Weaning issues

[AliceCherry]

Hey!

So, my 9-month-old DS has been eating pureed food since he was 6-months-old, and I've been spoon feeding him. For the last few weeks I haven't been blending it as much and he's been fine with the lumps.

I want to try and get to the next stage and encourage him to try and feed himself. But how do I do this?

Baby led weaning frightens the hell out of me, but I've been trying to give him a few pieces of whole food before his meals, (sweet potato chunks, chopped banana, tofu squares, etc), and for the most part he's pretty good with handling them. But I don't know what other safe finger foods to try? Any ideas?

I'm literally on the edge of my seat when he has a piece of food in his hand. Did anyone else feel this anxious about their LO's choking? :S I could do with some advice.

I can understand you being anxious but when ideally would you like him to start finger foods OP? 1? 7? 24?

If you are anxious, I'd really recommend going on a Paediatric 1st aid course or at least looking up what to do if baby chokes as babies choke on purées as well as finger foods.

As for what you can try, have a read of this guide from the Caroline Walker Trust. You'll probably need to start at page 39

Just any healthy food you eat on his tray is fine. You have to sit on your hands a bit, but both of mine only ever had real food from 6 months and neither has ever choked. At 9 months, he’s perfectly capable of just getting on with it, but sturdy foods are best, toast fingers, roasted veg sticks, breadsticks dipped in hummus or cream cheese, pear slices, half a nectarine, etc.

We went steady with lumps and then proper food, but only because baby was fussy and we had to go slowly slowly as rejected lumps etc. I would have had no hesitation giving him toast etc (we did, but he’d chew and store it in roof of mouth until he spat it out). I know you are anxious, just trust your kid- he’ll generally chew if he needs to. Just don’t give grapes if not cut up etc. I never had any first aid course and baby has never choked- he knows to chew

Rubyroot it's possible for babies, children and even adults who know how to chew, to choke. Emergency first aid is a vital life skill that everyone should have some knowledge of (in my opinion). It's important to be careful with foods that are known choking hazards like grapes but choking can happen with any food. The one time I had to do backslaps on a blue, silent baby, she was choking on a piece of potato, I was able to deal with it instantly and calmly because first aid training meant I knew exactly what to do.

I’ve looked up strategies of what to do on YouTube- and I think a previous poster recommended this. I think some people can be over anxious about giving solids which is why I said this. some people can’t afford baby first aid courses and they don’t run in every area.

Any foods are safe finger foods - unless they contain honey, excess salt or whole nuts. Honestly, you just have to do it. Baby is more than capable of handling finger foods and self feeding from 6mo. Try toast fingers, breadsticks, cheese sticks, vegetable crudités with houmous, strips of omelette, sausage sliced lengthways. Take a baby first aid course or watch YouTube videos so you know what to do in the rare, rare event of choking (which is "silent and blue", not noisy and red-faced, that's just harmless gagging) but there's no alternative to just doing it. Baby needs to build their jaw muscles and dexterity by self feeding and chewing, it's important developmentally.

Thank you, all.

I actually tried my son with some houmous on toast for lunch, and he had absolutely no trouble handling/chewing it. I underestimated him!

We'll keep experimenting. :)

Aaaahh bless. Have fun. Try some brocolli florets, carrot strips (cooked) and some avocado- my baby loves all three

Well done! Keep experimenting and try to have fun - the weaning process can genuinely be really fun.

Remember "noisy and red, let them go ahead; silent and blue, they need help from you".