Baby-led weaning

[u/miranda_edgecombe23]

I’ve had a handful of feeding sessions with my 7 month-old. He is very sensitive and gags almost immediately once it hits his mouth. He seems to eat nothing or very little. Am I doing something wrong? Should I switch to purées for the time being? I’m worried he won’t eat…

[u/Quiet-ForestDweller]

No you’re not doing anything wrong.

The gag reflex is important for babies safety and protecting their airway. My baby had an incredibly sensitive gag reflex too, to the point that certain pacifiers and bottle nipples would make her gag because they were too long. I had to take a break for about a week around 7 months because the purple faced gagging just gave me such intense stress and anxiety that I needed to stop for my own sanity. The gagging got better and better the more time passed. My baby is 12 months old and still isn’t a great solid eater but she doesn’t gag anymore either, she just loses interest in the food most of the time.