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Weaning

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

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Original poster

Nearly 9 month old still not happy with lumps/finger food - normal?

35 replies

jumpyjan · 11/10/2007 16:22

We tried DD with some finger foods around 7 months (HV said to try a little sandwhich/toast etc) she gagged and was really sick so I guess part of me is reluctant to give it another go.

She is still spitting out lumps in her food (I am still mostly pureeing but am going to try moving on to mashing). She has got 3 teeth so should be ok chewing but I am just not sure she is ready.

Are most 9 month olds muching though sandwhiches and carrot sticks?

OP posts:

Habbibu · 11/10/2007 16:36

Gagging is really normal when they first start lumpy/finger foods - it's how they learn to move food around their mouths, and sometimes if they have a bit of a sensitive gag reflex, it can lead to vomiting. They also learn to chew (many with no teeth at all), but some just get it quicker than others. I'd keep offering various finger foods (see www.babyledweaning.com for ideas, be calm and smiley if she gags. She'll get there in her own time.

crokky · 11/10/2007 16:39

My LO was like this at 9 months, I wouldn't worry. He did it in his own time.

Original poster

jumpyjan · 11/10/2007 18:57

She did ok with mashed broccoli for tea so perhaps we are getting somewhere.

I know I should give finger food another go but its so scary when she gags - might wait until weekend when DH is around (pathetic I know).

OP posts:

elliemac · 11/10/2007 19:16

Just thought i'de give you a bit of reassurance. My DD took ages to get to grips with toast, sarnies & veg sticks. She was the same gagging and sick. She was about 10 months at the time and i apologise but to me it is absolutely ludicrous to expect a child with only a few teeth (DD only had 4 at the front) to eat things like that. I heard all the usual stuff from my HV about her being able to chew despite having no back teeth but in the end i left her to it and didn't force her. Try things like those organic carrot flavour crisps. They melt easily in the mouth and get them used to finger foods. I saw a lot of kids DDs age eating sarnies and stuff but i just wasn't comfortable watching her choke and be sick (something which is apparently natural).

kathryn77 · 11/10/2007 19:26

My DS is 14 months and will eat toast but will not eat lumps in anything. He literally spits any lump out.

he has only just had a tooth ...

Im not sure what to do either

trixyortreatmalixy · 11/10/2007 19:33

Have you tried ricecakes?

They're much easier for Los to deal with than toast/sandwiches.

My DS is 8 months and is perfectly happy with finger foods as we have been giving him them since he was 6 months, he does gag and be sick every so often, but most of the time he is fine.

I think you just have to be brave and go for it and don't panic unless your Lo is turning blue as they are better at dealing with things than you would expect.

AitchTwoOh · 11/10/2007 19:48

elliemac, it's absolutely NOT ludicrous to expect a child with only a few teeth to eat toast, sarnies or veg sticks. if you don't want to, fine, but that doesn't make it ludicrous. the teeth are there... they're just covered by a layer of gum.

jumpyjan, i agree with trixy that being brave and looking like you're not panicking is the way to go. don't worry, they all get there in the end.

Habbibu · 11/10/2007 20:11

And elliemac - gagging and choking aren't the same thing. I wouldn't be comfortable watching my child choke, fgs, but gag briefly? Yes, the vomiting is unnerving, but they get over it. A friend's little one didn't get ANY teeth until 17 months - there's no way she was going to be on purees.

spottyshoes · 11/10/2007 20:11

I started Baby Led Weaning a few weeks ago when Babyshoes was 5.5 months and was without teeth but teething. He has never eaten anything pureed and manages wonderfully with toast, pittas, breadsticks etc - infact the harder and crunchier the better so having/not having teeth isnt really a problem! If anything we have had gagging incidents with the softer food such as banana.

Why dont you try giving her some sticks of cooked veg to hold so she can feed herself if she wants, Or give her the mashed stuff on a spoon to hold herself. She may feel more comfortable if she's in control of what she puts in her mouth. If she does gag try to keep calm (easier said than done i know!) and smile lots - in my case its usually a fixed crazed grin whilst I panic on the inside but I'm trying to relax it a bit

fibernie · 11/10/2007 20:37

Am Hab's friend and yes, DD didn't get teeth until really late. She's 21m now, and now has the grand total of 4 teeth. Believe me, teeth are not necessary for eating everything we eat (and large amounts of it too!). She chose to eat finger foods, since she wouldn't even entertain the idea of me feeding her.

elliemac · 11/10/2007 20:54

Sorry ladies that last post of mine didn't really come across the way i meant. Had a terrible time with my HV insisting that i gave DD carrot sticks and celery sticks - things like that. My friends had kids who were eating these at only a few months old but mine wouldn't even entertain chewing them and was swallowing big lumps and then ending up being sick. HV assured me that this was normal but i just couldn't bare it. I just don't really get how they can chew hard things like that with no teeth. DD certainly couldn't but thats not the case for everyone - SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Habbibu · 11/10/2007 21:14

ooh, no - celery sticks to start with is a bit much. No wonder you were put off! We started with carrot and pear steamed to oblivion, and worked our way up - not sure she's be super keen on celery even yet, at almost 12 months. I think you were given bad advice by your HV, to be honest, and that's a shame.

elliemac · 11/10/2007 21:24

Tell me about it! Just didn't think it was right at all. It gets my back up a bit the way they try to get you to do things - sometimes too quickly! Have got a new HV right enough so fingers crossed. DD is 16 months and does not too bad with cooked stuff. Gave her a cheese sandwich for lunch today and cut it in to little squares - she loved it!!! I think the reality is that its me whos more nervous about giving her some things.

AitchTwoOh · 11/10/2007 21:49

dh is 36 and he would turn his nose up at a celery stick...

elliemac · 11/10/2007 21:54

Me too

Habbibu · 12/10/2007 08:46

That's the thing, though - you were told to start on something a little too advanced, have a bad experience, and then that makes you too nervous to carry on at a lower level, if you know what I mean. My daughter was on finger food from 6 months (wanted to do BLW, and she refused to be spoonfed, so I guess we were in agreement), but I didn't discuss this with HVs - just chatted to fibernie and read Aitch's blog and got on with it. That way we got to do things at our own pace. Once you see how much your daughter enjoys feeding herself, you'll probably start relaxing and enjoying it yourself.

elliemac · 12/10/2007 09:58

Am having terrible trouble trying to get DD to drink cows milk. She's drinking the C&G grown up milk which is fine but i was hoping to get her onto cows milk - any ideas?

AitchTwoOh · 12/10/2007 10:03

start with c&g with a splash of cow, progressively 'up' the cow and drop the c&g over a week or two.

elliemac · 12/10/2007 10:08

Thanks Aitch! Its not that i'm tight or anything but that milk costs a fortune. I'm sure cows milk must be better for her anyway. Will give that a go today.

Original poster

jumpyjan · 12/10/2007 10:17

Wow - thanks for all the replies everyone - really helpful.

I think the comment about starting on something too advanced on the HV's suggestion(sandwhich)and then being put off when DD gagged/vomited is what has happened really.

Another part of it is that DD has a great appetite and will eat anything I give her - but if its lumpy she does not end up getting much down her and I worry about the amount she is eating.

I know I do need to give it another go, perhaps starting with some cooked carrot sticks. What do you do if they bite a really big bit off and they have got a big mouthful - do you try and fish it out of their mouths or just leave them too it - its terrifying!

Might give the ricecakes another go too as she did not do too badly with them.

OP posts:

Habbibu · 12/10/2007 11:00

jj - if they take a big bite just watch like a hawk. 9 times out of 10 it'll be pushed back out pretty quickly, or even chewed! Make sure you know what to do if the baby chokes - Aitch has a link somewhere, which I'll try to find. Steam or roast carrot until really soft - it'll be squished up pretty quickly. Toast better than bread initially, for some reason. Try Aitch's blog for other tips

AitchTwoOh · 12/10/2007 11:12

try hard not to fish food out, the infant resus course i did said this was a bad idea because if you screw it up you can end off pushing the food down and really making them choke. not only that, it panics them and they may have been dealing with it (by gagging) anyway.
i think on the links habs gave you there's a lin to a bbc infant resus page, always worth having a look at.

ruddynorah · 12/10/2007 12:04

you really have to be over the top smiley and happy when you're giving finger foods in the early days. your baby will gag, perhaps quite a lot. but if they see you looking worried then they will worry and gag more. best thing is to do over enthusiatic chewing faces and noises to get them focused on that rather than the gagging, kind of reminds them what to do.

TheApprentice · 12/10/2007 12:17

Hi, you could be talking about my ds here, he's 9 months and not finding finger foods that easy. He often gags and is sick, but I reason that being sick is better than choking IYSWIM!

Actually, he's ok with small lumps now (didnt used to be) and also toast, and anything v soft like kiwi fruit. And I agree with another poster about those organic crisps,they go soft v quickly and are easy to eat. But I tried him on steamed carrot the other day and he sucked off too large a piece and promptly vomited!

I know that they don't need teeth to eat solids, but I still think it will be easier for him when he gets more teeth in as he will be able to bite into things then.

elliemac · 12/10/2007 12:24

OMG! Have just read Aitch's blog. Fab!! Wish i'd read it when i started weaning.

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