Help - BLS & Gagging

[Jahzara]

Hi,

My 19 month old still gags on his food. Hates anything with lumps - still on mushed food. Little bugger is just fussy i think.

Good luck !

[The[cookie]Doctor]

WTG Beth! My DS is umm, useless with a spoon LOL!! If she is still feeding herself, it is still BLS anyway
Good luck!!

[Frangipani]

I can totally understand your aniexty...I was like that too. So I ended up just sticking to the puree'd/mashed foods at the beginning, and the only finger foods DS got was teething rusks (as he never really got to the point to need to swallow it, but at least he was learning the chewing action). Oh and I also was given one of those chewy sacks (not sure how to explain it, but you can get them in the baby isle at the supermarkets, its kinda a netting with a little handle for them to hold).

Then about 1 month ago I started to give him steamed vegies, soft fruits, BBQ and only a couple of days of toast, where I would sit and watch. He would occassionally gag, which I went into a panic and usually ended the session after 3 gags (couldn't handle it much longer then that). But 2 weeks ago he has all of a sudden started to swallow it alot better, with less gagging and even though I panic a little - I know he is getting the idea (I now cheer him after a gag, as i find it better then showing the worried look on my face). I also now don't watch his face directly, i kind look behind him and listen because if I watch I worry more.

Good luck with it all, I'm sure it will all feel better in time.

[beckoes]

Pixie: we are trying the same sort of thing as you, a bit of both, its my instinct to panic and wip her out the chair and hold her up by her ankles (lol) but i fight it...i didnt want to scare her off, especially as she looks right in to my eyes when she is gagging, eyes watering, cheeks going pink, but after a few seconds she is fine and sucking on the piece she just gagged on! Meantime, my heart is going a thousand miles an hour and ive broken out into a cold sweet!! like the others said , if its not enjoyable for both..dont worry about not doing it!!!

She grabs the spoon and guides it to her mouth most the time and is eating lots of mushed foods, not pured just lumpy mush., i havent tried bread yet, just some steamed veggie sticks and avo and banana, which she couldnt get hold of, and was like a comedy sketch watching her trying to keep the banana in her hands, in the end i mushed it and she gobbled it up!lol I imagine within month or so she will be eating just finger food.

Good luck

[onthefly]

It is a worry the first few times they do it - I jumped to grab DS quite a few times when we first started on solids too. But I agree, if it's doing your head in then maybe ease off. They do get better though, and quickly. i would say too the more practice they have the quicker they'd get better at it, most probably.
But wow on her using a spoon pixie! I'm impressed. DS still can't do that...

[thepixie]

yeah banana and avocado are pretty funny when you just give them cut up pieces... they are a bit slippery! Tried her on banana and yogurt which she loves, and giving her smaller pieces of bread.

If she is still feeding herself, it is still BLS anyway

Thanks Cookiemonster, I didn't realise this! I am just going to keep taking it slow... and try not to panic when she gags!
Thanks to everyone for your comments mwah!

[Ezz]

I did purees for 1 month until he had the idea, then started on soft finger foods. I would steam vegies until they could be mushed between the roof of my mouth & tongue without chewing. He would gag sometimes & occassionaly I pulled the food out of his mouth with my finger - but generally he would just bring it back up & chew it better. It wasn't until he genuinely choked (when he was a few months older & much more competant with eating) that I realised how different choking is to gagging - his face changed colour & he was genuinely distressed, I pulled him out of the pram & slapped his back & he vomitted everything up - including the biscuit that had been lodged in his throat. You will know when your DD is *really* choking.

[thepixie]

Thanks ezz... she's got the hang of it now!