Author Topic: 15m old not chewing?  (Read 1456 times)

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Offline violagal

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15m old not chewing?
« on: January 09, 2014, 19:11:48 pm »
Hi all,

Our 15m DS generally has a good appetite. He was weaned at 6 months on purées - we attempted a bit of BLW but due to what we were told is a sensitive gag reflex from having reflux as a little one we couldn't really get past purées until about 8/9 months as he would gag and vomit on the smallest bits of banana/soft veggies etc. However things got a lot better and now he eats most things and feeds himself with a spoon BUT I'm pretty sure he doesn't chew - he has 6 of his front teeth and his first 4 molars are coming through slowly and have been for about 3 weeks now (I can see a corner of each!). Some food he's had with chopped veggies in he eats happily but just spits out the lumps (I thought he just didn't like those veggies) but smaller bits he just swallows as I often see them in his nappy. Things like pasta and ravioli he refuses too. Things like bread and fruit and fish which he loves I assumed did need chewing but I guess they just get mashed down with the gums?
So I guess what I'm asking is is this normal? Is chewing something they learn as they get older and as they get molars? Should I be doing anything else to encourage chewing even he has only 6 teeth?
Thanks in advance...

Offline Emami

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Re: 15m old not chewing?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2014, 20:00:47 pm »
My DD didnt get her 1yr molars until 20months and doesn't have her 2yr molars, so there was a lot of gumming / sucking / swallowing things whole here too.  For the most part I didn't worry about it too much and she's generally eaten what we eat or a modified version if it, eg. For a while I would make her vegetables softer than ours.  But I didn't really find lack of teeth to be too limiting.  Dinner or main meal dishes like pasta, rice, soup etc doesn't really need chewing, and for lunch she quite often had things like sausages and fruit that again go down quite easily.  The only things that I found difficult (that immediately spring to mind) were chunky meats like steak, and apples.  Until DD got her molars I would give her a whole peeled apple and she would gnaw at it like a rodent with her front teeth! She only got tiny pieces that didnt need chewing that way, and now she has a mouthful of teeth I give her apple slices.  It sounds like he's doing ok, and if his gag reflux has improved I'd just keep doing what you're doing :)
Emma






Offline violagal

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Re: 15m old not chewing?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2014, 20:37:30 pm »
Thanks Emami - I guess I could try cooking pasta until it's really soft then it can get gummed! Yes mince he likes so might try sausages. And ha he does exactly the same with an apple, we share it so I bite off some of the skin and he takes off tiny chunks then hands it back for me to skin some more!
Glad to hear its normal and will just go slowly with bigger harder lumps.