Need help with textures

[momtoelise]

I'm sure this topic has been covered many times, but I'm wondering if anyone can offer me some advice... 

DD has been eating some textured finger foods for a few months now - cheerios, Gerber wagon wheels & puffs.  I've tried many other things over the last 1-2 months, but she sticks her toungue out right away & they come out of her mouth.  Sometimes, she starts gagging on them too if they actually make it far enough into her mouth.  (She also starts choking sometimes on the small pieces of wagon wheels, but not sure if this is related??).  Anyway, so far I've offered her little pieces of cheese, apple, green beans, corn, peas, bread/toast, & pasta noodles - with no success! 

I know I need to be transitioning her to more table foods, but I feel stuck!  The only thing I can guess is that it's the texture that bothers her.  Is this normal at her age (10 mos)?  Any ideas for other finger foods with the same crunchy consistency as Cheerios?  Anything else I can do for her, besides just continuing to offer her different things?

Thanks for any help!! 

[cwolff]

I'm coming up with the same problem.  One thing my DD does like is rice.  I steamed brown rice and she will shovel a little bit into her mouth, or let me do it.  Also, toast with butter in bite sized pieces.  I'd love other suggestions and explanations too.

[lindsaysmom]

My DD also prefers crunchy texture to soft texture, such as fruits.  I find rice cake (made with brown rice) works well because of the crunch.  She does eat cheese crumbles and bread, but not fruit pieces.  She ate broccolli (the flower part) as a finger food very well, maybe because it's an interesting texture?  Lately, she started eating some cooked carrots and peas, so I'm hoping she is going to start accepting the softer cooked fruit, sweet potato etc.  Maybe it has to be a gradual transition? 

[colenliam]

No advice as ds is the same way.
But im gonna follow this thread.  Hopefully someone can help

[Baby Chase's Mom]

Same with my ds....gags and throws up at times with any kind of bite size things.  How do you teach them to chew??  I have tried biscuits, toast, baby food with chunks, it's just not happening.

Help would be appreciated.   

[colenliam]

See my lo will chew but still gags.
He'll eat a cookie fine and rice and pasta but everything else???

[momtoelise]

I talked with a nurse at my pedi's office yesterday...  She said this was normal & that some babies take longer to get used to textures.  She recommended that I just keep offering things.  Not super helpful, but at least it's normal, I guess.   

It's nice to know I'm not alone in this - anyone else with suggestions, let us know! 

[JWB's Mom]

My son is 10 months and also gags and throws up on even the puff cereal that's supposed to dissolve in his mouth! I was going to post this same topic because none of my friends seem to have this problem with their kids and they don't even have teeth - my son has 7 teeth but won't use them! I feel so bad for him because he is excited about eating but then gags everytime! It's comforting to know that I'm not alone! Any help is appreciated!

Thank you!
Julie (Jack's Mom)

[LeslieG]

Okay well this is an interesting thread. My DD will hardly ever take food from a spoon anymore! I am having a terrible time getting her to eat veggies though unless they have a sauce on them....sounds like misery loves company.

Have you tried cutting the fruit or veggies into bits and then freezing them? My LO loves frozen fruit....blueberries, banana, apple and pears are her favourites right now.  I am trying to do this with veggies but it isn't going so well.

For now I have resorted to giving her frozen fruit and veggies in sauce. I know she needs to get the vitamins. I would love suggestions too.

Here is what she commonly eats: cheerios, toast, frozen blueberries, banana, pear, apple, pasta with tomato sauce, pasta with cheese sauce, broccoli with cheese sauce, today I tried carrots with onion, ginger and curry and she ate them....funny kid I know!

[colenliam]

Well I finally got him to eat toast.  I just toasted it and buttered it and put it in a paper bag till it got soggy and he loved it.
Hes doing a bit better with somethings.  He really won't eat any reg. food if it has a sauce on it, like the baby food in a jar that has some chunks in it, but won't eat homemade mashed foods.  I don't know, I geuss like a above poster said, just keep offering it.  They'll get it someday

[EmMUK74]

I wish I knew the answer but I don't.  DD was the same and I just kept persevering and then today she ate everything on her tray, all of it, even bits of fruit which she normally flings across the room.  I think it's just them being unsure and then one day curiosity gets the better of them.  toast was definitely the starter because she adored it but apart from that I wish I knew, sorry and good luck 

[LŠuren]

I have started introducing pasta and rice to ds's diet. I noticed that when blended down they are both pretty textured still. He tried a rice dish yesterday and gagged and was sick. I tried it again today and added more milk to the mixture and he took the lumps and bits of rice like a dream. I also gave him frequent sip of milk after every couple of mouthfuls.

I also found out today, he loves philladephia soft cheese, I offered him a bit of my toast and was more interested in the cheese.
HTH