Solids and gagging question

kymelissa

We started solids consistently around 7 months. My LO gets half a container at breakfast and a full container at dinner (Gerber 2nd foods). We have tried thicker foods or pieces of foods (bananas, mashed potatoes, Mum Mums) and she gags. She doesn't seem ready for chewing or thicker foods. Anyone else experience this? My older daughter was picking up finger foods at this age and never had any issues with chewing and swallowing so I am just trying to find out if this is normal.

whitney2302

From what I understand is they all learn at their own pace.  My LO gagged at anything other than purees for a while.  I just kept offering "chunkier" food and he just got the hang of it right before he was 8 months.  I'm sure she'll figure it out soon!

BC&LM

Yes, the only solid foods he will eat are teething biscuits and bread. And with the bread, he doesn't actually eat it; he just gnaws on it. Everything else we have tried--sweet potatoes chunks, asparagus spears, shredded cheese, puffs, etc.--he has no interest. But he will pack away the yogurt, oatmeal, and purees.

ETA: He does okay with thicker purees though.

jennOK

Mine still gags on most everything we give him that isn't a purée. He will eat Ritz crackers.

I gave him a piece of pizza crust today. He chewed around on it for a long time, and I was shocked he didn't gag on it. I don't think he got much off of it though.

I just keep offering things. I figure he'll get it eventually.

peachnectarine

He doesn't really gag, but he makes a disgusted face and tries to spit it out. He does that with any food that is not a purée. He also does that if he gets a chunk of fruit or vegetable that didn't get blended very well.

ilovemarfa

Ds1 was a gagger past his first birthday. I personally think that feeding purees had a lot to do with it now when I look back. We started ds2 off right away with baby led weaning and at 8 months he's eating everything that we do- no gagging at all. I wouldn't worry about it.

benny713

I think gagging is normal. We do BLW, and she gagged at everything for the first couple of weeks. Now she is used to foods and doesn't gag anymore. I think it is part of learning to eat.

kelseypie

We had an awful time with solids. He gagged on anything that wasn't totally puréed. I had fully intended on doing BLW, so I was really disappointed. I kept trying here and there, but honestly not that much because we've had some (what I'm pretty sure were) choking episodes. In the meantime I fed purées because he seemed to really want food.

One day I was giving him half pieces of puffs and he did really well, so I gave him a whole piece and he did awesome. A few days later he was in his high chair while I was eating Mexican food and I said eff it and gave him some. He ate the shit out of it! I was shocked! He was a little over 8 months old. In hindsight I can see he just wasn't ready for solids, and I wish I'd have just waited.

momofcatan

kelseypie said:

One day I was giving him half pieces of puffs and he did really well, so I gave him a whole piece and he did awesome. A few days later he was in his high chair while I was eating Mexican food and I said eff it and gave him some. He ate the shit out of it! I was shocked! He was a little over 8 months old. In hindsight I can see he just wasn't ready for solids, and I wish I'd have just waited.

@kelseypie this makes me sad because it sounds like you are mad at yourself for feeding your LO purées. Unless he was screaming while you spoon fed him you did nothing wrong! He was not ready for finger foods, but clearly he was ready for purees. I thought about doing BLW but circumstances led us to trying cereal/purees. At first I was disappointed but DD loves being spoon fed and I'm so happy we ended up going that route. Please don't beat yourself up I hate that BLW can make parents feel so guilty that they are doing it wrong if they spoon feed.

OP I encourage you to keep trying with the finger foods. For us at first DD would freak out when she gagged and the meal would be over, but after a couple tries she would just reach for more food after having a rough time with a bite that was too big. I feel like its important that parent doesn't freak out when they gag, try to remember that gagging isn't choking and try to encourage LO to chew/swallow. Banana is a great food to keep trying (if he likes banana), we had our best success with offering DD bread because she could just gum it. 

ASmallWonder

  It sounds like maybe you'd be better off with something harder that she can hold in her hand and chew on.  All the finger foods you've given are mushy (or turn mushy in a nano second like the mum mums) and some kids are confused by that - it kind of seems like a puree so they don't get that they need to chew it.  Something like a graham cracker will give them a different mouth feel and they're more likely to work it around on their gums and teeth to kind of learn it, kwim?

kelseypie

@araziza, I don't really think I feel guilty. I'm sorry if you feel that way. You just have to go with what works!

I don't think I've harmed my son by doing purées, but I do think that they probably weren't necessary and I could have just kept trying BLW every week or so until it took. I mostly wish I had done this because it would have been easier than messing with purées and spraying diapers earlier than I had to. Yes, I'm lazy.