How to stop being nervous about dd choking?

[mumtodd]

Hi, I have posted before about my 15 month old dd's small appetite and got some good advice so here I am again looking for more advice. DD was bf until 10 months. She started solids at 6 months and although I moved her on to lumpy foods rather than puree quite quickly I have always been very nervous of her choking. The more I think about her poor appetite I think that my nerves about it have affected her more than I thought. It didn't help that just as she was starting on finger foods a little boy of 18 months died by choking on some food and it made me think that it really could happen. When she started eating toast I used to let her bite a pieve off but then I would get nervous that it was too much for her and make her spit it out. I got a bit better but I still get very nervous when I see her bite off a chunk of food. I would prefer to control how much she gets but I think this is probably wrong. A part of me would to see her pick up a banana or slice of toast and wolf it down but a big part of me is scared to let her. I think I would like to introduce her to things slowly and see wha she is capable of. Can anyone help me?

[janestillhere]

YOU ARE ME!!!! I could have written this thread, I will watch to hopefully hear encouraging answers. I was the same with ds too. Truly sympathise.

[mumtodd]

Thanks jane, good to know I'm not the only one. Hope someone can offer me some words of advice. How old is your ds?

[mummymagic]

1. Learn what to do in the event of a choking incident eg go on a first aid course. Surestart organise them I think.

2. Eat meals together, you will then be there while she eats. Let her eat things you eat but be reassured that you are right there.

It isn't really possible to choke on anything that dissolves so maybe start with lumps of banana etc...

PS my dd is 16mths and did finger foods from 6mths - has always been absolutely fine and spat out anything she couldn't handle. Think it's a reflex to do this. I have only just been brave enough to give her cut up grapes (and avoided raisins for some reason) though! I do watch to see that she chews big pieces of food. And closely supervise apple etc.)

Hope that helps - its natural to be protective especially when we hear of such tragedies, and I think we all have our particular fears.

[girrafey]

i had the same fear and still do in a way. my dd is 2.3 and always been a great eater. however i will not let her eat what i call adult crisps or apples. as both of these she chokes on. too hard etc i guess. when i was weaning her she was very independant and preferred to self feed. so at 8 months or so when we were out and about she used to have finger food. i found that giving it in the size i would be happy for her to swallow helped. e.g mixed frozen veg in a pot was a favourite. ( still is) i cut things up for her. i would buy pasta tubes and once cooked cut them in half ( sounds time consuming but it wasnt, they only eat 10 or so anyway at that age) i am only just starting to stop cutting up soft food for her now as teaching her how to do it. ( still do meat etc ) get cold slices of fresh meat and slice up into little squares, cheese, grapes, peppers etc. just take the extra time to cut them into little cubes, and always always sit with her. i am still paranoid about that even now, and freak if my dp goes out for a fag or something after giving her lunch. it does get better i promise, but i think always better to be safe than sorry. x

[missgriss]

You get used to it eventually. I was a major panicker when DS was little but by the time DD came along I had learned to relax. She was eating slices of toast at 7 months, something DS never got to do!

I wouldn't give her adult crisps or anything yet, but I do peel an apple and let her hold it. She can only bite off small pieces so there is less chance of her choking IYSWIM. You just have to bite back your panic and let them get on with it. Their gagging reflex is excellent at this age.

[Notquitegrownup]

So to hear of that little boy. I do agree with MM about taking a course, to learn to dislodge items a little one is choking on. Our health visitor did one and it was sooo useful.

I took heart when mine were little of the advice from a paramedic my friend had to call out when her little one was choking on something. He said that there were only two things that he was fearful of: polystyrene bits and bits of balloon. Other than those, he was confident that the pat on the back with the child over the knee would dislodge anything. It had never failed for him - and I must admit it was amazingly easy when I used it on a(nother) friend's child.

Best of luck