My doctor told me 6 months is a good age to start introducing table food but...?

[~NeoVictorian~]

My daughter is 7 months. Even if I give my daughter a very small piece of cheese (like really small!) she acts like she's gagging. Should I thicken up her baby food more or just wait to give table food all together? I don't understand why she chokes on such tiny pieces? What do I do?

 

[cathrl69]

I know this sounds the wrong way round, but give her much, MUCH bigger pieces. Hand size pieces. Maybe not of cheese

Loads of babies are confused by food which they almost don't have to chew and try to swallow it whole. If you give them something large which they _have_ to chew, they often get on with it.

 

[laey]

you poor thing, its such a worry, my girl was the exact same, shes 3 now. It scared the life out of me when she chocked how ever i now realize that she done it because it was a natural response to some thing she was not used to, she didnt know what it was didnt know what to do. At 5 monthes she was on jar baby food because she didnt take to the liquidized food i made her and it was very clear to me she didnt like the lumpy food so i just carried on with the jar food but introduced soft food that would melt in her mouth to get her used to different sensations in her mouth, like watsits, small bits if cooked carrot and other veg. She eventually made it clear to me when she was ready for our food at the age of 10 months. All children develop at different stages so please dont feel pushed to rush her just because your told to by other mums, health visitors or even your own mum, its your child so be confident and know her signs. In the end she will get there and as long as she eats and drinks every day she will be fine, just let her hold the table food, make a mess have fun with it and she will get to recognize it by seeing you eat it, make it fun for both of you, if you worry your child will feel it too. Good luck and go with what you think is right and not what others may tell you. Lou

 

[? ???? ? l???? ??????]

Cathrl69 has got it exactly right. Just what I was about to write.

Big chunks of food she can hold herself so she can control how to bite/chew/suck it.
Get rid of the baby food. Table food all the way.

 

[wizzyh815]

Cheese is a tough one for babies, as its soft ish, and if its really small they will think it can go down in one. Have you introduced other foods, mashed potato, wheetabix, mashed veg? The thing to do it to gradually stop mashing it as mush, so to start its 100% smooth, then 90% then 80% and so on. It needs to be done slowly so the baby can get used to these new textures. You can get some fantastic snacks for babies to nibble on, like rice cakes and bits, they soften when sucked but also you can chew them. It just gets them used to them putting something in there mouths and eating it. She will get there in her own time, but give her hand with giving her different and slightly larger things. Something she can easily hold and nibble on.