Hi, I’m Danielle Binns.
A Certified Nutritionist and Picky Eating Expert.
Most importantly, as a mother to three girls, I get the food struggle. My first daughter was an extremely picky eater who was underweight, and incredibly difficult to feed. It was so emotionally exhausting, that I lost the joy of cooking, and dreaded having meals with her. Likewise, she had tears coming to the table most days.
I felt so lost and frustrated, because I was mom – but didn’t know how to help her.
That was the old me.
After putting my daughter through the my tried and true mealtime formula (including the Picky Eater Protocol and 4Es to Better Eating) she became unrecognizable. Today, she is one of the most adventuous eaters at the table, willing to try foods she never would. I also feel honoured to support parents around the world, and show them how to raise better eaters – who have a healthy relationship with food today and in the future.
You might be here right now because you have a little one who doesn’t eat well.
Or maybe you’re worried whether you are using the right approach when it comes to food.
I was there too.
LET ME SHARE MY STORY…
During my pregnancy, I was uncharacteristically comfortable, slept soundly, and blissful as I envisioned the future with our perfectly healthy baby. While I felt wonderful, my seemingly perfect pregnancy ended abruptly when a diagnostic ultrasound revealed that our unborn baby dropped from the 15th to the 3rd percentile and was considered ‘failure to thrive’.
At that moment, I knew what it felt like to be a mom – and it hurt like hell.
It killed me to think that while I was enjoying pregnancy, my baby was suffering inside. This was just the beginning of our nightmare.
These were supposed to be the happiest days of our lives, but instead were some of the darkest.
During a sizing ultrasound, a cardiologist was called in to examine the image of our baby’s heart. She delicately explained that our small unborn child also had a “large hole in her heart”. She handed us a referral that is forever etched in my memory; on it were 3 words NO parent ever expects to see describing their child – “Congenital Heart Defect”. We were then told that our baby would require surgery by 4 months of age. I thought, “this can’t be happening, not to us”. I broke down right there in my husband’s arms.
As a kale-loving, smoothie-drinking, active holistic nutritionist, I thought I was doing everything right. But I was now convinced I did something wrong.
My baby wasn’t growing and had a broken heart. And it was all because of me.
What is wrong with me?
I’m her mother and should be able to fix this.
While I tried to follow the ‘feeding rules’ I knew Sienna wasn’t getting enough. At times I crossed the line in desperation to get something in that little body.
Playdates were also painful watching other kids happily fed themselves, while Sienna resisted every bite.
I just wished I could feed my child.
My gut told me something was wrong, but Sienna’s specialists remained hopeful that she would eventually catch-up. That day never came. At her first birthday, Sienna weighed 12 pounds placing her below the 0 percentile. The doctor’s finally agreed to investigate and genetic tests revealed our daughter had a rare mutation affecting her growth, appetite, and development – she was diagnosed with Russell-Silver Syndrome (RSS). My emotions didn’t know what to do with this new information…while we finally had clarity on why we had so many challenges, it was also more upsetting news.
All this time, I beat myself up for not helping her grow. But she wasn’t like other kids.
Not today, not ever.
I realize now what I should have known back then…
There was a better way.
Being mother of a child with feeding challenges is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Today, picky eating is a problem of the past for my family and my daughter is thriving.
Your child can thrive too.
My Credentials/Experience:
- Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP)
- Naturally Designed Pregnancy & Postnatal Nutrition” Certified
- SOS Certified
- Feeding Matters Mentorship
- MAGIC Foundation Speaker
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