please help about feeding solids!

Carly - posted on 05/04/2011

Babies are funny with the chewing - it just comes naturally! No teaching necessary, the jaw just gets going. Babies also have a VERY strong gag reflex, and most things which try to go down the wrong way will come back up. As long as you start with soft mashed foods (pumpkin is great), you will be fine. I only ever mashed with a fork (never pureed) and pumpkin, potato, peas, carrots, broccolu, cauli, zucchini are all wonderful veg. My daughter is now 8 months and will eat rice and has half a sandwich for lunch with her fruit etc... I just break off thumb-nail sized pieces for her and she loves it. Those gums work just as well as teeth, so don't be scared about it. A little bit at a time is the key just to get them used to the taste, texture and chewing before loading them up with a huge meal. Get in and give it a go though with the mashed veg, he will love!

Roseanne - posted on 05/01/2011

Keep him on the stage 2 along with the cereal. He should not even be on stage 3 until 9 months. I don't know if he has teeth yet but my 8 month old does not. Your pediatrician will let you know what to do at his 9 month visit.

Lise - posted on 04/30/2011

My daughter started solids at a little over 6 months, and we never did baby food - she started with "real food." Google babyled weaning.

Mandy - posted on 04/29/2011

My son started eating some solid foods at about 7 months. He just knew how to chew, he even chews when he has baby food in his mouth sometimes. I think starting with something soft and small will put you at ease just keep an eye on him. No matter what at some point hes going to choke whether it be because hes stuffing food in there so fast or he didn't chew quite enough. Just watch him as hes learning. Good Luck!

Kristian - posted on 04/29/2011

WELL I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS YOU , I ASKED MY BABYS DOCTOR ABOUT THAT SHE SAID SHE WOULDNT RECOMMEND ME TO START HIM ON SOLID FOODS YET BECAUSE HE COULD CHOKE HE IS 6 MONTHS OLD. BUT SHE SAID IF I WANTED TO TRY IT THEN START WITH SOMETHING SOFT AND JUST A LITTL BIT AT A TIME IT WILL ALSO HELP HIM BETTER AT LEARNING HOW TO CHEW. BUT DONT TRY NOTHING THAT IS EASY FOR HIM TO CHOKE ON.

Jennifer - posted on 04/26/2011

Try giving him some snacks made for babies..like yogurt melts, cereal puffs, and mum-mums. These all dissolve fairly quick in the mouth. If he seems to do well with them and is chewing them then you are good to go on pretty much anything that's small and soft. Make sure he's in his highchair and stay close by to keep an eye on him

And don't freak if he starts coughing and gagging a little!! That can happen when he's not used to having something solid in his mouth...it does not mean he's choking. If you try to grab him and "help him" it could end up lodging the food in his throat and actually choke him. Just remember, a person that is actually choking makes no sound at all.

Susanne - posted on 04/26/2011

Babies know how to chew they dont have to learn it, my 8 month old is eating the same foods as me now. I dont even chop it up because he prefers to chew the food up himself

Jessi - posted on 04/26/2011

all depends on how many teeth he has at the moment and if he's trying to chew his purees or not. you could try him on boiled/steamed veggies like squashes or potatoes or baked fruits like apples. basically you want to give him solid foods that are cooked to the point where they are soft enough they could be gummed! you could also give him cheese but in small amounts so he doesn't become constipated.

Elfrieda - posted on 04/25/2011

I think it helped him learn how, because he was making the biting motions to get the peach into his mouth and then once it was in there if it just slipped down his throat, oh well, but he also chomped on it with his gums. Just give it a try with the peas. Buy frozen and boil them like it says on the package, and wait for them to cool, then put a few on the high chair tray. It's fun for the baby to practice picking them up and putting them into its mouth, and if it doesn't work, just leave the package in the freezer and try again in a few weeks.
My son always stuffed his face too full, and so I didn't trust him that he wouldn't choke. I only started giving chunks of food at 10 months, but that is really late. Only at 15 months has he finally been allowed to hold a cracker and eat it at his own pace, because now he will take small bites and eat it properly instead of cramming it all in at once. Babies learn about chewing at different paces.

Andrea - posted on 04/25/2011

Did he learn to chew thT way

Andrea - posted on 04/25/2011

Did he learn to chew thT way

Elfrieda - posted on 04/25/2011

Start with very soft pieces that he can't choke on even if he doesn't chew them, like boiled peas or bits of soft ripe pear. Then you'll see if he knows how to chew with his gums without the risk of choking if he can't figure it out. When my son was 7 months old, peaches were in season, and we had such a great (messy) time with them! I bit off the peel, and then he held it and gnawed and slurped and got incredibly sticky. He loved peaches and would have eaten two or more a day if I had let him. It wasn't dangerous because ripe peaches are really soft, and he didn't really have to chew much to get it down his throat.

Andrea - posted on 04/25/2011

Yed hes had cereal n stage two baby food. I want to kno if hes ready to chew solids

Crystal - posted on 04/25/2011

my son is almost 7 months now. they say their ready if theyre sitting up, or watching what you eat. i found i just had that feeling. my son would want what we were having too. my son was a big boy too. i tihnk he was actually ready at 5 months. have you started him on cereal?