Our Tube Weaning Clinic supports infants, children and their families to safely and confidently transition from tube feeding back to oral feeding. Our team has extensive experience supporting infants and children who rely on gastrostomy tube feeding.

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Our Multidisciplinary Approach

Led collaboratively by a Speech Pathologist and Dietitian team, the clinic provides evidence-informed care for children receiving nutrition via nasogastric (NG), gastrostomy, or other enteral feeding methods. We work closely with families and your child's doctor to address the medical, nutritional, oral-motor, sensory, and emotional factors that influence eating.

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We prioritise supporting healthy growth and development by monitoring nutritional adequacy, and identifying and managing any feeding tolerance or gastrointestinal concerns.

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What Is Tube Weaning?

Tube weaning is not just about removing the tube — it’s about rebuilding trust with food, supporting hunger awareness, developing oral skills, and creating positive mealtime experiences. Each child’s plan is individualised, paced carefully, and guided by safety, responsiveness, and family goals.

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Who We Support

We support children with a wide range of medical and developmental histories and partner with families throughout the process, offering education, practical strategies, and ongoing reassurance.

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Walking Alongside Families

We know that moving away from tube feeding can be a bumpy ride, and that is why we are with you every step of the way. Our aim is to help children move toward oral feeding in a way that is safe, respectful, and sustainable, while supporting parents every step of the way.

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When Is the Right Time to Attempt to Transition Away From Tube Feeding?

Finding the right time to start a tube transition program is one of the most important steps in the process. As a team, we need to consider elements such as medical stability and general wellbeing, willingness to eat or drink, growth and nutrition status, and having support in place for the wider family.

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How Long Will the Process Take?

There is no single answer to this. It is a journey, and you really do need to work through the process at a pace that is best for your child. The one thing that we can promise you is that we will be there, walking beside you for the entire journey.

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Is Tube Weaning a One-and-Done Process?

While careful planning and preparation give us the best chance of a successful outcome, there are times when, for many possible reasons, the child or family shows us that they are not ready to remove the tube just yet. Sometimes this will mean we continue to use the tube just for fluids or medication, and sometimes it means we return to also providing feeds.

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Do we consider this a failure? Not at all! We learn something at every step, and then we make a plan for moving forward.