6 mo not swallowing chunks of food

[AuntieMaggie]

I've started weaning 6 mo ds and wanted to do blw but the few times he's chewed on veg/fruit and a small chunk has come off in his mouth he doesn't do anything with it so it just stays in his mouth and he'll gag on it. Because of this I've been giving him mashed veg but don't want to carry on like that forever.

Any advice?

Sounds like he's learning. Gagging is a good sign. I'd stick with it.

Sometimes he just gags a bit and the piece just stays in his mouth til I take it out...

And what about meat - can he have that already?

My DS did this at first, I gradually made his food more textured but started off with a purée. Once he becomes more confident/has more teeth he will love chomping on chunks of veggies & fruit.

Gagging is fine honestly. I know it's unsettling for a parent to watch but it's really normal.

It sounds like he's just learning what to do with food and that's OK. He'll get the hang of it if you persist!

He will gag while he learns, it's nothing to worry about. Are you using quite soft things to start with?

Yep he can have meat - he can have pretty much anything really as long as it's not salty or laced with honey. Both my DCs did a similar thing with food. They were just learning to push it about with their tongue. And it took them a while to realise it was food. They started eating it in a week or two and we haven't looked back!

He's six months old. You're at the very beginning of the weaning process. He has no teeth (waves red rag to the blw crowd) and has only tasted a liquid before. I think you're expecting a lot.

Thank you - he loves chewing I'm just worried about a piece of food staying in his mouth and him choking later on. I'll just make sure I check his mouth.

The thing about BLW is that it's a process and will take time. Gagging is part of your baby learning to manipulate food in his mouth. It's not a good idea to take food out of your ds's mouth as you might accidentally push food further in and he could choke. Gagging is protective - the food will be ejected out ready for another go!

Whether you carry on with offering finger food alongside mashed food, or move to BLW - try and remember that it's not about getting volumes of food into your baby, it's about letting them learn to self feed. With BLW it can takes several weeks for them to coordinate themselves and get the hang of eating.

Just check his mouth before getting him out of the high chair. Lots of blw babies go weeks without swallowing anything at the start.

Don't worry about the gagging, he's still learning. DS 3 still gags sometimes but he's very practised at it and knows what to do.

What consistency do you give meat initially?

As PP have said, not swallowing is fine at 6mo. He's still getting used to textures and chewing so let him concentrate on that for now.

I give my DD strips of meat which she gums to mush (which turns my stomach!) but she gets a lot of that goodness out. She swallows fruit, veg, toast, rice cakes etc. but not much meat.

You'll be able to see in his nappies when he starts swallowing more . Remember to check his mouth when he's finished eating - use a pincer grip of two fingers rather than a 'hook' with one finger as this can be a choking hazard.

Babyx, mosts babies who are weaned by BLW don't have teeth to start with but their gums are hard enough to break most foods down. My DD has two teeth but she mainly uses her gums.

Keep going OP, it's worth it .

Thanks :)

I panicked when he gagged initially but now I just watch him closely and he either seems to eventually swallow it or spit it out.

I was noticing what a good pincher grip he has yesterday when he was trying to pick a toy up by its label

At what point do you progress to meals?

What you're giving him is a meal in as far as he needs one. He'll gradually start to eat more and you can give him whatever you're having. Have you read Baby Led Weaning book by Gill Rapley? Great ideas in there and reminds you that food is really an exploration for the first 6 months.