choking

[jan2011]

i had an awful scare today. a small round button the size of a smartie fell off the bottom of my computer today i hadn't realised, dd picked it up and put it in her mouth and next thing she was red faced and gagging - iput her upside down and kept slapping her back and it fell out - but i got SUCH an awful scare.

if that could happen so easily, it lead me to read up about choking hazards, and i read that any food that is larger than a pea can get stuck in their throat, that it should be cut up. i have been doing babyled weaning and i give dd bits of cheese, broccoli, pasta - etc, all bigger than peas. today she had sliced up pear. shes 9 months by the way. how can i continue with bbl with my fear of her choking? if they are all cut up smaller than peas she won't be able to hold them - she has big hands.

i also read a story about a baby choking to death on a marshmallow, and in the comments, a few others said their children had choked on marsmallows so i am just warning everyone not to give anything like that that is sticky. and apparently sweets are the main cause of choking.

Back slapping isn't advised, it can make things worse. If they stop coughing blows between the shoulder blades are better.

www.wikihow.com/Do-First-Aid-on-a-Choking-Baby

I've never cut anything up (smaller than she can hold it, anyway) for my daughter (also BLW'd). She should be able to chew it herself (either with gums or teeth). Buttons are a bit different as they aren't chewable!

Agreed - chewing is the key. You should not give nuts to babies under a year as they are too tough for them and can be choked on, but soft foods they should be able to handle

BLW is meant to be safer than puree based weaning (I read somewhere and have no idea of the source!) because the gag reflex is developed more naturally.

between the shoulder blades is still back slapping - everthing ive read says to back slap.

yes buttons are not chewable, but the advice that is given says that they can choke on food bigger than a pea size as it can get lodged in their throat.

here it talks about cutting up foods www.babycenter.com/0_foods-that-can-be-unsafe-for-your-baby_9195.bc