How do I not panic about choking?? (blw)

[CamperFan]

DS2 is almost 6 months (next week). I've been giving him purees and baby rice for a couple of weeks, but I'm drawn to BLW for convenience and because he seems very keen; I thought about combining the 2 approaches a little. This week I have let him suck on cucumber sticks, which he loves. Today I steamed some broccoli and got a banana. However I am just so paranoid about him choking that I can't let him eat on his own. As soon as he sticks it in his mouth, I'm there checking a large piece hasn't come off and if it has I'm hooking it out of his mouth. Banana and steamed broccoli are both soft - could either cause a total blockage of his throat? Frankly I'm amazed at some of the suggestions the book makes for things that babies can manage. I understand the theory behind the gag reflex, etc. What are people's experiences? Should I stick to the purees if I can't relax? I don't want my anxiety to rub off on him!

You need to chill. Babies who are ready for solids are very good at not choking.

Something very important for you to remember is that a baby who is gagging is not choking. Even if they cough and splutter, they are not choking. A choking baby makes virtually no noise, because a choking baby cannot breath.

So let your ds cope with lumps, let him splutter, cough, gag. You are with him - if he struggles, you can help. But let him try first, don't hook out lumps before hehas had a chance to explore them and work out what to do with them.

I think doing a child First Aid course might reassure you.

I was a First Aider, many years pre-dc. Two of my three choked (on purees) and went blue in the face, and I reacted instantly, according to my training, sorted them out, and they were none the worse for the experience. They didn't even want comforting - they wanted the rest of their lunch!

Honestly they are fine. My DP (Dumb partner?) fed my 9 month old ds a whole nut the other day because i'd told him nuts were fine (as in, smooth peanut butter) - he just made a face and out it came, straight away. They're very well designed little things.

Camper I completely sympathise. I started blw with dd (now 7mo) a month ago and felt exactly the same at the beginning. And yes I hooked bits out of her mouth - not a great idea when they're learning to enjoy food but I couldn't help it!

Believe me it does get easier - every meal time will reassure you a bit more. We have had many worrying gagging incidents, and dd is keen on shoving far too much in her mouth and trying to swallow it whole, but every time it either goes down eventually or comes back up (lovely!)

I also recommend doing a first aid course. I did red cross but st john's ambulance do them too, and also ask your HV as mine mentioned a free one that they do (too late for me unfortunately). They cover choking and CPR and made me feel a lot better about the whole thing.

If you are still nervous start with softer things, which are less likely to cause choking. But as prettycandles pointed out babies can choke on pretty much anything: purees, even liquids, so dropping blw altogether is not necessarily the answer. It really is great once you and baby start enjoying it. dd already chomps her way through all sorts - it's fab to watch. My reasoning was, they have to learn to eat real food at some point so why not now??

Thanks for all your words. I did a first aid course with DS1 but that was 4 years ago now and I think I need a refresher. Which foods would you recommend I started with? I feel like I just don't have enough time to plan what he is going to eat and that I'm not giving it enough thought. I think I have started with solids a bit too early (hence not giving it much thought) because I was desperate for him to start dropping a couple of night feed (am bfing)' which he has in the last couple of weeks.

I really like the idea of him just having family meals.

pooties' that is funny. Sort of! I do find that men tend to take everything very literally when it comes to childcare!!

My ds does gag quite often, but he always gets it out - I have had to tip him upside down and slap him on the back once though (bit of rice cake).

I haven't really done BLW as I spoonfeed things that don't lend themselves that well to self-feeding (porridge, yoghurt, soup). I generally chuck him some bits of what we're having, pasta and sauce, roast dinners etc.

Foods that were good at the beginning was anything chip shaped basically!

For breakfast ds has toast, crumpets, fruit, yoghurt
For lunch sandwiches, sticks of cheese, pasta, fruit/veg, rice/oatcakes with spread - today he had fishfingers, pasta and baby sweetcorn.
For dinner it's whatever we have - today was veg tagine with couscous - he fed himself the bits of veg and I spooned in some couscous and sauce.

Camper I wouldn't worry too much about planning. As long as your ds is getting to try a range of things and getting to explore, it doesn't matter too much, especially as he's only 6 months. The things that rita suggests are good - pretty much whatever you are having (or what you had last night, which is what I often do), as long as it's not too salty, plus a few baby-friendly things like finger sandwiches. We're certainly not on 3 proper meals a day yet at 7mo - dd generally gets whatever chucked her way.

As for soft foods, most things work well, just cook veg a bit longer than you would and maybe to start with avoid things that can break off in hard lumps such as raw apple and carrot. If ds doesn't have teeth he wouldn't be able to do much with those anyway!

You can also have runnier things but still do blw, by loading the spoon and giving it to them. It's mega messy to start with but they learn quickly when there's something they like involved. Dd is very adept at getting yoghurt into her mouth but "forgets" how to use a spoon when there's porridge on it

Don't stress about being purist, some blw-ers may convince you that purees and spoons are a sin but in the real world, anything that gets them exploring and interested in food, plus gets at least some of it into their gob, has got to be good.

Good luck!