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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Scary start with BLW

39 replies

metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:23

Dd is 6 months old, very keen to put everything in her mouth, so started on the BLW root in the past few days. She like to suck on a piece if bread and a broccoli florette so today's new thing was banana.

I gave her a chunk bug enough to pick up, she had some, gagged, then choked, then vomited milk. A bit later I tried with smaller pieces and she vomited again. Once more with a bigger piece, more vomit.

Obviously I don't mind her vomiting but I'm terrified of her choking... With DS we started with purée and mash and only started finger food at around 7-8 months. DD not keen on purée, which I was happy about as I thought to only do it baby led but now I feel quite scared of choking her.

Any advice?

OP posts:
OneOfMyTurnsComingOn · 13/04/2012 12:25

I think banana is a bit soft to hold. Give things that are stick shaped, like carrot batons, lightly cooked etc

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:29

Thanks One, she can hold on to banana but eats it too ferociously perhaps. More worried about carrot as it may snap and choke her too. Sad

OP posts:
Longtalljosie · 13/04/2012 12:30

Are you sure she was really choking? I only ask because I was sure my DD choked once, but in retrospect it was just a scary gag.

Either way, though - remember she's learning how to move food around in her mouth and her gag reflex (and the point she'll vomit) is much further forward in her mouth than an adult's - precisely to help her learn...

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:34

Cheers Long, should I let her gag and vomit though? It seems a bit counterproductive to lose the breastmilk... Weaning is scary, I already miss the simplicity of exclusive breastfeeding. So strange that we went through hurdles with my mixed fed DS, but he never gagged to the point of vomit I think...

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 13/04/2012 12:37

It sounds like she has an overly sensitive gag reflex, most babies don't vomit. However, if she is gagging then that is a good sign - it means her body's defence mechanism is kicking in well before she chokes. A baby's gag reflex is farther forwards than ours, about halfway down the tongue.

If she keeps vomiting with it I'd probably stop the BLW and go for purees TBH, or even leave food for a little bit. Like you say, it seems counterproductive.

AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 13/04/2012 12:38

mine were super-gaggy with banana, for some reason. give broccoli a try, things like that. have you done any research about choking vs gagging? some thoughts here and it's always an idea to do a course, either in person or online, just to take away a lot of the fear.

ShowMethePony · 13/04/2012 12:42

But if you cook the carrot it won't snap, that is what OneOfMyTurns was saying.

They are all different, ds never vomited but did cough up a few things that went down the wrong way. Choking is when they can't breathe - you might feel more relaxed if you are confident you know what to do if she really did stop breathing, I just looked at online first aid stuff but you can even do courses specifically about young children's first aid.

Just let her get on with it, I'd say. Try some different food - pasta, meat whatever.

AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 13/04/2012 12:42

i'm not sure bertie is completely right, by the way, i've heard of a lot of babies vomiting, in a particularly mucusy, lubricating, almost forceful way, when a blockage needs to be cleared. which is good, right?
otoh if it's happening all the time (which it isn't, cos she's had bread and broccoli?) then she might be right about the sensitive gag reflex. then it's up to you, it will move backwards with age, probably, or if you continue with BLW that will speed things up.

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:43

Oh dear, we may be the BLW failures! Grin

I think I agree with you Bertie and will try again with purée and introduce BLW a bit later. Saw a mum chasing her 18 month old boy with puréed fruit today and was -internally- judgy, perhaps it's just karma!Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:45

Cheers Aitch, love to read your blog by the way, hope to put it in practice soon!

OP posts:
OneOfMyTurnsComingOn · 13/04/2012 12:47

Btw, had a few gagging experiences with my DD2. She's now 17 months and fine - eats the same as us, from roast dinners to chilli! Smile

100years · 13/04/2012 12:48

I've known babies who have been quite sick with banana, whether it's a texture thing or something in them I don't know. But they were all fine with them when a bit older.

If the broccoli and bread has been ok then try soft cooked carrot sticks and leave baby in charge of what goes in their mouth. Smile

We've done toast, rice cakes, avocado sticks, melon, breadsticks, strawberries, ripe pears, those crisp bread things, and a heap of other stuff so far.

Sargesaweyes · 13/04/2012 12:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 12:56

It's good to read all the suggestions, maybe I will stop offering banana for a bit... Tried to offer her a bit of yoghurt on a spoon and she was having none of it! She also refuses bottles, I think she is really used to the breast and so likes to be in control. I just worry a bit because I'm anaemic so was keen to introduce solids alongside the breastmilk. Perhaps I should get some iron drops and worry less about iron coming from the food she eats. On holiday in Greece at the moment, where people purée with a passion and it's a bit hard to sing the praises of BLW in front of my family while baby vomits. They are politely and non forcefully suggesting powder based creams, while I pick up little chunks of banana of my top.

Will come back in a few days to let you know how it goes, thanks for your help again! xx

OP posts:
Sargesaweyes · 13/04/2012 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Longtalljosie · 13/04/2012 13:01

How soon after a BF are you feeding her, if you don't mind me asking?

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 16:52

I try to keep the food as an extra at the moment, so I offer her food when we're eating whereas offer breast on demand. Today it had been maybe 20 minutes since her last milk, I'm not really in a hurry to wean her, just a bot concerned about her iron and vitamin D levels.

This thread has really helped to aleviate my fears a bit, will crack on minus the bananas and may give her some spoons loaded with purée so as to help herself.

Really interesting to hear that banana seems to be tricky for other babies too, will give her some spaghetti next, easier to grip.

OP posts:
AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 13/04/2012 21:15

you're starting weaning in front of the whole extended family? Grin

Original poster
metalelephant · 13/04/2012 22:26

You're right Aitch, what was I thinking?! Grin

OP posts:
AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 13/04/2012 23:55

lolol i have NO FARKING IDEA.

DefiniteMaybe · 14/04/2012 00:03

My dd was always sick with banana when we first started weaning at 6 months. By 7 months she'd nom them a bit but gag alot and now at 8 months she destroys them and anything else in her path, food or otherwise. I'd just carry on as you are but leave the bananas for a while.

OneLittleBabyTerror · 14/04/2012 13:12

My DD couldn't even hold onto a chunk of banana at 6mo! You have a very smart little girl there. Tell us how it went with spaghetti. Mine couldn't do that either until maybe 9mo. We used penne and fusilli for everything for a while. For the root veg, I roasted them for DD (and us) so they are very soft. If you are on holiday, this can be harder to do. Have you tried quartered tomatoes? DD loves them. I give them with skin but she has never gagged. Without skin will be a bit more work but safer. It sounds to me you are doing well with BLW. It's just the banana that causes problem.

By the way, my DD is EBF too and likes to be in control with food as well. The spoon was met either with clamped mouth or intercepted by her hands.

AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 14/04/2012 22:38

we couldn't do spaghetti OR penne... mine used to boink the penne right to the back of her throat and it would just SPRIIIIING right out of there again. fusilli all the way.

GodisaDJ · 15/04/2012 04:36

Mine did this and same situation to yourself (EBF and blw started at 6 months)

She was sick a few times at the beginning, but I could tell she was getting used to textures in her mouth. She sat at table with us and we offered her a bit of food each time but not 3 meals a day. It seemed to work just slowing it down; I know everyone is keen to get them on meals straight away, we just took our time as I dont think she was quite read (wasnt sitting up quite unaided).

Come 7 months, she was far more confident with thrusting food out of mouth.

Banana was definitely the culprit of some of the sicky episodes so stopped giving it.

By 7.5 months, she'd sussed eating and now loves banana.

Good luck!

Wormshuffler · 15/04/2012 06:01

My dd was never sick.......until we gave her mashed banana then it was like something out of the excorcist. Some babies just can't stomoch it.

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