In this week's episode, Han is joined by Michelle Jacques, Sarah Woodruff and Jo Read.

Together, they are the hosts of 3Mums1MissionARFID, which is on a mission to raise awareness regarding ARFID as a result of their experience of navigating their own experience of supporting their children with ARFID. 

This week, we discuss:

• What ARFID is and how it differs from “fussy eating”
• How sensory sensitivity, gag reflexes, and nervous system overload affect eating
• How fear of choking and emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can drive food avoidance
• How illness and medical trauma can cause sudden drops in food intake
• What it feels like to parent a child with ARFID, including guilt, grief, and constant vigilance
• How dismissal and judgment from professionals and others impact families
• What an ARFID diagnosis can offer, and where support often still falls short
• How NG and PEG feeding can become part of ARFID care and the complex emotions that come with it
• How school stress, anxiety, and social pressures can contribute to late-onset ARFID
• Why peer connection and lived-experience support are so powerful for parents

Timestamps:

• 04:20 Why they started Three Mums One Mission: ARFID
• 11:00 Jo: sensory sensitivity, gag reflex, and “typical” feeding advice that didn’t fit
• 20:50 Michelle: illness triggers, supplements, and PEG feeding
• 32:00 Sarah: late-onset ARFID, school anxiety, crisis point + hospital experience

Resources & Links

• Follow @3Mums1MissionARFID on Instagram

Connect with Us:

• Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast
• Follow Full of Beans on Instagram
• Listen on YouTube

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, ARFID, NG tube feeding. Please take care when listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.

Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛