Struggle transitioning from purée to solids

So I never liked offering huge things. I started by offering rice rusks and baby puff cereals because they dissolve very easily. The only
Large strips offered were pancakes. When I offered most foods, I cut them into chunks. (I also didn’t offer anything difficult to chew at first.) It also helped to thicken up the purées before I tried solids, I think.

Something to keep in mind too, they’re going to choke sometimes! Be ready to swipe their airway at any moment when first transitioning to solids. I didn’t have to do it often but I did have to a few times, but being ready at all times helped me to feel a little less scared.

I think maybe if you cut them into thinner slices i feel like the banana was kind of thick. Also you can mush is just slightly so it can be easier to bite down on. I feel you i am scared to give my baby food so what i do is i just get a pinch of whatever food i’m eating and i’ll feed it to her with my fingers . I think i’m going to wait for her to start eating on her own until she’s like 1 😩

So if you cut the banana in half you can wiggle your finger into the middle and it will naturally split off into 3 smaller spears and it's a bit easier to handle.

No good advice, you handled it awesome. Solids are just scary. Maybe offer smashed banana? So instead of puree it still has a bit of texture but you can work up to it a bit?

THANK YOU, ladies, for the support and words of advice! It so rattled, I think I may also wait until his 1st birthday to try solids again 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Smaller, little pieces or chunks. It helps them work on their pincer grasp and it allows us to control how much they’re putting in their mouth.

do you have a rule of thumb/reco for chunk sizes? I’ve read “big enough to fit in baby’s mouth but not so small it can get caught in airway”, but kinda feel like a no-brained - of course you don’t want it getting stuck! Seems like anything that can actually fit into their mouth in 1 bite can also get stuck 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

I’ll have to pivot to mashing food. I make his purée, and it’s easier to do these in bulk then freeze. I feel like mashing food will be occurring at every meal, which is more effort (worth it to get him shifting to solids though!)

I like this idea! Of giving him punches of what we are eating ;)

Also like the waiting until he’s 1 year part 😂 uhhhf it’s so nerve wracking!

The app Solid Start has pictures of how to serve pretty much anything to different ages. It’s really helped my anxiety cause I FEEL YA this has been rough 😰

the solid starts app really helped me visualize what sizes for specific foods!

I give my son banana cut in half with the peel on it and only the very top exposed . That way he can’t chew off much at a time

Smush it with a fork so it's little banana pieces. Let him try and pick the pieces up.

Tomato’s cut into wedges are a great solid starter in my opinion. The middle of the tomato is really soft and watery and the skin on the outside allows the baby to be able to hold it easily. I would recommend not swiping inside the baby’s mouth as this can push the food farther back in their little mouths. Instead, invest in an anti chocking device like a LifeVac (I know they are expensive - we got a knock off on Amazon). I have used the BLWApp since 6 months and they have TONS of helpful resources

When we did the transition I held everything with my fingers for about a month. He was chewing, sucking on it but I could control the size of the pieces. It happens unfortunately he still learns how to eat, do not beat yourself up. ❤️

I wouldn’t worry so much. Mine shoves a lot of food in her mouth and if it is too much she spits it back out. It’s scary the first time but they need to learn. The first few times they will gag but that’s also ok. Look up the difference between gagging and choking, and try to stay calm if just gagging. I wouldn’t wait - they won’t be any better at 1 if they haven’t been practicing in the meantime.

i’ve always cut the food into little pieces. even before they had their pinscher grasp. it gave me peace of mind. i been fed them real food since 6m.
but gagging is normal. rushing your fingers in their mouth can scare them. or push the food back further. they have a strong and sensitive gag reflex. they only learn by experience though so try to offer it as much as possible.
it’s important bc they have to be weaned by 1. at 1 they switch to whole milk and have to be limited to 24 oz a day. if they have more than that, they risk being anemic. so by the time they are 1 they are getting most of their nutrients from food and it’s not such a hard switch. it will be much easier building up gradually to 3-4 meals a day instead of immediately switching off milk.
also don’t be too hesitant to offer different textures. their gums are really hard and are able to mash and grind food appropriately

Get one of those fruit feeder pacifiers!!

I remember when mine was this age and “choking” like this. Scared the shit out of me even though they were really just confused on how to swallow solid foods. I still panicked so bad lol

he’s gagged before, with sound. This was silent so I freaked 😶

I feel like I’ll always panic 😂 I need to get more comfortable !

this! We put so many different things in there

our little loves this too ❤️😂

That wasn’t so bad mama!! Gagging is good! It’s scary but it’s okay!

Gagging they will make sounds and maybe even throw up, totally normal.

Choking is silent. Choking they will change color. Let baby gag, even if they throw up they are learning. Watch infant cpr classes online to give yourself peace of mind. Keep offering solids just remind yourself gagging is normal!! ❤️

he didn’t seem to make a sound with this, which is why I panicked. He’s gagged a ton, but this felt different. If I waited another 5 seconds he probably would have gotten it out of his throat though… I just shouldn’t let him take bites of things - he tries to get the whole thing in his mouth 🤦🏼‍♀️

This week he’s had a few different bite size things 🥰 I’m getting more brave! But my creativity is so low. Aside from banana, avocado, and whole grain pasta, I’m out of ideas 🤦🏼‍♀️ I LOVE cooking!! But at a complete blank as to what to prepare. He also only has a few bites then loses interest…

Try cooked salmon! It’s soft and easy to give in small pieces, and super healthy

Sweet potato chunks, butter nut squash chunks

Rven with stuff my baby absolutely loves she tends to lose interest fairly quickly as well. It’s so hard not to panic I totally get it.

Mashed potatoes and gravy have been a bit for my girl. Steamed broccoli, steamed carrots, grilled cheese sliced very thin, strips of thin crust pizza, that’s all I got off the top of my head 😅 ❤️❤️

Also about bites, I read that it’s better for babies to have BIG pieces of things in their mouth, and to let them take big bites. I’m still getting used to that lol

Ooh forgot scrambled egg.

he despises egg so far 😂 but I’ll keep trying the scrambled eggs 🥚!

I think you have to trust that your baby will work it out on his own… try to control your anxiety as it will only make him anxious about food, and move at a pace that works for him.

my girl loves buttered toast. I cut the crust off and cut it into strips. She goes to town on it. I use unsalted butter but it makes it softer for her. I haven't tried tofu yet

what type of bread do you use? We normally buy Ezekiel bread (sprouted bread), but that’s too course for him I think

We usually buy Sara Lee artesano