When will my 10 mo puree eating DS eat chunkier food?

[lkmiscnet]

After 2.5 mo since introducing solids, our DS is still on purees. Anything chunkier than that and he gags and looks like he's choking.

I've had to buy some pureed veggies that I couldn't get smooth enough in my homemade batches (e.g. green beans). My green beans are more like minced relish and he just gets hysterical if it's not smooth in his mouth. When I was helping him with his pincer grip with a cereal puff and guided it to his mouth, I thought he was literally choking and he ended up vomiting up all the pureed peas that I was so proud that he had just eaten.

Just wondering who else has gone through this and when the switch went off when you could introduce something thicker?

[Abraisme]

It really sounds like he's not ready to eat yet. I would simply keep offering him solid chunks of food until he starts eating it on his own. Many kids aren't ready to eat until 12mo++. My best friend's son hardly ate anything until 14mo, then one day it clicked on. I know it can be hard not to worry, but really, there's still plenty of time. My feeling is that force feeding a baby that isn't ready will lead to even more eating issues in the future.

[Katie T]

Originally Posted by Abraisme

It really sounds like he's not ready to eat yet. I would simply keep offering him solid chunks of food until he starts eating it on his own. Many kids aren't ready to eat until 12mo++. My best friend's son hardly ate anything until 14mo, then one day it clicked on. I know it can be hard not to worry, but really, there's still plenty of time. My feeling is that force feeding a baby that isn't ready will lead to even more eating issues in the future.

I tend to agree, he MAY have a texture issue but I think its too early to tell, I would (and this is what I like to do with my kids) is offer soft fingure food. I feel that when they are ready to eat they can get the food to there mouths and feed themselves. Maybe try offering finger foods for him to play with at meal time and see if he does the same then.

Good luck

[Mal85]

DD was the same way. She loved food, but freaked out when there were different textures in her mouth. She is still that way with a lot of foods, it has to at least be mushy for her to want it. She doesn't like any breads or anything that has the dry crumbly feeling in her mouth. She's just very picky about they way things feel in her mouth.

I just didn't push it. She liked the purees, we even tried the 3rd step purees with chunks in it, but it was a no go. She is a year old now and she is eating mostly regular foods. I had to skip the whole step of smaller chunks and just let her start feeding herself (which she wasn't interested in before). Just keep trying to introduce the other foods. He'll get the hang of it. If he gags/chokes, stop and try again another time. Don't worry, he won't be eating purees forever!

[redvlagrl]

Have you tried just real food, no pureed at all? Like a whole peach or pear or a big chunk of borccoli?

We did baby led Weaning/solids and it was great. Perhaps read up on this - it also explains why gagging is actually a good thing and not something to really worry about (unless it becomes choking, of course)

[Llyra]

If she's been eating purees, she may need practice to handle something with texture. She's become accustomed to food just sliding down with no gumming or chewing involved, and she may need to gag some to realize that she needs to chew. The gagging is upsetting to watch, but a lot of times you only need to allow it to happen a few times, and then they get the hang of it. Choking is something other than gagging-- so be careful that whatever you offer isn't the size and shape to actually get stuck and obstruct breathing (think grapes, cherry tomatoes-- stuff like that will easily lead to choking). Gagging is not dangerous like true choking is. It's gross, and upsetting to watch, but sometimes it's a step they have to take to learn how to chew and to learn that they have to chew.

Of course, if you've tried repeatedly, and it's still happening, that's something else. In that case, she may just not be ready.

I agree though to try big pieces of something she can hold herself and gum down-- like a whole banana, or a piece of dry toast, or even a cob of corn cooked down really soft. You take a sharp knife and shave the surface of the kernels off, and baby can gum the juice.

[lkmiscnet]

Thanks for all the great advice!

Can I have some suggestions for some good finger foods to try at this time...ones that I don't have to worry about him possibly choking on?

[kkd]

I'm in the same boat! Your post made me laugh b/c I could've written it! Only when DD (9 mos) starts gagging at the hint of anything with texture, it makes her throw up. I've tried several things - but haven't been successful with anything other than super fine purees. Tried banana chunks since it's a flavor which is familiar to her, she eats bananas that have been through the food mill and thinned with breastmilk. Nope - that made her gag too. I will be interested to hear what works with your DS!

[Sweet.Bee]

I have nothing constructive to add, but I just wanted to say you're not alone!

I have exactly this same problem with my 10-month-old. He had been eating purées and soups for months, but will vomit up everything at the slightest hint of chunkiness. I've tried finger foods a few times, but he just chews on the end and then makes a funny face if a piece breaks off into his mouth. It's weird because he loves putting everything into his mouth, especially cardboard and DVDs.

I hope time will solve this for all of us.

[colsxjack]

We were having the same issue with our DD. She did OK on very thin purees and then anything with a bit of texture and she would gag and then refuse to eat.
Then we bought a book called "Baby Led Weaning". Basically eating whole foods. Not even in bite sized pieces. We give her a half apple, carrots, pepper, zucchini sticks, sweet potato, squash, broccoli, whatever. She is happy and we are happy.
To tell you the truth, a lot more ends up on the floor but that is OK. At least she is trying stuff and practicing chewing and picking up food.

What helped me was an analogy in the book. The author said to think about the difference when you eat soup off a spoon and cereal off a spoon. The soup you slurp to the back of your mouth and swallow. The cereal you pour into your mouth and then chew. If you slurped it back to your mouth and swallowed you would gag and chock too.

Kids need practice to chew and move food around their mouth the same way they need practice to crawl and talk and everything else. Feeding them purees will not give them any practice. But chunky purees just confuses them.

Try giving your DC some table foods. Toast fingers, pancake fingers, basically anything cut into 2 inch fingers. They need a handle to grasp. He will bite off bits and move them around his mouth like he is chewing and then probably just push it out of his mouth and go for another bite.

Also, try doing it when he is not hungry. Nobody wants to learn new skills when they are hungry. Think of it as a toy that he is exploring and learning from.

Our feeding is so much more relaxed and happy for us and our DD.

[redvlagrl]

Try giving broccoli 'trees' (big broccoli florets, steamed until soft), sweet potatoes roasted in fingers in teh oven (in olive oil), whole pears, whole apples (I peel these), kiwi quarters, banana thrids (bananas helfully break into 3 lengthwise naturally), whole blueberries (the smaller ones).

[hezasan]

What a great thread, just in time for me! I was just looking into starting finger foods with my guy, I wasn't sure why he didn't seem to be interested in trying to pick up those tiny, bite size pieces I had placed in front of him! I tried a slice of pear (which had previously been baked), and he picked it right up and started gnawing on it! He didn't eat much of it, but it's a start. Thanks everyone!