Choking, gagging and finger foods...

[LittleBottle]

My DS is 24 weeks and we have started BLW in the past few days. He's taken to it brilliantly - gagged a bit at first, but soon worked out what to do. Now I can hand him food and he puts it straight to his mouth.

This afternoon I gave him one of those Boots rice cakes, broken in half. He gummed and chewed it, but then he shoved the whole thing in his mouth, chomped it a bit and started to cough. I got a bit scared and patted his back (he eats whilst sitting on my lap, for the most part) and he seemed OK, but it scared me - it didn't seem like his usual gagging, but more like a bit of it had got lodged in his throat or something.

Is this normal? I know what to do if he does choke (pat back, upside down etc etc) but am worried that these rice cakes are not such a good 'finger food' after all. Any thoughts? He seems to really enjoy eating them so I don't want to stop giving them - presumably choking would always be a small possibility, no matter what age he started eating them?!

i think you're right, sounds like he had to cough it up a bit. i suppose at the end of the day it's a glass half empty thing... omg he had to cough to bring something up... or omg isn't he clever, look how he instinctively knew what to do to dislodge something. iykwim?

My DS is 6 months, and although I am not BLW I have given him the same rice cakes. He always shoves the whole thing in (not just half??) Did gag the first few times but has seemed to get the hang of it now, he loves them...

He is never distressed by gagging, its my heart that skips a beat!!!

Thanks for your replies. I think I am just being a bit of a nervous first-time-mum about it! Will try giving them to him whole form now on - I was breaking them in half as it seemed to stop them ending up on the floor so quickly

DS struggled with rice cakes for a while, only when he got to about 7/8mo could he manage one without coughing/gagging. So I just didn't really give them til then... there are plenty of other finger foods he found easier (like toast etc).

but seriously, don't undermine yourself because you are a bit nervous cos it's your first time. we've all been there, it is scary.
you take things at exactly the pace you're comfortable with, that's best for both of you as what you want to pass onto him is confidence wrt food, isn't it?
ignore any thoughts of pfb-ness, you're doing fine. but you might be right, bigger might be better as they can then gum the ricecakes and slobber over them more. [gross]

my little one (7.5 months) was sick today gagging on a mini organix rice cake.
first time been sick gagging on food. Im assuming its par for the course??
we have recently being going down the finger food option as he doesnt seem to want me to feed him anymore. refuses to open mouth for spoon im holding but will happily do it when hes holding spoon...
as a consequence he is eating far less. sure the HV will be on at me when he is weighed next time as hes already fallen from the 91st line to the 25th line. but im not gonna force feed him so what can i do!

just make sure the food you're offering him is packed full of nutrition and that he gets absolutely as much milk as he's inclined to take. that's all you can do, really.