The Nurtured Feeding Approach™

With over 25 years of experience, Ann Marie Presberg is a nationally recognized expert in Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD). She has dedicated her career to helping infants, toddlers, and older children overcome complex feeding challenges with compassion and expertise.

 

A Midwest native, Ann Marie grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Marquette University in Wisconsin and later moved to the Washington, DC area to complete her Master of Science at Gallaudet University. During that time, she met her husband while volunteering in an inner city mentoring and tutoring program for at risk youth.

 

Ann Marie is the founder of FirstSTAGES Feeding Specialists and the creator of the Nurtured Feeding Approach™, a responsive, evidence based, and relationship centered method for evaluating and treating feeding challenges. This approach developed over years of listening closely to infants, toddlers, and older children, recognizing that their behaviors often reflect meaningful communication rather than pathology.

 

Through her clinical experience, Ann Marie observed that many conventional feeding practices, particularly those driven by volume targets, percentile expectations, and rigid protocols, may unintentionally set the stage for feeding difficulties and contribute to over identification of Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD). These patterns often lead to unnecessary concern, escalation, and intervention rather than resolution.

 

Drawing on her background in math and chemistry, she began to analyze growth, intake, and feeding patterns more closely, uncovering that in many cases, children’s feeding behaviors aligned with realistic physiological needs, while commonly used volume and percentile based guidelines did not. This insight helped shape a framework that supports more accurate interpretation of feeding and growth, reducing unnecessary flags and overcorrection.

 

At the heart of the Nurtured Feeding Approach™ is nurturing the intuitive, reciprocal trust between parent and child, restoring connection and confidence within the feeding relationship. This approach integrates clinical reasoning with evidence informed intake and growth expectations, while honoring the child’s cues, development, and comfort.

 

Ann Marie is also recognized for her development of the FirstSTAGES Age and Evidence Based Guide™ and the FirstSTAGES Feeding Calculator™, tools that provide detailed analysis of typical feeding patterns, flow rate, daily weight gain, and intake based on an infant’s age and weight in kilograms.

 

Her clinical training spans NICU, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, Early Intervention, and private practice.

 

At the heart of her work is a belief, the child often reveals the “why” behind their feeding difficulties, and when we slow down and listen, we uncover the root cause. This guides the correct steps to intervention, ensuring progress is both effective and respectful of the child’s needs.

 

Ann Marie closely collaborates with parents and professionals so that feeding goals are met with clarity, confidence, and care.

 

Outside of her professional life, Ann Marie enjoys spending time with her husband and their five lively boys, where connection, trust, and family life continue to shape and inspire her work.