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Weaning

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Original poster

Choking vs Gagging help needed

10 replies

PolarMummy · 28/04/2008 14:11

My DD is 7mo, we started spoon feeds about a month ago and everything seemed to be going well, we also started giving her some finger food, mainly toast and that generally seemed to go down well although she did choke / gag a few times and I lost my confidence a bit with the finger food. Now though she is choking / gagging on even her pureed food and I am having a serious crisis of confidence in feeding her.

I am saying choking / gagging as I am not sure which it is. Today for lunch I was feeding her mashed potato and she choked / gagged on it and then was sick and brought it all back up, is this normal or do you think there could be something wrong which means she isn't swallowing properly?

OP posts:
AitchTwoCiao · 28/04/2008 15:17

sometimes if they have a bad gag then they vomit to bring it all up, along with some mucusy stuff, possibly for lubrication. they're clever things, babies.

a choke is when there's no air getting through. it's quiet and frightening. anything else is a gag and you're as well to let them get on with it and learn.

EdieMcredie · 28/04/2008 15:44

Gagging is good, it is their defence against choking.

Im no expert at all but from 6 months I gave my DD mainly solids and she doesn't actually gag that much.

You are doing ok!!

It can be scary when they gag but they don't mind, honestly!!

Hersetta · 29/04/2008 08:38

My DD is almost 8 months and she went through phases of doing really well with solids then she would gag and throw everything back up at least once a day. thankfully it seems to be a learning curve and she hasn't don't it for at least 3 weeks and is having lumpy food at every meal and has been coping wonderfully. I think they just have to get used to having fodd in there mouths and when then have to chew a bit and when they can swallow.

Original poster
PolarMummy · 29/04/2008 09:00

Thanks folks, I think I have a fear of choking which I haven't really acknowledged before! I know gagging is good and natural and there are times when I know this is what she is doing and I am ok with it, I think its when she seems to start panicking that I don't like it.

I have generally been letting her get on with it as in I haven't fished any food out of her mouth.

EM I thought it was interesting you saying they don't mind because if my DD gags / chokes badly like yesterday then she won't eat the food again that meal time, if its bread or something in her hand as soon as she has cleared the offending food in her mouth, the stuff in her hand gets thrown away

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JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 29/04/2008 09:28

Are you feeding her a range of finger foods, yet? she may find some foods easier to eat than others. My lo has always been a good eater which not much gagging BUT when he has had gaggy problems it has been because of things like claggy white bread, or mashed potato!

I should imagine it'd be quite difficult to choke on something soft like ripe banana. You could try chopping the nana into three, then splitting it into its natural thirds iyswim, and letting her get on with it, fairly confident that she can't choke.

If she's feeding herself she will know when the food is going to hit her mouth and it should lessen any gagging than if you were putting the food in her mouth for her. Unfortunately they only learn the limits of their mouth through gagging now and then. Over time the gag reflex will occur further and further back in the mouth, too.

Don't be afraid of hooking out an offending bit of food with your little finger if you're worried though, I've done it- mostly with empty tangerine segments and fruit/tomato skins, as he just chews on them for an hour otherwise. Just don't make a fuss (not that I think you would!) just remove the food and show her some other tasty morsel.

Original poster
PolarMummy · 29/04/2008 10:33

I think I just need to get my confidence back a bit! I did try her with banana for the reasons you said JATGB but she didn't like it (will eat it mushed though) guess I could try again though as it has been a couple of weeks, but might just wait until DH is here with me for a bit of support, I know that is completely pathetic but hey ho!

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JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 29/04/2008 11:10

It's not pathetic, she's your baby- they're precious! not nice to see them gagging.

EdieMcredie · 29/04/2008 11:26

PM-But she won't be scarred by the gagging or anything-although I agree it is scary-I had to have someone with me when giving DD finger foods to start with as I was so afraid. Boy did my palms sweat!!

It is a confidence thing. Like I say, im no expert and this could be wrong but I know with DD if I give her solid food and then try to give her something like porridge, she can gag on that. I think the switch between solid and runny can confuse her and runny stuff is in a way more likely to make her gag than solid because she seems to have more control over where the solid goes in her mouth IYSWIM.

Going on the BLW site helped me, and knowing that from 6 months they do have the skills to eat soild food.

AitchTwoCiao · 29/04/2008 18:27

it's really not pathetic at all, polar. we all have the things we're comfortable with and the things we're not, imo.

Original poster
PolarMummy · 30/04/2008 09:01

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. I am feeling a lot better about the whole thing. Think I will just take it slowly and build up my confidence again

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