introducing finger food - help greatly received!

[tinks27]

So all going well on the eating front and first month did it the puree way and getting a bit lumpier now. All good!

But LO desperate to pick things up and eat. I am really keen for this too, and have cut up bits of banana and other stuff for her to have a go.But am so paranoid about choking..... i cut the bits small but then she can't pick them up so must be doing then too small???

please can you help me, as really keen for her to get stuck in, but worry that big bits, too big???!! we had a go with a rusk a week ago and she didn't suck but bit ( has 4 teeth poking through) and quite a big bit came off and she gagged and half spat/i pulled it out. so maybe that's why i am paranoid

if you give a bigger bit of banana say - how do they know not to shove it all in and it gets stuck??

blw experts please help over anxious first timer!

From my experience with dd2, who refused to eat from a spoon from about 7m, I just used to chop up whatever she was having and put it on her high-chair tray

No choking episodes (they have good gag reflexes!)

Obviously the stuff has to be big enough for them to pick up

So things like pasta shells, sticks of veg (cooked), pieces of soft meat (I used to sort of shred chicken, which she loved)

Anything, really

Bigger bits are probably better. I used to peel a banana and hold it up for DS and he'd bite chunks out of it! Banana is tricky as it gets slippery when you cut it, but if you squeeze it, you'll find that it breaks into three bits which have rough edges and are eaiser to hold.

I didn't do BLW but I did give finger foods from about 6.5 months. I found that, from quite early on, DS was capable of dealing with the food himself. If he took a mouthful of toast that was too big, he'd chew it up, spit half of it out and swallow the rest. Not particularly attractive but it worked!

Gagging is to be expected, I think. Try not to worry about it. Easier said than done, I know...

Don't worry at all about gagging - it's alarming but it's part of them learning to deal with food - actually they have to gag. Choking is completely different and usually happens with harder foods like apple or carrot (which you won't be giving at 7m!)

Gagging = noisy, coughing, spluttering, food usually gets spat out. Best left to get on with it.

Choking = silent, desperate, often arms stretched out, leaning forward, trying to gag and failing. THIS you deal with - pick up dc, lie him/her along your arm face downwards and head down and a good solid thwack between the shoulder blades. And I do mean a thwack, not a pat. You won't break any ribs but you don't have much time to dislodge the food, so you don't muck about.

What might make you feel better as well is going on a baby first aid course - our local HVs ran one.

thank you ladies for the tips and advice.will keep on with it.

you are right about first aid course octavia pink - would make me feel better i think.