9 mo. old BLW gagging on food

[peaceful_mama]

This is my 4th baby.  I went more slowly introducing solids with him because I was worried how it might affect him since he has a colostomy.  (He was born with imperforate anus, he's facing more surgery when he gets bigger.)

He also does not yet have teeth, my other kids had 2-4 teeth by this age.

He gags a lot more than my other kids did at his age.  He only seems to like and do really well with totally smooth food--soup broth, ice cream (where's that bag smilie??  That was ONE time.  He was on my lap and well, he liked it!)  Even things like avocado, which my other kids did fine with, he will gag.  He CAN eat it and does eat some, but he just seems to gag a lot more.  Sometimes he's done that while nursing too but he never threw up and until recently, his weight was fine.  (always on the same side while nursing, so I chalked it up to a faster letdown or something on that side.)

Now, like I said, he is 9 months old, and he's starting to have weight gain issues.  A couple of months ago, he had actually lost weight--like close to 3 months now.  Then 2 weeks later, he had gained 11 ounces.  (!)  Then, about a month later, 9 month checkup, he weighed exactly the same--no gain, no loss. I nurse on demand, I co-sleep, I am eating plenty of protein and drinking lots of water.  I eat oatmeal often.  I've also started Mother's Milk tea and fenugreek on the thought that it can't hurt.

We go back in a week.  (2 weeks since last check.) 

I'm worried---I don't want him to have to go through anything else!!  I don't want formula or Pediasure or any artificial crap.

At this point, would you mention this gaggy thing to the doctor?

[~Adorkable~]

i woud mention the gagging, only because he has other issues to and so want to be on the look out for everything. and since he will eat smooth things ok, i would not worry too much about feeding him, he can have all sorts of amazing foods in smooth form untill he sorts it out.

how is he on sitting up? i noticed my babies ability to swallow and not spit up correlated strongly with when they got very good at sitting, same muscle group?

[katroshka]

I would also mention it. My second daughter gagged and wouldn't eat at all until she was over a year, but was growing very well the whole time, so doc said not to worry. With the weight gain issue, I think this should be addressed. There was a thread on here a few months ago about something similar, and the baby had a few sessions with an occupational therapist I think, and it resolved very quickly and easily. Good luck!

[soccerchic21]

I have an almost 9 month old that also gags a lot with BLW. It was brought up at her 6 month appt. The advice that I got from my ped was if she is gagging don't force the issue. His approach was the more they gag then they get afraid of gagging and will turn down solids. He did say soupy rice cereals ect. are good for babies who gag. I am not a baby cereal sort of person it just constipates my kids to no end so I was making her some runny oatmeal and she did okay with that. We still work on BLW but the solids I give her are really cut up very well or just super mushy and I let her make a mess. It is a good thing to bring up at your next appointment. Some babies just aren't ready for solids until even the one year mark too. :)