19 week old grabbing my food!

[missytequila]

ok my 19 week grabbed a grape from my hand. i needed to hold on to it to stop her from swallowing it so I bit it in half and let her have it. she chewed sucked on it and cried if i took it away. should i let her chomp, suck on bits of food? will she choke if i let her have it

Can she sit up straight with support (ie in a highchair or something?)

19 weeks is pretty little. I would perhaps let her sit in her highchair at the table at mealtimes (if you are not grabbing something to eat while she sleeps!) and give her a teething ring or something to gum and play with. If she was really adamant about having some of your food then I would give her some fruit or veg to try (from your plate or it probably won't work!) - stick to soft/cooked things (you can boil slices of apple) and the easiest shape for them to manage is carrot stick/chip shaped. But stick to fruit and veg while she is so little. No bread etc.

If she is sitting up without slumping over or leaning back and you are watching her and it is soft foods, she is very unlikely to choke. She might gag a bit but that is normal and a protective mechanism AGAINST choking. It's very important not to hold the food for her - she has to be able to get it to her mouth by herself. If she can't do this then she probably is not ready. You might want to read up about Baby Led Weaning since this is what you are doing! :)

My DD grabbed a packet of (unopened) fags off her Nan's table at about 13w but I didn't let her start smoking

OK, so without being facetious - I agree with BertieBotts

Agree with Bertie. The NHS recommendations on infant feeding say nothing but milk until 6 months - but if your baby is able to sit up, pick up and taste finger food before then, they should be encouraged.

The BLW blog here is good, although there is a book too.