BLW question: can't believe he won't choke

[Jane7]

My ds is 24 weeks, bit early i know, but he's really interested in food, grabbing everything I put in my mouth. I've started offering him bits of steamed brocolli and carrot. He's so greedy with it, I can't believe he won't choke. I couldn't bring myself to let him do his worst with the brocolli as he put a big chunk in stem-end first and the whole piece disapperaed so I pulled it out again. Should i have left him to deal with it? I know I should be braver, but honestly, I'm so scared he'll choke?

They dont often choke with the finger foods - they tend to gag and it comes shooting back out again.

If you're really worried about it why dont you oversteam the veggies a bit so that they are softer but still holdable and easy for them to self feed?

thanks gks, i shall do exactly that. glad no one yet has told me off for weaning before 6 months

Jane7 my DS is 24 weeks and have just started BLW. He has been trying to grab things for weeks anyway.

I find that if he accidentally almost swallows something he will make a retching/gagging noise and then cough and the whole thing will come shooting out like gks said!

If you read the Gill Rapley book, it explains in there about babies' gag reflexes - they are much further forward than an adult one, our gag reflex is at the top of our throat whereas a baby's is at the back of its tongue - so when they are gagging it really is nowhere near their throat.

Make sure your baby is sitting up and not leaning back in a reclined chair and anything he gags on will pop out the front of his mouth rather than falling back in and becoming more lodged.

Once I had seen DS gag once and how the bit of food shot out, I worried much less as I could see how his body handled it!