his dad. And there you go. Nothing like genetics, right? That's right. That's right. Or maybe it's what they see as well. Do they see you guys eating it? Oh yeah. We're always, I'm always at the fridge sneaking a little bit of chocolate while she's not looking. Well, I think she's not looking and, um, what have you got there? Nothing? Well, what's it about? There go. So you're sneaking about, you're not sneaking.

I know. know. It's terrible. It's not a good look though, because we don't want them to sneak it, do we? you know, that's a very good point. Yeah. I think it's a tricky one because you don't want them to see you eating it. So, I mean, I've done that too, you know, when they're about at night. I always say it's better for them to learn how it fits into a healthy balance life. So, you know, I think indirectly it's not a bad thing that she sees you eating it.

From Reflux to Peace at the Dinner Table: Gemma’s Story (04:33.398)
I guess it just depends on how often we're eating it. Yeah, that's it. I'm always doing it at the naughty times too, like just before dinner when I've said, no, you can't have any more snacks. So I like, you know, and that's another teachable moment too, isn't it? It's a parent's like, lead by example, you know, so. Yeah. But I think as a mum, that's when you need something to keep you going. Yeah. The most stressful part of the day is just before dinner, isn't it? Yeah. I reckon that's when, like, I remember, you know, when I had two little ones, you're

your date and I remember you needed the coffee in the morning and I can buy about five o'clock. You just need something to keep you going and it might be a glass of wine or it might be some chocolate. You just need something I think psychologically just to keep going, just to put some energy in the tank. get through. A hundred percent. So it makes sense. And you have like full approval to be sneaking chocolate at that time.

You don't need approval, you do what you need to get through. Cause I tell you, it's such a fun age. I loved that age. It's such a magical age having like a three year old and 18 month old, but it's also super full on. Yes. No, but it is, it is so much fun with them and you know, the things that I see them come out with and learn every day. It's just absolutely, most of the time it's hysterical. And they like to do things like, you know, paint the dog and...

do all sorts of fun things. like, I scroll back through my photos now to those times and I like, see a video of my dog that's got glitter all over it and is blinking as the poor thing's got some glitter in its eye. And I'm like, oh my God, bad parent moment. But like, it's just such a cute, I'd love play. What it is, you know, and looking back at the pictures of videos, just, yeah, the poor dog's been painted in glitter, but how much fun did they have? The kids had fun. Before a dog.

Oh my gosh. All right. Now I want to rewind back to when we first met. Oh my goodness. Your daughter must've been around the age of one, but I want to just go back to what things were like for you back then. So tell me a little bit about it. Oh, I'll never forget it. So she's actually about six months old when we first met. Um, from the moment she was born, she had severe reflux unbeknownst to us. Uh,

How One Mum Navigated Reflux, Fussy Eating & Guilt (06:52.594)
And I was trying my hardest at the time when I met you to introduce her to as many foods as possible to, funnily enough, avoid being a fussy toddler. But I was also trying to figure out, you know, which foods to avoid because she had that reflux. She would vomit after every feed, no matter what we did. So, you know, at the time I was mixed feeding formula with breast milk. And I was also going on and off dairy myself. I saw something on Facebook that said it could be that.

The pediatrician and GPs told us to give her Gaviscon and we were going down the Losec Road. I wasn't comfortable with that and it wasn't working. Honestly, it was like a non waterproof bandaid. So, you know, she was showing those sorts of reflux and gut issues. And I noticed some really early on, like those little choking sounds while she slept and anybody who's got a baby with reflux will know exactly what I'm talking about there.

And you sort of don't quite know what it is, but you know that it's not right, but you know that they're still safe. And, you know, trying to get her to sleep, was just agonizing. She would scream and scream and my husband and I would take turns with each other when the other was burned out, would swap. And it was horrible. And it really took a toll on our mental health. But when we finally would get her to sleep,

We'd have to have her on a raised mattress because laying down on her back, bought the gastric juices back up and was obviously burning her and making her feel uncomfortable so she'd wake up. So her sleep was awful. Naturally our sleep was awful, you know, and the guilt, the guilt was insane. Maybe we're bad parents, we're not doing something right, something's missing, you know, all of that playing into it and the late night Googling and all of that. it just...

It wasn't working, so we were spinning in circles and she was crying all the time. I was crying all the time and my husband was sick with worry about both myself and our daughter. You know, what had I eaten? What had she eaten? Three o'clock in the morning, we're googling all of this and I knew there was something to do with dairy, but I didn't know that it was more than that. And the internet searches and the calls to the midwives at, you know, three o'clock in the morning were amazing, but

Something’s Not Right”: Trusting Your Gut as a Parent (09:18.274)
They couldn't tell me what was wrong. It's so hard, isn't it? Yeah. So it's really hard and a hard time for her as well. Yeah. You've actually taken me back because my daughter wasn't that dissimilar. Her reflux and irritability. It's so hard. And you don't know what you're doing right or what you should be stressing about or what's normal. know, we thought, we knew something was wrong, but we also thought, well,

All babies cry, all babies vomit, but maybe ours is just a little bit worse than others and that's it. Well, it wasn't. It is hard to know, isn't it? Because you've got nothing to compare it to, especially when it's your first child and you think, am I just being soft? Do I just need to toughen up and have a teaspoon of cement or is there something really wrong here? And sometimes you don't find out till months or years later and then you're like, my gosh, it could have been so different. But you know, I think we met.

hopefully early-ish enough for you. How did you first come across me? I don't actually, don't even know this and that's why I'm asking, I'm interested. Well, I have an absolute fascination with dietetics. So before COVID, I was actually studying nutrition on the pathway to be a dietitian. And it's still my dream to go back and do so. So I knew it was a gut issue. I knew there was something food related.

There's something there. So I said to my husband, I said, I've had enough. She's had enough. We've all had enough. I need to go see a dietitian. And we're not the richest family, but as a newborn parent, you just sort of go, you've got newborn cash, right? You just throw money at anything you think you need. And I said, I don't care. We're going to see a dietitian. So I Googled pediatric dietitian and Farina's name came up and

When we first saw you, was just, it was magic from the first session. And the money wasn't an issue because they had paid for, the sessions had paid for themselves instantly. You know, our little girl was sick and we needed to fix it for her. So we just, we didn't care. And you know, I believe that the lack of

From Guilt to Growth: A Mum’s Journey Through Reflux and Fussy Eating (11:43.554)
foods we were able to give her and the fact that so many foods had made her sick is a big part of why she has developed fussy eating, like a primal instinct sort of thing. And so when you launched that, you said, you know, after a few months, you said, Hey, I'm about to launch this fussy eating program. Do you guys want to try it? And you explained all the foundations and my husband and I sort of looked at each other and just went, well, this is a new brainer for us. Like we are.

We're, we're, like you've, Karina's helped us so much already.

Yeah, that's really heartwarming to hear because I think I do, meet so many parents that have gone to the age of, 12, 18 months and they are still struggling. And I think, my gosh, I wish I'd met you earlier so that I could have helped you earlier because it can really change the trajectory for the child and also for you as parents.

comforting and reassuring to have a clear plan and especially when you see your child getting better. So I'm really glad that, that I was able to help you so much. It's great. Did you have any hesitations as to coming on, especially with the program? there something that you weren't sure about or? Not at all. Okay. so yeah, sorry, jumped in there. Like, no, I mean, after, you know, having that.

small background in nutrition. I'm a big believer of, know, food is medicine and myself struggling with depression and anxiety through my entire life. I know that those anti-inflammatory foods can really play a big part in your moods as well. So for me, having that knowledge and going, hey, she's vomiting, this is clearly some kind of gut issue.

From Band-Aid Fixes to Real Change: A Mum’s Journey With Fussy Eating (13:42.06)
dietitian, know, our pediatrician wasn't helping. didn't have the knowledge. Our GPs didn't have the knowledge. They were sort of band-aiding it. And I went, no. And so when you said, hey, we're launching this program. I said, yeah, absolutely. no hesitations at all. Yeah. I love what you said about the band-aid leaking because, and I have utmost respect for pediatricians and GPs and

They have to be, you know, a jack of all trades, but in this area, I find often parents don't get the level of support that they need because I can specialize in this area, but a pediatrician also needs to be able to specialize in, you know, everything from top to toe and same with the GP. And the parents often do spin in circles. You're right. And I think it's great when you can find someone to

take you through the journey that you need to go on without even, I guess, realising, but it's a journey that generally leads to much better outcomes for your children. So I'm really pleased to hear that you didn't have any hesitations in joining and perhaps also because you got to know me because we had a consultation that also helped. So let's now dive back into when you joined the program and what was it like when you joined and started to, you know,

Listen to some of the videos and tutorials and put some of those strategies into practice in relation to fussy eating. well, look, once we got Goli was actually a bit of a shock because I sort of, thought she was going to be doing a lot of the work, um, being the fussy eater. Uh, but it was a massive breakthrough for us as parents, um, by removing the stress from her, you know, she began experimenting all of a sudden.

And these are stresses that we didn't even know we were putting on her. You know, we weren't out to pressure her, but we were just doing what we were taught. know, eat what you've got. No dinner, no dessert, know, yada, yada, yada. And so stepping back and also looking at, you know, my own relationship with food. Um, and also for a possible new either a budget, it highlighted how much we need to change our approach. And you know, both our kids go through.

The Surprising Secret to Fussy Eating Success: It Starts With Us (16:05.88)
phases of eating us out of house and home and, you know, having a kid who vomited every single feed to this now amazing little powerhouse who's thriving and growing and thriving me up the wall and, you know, teaching me new things every day. It's just been a complete game changer. So good. So good. Can you remember a moment when you were sitting there early on going, okay, something is shifting here? yeah, the very first session with us.

Um, and you know, when I started the Fussy Eaters program, just seeing her experiment with the food was absolutely, you know, ran to the other room and just jumped for joy. Cause I didn't want to do any of your private because I didn't want to, know, like you said, no, put that stress and I just, oh, was so happy. So good. So good. you ran to the other room to celebrate cause you didn't want her seeing you celebrate.

No, yeah, exactly. Because part of the program is to not show any reaction to them trying new things because that can put pressure on them. And yeah, still to this day, we'll be sitting at the table and they'll try something new or they'll eat an entire bowl of something they've never liked before. And we sort of look at each other and give a little yes while they're not looking. love it. So good. So good. Yeah. remember you.

hosting something in our private chat group one time. I mean, you've posted lots of wins over the years in the private group, but I think it was something to do with chicken. You just were over the moon about the fact that she tried chicken because she ate it before and she wouldn't try it. I love the little wins that you share or the big wins that you've shared over your journey. It's been so good to see. Yeah. Well, I mean, look, it's baffling having a one-year-old who won't eat chicken or even chicken nuggets for that matter.

which we were a little bit excited about to be honest. But we tried for months and months and months to get her to eat chicken and she finally did and we were so excited. Now she could eat a whole bag of chicken nuggets, she would, but we try and limit that to special times.

Overcoming Reflux, Fussy Eating and Mum Guilt — Together (18:21.454)
Yeah, no, it was such a big, weird and a big milestone for us. I forgot about that one. So thanks so for reading it up. I remember, loved your, and lots of emojis and lots of emotion and lots of happiness and yeah, love riding the winds with you. It's great. It's so good. And I think it also gives others motivation too, being in the group, in the community, they see your winds and they're like, wow, like it can happen.

gives other people hope too, that it actually will work for them too. Absolutely. And I think the best part about sort of being in this program is obviously those big personal wins, but we're so grateful and excited to see other families wins. And this little community you've created with the Facebook group, but mainly the live calls,

I've found those live calls have made us sort of feel that connection with the other parents. Like I feel like I know them. and it's just this great little community of moms and dads who are just cheering each other on and you know, who are there for each other when sometimes I have seen them put up some losses, but you know, it's just great to be part of that community. Yeah. I think the losses are good too, because it's.

you know, when someone's frustrated, it keeps it real. It's like, well, we're all riding the winds at hard times because it's not always roses. know, the feeding journey or really raising kids in general is, you know, lots of ups and downs and trying to teach them about life. mean, you know, it's all, I guess we need to embrace everything and we're blessed that we've got them and we are, you know, we're in this role of parenthood, but it's, yeah, it's not all roses. And I think it's good that

were there for each other, I guess, during the tricky times. And that's, guess, why I created it, because I wanted parents to feel supported even during the darkest times, knowing that, you know, there's someone there for them. And then, you know, when they've got their wins to share, they do that too. And it's wonderful to see. And I think it does give other people hope that, you you will work for them too. They've just got to be in it. And I think that's the thing.

Mindset, Mealtimes and Mum Life: Turning Fussy Eating into Fun (20:40.48)
It's not fun, it's not glorified and it's not just about cutting carrots into pretty stars. You you just got to be there for all of it. And I think for me, trying to communicate the mindset side of things is so important. Like how do you feel that mindset for you has made a difference? I'm so grateful for, you know, that mindset shift because not only has it helped with nutrition,

But the tactics that you've given us in the program has helped us become better parents. We're now looking at the language we use, like is it age appropriate? Are they understanding what we're saying? And also how we deliver our messages. So not only at the dinner table, but also in all aspects of parenting. So it's really been great to have those mindset shifts and it gives you the opportunity to take.

a step back and you know, can also be fun because you get to think like a kid sometimes. I think it is good to try and lighten things up a bit and you know, keep it fun because kids are all about fun, aren't they? And if we tune into that frequency a little more, I think we would just get so much further with mule times. Absolutely. I mean, one interaction you shared with us a while back was how you would sit at the table with

your kids and crunch the capsicum and squirt the capsicum juice. And you're looking at it and just like, don't teach kids to play with food. But it really has helped. We do that with lettuce. I get them to eat lettuce because it's fun to crunch. And my 18-month-old is having competitions with my three-year-old. So who can crunch the loudest? Then they accidentally eat it. Oh no. And I bought snow peas the other day and

Obviously we can't eat those because they're green and healthy, but they are really fun to shoot the peas at each other if you can push down on them harder. So, you know, once upon a time I would have panicked at that, but now, you know, my husband and I just go, oh, eventually it'll make its way into their mouth. Like they're touching it. So that's great. 100%. Yep. I love that. And it's so true, builds familiarity and trust. And you're right that it will eventually make its way into their mouth. And this is where they're at on their...

It’s Just a Phase: What Parents Need to Know About Fussy Eating (23:06.326)
stages of learning to like that food. That's so good. You could also do that with heavy tried edamame, because I reckon you could shoot edamame beans out pretty well too. know how they- Okay. I haven't, but I might give that a go. They shoot out- Is it sugar snap peas or snow peas? I'm intrigued now on a try. I suppose you could do both really, but maybe sugar snap might be easier than peas because it's really hard to- Yeah. It's a nice and thick, but- Yeah.

Yeah, eat them up, be a much easier, shoot at one another. And corn is a good one too for squirting. Depends on the type of corn, but most of the corns you get, if they're fresh, they'll be juicy. Do your kids eat corn? Oh, they love it. Oh, okay. So not really a challenge on that one, yeah, they... corn coming out their ears.

And their poo just did in their poo. Corn always seems to get into the poo. So are mealtimes like more fun for you these days? Sometimes. You know, we have our weeks where, you know, they'll eat everything under the sun. And then there's weeks where they won't eat anything. and they won't sleep as well that week and tensions are higher and, you know, it's tougher.

But, you know, being in your program has taught me that, okay, there isn't actually something wrong with that because next week they'll go back to eating again. And the week after that, they'll stop eating. And the week after that, they'll eat again. So it's given me that peace of mind that, you know, it's not the end of the world. There's nothing wrong with them. They're fine. They're you know, their body's growing.

you know, rapidly from one week to the next. And this week isn't a growing week and they're not hungry. So I don't need to eat. And so those weeks is a little bit tougher than I think it is. But mostly, you know, it's so much better. you know, and my daughter's now at the age where we can start talking to her about her day and what she's been up to. You know, have you been a good friend today? And, you know, what did you do to help your friends or what did a friend do to help you? That sort of thing.

The Power of Knowing: Why Trusting the Process Matters with Fussy Eaters (25:26.764)
And it really, you know, having conversations with her now, it's, and three nager is an understatement, So cute. cute. You know, Gemma, I love what you said in terms of when you have a bad week, you're not as worried anymore. So for me, it sounds like your tolerance for fussy or poor eating is greater and your perception and your understanding of that bad week.

You know, what the story that you make in your mind is not, they're not getting enough. They're never going to eat again. Your mindset, your approach is now, well, they've had a bad week, big deal. They'll be better again next week or the week after. So your approach is very different now, a very positive approach where you can ride the good weeks and the bad weeks, knowing that overall they will be okay. And that's, that's, I think a real difference that I've seen in you. Would you agree with that?

Absolutely. And especially coming from, you know, her having such a hard time as an infant, that worry and stress when she's not eating is an hundred, you know? So being able to go through the motions and change the mindset and watch the new patterns emerge, having that stress go down and the guilt and all of that is, yeah, it's just...

Amazing. And even just when you said, you know, I know that even though they're not eating the snow peas right now, but they're touching them, they're playing with them, they're having fun with them. I know that eventually they will end up in their mouth. That knowing is huge to have that knowing as a parent that they will eventually eat it. No, that's not, that's not just hope. That's actually knowing that it will eventually happen and it will.

And so you've already set the wheels in motion for them to eat that green vegetable. It might just not be this week or this month or this year, but knowing that it will happen. And I think that's so incredibly powerful to your confidence and just to know that they will eat that. Cause I'm a positive hundred percent that that will happen then. So I think it's such a different approach and the beauty is in the detail of that knowing and how you.

The Big Shift: Why Fussy Eating is a Process, Not a Problem (27:48.152)
Perceive meal times, that mindset shift. It's just, it's just so, it's everything. Don't you think? I just think it's everything. Absolutely. And this has come from you. You've taught me this. So thank you so much. Yeah. And I think it's also not only helped take the stress off of them knowing that, you know, it is a process. And that was probably one of the biggest.

Well, there's been a few really big, you know, sort of punch in the face moments from this course. It is, it's like a real intense sort of like, oh my goodness, that's such a big shift of my kid's not eating, my kid won't eat anything at all to, I'm going to just leave this plate of food here and if it disappears, it disappears. And if it doesn't, it doesn't. And you know, the first couple of days I did the snow piece and get touched.

But then they touched them and then they smelled them and then now they're at the moment where they're shooting them at each other. So a big part of this program is what you have taught me is that eating new foods is a process. And I never understood that. I never knew that, that it was a process that you've got to learn to trust the food. Got to learn because you know, babies, they start with milk, don't they? And then you introduce them to food and they're like, what is this? What are you putting in front of me?

expecting me to eat this strange food that I've never seen before. And you know, for parents going on this course, it might be a breakthrough that, right, we're going to stop eating chicken nuggets every single night and we're going to aim to eat it, you know, twice a week. So trying to get those new foods is so crucial and it's just amazing to be able to have that process and know that, okay, I've put this new food in front of them.

Today, they're only going to touch it. They're going to pick it up and throw it off their plate. But knowing that that's not defiance, that actually part of the process is a massive stress release. But something that nobody ever tells you about parenthood is that you're the one who has to do the work. Having that sort of shift has been monumental. As I said before, not only

You’re Doing Great: A Message for Parents of Fussy Eaters (30:16.266)
in at the dinner table, but also in other aspects of our parenting. So how much of your parenting approach initially do you think was influenced by how your parents fed you? Well, I think probably all of it. A good thing that I had growing up was that if she doesn't eat, she won't eat. Then if she's hungry, she'll eat.

which was great. And honestly, I think that was more of my parents giving up rather than actually parenting. but I sort of took that and went, yes, but I can see that she is hungry, but she's not able to take that step. Why? I think that.

Her issues with reflux from a young age together with the lack of food that she was able to eat when she was being introduced to foods has helped cause her distrust with food. I think I said that before, it's like a primal instinct that she's had bad experiences in the past, so trying new foods could be psychologically holding her back.

Yeah. Yep. So really your daughter had that layer of reflux allergy component, it absolutely can create a feeding aversion because they feel like food hurts them. So yeah, it, it, certainly adds that layer of challenge and difficulty around feeding. I think, yeah, absolutely. So what would you say to parents who are listening to this podcast episode right now, who have a...

toddler who's driving them nuts, they're feeling sleep deprived, they're feeling frustrated. They may even have another little one who they don't want the second little one to also learn fussy eating habits. What would you say to a parent who is in the trenches in the depths of despair right now? You are doing great. And I know people keep saying that so much. You're doing great and you don't believe it, but you are because firstly, you're here, you're listening.

Trust the Process: From Reflux Battles to Mealtime Wins (32:42.988)
You're doing the research to try and find the best solution for your parenting challenges. And that in itself is already helping. So, excellent, you're here. This is awesome. I said this before, go with the flow. I know I certainly could sometimes about listening to my body and stopping eating, you know, as I said before, this week our kids are eating everything in sight and this morning I had to cut them off for breakfast because you know, they're going to explode. But next week.

They won't eat anything. and you know, they probably won't sleep as well, you know, taking that comfort in knowing that they will come back to eating and just trusting that process. you know, the steps that you have taught me and you know, the other mums in the group as well. just hang in there. You're doing great. Hang in there. And, and look, lastly, I'm going to sound like a crazy cult lady, but like just join the program.

Honestly, I cannot explain the massive plug. Karina is not paying me for this. I cannot explain how much better our lives are with Karina in it. And I'll honestly always be so grateful for this incredible all the driver. Oh, thank you so much. That's so kind of you. I did not expect that. And yeah, we did not discuss this, conversation. Thank you. That's very sweet of you. Yeah, it makes me teary big heads.

It means the world. So thank you. That's really, really kind of you. really appreciate it. Honestly, thank you. Like literally changed our lives. This program. I'm so grateful and I'm so grateful to have you in our community and you you supporting others now paying it forward. So it's wonderful. Thank you, Gemma. And thank you so much for being here today to chat about your journey to, you know, shed light on.

topics for other parents that may have not thought about something in a particular way or, you know, just the way you've explained things helps people, know, knowledge is power. And maybe listening to you today, it's given moms the confidence to book a GP appointment to talk about their child or to, you know, take a different approach tonight at dinnertime with their threenager. So thank you for sharing your story because it will motivate and inspire others. I'm, I have no doubt.

Hope at the Table: How One Family Transformed Mealtimes (35:05.87)
I really hope so. hope it does. Because it was, she has really helped us and you know, also thank you for having me on here. It's been such an honor to come on here and chat with you. Um, and yeah, I can't wait to sort of continue and keep learning more things in the group and with the other moms. That's a pleasure. You've got some exciting things coming too. I'll be announcing to our members in the next week or so.

Yeah, some pretty cool stuff that I'll be adding into the program and the membership. So, yes. Awesome. Yes. Yeah. will be, to be continued. But it's really going to help with the white diet and trying to colour the white diet and improve the white diet. Because I think the white diet is a challenge for all of us. Absolutely. Yeah. It's something that I'm brewing there. So it's almost ready to share. So I look forward to sharing that one soon too.

Awesome, I can't wait. I will chat to you soon. Thanks, I can't wait. ya. Thanks, bye.