A flow control apparatus adapted to load a feeding set, said flow control apparatus comprising: a housing capable of receiving at least a portion of the feeding set; a pumping device for contacting the feeding set when the feeding set is received by the housing so the pumping device acts on the feeding set to produce fluid flow in the feeding set for delivery of fluid in a patient direction to a patient, the pumping device comprising a rotor and, a motor operatively connector to the rotor for rotating the rotor to act on the feeding set to produce fluid flow in the feeding set; and a sensor arranged with respect to the pumping device to produce a signal indicative of a rotational position of the rotor; characterized by a control circuit in communication with the sensor for receiving the signal indicative of the rotational position of the rotor and in communication with the pumping device to control operation thereof, the control circuit being configured to operate the motor to rotate the rotor to contact the feeding set to produce a pumping action of fluid in the patient direction through the feeding set, the control circuit configured to operate the motor at a first output to rotate the rotor to produce fluid flow in the feeding set and operating the motor at a second output effectively less than the first output, the control circuit configured to monitor the sensor signal during operation of the motor at the second output to determine a downstream occlusion in the feeding set if the rotor does not rotate to a predetermined position or does not rotate at least at a predetermined rate after operating the motor at the second output, wherein in the first output power is supplied to the motor such that at least a baseline current is applied to the motor to rotate the rotor under both non-occluded and occluded flow conditions, and, in the second output, one of a power supply in pulsed increments and a reduced power from the power supplied by the first output is supplied to the motor wherein, for the non-occluded flow condition, the pulsed increments or reduced power rotate the rotor to the predetermined position or at the predetermined rate; and, wherein, for the occluded flow condition, the pulsed increments or reduced power do not rotate the rotor to the predetermined position or at the predetermined rate. a housing capable of receiving at least a portion of the feeding set; a pumping device for contacting the feeding set when the feeding set is received by the housing so the pumping device acts on the feeding set to produce fluid flow in the feeding set for delivery of fluid in a patient direction to a patient, the pumping device comprising a rotor and, a motor operatively connector to the rotor for rotating the rotor to act on the feeding set to produce fluid flow in the feeding set; and a sensor arranged with respect to the pumping device to produce a signal indicative of a rotational position of the rotor; characterized by a control circuit in communication with the sensor for receiving the signal indicative of the rotational position of the rotor and in communication with the pumping device to control operation thereof, the control circuit being configured to operate the motor to rotate the rotor to contact the feeding set to produce a pumping action of fluid in the patient direction through the feeding set, the control circuit configured to operate the motor at a first output to rotate the rotor to produce fluid flow in the feeding set and operating the motor at a second output effectively less than the first output, the control circuit configured to monitor the sensor signal during operation of the motor at the second output to determine a downstream occlusion in the feeding set if the rotor does not rotate to a predetermined position or does not rotate at least at a predetermined rate after operating the motor at the second output, wherein in the first output power is supplied to the motor such that at least a baseline current is applied to the motor to rotate the rotor under both non-occluded and occluded flow conditions, and, in the second output, one of a power supply in pulsed increments and a reduced power from the power supplied by the first output is supplied to the motor wherein, for the non-occluded flow condition, the pulsed increments or reduced power rotate the rotor to the predetermined position or at the predetermined rate; and, wherein, for the occluded flow condition, the pulsed increments or reduced power do not rotate the rotor to the predetermined position or at the predetermined rate.