Jasp - AR should be fine with choking if she is handling finger foods fine. Jett started at 5 1/2 months, and we only had a few gag/choke moments. Just make sure you know what to do if she starts to turn blue. If she is coughing and spluttering or looking like she is going to be sick, she is just gagging and if you watch you will see a chunk of food come out, usually followed by her putting that piece straight back in her mouth again. They are pretty clever like that!! It is part of the learning what sized pieces to bite off and how small they should be to swallow. You have to trust them. I know, it is easier said than done, but even if you did only purees, eventually when you swap them over to finger food they need to learn exactly the same thing so I am afraid there is no escaping it! Just take heart that babies gag reflex is far more developed than adults so they are well equipped to bring it back up if it is the wrong size or shape. They don't panic the same as us either, so like I said, as long as she isn't turning blue just try to remain calm and let her sort it out herself. It is amazing to watch - scary at first - but then you realise how well they cope.
Jasp: We have never had anything close to choking with our DS - LOTS of gagging, but nothing that I've ever had to worry about. They manage amazingly well .
Just a question for you mummies with older bubs... I know 'food is for fun until you're one' and that milk feeds are more important until then... but what about when your bub IS one? DS turns one in less than a month, and I was wondering if anything should change much with BLS when he turns one? Should I start offering food before milk, or does it just continue the same and I allow DS to choose more so when he wants more food and less milk?
Sterla - nope nothing changes unless you want it to!! It is more that by this time they should be eating, and eating well (as well as you can expect from a 1 year old!) and so if they aren't then you need to be concerned and seek medical advice. Otherwise continue on as you are comfortable and by following bubs lead you will find things will change and progress at a suitable rate! HTH
Jasp - a first aid course is a valuable thing! In the meantime if she does turn blue and you realise she is choking calmly pick her up and lay her across your lap face down. This action in itself may be enough to dislodge whatever is obstructing the airway, otherwise put your fingers in her mouth and see if you can dislodge it for her. If all else fails a sharp upwards blow with the heel of your hand on her back. But I'm am not a first aider and nothing can replace professional training. I did an infant first aid course which is where I got this information from but it may be out of date by now...
Thanks MummyTummy. DS is eating fairly well I suppose - he doesn't choose to eat a great deal, but because he's still having A LOT of breastfeeds a day (and night), I guess he doesn't need as much to keep him full. Having said that, I think he is finally (and slowly) starting to drop at least one feed a day.
Dumb sounding question (I get offering fruit and veg) how do I start with the rest of foods like toast and casseroles and stuff?
DS has just turned 6mths 1wk. We have tried a few different fruits and veg and couple of pieces of unflavoured meat (roast pork and porterhouse steak) (and some mush stuff to get medicine down) but I don't understand how to do the rest. Currently I just put the food on his high chair tray and let him think about playing with it and having a go with getting it to his mouth. I don't think I can really do that with casserole type meals. Tomorrow night planning a Mediterranean chicken casserole with chicken drumsticks accompanied by pasta. I get that I can give DS the bone but I can't quite get my head around how everything else works. (I have read the Gil Rapley book but I just don't quite get how to do it in practise)
With a chicken drumstick, you could probably just give him bits of meat off it (in a shape that he could pick up) or the bone... the whole drumstick might be a bit heavy and awkward at that age.
As for the pasta... just give him some to try. It's all about letting your baby learn about the food (texture, taste) and also letting your baby learn how to get food to his mouth (even the really slippery, awkward stuff, lol).
Leckert, I just usually break bits of chicken off the drumstick for him. As for casserole type dishes, I just let him go for it. I put it on his tray and let him feed himself as usual. Not so much sauce, just whatever is coating the meat/pasta etc that's in the dish.
Pasta is DS's favourite and would eat it everyday, every meal if I let him! Just pop a few pieces in front of him to play with, and he will get the hang of things in his own time.
Thanks Megan that sort of makes sense for me. Hoping tomorrow night's attempt at solids goes slightly well (we missed it tonight as DS was soo tired and had a temp so had some dymadon and went to sleep)
Liz - Even with all the messy stuff I just pop it down in front of Kyson and let him go for it. I'll post the link to a couple of examples of his "messy" foods, hehe.
sloane, I do the same! And while I am doing it I am telling myself that I should keep my hands to myself.
Sterla, DD doesn't like having her hands cleaned, however likes having her face cleaned. That said, we use a wet facewasher and gently rub her face, try to grab her tongue, play peak-a-boo with the facewasher to make it fun. Otherwise she grumbles.
Leckert, with the pasta, maybe try one that is easier to hold/pick up as well? Spirals or shells may be easier. We have also given toast cut into soldiers. DD can pick it up easily enough and suck/chew on it.
I had the 8 month check up at the MCHN today (the one who blasted me for giving DD wheatbix). I was asked how the solids was going, and if I am giving a selection of different purees...pureed pears, pureed apples, pureed carrots, etc. I replied that I am giving a wide variety of tastes and textures. She asked if I am buying pre-made food, or preparing myself. I said myself, no pre-packaged food. I just failed to mention that the textures are everything from pasta, to different meats, quiches, vegies done a variety of ways, and that there has only been 1 puree...carrot soup which she had with a dipper of bread (and we were also eating)! ;-) The MCHN then said 'and no wheatbix'! I just smiled and said 'of course'.
Hi everyone - I have been lurking in this thread for a while and thought about time I joined in. Have been doing BLS since DD turned 6 months (now 7.5), at first very slow going and I don't think she actually ate anything but past two weeks has been a bit better and am starting to find lumps of carrot etc in her nappy so it must be going down! At the moment she only likes hard stuff - she has just cut her two bottom teeth so seems to only like stuff she can knaw/tear at anything squidgy not interested. Avocado she seemed to really like but only if was on the end of a bread stick. I am assuming Weetbix is ok despite what MCHN said to you Elliskirsty - as after reading the Gill Rapley book seems like most food is ok - DD quite likes a dry Weetbix.
A question - spinach is that ok - I thought I read somewhere that was not so good for bubs, but DD always grabs at the spinach in my salads and enjoys chomping on any salad leaves it seems ( shame the green dribble makes such a mess - as is warm if at home tend to take her clothes off - but have told her she will have to make less mess by winter ).
This evening I have using a muslin square created a hammock under her IKEA high chair to catch the bits that fall out through the leg wholes, they are easier for me then to pick up and offer her again as is an easy height and stops them bouncing all over the floor. Based on tonight it catches about 75% of all droppages I reckon, of course the wilful throwing over the side it does nothing for!
Yep, I forgot to mention different pasta shapes. We don't have spaghetti here at the moment as he gets really frustrated with it. We have shells alot of the time and some spirals, sometimes bows. We buy the large shells and he shovels them in his mouth until he cant fit any more! He often has 5 or 6 in there at once!
Vic, nice to see you in here considering I had never heard about BLS until you told me about it!
I have a huuuuge oversized round plastic table cloth thingo that DS's highchair sits on to catch all the droppage. That way I can keep it clean and pick stuff up to give back to him, hehe.
Good on you EK!!! I love the deviousness of it all!!
Leckert - everyone else has given you some great advice on feeding solids. Just put a small selection of everything on the tray and see how it goes. A whole drumstick is more than likely too awkward so just the meat or the bone with bits of meat will be just fine. You can do the same thing even with runny food like yoghurt. Yes it is messy but learning how those foods behave (as in the physics - gravity etc) is just as important as them eating the food. DS eats yoghurt very well with his hands (he does use the spoon too!), while other babies use dippers - such as EK's carrot soup with bread dipper, and others figure out to tip up the container and drink... all with the same result - mess and a full tummy and happy baby!!
As for pasta - we use the textured tubes. Holds the sauce inside and outside and the texture makes it a little easier to pick up. But yes, any of the shapes tend to be more successful than spaghetti or fettucini at first. But do offer it now and then. DS loves slurping fettucini and flat noodles from the thai restaurant. He does it very skillfully too. But he does love to decorate the dog in it too - thinks it is hilarious!!!
Wysiwyg - If your DD likes spinach just go for it. DS loved lettuce for a while but he can't stand it now. And yes weetbix is just fine - EK has a particularly difficult old-school MCHN who is not supportive in the least of BLS. DS likes dry weetbix too - personally the thought of it makes my mouth turn dry!! Nice thought on the hammock catcher too. How did you hook it up in front of the leg holes?
I tend to use whatever pasta is on special, as that is just what I have. DD actually LOVES spaghetti, it is probably her favourite food (we call them 'Stringies') and she puts one end in her mouth and then sucks the rest in, so very adorable (but messy).
We are cutting tooth number 9 and 10 at the moment... she is going to be one of those kids with a full set of teeth by one haha.
ETA: we have never had any choking and not even any intense gagging, just spitting big bits out with force.
Last edited by Jellyfish; January 15th, 2010 at 09:09 AM.
Wow, teeth 9 & 10!!! We are waiting on 3&4 here. lol
We had a big gagging incident here this morning with watermelon. Usually I cut off a whole big slice of watermelon for DS and he munches on it and gets through it no problem. I had just made him lunch but left DH to organise the watermelon so I could hang the washing out. I'm outside and hear this almighty scream from DS, so I run inside and DH has him laying over his highchair tray trying to get up this bit of watermelon. It eventually comes out with a lot of drool and a bit of vomit, his face is bright red and he's screaming his little lungs out.
I then looked at the tray and DH had cut up his watermelon into pieces, so he was just picking them up and shoving them in his mouth, rather than having a big piece and just biting off what he can handle like he normally does. It was yet another scary gagging incident and am annoyed with DH for not listening to me. He has watermelon all the time and DH has seen the way I cut it up, yet he decides to cut it into little chunks that he could choke on. Sometimes he just doesn't think.
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In the meantime if she does turn blue and you realise she is choking calmly pick her up and lay her across your lap face down. This action in itself may be enough to dislodge whatever is obstructing the airway, otherwise put your fingers in her mouth and see if you can dislodge it for her. If all else fails a sharp upwards blow with the heel of your hand on her back. But I'm am not a first aider and nothing can replace professional training. I did an infant first aid course which is where I got this information from but it may be out of date by now...
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Good on you EK!!! I love the deviousness of it all!!
If your DD likes spinach just go for it. DS loved lettuce for a while but he can't stand it now. And yes weetbix is just fine - EK has a particularly difficult old-school MCHN who is not supportive in the least of BLS. DS likes dry weetbix too - personally the thought of it makes my mouth turn dry!!
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