My son doesn't chew!

[47jennifer]

My son is 11.5 months. He started solids at 6 months, and we've done Baby Led Weaning all the way...he's never had purees or baby food. We give him pieces from whatever we're eating.

My issue is that he isn't really chewing. Before he had teeth, he had to gum at things a bit more, so I think he ended up chewing almost by accident. Now that he has 4 teeth, he takes off big bites and swallows them down. He never gags or chokes, but his diapers are full of big chunks of food! I can't believe the size of some of what passes through him.

His poo is basically mush with big chunks of food in it. It's been like this for about a month, before that his poop had been more solid. Is this a problem? I'm starting to wonder if I should do mushier baby food so that I know he's digesting something.

[maptome]

Sorry, no advice. Just curious, how much solid food is he eating?

[phrogger]

Isn't chewing more with the molars and the front teeth are more for the tearing? That is what I always thought. I figure solids at this point is more practice and all the nutrients comes from breast milk. My son is almost 9 months and doesn't really chew. I just give him what we are eating and he sometimes has big chunks in there. I do steam veggies though and he kind of mushes that with his tongue. But other then that, he is doing the same thing basically.

[blumooned]

We're in the exact same situation. I am also wondering if it's OK for him to pass big/whole pieces of food.

[honeybunmom]

I've seen that with my son, too. He's also 11.5 mos and we've pretty much always given him what we eat. If food is not very soft, like beans, avocado, etc., I'll put it in the baby food grinder to be sure he's not swallowing chucks whole like that. I'm sure he's probably swallowing whole chunks of ground food, though. And I do have to empty his mouth from time to time. Say, if he's snacking on something and not in his high chair. I'll notice the ballooned cheecks because he has put so much in his mouth and it all must come out.