BLW and daycare

[jecombs]

My DS has just turned 6 mo. old and we've started BLW.  The only thing he has had (and loved!) is banana, which I cut into strips and he feeds himself.  I talked with daycare, and while they are nervous about him possibly choking, they are willing to give BLW a try.  Here's my question:  what are some of the least "chokable" foods I could send to daycare for him to eat?  Should I try grating things and then steaming?  I really want to intro avocado soon, because DS is very active and I think the extra calories will do him good.  Would small dices of it be better than big chunks?

TIA!  This is all new to me, even though DS is my second child.

[tzs]

i think i would just try to avoid the "chokable" foods....which IMO aren't really dangerous per se just scarier and you have to watch them closer. raw carrots and apples they can get chunks off and then without molars you really have to watch. super soft stuff they can get big chunks out and you have to watch to see if they got to much and need their mouth swiped (dd would require occasional swipes with strawberries, watermelon...)

i think in general if you/they are freaked out about choking....soft foods should be cut into small chunks and harder to eat foods in big chunks. or they might appreciate if you cut into matchsticks. avocado i'd give in big chunks...it's so squishy they just mash it anyway. beans were my favorite easy food and dd loved them.

i still remember dd's daycare teachers looking in horror as i gave her a wedge of watermelon and she took a huge bite off of it as the other kids sat there with their little chunks. they were more comfortable with the small bits but were more than willing to skip on the purees. 

[CherryBombMama]

nak

when i worked in childcare one girl would bring cubes of avacago, steamed sweet potato chunks the size of her hand, cottage cheese that the LO would pick up w/ her hand, and muffins that easily crumbled.

we never had any problems

[just_lily]

I would really think that daycares would prefer BLW to spoon feeding.  As a home daycare provider I always find spoon feeding to be more of a pain.  With BLW I can put a few bites of food on the baby's tray and continue to respond to the other kids' requests for more this, help with that, spilled drinks, etc.  When you are spoon feeding you are pretty much stuck feeding until the baby is done so that they don't start screaming at you.  :)

I would avoid the obvious choking hazards like whole grapes and nuts, but that is about it.  I would also make sure that the workers supervising have been trained with what to do in the case of an infant or small child choking (real choking - not gagging).  I took my first aid training when my DD was about 8mo and it made me so much more comfortable with self-feeding because I felt like I could handle it if she did ever choke (which never happened, thank goodness and know on wood.)

[jecombs]

 Thanks for the feedback!  DS's teacher is just super-concerned about choking.  She doesn't care if spoon-feeding is extra work.  She shared with me this morning that her DD (now 27 yrs old) choked to the point of turning blue when she was 10 mo. old and it really scared her.  So I want to do all that I can to make the teacher comfortable as possible with BLW.

I'll probably steam up some chunks of sweet potato this weekend!    Cottage cheese is also a great idea.  Thanks again!