Gagging on finger food/reflux

[horseylady]

Ds has reflux, managed with infant gaviscon. This seemed fairly under control until we introduced solids.

Ds is nearly 7 months and over the last couple of weeks his reflux is worse.

Ive taken things fairly slowly mainly doing veg with a tiny bit of meat and cereals. He loves playing with the food and tries it. But he's started gagging loads and being sick.

He'll pretty much only eat yogurt off a spoon. Maybe the odd bit of very smooth purée. But it seems hit and miss.

The hv says he should be increasing his solid food intake thus reducing the amount of milk he eats.

I'm not sure what to do? See the gp and get his meds checked? Stop weaning for a bit? Stop the finger foods?

I just constantly smell of sick. He constantly smells of sick.

I'm fairly sure it affects me more than him, but this much sick feels ridiculous!!!

Gagging is their natural reflex to remind them to chew. Babies gag reflexes are very far forward in the mouth which prevents choking. They also have very floppy valves to the stomach which results in the sick.
Dd went through for quite a while before she 'got it'. Can you give him less chewy things to start? Pasta? Cheese? I found meat quite stringy and often set off gagging. Banana seems ok?

fatty thanks. It was the cheese which caused the gagging last night!!!

I will try pasta again.

I'm just fed up if constantly cleaning and smelling of sick!!

Yes it's disgusting isn't it? Have you tried those massive bibs for him? They have full arms and cover most of baby so it shouldn't get on him or his clothes. We use those. Saved a lot of outfit changes.

Could you do purees and slowly reduced the amount they are pureed? This is what we had to do with DS who had reflux

fatty we use those!!

doodle interesting. I've got a gp appointment for him next week to discuss the best way forward. I was wondering about doing more purée (or only purée) to see if stopping the gag helps reduce the reflux. I felt we were getting on top of it until we started weaning.

Read "My Child Won't Eat" - it could really help you to have the confidence to take weaning at your own pace. He's still tiny, and if shovelling 3 meals a day and snacks isn't working, he won't starve. Milk is more than enough to sustain him while you gradually introduce solids.

My DS actually refused solid food (wouldn't entertain purées or finger foods of any sort) until he was 13 months. I kept breastfeeding him, he followed his growth curve and at nearly 2 now eats most things.

DS just couldn't handle finger foods and even with purees we had to make sure there were no sudden lumps as it would surprise him and he would gag.

As I'm sure youve experienced, we tried to avoid gagging as it could mean he vomited and would lose his breast feed as well as the food.

I know that BLW is very fashionable at present and I'm sure it has it's benefits but purees are just as justifiable as route and DS actually got onto protein faster than some BLW babies I know.

DS was monitored by consultant at reflux clinic who didn't flinch at purees so if you think it might work then give it a go.

Oh and we found we could purée meat into a consistent enough texture but found the 7 month Ella's kitchen pouches as useful transition. They have more texture than a veg purée but no surprising lumps lurking around the corner. Over time we mixed it with our own lumper purees and slowly reduced the proportion of pouch going in.

Now DS is four, loves a wide variety of foods and can be swung upside down by his ankles straight after a meal and would spent all his time this way of he could, I swear he is half bat.

couldnt purée meat, sorry. Makes a lot more sense that way!

Thanks doodle I might try that, see if it makes a difference. As I also said, we've got a gp appointment.

nan it's not that he doesn't like food. He really does. He just gags and makes himself sick on finger food. But I'll check out that book.

Also, try not to compare yourself to other mothers. I felt like a real failure when I saw what other mothers were managing to get their children to eat, but not taking into account the reflux.

It's easy to get caught up in the "should be doing" rather than acknowledging that reflux is horrible and you're doing brilliantly when you take that into account.

Hope it goes well with your appointment

Sorry! I meant to add that I know not eating isn't your problem, but the book is really helpful in explaining what nutrition babies do or don't need, so will put your mind at rest if you're not giving him as many solids as other babies are getting.

Push for paediatrician/dietician referrals though so that they can help build a program for introducing solids that works for your family.

Thanks both.

Yes I've started a food diary and sick diary to see if there's a link.

Must also not compare!!!

My DD has/had severe reflux (is well controlled on omeprazole / domperidone at 8 months old). I tried to start her on purées at 5 months but she is a total spoon refuser so held off and started BLW at 6 months.

We have had 2 months of prolific gagging and huge vomits at every attempt and I was starting to despair. But, in the last few weeks things have improved enormously and she hardly gags and has stopped vomiting completely (touch wood!).

Physiologically, it makes sense that refluxy babies are likely to vomit more as their lower oesophageal sphincters don't work. But once they control the movement of food in their mouths better so gagging reduces this should stop.

I agree it is very depressing when a belly-load of milk comes out along with the microscopic lump of avocado, however!

Anyway, it is certainly MUCH better for us now and she is getting enthusiastic about food. Which is a huge relief as feed-refusal was a big part of her reflux symptoms.

Good luck and hope that reassures a bit.

PS the best things we tried to minimise gagging were soft melt-in-the-mouth carbs especially home made savoury muffins (see the BLW website for good recipes) and lentil burger type things. I am coeliac and also found that GF bread products work well - they are pretty crumbly and disintegrate easily... (Which is good for babies. Less good for me!)

Thanks evidence yes he seems to gag on fruit with skins, meat, cheese and untoasted bread. Pasta was good and the muffin things were enjoyed. Along with rice cakes and cucumber sticks etc.

We've not done much in terms of solid food today and the sickness has been much better (he just had a small bit of porridge, some yogurt and a tiny bit of puree). His colds also disappeared so its probably a combination of the two!!

Will do the same tomorrow as I did today and I might try finger foods again Sunday.

I think I said I'm at the gp Tuesday to talk through medication. I do think the reflux has got worse and today was a reasonable day!!

Thanks for taking the time to post!