Reassurance needed - please tell me that babies do learn what to do with finger foods eventually??

[Ceebee74]

My 9.5 month old does not appear to be able to eat finger foods - he quite happily picks everything up and puts it in his mouth but he will not bite or 'gum' anything off so it just comes out the same as it went in (several times) then on the floor.

If I put philly on toast or potato wedges, he will suck that off but the base stays intact.

Surely by now he should be biting bits off and chewing and swallowing??

I am doing a combination of spoon-feeding and finger food so I give him a finger food lunch (followed by a spoonfed pudding) and then spoonfed tea followed by 'finger food fruit'.

I keep reading on here about all these 6 month olds who are tucking into proper food and eating it - is it normal for a 9.5 month old not to be able to eat finger foods?

Hi, I'm new to mumsnet but can i use ceebee's message to sound really thick and ask when should i actually start giving finger foods? dd is 5 1/2 months old, just started weaning with pureed veg and mashed banana. i might sound a bit dim but when do you give finger foods, should she be teething, what kind of finger foods are best, and if she rips a chunk of food off with her gums / teeth, could she choke?? after you've finished howling with laughter at me, and help would be appreciated!!!!!

Ceebee - my DS is exactly the same! He loves playing with it but frowns in total disgust when he puts it in his mouth. He will eat tiny tiny amounts but thats it, so I'm just keeping up with the spoon feeding him and offering him finger foods at regular intervals - my gut feeling is that he'll pick it up and munch when he's good and ready for it and I'm sure your LO will be the same

Thanks Nikki - it is good to know that my DS is not alone.

Hi Ceebee I would just let him carry on

Welcome Walbert
I think you will probably be able to tell, my DS grabbed food from my hand and ate it so I got the message loud and clear! He was about 6 1/2 months
I would start off with soft foods like banana, she will probably gag quite a bit but I think it's all part of the learning process.

yes, they do !

bit will be coming off as he sucks and gums his food, then gradually he will bite and swallow

steamed carrot and courgette batons are good to try to

god yes- DS is 10mths now, and has recently started properly taking and chewing bites of toast, apple etc. It's really lovely when you can hear him crunching away and then doing a big gulp!

try brocoli or banana - they show up really well in the nappy which is very reassuring!

Thanks for all your reassurances.

Funnily enough, we have been out today and I gave him some peanut butter sandwiches in M&S while we were having lunch and he munched away and actually ate some of it (not a lot mind!) - and 1 of the ladies sat on the next table commented how clever he was to be eating sandwiches at his age - so maybe he is doing better than I thought?

i've been offering finger foods for a couple of weeks and all my 7 month DD wants to do is bang them on the tray, shake them in the air & then throw them over her shoulder! Occasionally she may put them in her mouth but no chewing happens, just a look of disgust! Its a shame her toys aren't edible as she has no problems chewing/slobbering over them!

thanks everyone, think soft fingerfoods are the best idea to start off! I'll still end up monitoring every second dd is holding food fretting she'll manage to wolf down a hug piece and gag!!

good news, ceebee.
and walbert, gagging is good, it's just moving food around their mouth and controlling it. and it's something they get more skilled at as they get more practice doing it, so try not to get stressed. the less stressed you are, in a way, the quicker he'll learn how to do it, iykwim? choking's different, but it's characterised by not being able to breathe so you'll know it if you see it. on my blog at www.babyledweaning.com we had a discussion about choking and tbh most people said it had happened once or twice and loads said not at all. it's just not that common. you can do a search for the post on the blog.