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Gagging on lumps and being sick

Sometimes Sam is completely fine with lumpy purees, finger food etc, but sometimes he gags, and then pukes up everything he's just eaten. Not fun for either of us. I think he has a sensitive gag reflex. He is 9 months old. If your LO was the same, how long did this phase last?

Thanks.

Replies

  • ok so toby isnt 9 months old but a babies gag reflex is much further forwards and gradually moves back so it is totally normal - i think it said that 10ish months on should be a huge improvement - just going to dig out the book - hoping i didnt sell it for 10p at bootsale x
  • Thanks for that hon.
    I would be interested to know if any other babies were like this? xx
  • my son is like this he is 7 1/2 months he manages thick purees and is not too bad with finger food which surprised me but lumpy purees he chokes and gaggs and sicks up his entire meal. i thought it was because he has reflux and that had made his gag reflex sensitive. i don't know how you overcome it but i do know that when this happens he loses confidence in eating for a few days so i end up avoiding too many lumps.
  • lumpier purees tend to do this as babies suck them off the spoon - ok for first purees but more of an issue when they are lumpier. I would persevere with the finger foods it took toby 2 weeks of gagging and choking and now he eats adult food at 7 months - he had beef ravioli today!

    Its also really asy to rush to them pat them on the back and panic - but the way babies sort their food out to start is to chew - gag they bring it back round to the front of their mouth and either spit it out or start chewing and the process begins again hopefully with them swallowing it at the end. I had my heart in my mouth but have never fished food out of tobys mouth and what the book says is true.

    In this months prima apart from be and toby being in it!!! There is also a mini BLW book that is not far from the original - might be worth a look x Hows his cough btw - do you think it could be an allergy? x
  • Heidi did this for the first time today. Threw up everywhere because she shoved a big bit of pitta bread in her mouth. She is usually fine with lumps and rough mushed food (6 and a half months) but she was being greedy today. Hopefully it wont happen again - but it took all of my might not to go fishing for the pitta bread out of her mouth!
    No advice, but your not alone!
  • its ok coco we have it this end too chick!! you are not alone! they do get used to it! my lol is 7months and every now and then we stil have sick everywhere!!
  • "This doesnt happen with finger foods as they have it in their hand and their brain automatically knows it needs to chew."
    HaHa! Confirms Heidi is a piggy! She did the choke and puke thing with finger foods as she shoved it all in her mouth! Oh well - just need to have towels on standby from now on!
  • Both my boys did this and it really worried me (and I didnt like being covered from head to toe in vomit!) I spoke to the HV who said it was ocmpletely normal and was down to a variety of reasons. Firstly, they have a gag reflex that is further forward in their mouth, to stop them swallowing things that are harmful (evolution hey!). Secondly, when you give a puree, they can swallow it straight away. They dont need to think about it. However, when there is suddenly a lump this changes. BUT, they have already 'not thought' about it and swallowed so the piece gets lodged further back, hence needing more gagging to get it forward again. More gagging = sick. This doesnt happen with finger foods as they have it in their hand and their brain automatically knows it needs to chew. Lastly, and this isnt always the case but was with Alfie, we made a fuss if he choked, so he did it more (he's a clever little man! lol). He liked the attention it got him!

    We perservered, and stopped making a fuss, and now they eat large lumps such as peas and sweetcorn without being mashed. Theyre just over 8 months.

    Also, thought i'd mention that my stepmum hates the gagging and will stop feeding if it happens (I have had to force her to, otherwise the boys starve!)My brother was still eating stage 1 jars well into his 1st year as she wouldnt have him eat anything that would make him gag. Hes fine now, just fussy, but worth a thought! lol!
  • lol!! DMD - Thats very funny! Sorry, just words from the HV!

    Hope she gets the hang of it soon!
  • So do I - puke down your jeans is not a good look! Heidi never follows HV rule books lol
  • Hi

    Ty is the same although he's good with lumps of banana and sweet things, I think its a ploy by my little man to get out of eating things which are good for him. He tried chicken korma with rice yesterday (jar) and was so funny as he just kept pushing the lumps out, so by then end he had rice and lumps of pepper down him but he liked the juice !!!
    I'm going to try and persevere, although the temptation to fish something out when they are choking is overwhelming.

    Sarah
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