Reassure me about gagging

[GingerNut]

My DD is 7 months and we're working away at expanding her range of foods, so I'm trying meat at the moment, and slightly lumpier things like mashed banana rather than pureed. She's gagging on things fairly often and vomited once.

I know it's normal enough for these things to happen while she's learning, and that really it's actually a good thing. But it freaks me out terribly. I'm emetophobic so the gagging isn't just worrying in the normal worried mama sense, it actually scares me to the extent that I find it hard to stay in the room with her. I don't really know how to deal with this. I don't want her to pick up on my terror, but the only way I can relax is by giving her nice safe food that she can't gag on.

I'm back in work full time and my parents give her most of her meals, so they've said they'll keep trying the more challenging stuff, but it's just not a great solution. Does the gagging stage last long? Can anyone suggest an approach to this? Even just tell me, over and over, that she's okay and it's normal. I don't think I could hear that too often 

Thanks : )

[Lolly]

It's ok - it's normal and it doesn't last too long. Both mine had gagging til you throw up incidents but they only happened a handful of times, they do learn pretty quickly how to deal with things. Some things like mashed potato and weetabix do sometimes make DD gag still but she hasn't been sick since she was 7/8 months.

I would say that banana was the worst for making my two gag when it was mashed up, both did better when they had a baby banana they could hold and bite bits off that they could control.

HTH!

Laura

[anna*]

I'm the same way (emetophobic). But when it comes to my son mosthly I can deal with it. The more she has textured foods, the quicker the gagging phase will pass - so actually it might be an OK solution for your parents to deal with the gagging, and then by the time the weekend comes you'll be able to repeat the same foods and hopefully she will already be learning to deal with them..

[anjabibby]

Just want to add, gagging is a normal phase that the LOs have to get used to the new lumps and solids. As they get more used to the lumps of food the amount they gag will get less and less. Like everything just a phase and you can pull through it!!

[Texomamama]

Can't believe how many of us are emetophobic.  I can't be anywhere near someone who vomits.  When I suspect I am going to be sick, I seriously fret and worry about it, even though I know it is out of my control (not to mention feeling better afterwards).  My 3 yo has only vomited twice in her entire life, and thank goodness, both times were in the middle of the night and she didn't even wake up apparently.  Ewwww.

[GingerNut]

Thanks, girls, that's exactly what I needed. I'll be re-reading this every day till we get the hang of things!

Anna, I'm the same, I can cope better with DD being sick than anyone else - so far anyway. The worry about her distracts me from the panic.

Texomamama, I find it so reassuring to know that I'm not the only one! For years I thought I was just being stupid, and that I should be able to just pull myself together. It's especially good to know about other mums dealing with it.

[Danielsmommy]

I definitially think the gaging and vomiting are worse on us than the babies.  My DS gaged and vomited yesterday and as soon as I cleaned him up, he was looking for more food lol.

[GingerNut]

I just want to update this in case anyone else has the same problem with textures.
This weekend I gave Rosie some different stews (pork with apple and sweet potato flavoured with mace and sage, beef in a tomato and oregano sauce, and lamb with sweet peppers, mint and chickpeas). They were all pureed but still had lumps in (I still find it impossible to puree meats!). She lashed into them : ) The pork went down particularly well, she said 'mmm...mmm!' the whole time she was eating. She also graduated to mashed veg rather than pureed.

Sorted 

So it seems that (as with everything in babyworld!) you just have to wait these things out, babas will get themselves there eventually whether you stress yourself silly or not! So we may as well all just sit back and enjoy the ride : )

[anna*]

Ah that's great! Sounds like she's proper got the hang of it! Love it... mmmmmm!!