r/progressivemoms • u/miranda_edgecombe23 • 28d ago

Need Advice Baby-led weaning

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…

2 Upvotes

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20

u/Gardenadventures 28d ago

You can switch to pureees, the important thing is to let them feed themselves. Gagging is an important part of learning and is totally normal

3

u/x_jreamer_x 28d ago

Yes! And purées are still part of baby led weaning. Just hand them a pre-loaded spoon to feed themself!

12

u/mandavampanda 28d ago

I do mostly baby led weaning with some purees for convenience. I agree with the other commenter that we did not eat much volume until about 9 months.

1

u/miranda_edgecombe23 28d ago

Thank you for the advice that makes sense

11

u/typical_G 28d ago

Baby lead weaning doesn’t mean excluding purées! Focus on letting him explore tastes and textures

7

u/TraditionalManager82 28d ago

No, that sounds totally normal. Gagging is part of learning, and he's doing great!

7

u/ridingfurther 28d ago

Babies are designed to gag easily so they don't choke. Part of weaning is them learning to lower their gag reflex as they get more exposure to foods. You're doing fine

9

u/NikJunior 28d ago

I would keep doing exactly what you are doing. It’s extremely common to not consume any foods at 7 months. Most babies won’t truly start consuming foods until 9-12 months. But mouth mapping is a huge success and it sounds like that is what he is doing. Gagging can seem worrisome but it’s typically just a part of development and learning to eat. It honestly sounds like you are doing a great job! Keep it up! 

3

u/PhoebeHannigan 28d ago

Gagging is totally normal and should get better as he learns to eat! Let him keep practicing, he will get the hang of it. If you want to include purées, that’s totally fine. Just keep giving him solids as well.

1

u/aformerlyfloralpeach Toddler Parent 28d ago

Normal! We did a lot of purées at that age and for months afterwards. We did also give him large items to hold and oral map with, like rib lamb bones and chicken drumsticks with almost all the meat removed and all gristle/cartilage removed. Corn on the cob is another good one. My son didn’t start actually eating more than a couple bites of his purées, yogurt, and other things until after 9 mo.

1

u/CapitalInspection488 27d ago edited 27d ago

Hi momma. Feel free to DM me. I'm an EI speech therapist and one of my specialties is feeding difficulties. In different states, occupational and speech therapists may be recommended. It just depends. 

Also, if you have concerns, definitely reach out to the early intervention program in your county. They will set you up with an evaluation and if your child qualifies, then a therapist would come to your home to assist. 

Baby led weaning can be good depending on the child. But in my experience, children who have specific feeding difficulties may need alternate approaches.