Paediatric Feeding Therapy in Derbyshire
Derbyshire is home for me. If your child struggles with eating, and you're looking for feeding support close by, I'd love to help. I'm Emma Fitzgerald, a specialist paediatric feeding therapist based in Derbyshire, working with babies and children across the county, from Derby itself out to Chesterfield, Belper, Ashbourne, Matlock and the surrounding towns and villages.
Being local means in-person consultations are straightforward to arrange, but I also offer online sessions if that suits your family better. Some parents like the ease of meeting in person, others prefer to skip the journey and meet by video from home. Both work equally well, and the choice is yours.
How I can help
I work with a wide range of feeding and eating difficulties, including:
Extreme picky eating and refusing whole food groups
Weaning difficulties and trouble moving on to lumps and textures
Gagging and choking during meals
Sensory-based feeding difficulties
Bottle and oral aversion in babies, including after prematurity
Feeding difficulties linked to reflux or other medical needs
Whether your child is a healthy, growing toddler who has simply got stuck with food, or a baby with more complex needs, I can help you understand what's happening and what to do next.
A local therapist who knows the gap
Having worked in the NHS for over 16 years, I know how stretched local feeding services can be, and how many Derbyshire families are told either to wait or that their child will grow out of it. If your little one is growing well but every meal is a struggle, you can easily find yourself worried and without any real support. That's the gap I set up my practice to fill, right here on your doorstep.
What working together looks like
We usually start with a free 15 minute discovery call, so you can tell me about your child and check I'm the right fit before committing to anything. From there, a full assessment gives us a clear picture, and I build a practical plan you can use at home, with follow-up support as your child makes progress.
About me
I'm a HCPC-registered speech and language therapist with over 16 years of clinical and NHS experience in paediatric feeding. My approach is calm, practical, evidence-based and free of judgement. My aim is simple: to help your child eat and drink with more confidence, and to make mealtimes easier for your whole family.
Based in Derbyshire, seeing families in person across the county, and online across the UK and Ireland.