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Baby re: How to feed him? Grabbing spoon, etc.
We've been extremely fortunate so far that G loves eating - and isn't overly picky about what he eats. He's just as happy with some bananas as he is some peas. However, the last few days, feeding him has been extremely tricky b/c he's totally into eating with his hands now. He grabs the spoon, then in turn wipes pureed food all over his hands, then tries to get it in his mouth - but fails, then gets frustrated. This went on for all of his dinner last night.
Is he trying to tell me he's ready for finger foods? Currently he eats puffs (the larger ones that look like cheese curls) but I've not given him other types of finger foods b/c I'm terrified of him choking. He only has his 2 bottom front teeth and the top 2 front teeth have just broken through.
I've tried the mesh feeders but he seems to get frustrated by that b/c he's really not getting much food - just "juice" from the food.
Any memories of what you all did for your LOs at this age? Am I being silly by not giving him more exciting finger foods?
He'll be 9 mos old next Friday.
TIA!
Re: Baby re: How to feed him? Grabbing spoon, etc.
Dd was eating finger foods by then and she didn't get her first tooth till 10.5 months. They don't need teeth to chew the gums/jaws are enough. Just make sure the food is appropriate size and softness. We started solids at 6 months and shortly after that puffs and around 7 months were trying finger foods.
If you want good finger food ideas, google "baby led weaning".
Basically any fruit or veggie, usually cooked. Bananas and avocado don't need to be cooked, but may need to be covered in some cheerio crumbs so they aren't too slippery to pick-up. Spear and strip shapes of lots of foods work well because they can grasp them and suck on the ends. Toast strips, penne, bagel, etc.
You can also give him small amounts of what you are eating. He may not eat much, but touching food, licking it and "experiencing" it are part of learning to feed himself.
Gagging is normal and although it is upsetting, try not to help him. In most cases, gagging is the process of moving the food away from his throat and it is important for him to build the muscles to do it himself. Also, if you try to take out the food that he's gagging on, it is possible to push it further back and cause choking. If he can't make noise or breathe, then it is time to intervene, but choking is rare, especially if you are letting him lead the way.
The benefit to all of this is that you can eat your food hot (!) because he is feeding himself. And it is usually a long process, so you can always move the high chair to the kitchen and start cleaning up you dishes while he is finishing his meal. :-)
It definitely seems like he is ready for finger foods! We loosely followed baby led weaning (I think that's what it's called, I forget) with Garrett, so he never actually had purees or any baby food. We started this around 6 months, and he didn't get his first tooth until he was at least 10 months...even without teeth, babies can do a good job mashing food with their gums.
We did things like avocado and banana mashed with a fork - so it was a consistency that he could pick up with his fingers, but not in pieces that would put him at high risk for choking. Any kind of steamed veggie that is soft and cut up in small pieces or mashed with a fork worked really well. For meats like chicken, we would just make sure it was extra soft (sometimes adding broth or even some formula/bm) and cut up very small/shredded. Pasta is a good one too.
GL!
ETA: My memory was working! It is called Baby Led Weaning. Even if you don't follow the method, the website offers great suggestions of finger foods by age and other tips.
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/
Thank you all, as always! I'm going to start with some steamed veggies and bananas tonight.
I'm so excited for him to start feeding himself b/c I like to watch him do it and he seems to love doing it. I just have to let that fear of choking go. I know I'm not going to give him giant pieces of anything. I can always rely on you ladies to talk some sense. I really appreciate it.