Isn't there a choking risk with BLW?

[amberpie]

Hello! My Lo is seven months (6 months adjusted), and we just started weaning a few weeks ago. So far I have just been giving Stage 1 organic solids from jars or pouches, but I've started to read about BLW and am very curious to try it but I am terrified that if I stick huge chunks of food in front of her, that she's going to choke!  Is this a valid concern, or do expirienced BLW mommy's find that this doesn't happen?

[anna*]

Actual choking is really quite rare, although if they do choke then a firm slap between the shoulder blades dislodges it. Gagging is very common and is normal/good - it's how they learn to move food around their mouths without choking.

[amberpie]

Thanks Anna.  
Are there any foods that should be avoided at first with BLW? (either because they pose a greater choking risk or because they just shouldn't be given to younger babies?)  Or is it pretty much, anything goes?
Maybe there's a list on here somewhere that I haven't found yet...

[C&B&E]

A good way of telling if something is suitable is to try the food yourself and if you can mush it up just using your tongue on the roof of your mouth (even if it takes a while!!) then it is fine for them.  Things which much snap off and still be hard are not suitable such as raw carrot or raw apple - but roasted carrots or a an apple that has been microwaved until softish would be fine.  They will mush things up with their hard gums really well, but it does need to be stuff that is 'mushable' iyswim!

[~inbalance~]

Hi there!  There is a BLW support thread if you want to talk to more moms who do this with their LOs.  They can reassure you about choking as well.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=184657.0

The theory behind BLW is that a baby will not eat something if he is not developmentally ready to do so.  So you can put a big chunk of food in front of your baby, but if she's not ready he won't try to eat it.  With BLW, what you want to do is offer very large chunks, or long stick pieces for baby to chew on.  In the beginning, all they are doing is learning the basics of eating so things like coordination in getting food to their mouths, using their tongue to move it around, chewing, and eventually swallowing.

A baby's gag reflux is very sensitive to protect against choking, which is why babies gag so easily.  This is totally normal and what baby is made to do.  As baby learns how to manipulate and eat food, the gag reflux lessens.  A lot of this is instinctutal and happens naturally.  Baby learns to pick up food and get it into mouth, learns to bite and chew, then as he learns to swallow the reflex starts to diminish. 

Remember the point in the very beginning is food exploration, not swallowing everything put in front of her.  So left to her own devices, baby will explore and play with food until she figures out how to eat it on his own.

What you do want to avoid are pieces of food that are the right size for choking, about the size of a grape.  And of course if something can be bitten off to that size, it's probably not appropriate.  With true BLW you probably don't want to give baby a slice of apple that she can bite off and choke on, but you can give baby the whole apple to gum at with her gums or scrape with her teeth.

Babies who are weaned with BLW actually learn how to eat safely faster.  With a spoon you are depositing food right to the back of baby's mouth.  But with BLW they learn all the skills they need to bite, chew, and swallow.  Babies who BLW have less issues with lumpier foods and texture than babies who start with really smooth purees.

HTH