Moms, I desperately need your help. LONG.

GreenEyedGal

Basically, I have been recently struggling ALOT with both feeding solids to my son and bathing him. I now dread these once fun moments.

Feeding solids: This is the #1 thing I have been struggling with the most. Lately, he has been gagging ALOT with his solids. He even managed to vomit the other day from the gag. I don't get it. He used to love to eat food and would chow it down. Now he just gags, coughs from the gags (which scares me to death), flings his arms around, and basically get puree everywhere but his mouth. It's a total mess.

In fact, today, for the first time, I just through my hands up, said "screw it" and gave up. He cries like I'm torturing him and since he will (thankfully) drink his bottle, I'm fine with that.

WHY IS HE ALL OF A SUDDEN HATING FOOD? NOT ONLY HATING IT, BUT GAGGING AND COUGHING ON IT? WHAT DO I DO?

Yes, he is teething but would this cause him to gag?

Baths: I wash his hair once every 3-4 days because he used to have bad cradle cap. It dissapeared for awhile but it's back. I don't know if maybe because I'm not washing his hair often enough or maybe there is leftover shampoo suds on his hair that could cause this? The problem I have is rinsing his hair without him sucking in water and coughing. How do you girls do it? He doesn't seem to mind it when I just pour water over his head but I don't think it's good for him to suck in water through his nose/mouth and start coughing so much. Because I'm so cautious with this, I may not be doing a very good job with getting all of the soap suds out, which may be creating the cradle cap. What do you think?

WARNING: THIS NEXT PART IS GOING TO SOUND DUMB, STUPID, OVERPROTECTIVE BUT HERE IT GOES...

Basically, I hate that he coughs/chokes with both the solids and water because I have this fear that he's going to inhale either one, have it go to his lungs and you know, DIE. Yes, I said it. I realize I may be getting a bit extreme here.

HELP!

desabean

Have you tried finger foods yet?  Sounds like you are doing purees...I think he is old enough to start on finger foods (don't have your ticker in front of me though) maybe he would have an easier time with that?  Garrison stopped eating anything from a spoon from about 9 months until recently and still much prefers something she can pick up and put in her own mouth. 

Do you have one of those flexible hair washing cups that molds to his head (I don't do a lot of baths myself and have not had great success with ours but it might be worth a shot).  Or one of those foam visors so the water/shampoo doesn't run down his face?  Could be left over shampoo causing the cradle cap or it could be that you are actually washing his hair too much, causing dry skin.  We had TERRIBLE cradle cap and the only thing that worked was head and shoulders.

Good luck!!

SeaSoul

i'm sorry life's rough for you right now as a mommy!  i'm afraid i can't help with solids, but i know some moms have dealt with that.  might also be a question for your pedi.  cal had cradle cap for a while (at a late age - older than your son!) and what we did to get rid of it was massage olive oil into the area, let sit for hours, then scrub off in the tub.  works wonders.  as for pouring water over his head - i was always very cautious about that, too, and cal always hated it.  i'd try putting my hand over his face, etc., but he still hated it.  dh was better at just doing it quickly.  then i read on here that the best thing you can do for your kid in terms of comfort in the water (for swimming eventually) is not shield him from water over his head.  so from then on we just dumped it on his head.  he's done really well with it since then, except for the last 2 nights!  no idea why.

anyway, i hope things get easier for you soon.  believe, i understand the mom anxiety very well.

lrrb

I really have zero advice but I do think the food issue totally warrents a call to the pedi on Monday morning.  As far as the cradle cap I would go with what PP said....we didn't deal with it so Im not sure.  Hang in there ((hugs))

GreenEyedGal

desabean:

Have you tried finger foods yet?  Sounds like you are doing purees...I think he is old enough to start on finger foods (don't have your ticker in front of me though) maybe he would have an easier time with that?  Garrison stopped eating anything from a spoon from about 9 months until recently and still much prefers something she can pick up and put in her own mouth. 

Do you have one of those flexible hair washing cups that molds to his head (I don't do a lot of baths myself and have not had great success with ours but it might be worth a shot).  Or one of those foam visors so the water/shampoo doesn't run down his face?  Could be left over shampoo causing the cradle cap or it could be that you are actually washing his hair too much, causing dry skin.  We had TERRIBLE cradle cap and the only thing that worked was head and shoulders.

Good luck!!

I am doing purees and am honestly petrified on giving him table/finger foods. I have given him both mum-mums and puffs and I don't know if he knows how to chew yet. He has two bottom teeth and histwo top teeth are coming in. Also, he hasn't mastered feeding himself yet either.

Should I start him on some bland table foods such as peas, cooked carrots, mashed potatoes, things like that? What about other foods that aren't as bland like pasta, pancakes, ground meat, etc? Any tips for a first timer, worst worrier mom like me?

sasa625

Wow, I could have written this post... starting a couple months ago DD, who had been a pretty good eater completely stopped eating solids aside from a select few foods. She would gag and sometimes vomit (a lot!). It definitely gets worse with teething, but for the most part, mealtime is a very frustrating experience in my house. Now that we give her table foods she'll eat about 5 things consistently and throw/gag on the rest. I try so hard to stay calm, but it's hard when I see all the other kids her age eating so nicely. She refused cake at her birthday and french toast yesterday... I thought for sure she'd eat the sweeter stuff! (she gagged on the cake at her smash cake photo shoot and cried ) I was hoping it was just a phase, but there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

She started choking on her bottles (and one day had 5 vomiting episodes in a row followed by choking (as in stopped breathing for a few seconds... scary!!) ), so we ended up taking her in for a swallow study to make sure she wasn't aspirating anything (when food gets into the lungs). Her swallow turned out to be normal... it seems that the problem is her reflux. The pedi increased her meds and she hasn't had any more choking episodes, thank goodness!!

So I understand your fears... I was terrified that DD would choke and I wouldn't be able to save her. Hopefully our LOs stop scaring us very soon!!

happytracy

I am sorry you are having a tough time.  You sound a little bit like me- I have an intense fear of choking too.  I am learning though I just have to breath and go at our own pace.  I am not sure why he would be gagging all of a sudden but I think if it were me I would bring it up with the pedi.  You should have a 9 month appt coming up soon right?   Does he gag on ALL of the purees or just certain ones?  DD gags once in a while if she does not like the taste of the food. 

As far as the hair washing- what works for us is to have one person tilt DD back on an angle (pretty far) and the other person use the hand held shower and spray at an angle so it hits her hair and rolls backward... but it doesn't get all over her face.  I hope that made sense... it works pretty well.

Take a deep breath.  This momma stuff is hard!!!!!

JGirl2005

the gagging is normal and it will soon pass. 

choking/gagging is so normal when starting bigger foods...was it he eating?  Maybe back off the chunkier foods.  I am betting 99% of the moms on here had a baby that choked even after 1year time. 

GreenEyedGal

desabean:

Have you tried finger foods yet?  Sounds like you are doing purees...I think he is old enough to start on finger foods (don't have your ticker in front of me though) maybe he would have an easier time with that?  Garrison stopped eating anything from a spoon from about 9 months until recently and still much prefers something she can pick up and put in her own mouth. 

Do you have one of those flexible hair washing cups that molds to his head (I don't do a lot of baths myself and have not had great success with ours but it might be worth a shot).  Or one of those foam visors so the water/shampoo doesn't run down his face?  Could be left over shampoo causing the cradle cap or it could be that you are actually washing his hair too much, causing dry skin.  We had TERRIBLE cradle cap and the only thing that worked was head and shoulders.

Good luck!!

Also, I do have that cup that molds to his head but I still have trouble with getting him to tilt his head back far enough for the water to slide over his scalp rather than his actual head. ::sigh:: I suck at this.  

GreenEyedGal

sasa625:

Wow, I could have written this post... starting a couple months ago DD, who had been a pretty good eater completely stopped eating solids aside from a select few foods. She would gag and sometimes vomit (a lot!). It definitely gets worse with teething, but for the most part, mealtime is a very frustrating experience in my house. Now that we give her table foods she'll eat about 5 things consistently and throw/gag on the rest. I try so hard to stay calm, but it's hard when I see all the other kids her age eating so nicely. She refused cake at her birthday and french toast yesterday... I thought for sure she'd eat the sweeter stuff! (she gagged on the cake at her smash cake photo shoot and cried ) I was hoping it was just a phase, but there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

She started choking on her bottles (and one day had 5 vomiting episodes in a row followed by choking (as in stopped breathing for a few seconds... scary!!) ), so we ended up taking her in for a swallow study to make sure she wasn't aspirating anything (when food gets into the lungs). Her swallow turned out to be normal... it seems that the problem is her reflux. The pedi increased her meds and she hasn't had any more choking episodes, thank goodness!!

So I understand your fears... I was terrified that DD would choke and I wouldn't be able to save her. Hopefully our LOs stop scaring us very soon!!

The one time my son gagged and vomitted, he had a choking episode too!!! It went through his mouth and nose and I think he couldn't breath for a total of 10 seconds. Good thing my husband was here so that he could help me hold him down to suck the vomit out of his nose.

I didn't know they could go in for a "swallow study". If he keeps this up, I'm going to take him on as well because like I said, I'm terrified of food going into his lungs.

Thank you for relating to me and sharing your story!!

GreenEyedGal

happytracy:

I am sorry you are having a tough time.  You sound a little bit like me- I have an intense fear of choking too.  I am learning though I just have to breath and go at our own pace.  I am not sure why he would be gagging all of a sudden but I think if it were me I would bring it up with the pedi.  You should have a 9 month appt coming up soon right?   Does he gag on ALL of the purees or just certain ones?  DD gags once in a while if she does not like the taste of the food. 

As far as the hair washing- what works for us is to have one person tilt DD back on an angle (pretty far) and the other person use the hand held shower and spray at an angle so it hits her hair and rolls backward... but it doesn't get all over her face.  I hope that made sense... it works pretty well.

Take a deep breath.  This momma stuff is hard!!!!!

Tell me about it! Yes, luckily his 9 month appointment is in 9 days (but who's counting). He does better on fruit (meaing less gagging but not as much) than on veggies. I still mix oatmeal with his purees so I thought maybe it's just too dry for him so today, I left it out and he didn't do any better.

desabean

Garrison stopped liking purees (or anything on a spoon) when we went to chicago in April.  She had already been doing well with puffs and had a few pieces of apple at home prior so we continued with that and I gave her pieces of banana, pieces of chicken and peas and started her on cheerios that weekend too.  (she was almost 10 months but even if he doesn't have his pincer grasp down, he can still probably chew things like this if you put it in his mouth, which G would let me do at the time-- now she has to hold it 90% of the time-- such a grown up ; )  DH always makes fun of me because I freak out at the size of things he gives her, he says I don't give her enough credit-- granted she is older but I get where you are coming from.

Trust me, when I do give G a bath, she winds up with water on her face and she cries and I feel terrible but I just try to do it as quickly as possible-- I'd rather her have water on her face once and be done than keep trying to avoid it several times with it getting there anyway and stressing both of us out more.  But basically I hate bath time and am very lucky that my MIL gives G like 3 baths a week-- we rarely give her one because she has eczema.

You are doing great!  He'll figure out what he likes in time-- he is not going to starve himself and a little water will not hurt him.  

sweetpea18

I wouldn't worry about him aspirating anything into his lungs.  If he's gagging, its stopping the food from making it that far.  If he was aspirating, he would be having issues with is bottles (its much more difficult to swallow liquids than it is solids and its much easier to aspirate liquids than solids.  I'm an ot, so I'm not just pulling this out of left field!) Its probably just a phase. 

I agree with pp about trying finger foods.  When we started Reese on finger foods, I gave her steamed veggies that were really soft.  We started with cubed carrots and sweet potatoes.  She also liked baked apples and bananas.  She was so much happier to eat, once she could feed herself. 

As far as the hair rinsing, blow in his face before you dump water over his head.  He will instinctively hold his breath. 

epphd

OK I have no suggestions on food because Sam has yet to swallow any puree we have given to him.  He gags on everything. 

BUT - I can help with the cradle cap.  First off, ditch shampoo.  It's too drying.  Just use the baby soap, or - we've been using Dove Sensitive bar soap.  Yep, doc recommended it for cradle cap/eczema. Mainly the eczema. Turns out that the other eczema treatments also keep down cradle cap, namely, slathering him with eucerin or aquaphor. 

When Sam's scalp was covered in thick, greasy scales, we tried olive oil; we tried baby shampoo, we tried the washcloth, we tried mustela baby foam.  All of them worked to get rid of the scales - but by morning they were back.  When the doc recommended eucerin or aquaphor for his eczema - and yes, all over his head, 1-2x per day... the cradle cap disappeared.  I think that keeping his skin so hydrated just prevented the scales from sticking.  Gross, but true.

Anyway, we now only grease his head a couple times a week, but whenever he gets a few scales we know how to clear them right up.

Good luck - and I hope the food thing gets better.  I keep telling myself that Sam won't be 18 years old and still only eating breastmilk.

GreenEyedGal

epphd:

OK I have no suggestions on food because Sam has yet to swallow any puree we have given to him.  He gags on everything. 

BUT - I can help with the cradle cap.  First off, ditch shampoo.  It's too drying.  Just use the baby soap, or - we've been using Dove Sensitive bar soap.  Yep, doc recommended it for cradle cap/eczema. Mainly the eczema. Turns out that the other eczema treatments also keep down cradle cap, namely, slathering him with eucerin or aquaphor. 

When Sam's scalp was covered in thick, greasy scales, we tried olive oil; we tried baby shampoo, we tried the washcloth, we tried mustela baby foam.  All of them worked to get rid of the scales - but by morning they were back.  When the doc recommended eucerin or aquaphor for his eczema - and yes, all over his head, 1-2x per day... the cradle cap disappeared.  I think that keeping his skin so hydrated just prevented the scales from sticking.  Gross, but true.

Anyway, we now only grease his head a couple times a week, but whenever he gets a few scales we know how to clear them right up.

Good luck - and I hope the food thing gets better.  I keep telling myself that Sam won't be 18 years old and still only eating breastmilk.

Luckily I have Baby Aquaphor on hand. I will try this today. Thanks so much for your suggestion!!! And I hope you also have better with feeding him purees.