UPDATE!!!!! Help, LO still can't eat!!!!!!

LoveLee85

Okay. Panicking is happening. Over 11 months old and can't handle anything that isn't apple sauce type thickness. He can't have stage 3 yet, he chokes and vomits instantly after no matter what! I have been trying since 8 months. I just don't know what to do?! Any STM have a older child with this issue. My mom thinks he has a 'serious problem' and everyone LOVES to bring up how 'he can't be ok that's not normal'. I try a few times a week, and have since 8 months. If I put anything no matter how small, a fingernails shavings worth of strawberry, he makes a sour face,  chokes and vomits EVERY SINGLE TIME. Just a few days ago my DH gave him some sweet potato and instant choking for the longest 10 seconds of my life then vomit all over. HELP. This shit is so stressful. Also, he has pincher grasp perfect...he just doesn't ever put anything in his mouth! Plays with it and passes it from hand to hand only. At this rate he will be on formula several months after He's a year old because he has to get his nutrients some how?! 

sdheft619

Sorry, I can't relate to the vomit part. Just want to let you know that my daughter also doesn't put food in her mouth. She does a little here and there but it's pretty rare. Try not to stress. Is your pediatrician worried? Is your gut tell you somethings wrong? If not just go with his flow. Good luck momma!

FatPony

I have never heard of that. I think you're right to be worried. Have you asked the pediatrican?

Mpho2910

Hi. I never post anything but the group has helped me a lot in many ways. I relate to most of the stuff your lo goes through. Mine also used to gag and vomit ...anything that wasn't mashed/puried. Very sensitive gag reflexes. Doctors advise was to be persistent so she is getting better. We started with making her foods thick so would blend her sweet potatoe and some chicken but made sure it wasn't too watery...we still can't do things like fruits that is cut in pieces but I believe we will get there. We give things like eggs and muffins but in small quanties just for training. She turned 1 year old 2 days ago. Puts absolutely nothing in her mouth too. 

ElleMF728

My first baby was just like this.   Like you, I freaked out.  We spoke to a nutritionist, our pediatrician and every other mom I knew.  One day, within days of his first birthday it just sort of "clicked" and he grabbed some egg off of DH's plate and started eating it.  

Keep offering but it might be a texture thing.  Will LO eat puffs or cheerios? Does he put anything in his mouth when he is playing? What about touching? Have you noticed an aversion to touching things that are slimy or mushy?  Have you tried foods that are a little harder and dryer? Toast cut into fingers (think french fries) are a good start because you can slowly change the texture by adding different spreads.  For example you could start with regular toast and then add a tiny bit of butter once he gets used to that, then maybe some peanut butter etc.  You can do the same thing with waffles. Some foods that the nutritionist told me to keep trying were ground beef, beans (try black beans-we would "dry" them off in a paper towel before giving them to him) and scrambled eggs.  Do you ever try eating off of his tray? Even now my toddler if my toddler is struggling with eating a meal he does better if we share a plate rather than giving him his own.  

LoveLee85

He's healthy and his doctor isn't worried at all! That's what gets me. Doctors not worried but every other person is telling me how 'not normal' it is! It's starting to get to me, BAD. He puts toys in his mouth all day, sippy cup and anything else just not food. I tried fruit in tiny pieces on his tray, he just plays with it and won't put it in his mouth. I put a melt in his mouth(those yogurt puffs) and that was a terrible idea.  

LoveLee85

Making it worse a friends baby a few weeks older has been eating waffles, grilled cheese, whole green beans, you-name-it-for MONTHS now. So, I hear and see that daily and can't figure out what the crap is going on. I try not to compare, and his doctor isn't worried AT ALL, but everyone thinks he 'needs medical professional help' and I'm beyond freaked out. 

ElleMF728

Ignore them.  Seriously, if your pedi isn't concerned then I wouldn't be either.  Some kids just take a little longer to figure out some things.  Keep putting things on his tray and keep your doctor in the loop.  Every one else's opinions are irrelevant. 

amp61470

I had a hard time getting little man to eat anything but purees until a few months ago and then it was only puffs and arrowroot cookies. A month ago he was gagging on EVERYTHING. Now he eats some stuff but no pasta, pastina, chicken etc. I was worried the doctor wasn't so I stopped worrying about it. I was coming here and hearing about all the things others babies were eating and thought I was doing something wrong. I am not, it's just him. And for him I think it's a texture thing because he will eat peanut butter sandwiches, crackers, rice cakes he even eats pizza, strawberries cantaloupe.. You get the idea. Have you tried thickening his purees with oatmeal or rice cereal? That's what I did and he got used to thicker textures. 
BTW he never ate the chunkier purees. I think arrowroot cookies got him going and the Gerber crunchies. Babies are like us, they like what they like. There are foods I won't eat solely because of texture. 

shelbydd

If you've already talked to your pediatrician and they aren't worried then I wouldn't worry. Maybe it is a texture issue and your Lo is just taking time to adjust. As far as the comments from people, I would lose my shit just to be quite honest with you. For someone to say some of those things to you is rude and hateful. Tell them your pediatrician knows and while they may not have experience with this that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with your child and to imply that there is just because they don't understand is awful:

callistosmile

Does he have lip/tongue tie?

missliz53

This sounds exactly like us a few months ago. We've been working with an occupational therapist and here are some of the things she's been having us do.

1. Offer long thin things to teeth on because this helps them desensitize their own gag reflex. Her suggestions were the banana tooth brush teether, a raw carrot stick that is too think to bit through, a round Nuk nubby toothbrush (she gets then on Amazon), a long baby spoon that has a rubbery handle. The idea is for them to chew using the backs and sides of their gums.

2. Brush teeth: start with fronts and then brush the gums along the side of the mouth and then the tongue. Sing a silly song or make funny faces or noises to help distract them. 

3. Sensory bins: get items that have different textures for lo to touch like feathers, poms, pieces of different fabric, large beads, some squishy lizards or bugs. Obviously this is a supervised activity because these are choking hazards. 

4. Finger paint on the high chair tray with different purees, mashed foods, pudding, small pieces of smushy fruits. Give a pile of soft fruits or veggies for them to play with. 

5. offering small pieces of soft, dry, bland food like puffs, teething biscuits, start with things that melt in their mouth and work up to crackers, bits of bread, soft pasta ribgs, shredded mozerella cheese. My lo refuses the yogurt drops too. I think they are really tasty, but they do have a strong, tart, yoghurty taste. If lo does gag and vomit, it's very important not to make a big deal out of it (I know how hard that is since gagging and throwing up is so discouraging). Clean then up, offer a few sips of water to get the taste out of their mouth, and feed them something different or try a smaller piece. 

jht4

Ehh, I'm not in the "if ped doesn't think it's a problem it's not a problem" camp. I think peds are a useful resource but they aren't experts in everything. You are mom and you know your baby best. If you think think something is wrong and want to pursue this then you should. If you are just worried because your relatives keep saying something is wrong (how annoying!) then that is a different story and I would ignore them.

I am not an expert in this area and genuinely don't know if this is still an age appropriate behavior or not. If YOU are worried, you can look into an eval at a feeding clinic. Most children's hospitals have them. It's usually a multidisciplinary clinic and OT may be involved (I like the suggestions from the poster above me) as well as speech to strengthen different muscles in the mouth. Good luck!

LoveLee85

callistosmile said:

Does he have lip/tongue tie?

Nope. 

LoveLee85

I didn't realize it wasn't 'normal' until the comments started rolling in, to be honest. It's more frustrating and me hating that he's puking every single time we try. It's a daily struggle that hasn't even kind of improved and it's been since 8 months and he's over 11 months now. Feels like 5 years.

amp61470

Lovelee ignore the comments. I think all kids are different. I can imagine the frustration though. 

blondehairblueeyeditalianbaby

We had this issue for a while. DD decided around 7.5 months she was done with purees but would throw up every time she ate anything else. We just kept offering different things and one day it clicked. She is 11.5 months now and eats just about anything she can get her hands on. I would give it a little more time before you worry. 

mrsmctaggart6

My DD is in the phase where she wants whatever is on my plate no matter what it is, so I've started just giving myself extra food and letting her have as much as she wants, does he show interest in what you're eating at all? You could try planning meals with stuff that he can grab and try out off of your plate, it's worth a shot, also go with your gut but don't worry too much over what other people think is normal... My DD is doing just fine but she can't seem to do anything fast enough for my mother... Good luck!

rachelkawesome

I'm in the camp of getting the eating issue checked out by a feeding specialist/OT. Sure, he would likely grow out of it if left alone, but there's no harm in getting an eval. If he qualifies for services, it's going to be so beneficial to have the early intervention. In my state, your services would be free, so might as well see if your LO could benefit.

missliz53

Honestly, for me, working with the OT has been such a relief because I feel like I have help and support and that I am doing things to help her. I'm sure she will grow out of it, but it makes me feel better to be doing something about it rather than just worrying while mopping up piles of puked up baby food. 

She's also giving us some tips for helping with gross motor skills like teaching then how to catch themselves when they fall and how to go up stairs, ect. 

amp61470

Lovelee you could call early intervention. They are sending a food specialist tomorrow because Chase has some food issues. They are awesome. 

LoveLee85

amp61470 said:

Lovelee you could call early intervention. They are sending a food specialist tomorrow because Chase has some food issues. They are awesome. 

Is this a hospital thing? A doctor assigned thing? A state ran, a health care thing? I'm so confused. Who do I call? Is it free? Is it through insurance??

jht4

Early intervention depends on the state. Some states run it through an intermediate unit (IU), some states run it through the county. In some states it is free, other states operate on a sliding scale based on income. Google "early intervention" and your state name.

A feeding clinic is a medical clinic and goes through health insurance. Whether or not you need a referral from your pediatrician depends on your insurance plan. Here's an example:
https://www.kennedykrieger.org/patient-care/patient-care-programs/outpatient-programs/feeding-disorders-clinic

eta: quality of services provided through early intervention as well as the wait list and ability to get children qualified can vary GREATLY between geographic areas.

kmcshane0211

I second Early Intervention.

babycreel

My baby girl is just shy of 11 months old. She's eats mainly stage 2 foods and puffs or baby cookies for snack. She's eats that stuff just fine. But if I give her scrambled eggs or small pieces of fruit she doesn't know how to swallow it unless I give her water to wash it down. But She doesn't choke on the food though. I would def check with your pedi just to be sure it's nothing to worry about - though I think pediatricians know a lot but only you know your child, so if your worried get it checked. 

LoveLee85

A few weeks shy of a year old and something just clicked! I can give him stage 3 food straight from the jar?! I'm not pushing my luck but he eats puffs, too. He seems to enjoy biting the star puffs. No idea what finally made it click but thank goodness it did! Thanks for everyone who gave advice and comments. This bump month is lovely.