Weaning - So nervous offering finger food

[sunshinecitrus1]

So I am about 3 weeks into weaning with my LO. He is doing really well and we have experimented with lots of different foods and textures so far. I am really pleased with how it’s going. The only problem is, I am very very nervous with offering finger food. I have been offering both at the same time… Purée / mashed food with finger food on the side.

Sometimes my LO isn’t interested with the finger food at all but when he is, I am so worried about him biting off a too big of a chunk and then choking on it. He bit off a large bit of carrot the other day and I found myself fishing it out of his mouth straight away which I know can be dangerous (I could end up pushing the food further down his throat). I’m really anxious about just leaving him to it. The purée / mashed foods I am feeling more confident with.

Is anyone / has anyone felt like this at the beginning of weaning? Any advice or just knowing that I’m not the only one who worries about this will make me feel much better!

Hi OP - I stumbled across Solid Starts when we started weaning and cannot recommend them enough. They have an amazing free app, website and Instagram account with a wealth of information to give you confidence weaning your baby. For example if you think about it, babies have evolved not to choke and have many mechanisms to prevent it! (Gagging etc) larger food is actually safer because it's too big to choke on, and when a baby puts food in the mouth themselves then they are much less likely to choke because the brain is prepared that food is arriving in the mouth. And so on and so forth. Really recommend giving them a Google :)

Solid Starts, BLW App and SR Nutrition on Instagram are all brilliant pages to follow and explain safe ways of serving finger foods and support around choking vs gagging etc.

Purely for my own anxiety I started with the melty puff snacks as they go squishy very fast, and other soft finger foods like banana. Once he figured those out I've been more confident offering a range of proper nutritious finger foods. My baby is now 8 months old and loves his food - it does get easier :)

@Madmaxxy @Edelweiss2020 Thanks both of you for your replies. That has made me feel a little bit better. I have just downloaded the Solid Starts app, it looks great and I think that will help me a lot
I also like your advice of starting with the softer finger foods. He loves banana so I will try him with that . I think I just need to boost my confidence a bit. I think he would do great if I allowed it but I am holding him back due to my own anxieties!

I think it's important to make sure the finger food isn't too small so that they have to take bites. That really reduces the choking risk - if you cut the food up too small and they pop it in their mouths (which my mother would have much preferred when I was doing it), they can put too much in at once.

I agree @PleasantBirthday, I have been cutting them into adult size finger shapes so what I have been offering has been OK. I just need to gain a bit of confidence with it and let my LO figure it out himself!

It is nerve wracking, but they all come out the other side! I don't know of any infants who've choked while weaning with their mother fretting over them so I'm sure it'll be fine!!!

Just to be clear, I don't know of any infants who choked otherwise either.

Thank you @PleasantBirthday
These are the kind of things I need to hear!

You're only towards the start of the weaning journey, don't feel pressured to do BLW if it doesn't suit you or your baby. I was similar as you and the thought of him choking made the process so stressful so we stuck to purees to begin with, then offered very soft foods like ripe pear, roast sweet potato, strawberries, grated carrots, strips of toast when we thought he was ready to be more independent. It was a long time before we started giving him harder foods like carrot sticks or apple slices.

He's 2.5 years old now and eats the same as any other toddler.

@MangoM Thank you for the advice. I guess I am only 3 weeks in so it’s still early days. I like the idea of your approach and only moving forward when you / baby were ready

Yeah definitely. 3 weeks is still very early. I'm remember it took us a good few months before you could even say he was eating anything at all - he spent the first few months just licking stuff. But we always tried to sit him with us in his highchair when we were eating (even if he wasn't) so he had to chance to watch us and let us know when he wanted to join in.

Have you done a baby first aid course? Definitely get onto one of you haven't already, even if you've decided to continue with purees for now ... it'll hopefully put your mind at ease a little about your choking worries if you knew how to handle it.

@MangoM That’s a good idea having him sat with us for dinner. It’s a little tricky as my OH works until a little later so we usually have dinner later but maybe we will need to jig our routine around a little. We did do a first aid course before baby arrived and I am sure I have the notes for it somewhere so you’re right, I should refresh myself again with the information. Xx

Give him long but thin pieces. I probably wouldn't start with carrots as they are quite hard even when cooked well. Maybe long chunks of sweet potato or potato. Long chunks of a very ripe pear work well as well. Apple pieces can be choking hazards but with DD I found that very thin and long pieces work well.

I think it they pick it up themselves and bite pieces odd the risk of choking is lower so don't put pieces in his mouth (not that you are doing that...just saying).

Maybe thing like single long spaghetti might work well.

Rice cakes seem to be the worst. Several of.my friends had problems with them

I was really nervous before so took a baby first aid course just to put my mind at ease.

I thankfully haven't had to use it yet but it made me a lot calmer and baby is now doing things that would have terrified me before like chewing whole bits of pasta or sucking up noodles

I was/am exactly the same. I started with purées then when comfortable moved to mashed and finally finger foods. But I literally have to sit on my hands when he's eating🙈with a big daft smile on my face telling him it's ok when he gags🤦🏻‍♀️ Added to this he has now learned to fake cough sending my anxiety through the roof😂😂

Thanks for all the tips! I think I may stick to the softer finger foods to help me gain some confidence before introducing the harder stuff.
@Mrsmch123 I really feel for you lol! Must be even worse that your little one fake coughs! Makes me nervous just thinking about it haha!