Is there a nice way to pry objects from LO's mouth?

[blumooned]

DS puts everything in his mouth. He chews on everything. He often ends up with something in his mouth that shouldn't be there. I usually have to dig it out and he ends up upset about it. I don't want to scare him or make him mad - but I don't want him to choke either. What do you do when this happens? Is there a nicer/gentler way that still works?

I'm working on teaching him to stick out his tongue when I ask, but he is more reluctant when he has something in there - I think he knows I'm going to take it away from him!

I know that the best way is to avoid this in the first place by keeping him away from small, non-edible objects. But, the things he puts in there are hard to completely avoid. He bites pieces of cardboard off his books. He eats pieces of lint/string from the floor or blankets. (Sometimes I let these go. ) He finds things on the floor (kitchen usually) that I don't know are there. Yesterday, we were outside and he wanted to eat grass. I feel like it is never-ending!

[Sweet.Bee]

My son is 2 weeks younger than yours, and I have the same problem! He puts absolutely everything into his mouth. He chews on paper and cardboard and pieces come off. He eats his books (which is a shame b/c he's really good at turning the pages!). He digs things out of the garbage can. He bites on the furniture. And so on.

For him, it's really important that I get the pieces out quickly. Otherwise, he will swallow them and then vomit up everything in his stomach, poor baby. So, here's what I do:

I fish my index finger around in his mouth to get things out. Usually, just touching his lip will cause him to open his mouth, but if that doesn't work, you can (gently!) press your thumb and index finger on his cheeks. That will most likely cause him to open his mouth because it's a bit uncomfortable. Try it on yourself first to see what I mean.

Good luck!

[greenmamapagan]

I lol'd at this thread title. it seems I spend all day doing this! I do what Sweet.Bee described although I admit, if it seems harmless sometimes I let it go too

[AFWife]

Our son's share a birthday! (to the day actually...4/15/09 lol)

Anyway...

Originally Posted by Sweet.Bee

you can (gently!) press your thumb and index finger on his cheeks. That will most likely cause him to open his mouth because it's a bit uncomfortable. Try it on yourself first to see what I mean.

This is exactly what I do. When I started doing it (oh, around 7 or 8 months when he got mobile) I would say, "open" when I did it. Now, if he has something he knows he's not supposed to have all I have to do is set my fingers on his cheeks (no pressure) and say, "open" and more often than not he gives it to me. Sometimes I have to dig around a bit if it's something he really wants to chew on.

I also let the little things go. If it's more of a fight to find it (small bits of paper, lint, leftover grain of rice I didn't know was on the floor, etc...) I'll probably just let him eat it.

[Madalyn]

I'm going to try your technique AFWife. I do this most of the day too lol. Any time I do it even if I succeed at fetching the object my fingers are covered in bite marks!!

[Madalyn]

Hey it worked!

(Yes that soon after I posted that he already picked up something haha.)

[marinak1977]

Madalyn LOL! I have a 3 month old and so not looking forward to this. But we will get through it I'm sure.

[redvlagrl]

Could you maybe try sliding your finger in the side of his mouth where his molars will be eventually and fishing the stuff out that way, kind of like you were delatching from the breast?

Or you could work on "say Ahhhhhhh" and demonstrate. Or just "open your mouth!". I definitely underestimated DD's abilty to understand when she was about that age.

[blumooned]

Originally Posted by AFWife

Our son's share a birthday! (to the day actually...4/15/09 lol)

That is pretty cool! You have a tax-day baby too!!

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone - I'm going to try these at my next opportunity. Probably later today!

I forgot to mention, in the past when I've stuck my finger in there I've been bit HARD. He has all 8 front teeth & knows how to use them! I think your ideas will help avoid more bites.
Thanks!

[nukuspot]

We also do the "ahhhhh" thing and she used to mimic, though now she takes it as "crawl away from mom as fast as you can and try to swallow the speck before she can get it from you." Then she opens and says "ahhhh" after she swallows it!

[PrincessAnika]

i do the 'slide the finger in and scoop' - yesterday it was a paper napkin
also i try to have something to 'trade' with her - usually a toy she can chew on.

[GreenGranolaMama]

This is us as well... I think the most recent non edible items he has eaten was a wood chip at the playground and 1/2 of a dog treat... :Puke but he will eat ANYTHING. I try and keep the floors as clean as I can, but unless it is super dangerous/ serious choking hazard (like the wood chip- tried to get it out but it was gone...) , I let it go.