Help. Gaging with solid foods.

[dduncan]

My lo is 10 months old.  He isn't crawling yet.  He still gags with some pureed foods, esp veggies.  I have been trying to introduce solid pieces of food.  Every time he puts it in his mouth he gags and sometimes even spits up.  Any suggestions?

[amayzie]

Hi dduncan,

does he have reflux? Any other sensitivities- for example, does he like getting messy or getting his hair washed? some babies can be a bit more hypersensitive, or extra sensitive to new tastes and textures than others.

Is he sitting up independantly in the high chair or other places?

[dduncan]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, he sits up great on his own!  He is very close to crawling, but can get any where he wants by rolling.  He can stand up by holding on to things too.

My daughter, who is 3 now, also had texture issues too.  I had to take her to speech and occupational therapy for 6 months.  I was hoping to avoid that with him. 

He loves his bath and does't mind getting his hair washed.  He isn't too keen on touching foods that are sticky or really have a different texture.  Any suggestions?

[~Sara~]

My DS had a really sensitive gag reflex...made for many a frustrating meal for Mommy (not so much for him ).

I actually had to work up to more solid food from pureed by just gradually making the food less pureed/smashed up.  I'm remembering a meal I'd give him with carrot chunks in it...at first, I mashed the carrots until very smooth, then I mashed them less and less until he was able to handle chewing and swallowing the bite-size pieces without gagging.  It took a while (like a couple of months).

And to take pressure off of yourself--I was given this advice on here--focus on just one meal a day to start amping up the texture.  Then, as that meal falls into place, expand   It saved my sanity.

As for him actually touching the food whose textures he doesn't like, will he still eat them, or does he refuse flat out?

[amayzie]

I actually had to work up to more solid food from pureed by just gradually making the food less pureed/smashed up.  I'm remembering a meal I'd give him with carrot chunks in it...at first, I mashed the carrots until very smooth, then I mashed them less and less until he was able to handle chewing and swallowing the bite-size pieces without gagging.  It took a while (like a couple of months).

This is great advice- and probably what your SP and OT would have worked on with your little girl! (and would do with your little guy)

Have you tried giving him just solid foods, like sticks of pumpkin, rissoles or other whole foods? Sometimes the mixed lumpy puree consistency is too much for the little sensitive ones to handle!

Other things you can do is encourage him to play games with things in his mouth- a fun one is putting a face washer in his mouth and encouraging him to bite down on it while you pull against it- sort of like a puppy dog... Other things you can try is using something textured like a toothbrush trainer (you know the stage one toothbrush, rubber with bumps all around) to offer him his puree. THis makes it feel a little more textured.

WHen you offer him more solid foods is he feeding himself?

 

[Lemonthyme]

My son wouldn't eat mashed foods but would eat finger foods.  He was also really slow to take to 'sticks' of finger foods but when he had very small finger foods which he could pick up with his pincer grip he would be fine.  I found small pasta shells (not tiny ones, but the small ones you can use for soup) were good because I could feed them on a spoon to him and he could also self feed.

[dduncan]

He will touch and play with the foods. Tonight I gave him some small pieces of peach and pear.  He played and tried putting them in his mouth.  But then when they were in his mouth, he gaged.  Same with the puff, tried chewing and then gaged and spit up. 

I do have the tooth brush and he will play with it.  Sometimes it bothers him and other times not so much.

[~Sara~]

Hi...just wanted to check in and see how things had been going lately.  I know this all takes time, but I just hope you're both doing okay.

[Lemonthyme]

A gag reflex is really normal and it does protect their airway so it's no bad thing.  I know when I looked at the texture of jars of babyfood though I was always really surprised at how smooth they were.  Perhaps you just need a little bit of texture at the moment (I'm thinking mashed potato rather than sieved pureed carrot if you see what I mean?)  Can he handle something which is mashed not pureed?