https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 21:33:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-383761 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:31:53 +0000 Mrsbells 383761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caffeinated: There seem to be a lot of April babies on here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-382077 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:53:15 +0000 Freckles 382077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: Ooh, mine is 5 days older! Mine is also always trying to feed herself.</p> <p>@pointybird: she has really strong neck control, but i once gave her congee where there were still some whole rice grains. i guess she hadn't swallowed and as i kept giving her more spoonfuls all the rice had accumulated and she choked pretty badly. I usually refer to that website too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381741 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:28:54 +0000 Mrsbells 381741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: yeah my baby was born 4-20-12! so close in age! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381726 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:22:54 +0000 brownie 381726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Babies will gag. That was one of things I learned doing BLW. But as babies get bigger, the gag reflux moves further back and the tongue thrust gets shallower. So, doing solids earlier helped him learn to use those to protect himself. At 18 months we have had a few gag until he pukes episodes but he has NEVER EVER choked. Even now I watch him and he can move thing forward and back in his mouth and I attribute that to the BLW and learning to from the beginning.</p> <p>We started BLW at 5 1/2 months old. Also because he self fed he had control of where the food went into his mouth. So he could keep it shallow and where his gums were to chew. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381686 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:11:29 +0000 sarac 381686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started at 7 monthish with finger food so soft that it just smushed between her gums, or things that were so small she could just swallow them. So eggs, smashed strawberries or avocado or bananas or any fruit, really. Tiny pieces of cheese. Basically anything she could move around easily with her tongue. I could really tell around 8 months that she'd developed much better tongue control, and could move food around her mouth in a controlled way. </p> <p>If you're having choking or gagging problems I'd pull back and wait a few more weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381671 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:06:37 +0000 Sammyfab 381671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started with mum mums at 6-6.5 months. he was sitting really well at this time and had gotten the hang of purees. I was more comfortable with mum mums and puffs because they dissolve and you don't have to worry as much about choking and gagging. Now at 8 months we do mostly self-feeding with finger foods but he does have purees at every meal still (yogurt and pouches when we're not at home). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381592 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:32:23 +0000 pinkcupcake 381592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started with the puffs that dissolve and saw that she could swallow them after they dissolved in her mouth, so I tried tiny pieces of very ripe mango and she was able to use her jaw to "mash" it, even w/out any teeth. I haven't given her anything harder than that, and I make sure the pieces are very tiny. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381588 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:30:52 +0000 plaidpants 381588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure if you've visited this website, but I use <a href="http://www.wholesomebabyfoodguide.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.wholesomebabyfoodguide.com/</a> as a reference all the time when it comes to feeding my LO.</p> <p>ETA: I actually use this site more: <a href="http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/" rel="nofollow">http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/</a>. It's the same brand, but this link has more info on what's good for different ages. The other one has more recipes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381580 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:27:09 +0000 plaidpants 381580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: She's 10.5 months now. I think I started giving her cheese at around 8 months? I'm not really sure. I started slow with the dairy, like giving her pancakes made with milk, and then worked our way up to yogurt and cheese. She loves it, but I try to go easy because I do try to really limit her salt intake. I also make sure it's whole milk cheese. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381575 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:25:40 +0000 mrsjazz 381575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pointybird: Anytime we bring out the spoon she snatches it from us and tries to feed herself, but then she's like, "What the heck is this mush?" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381571 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:24:25 +0000 mrsjazz 381571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: Yeah. I think my LO is a few days older than yours (4/17). It's funny because almost every time you post I'm like "My LO is doing the same thing!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381560 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:21:55 +0000 Mrsbells 381560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: Our babies are the same age! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381558 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:21:24 +0000 Mrsbells 381558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pointybird: How old is your LO? How early can they have cheese? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381555 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:20:07 +0000 plaidpants 381555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: My LO definitely prefers to feed herself! We started with finger foods but there were a few things I wanted to feed her, like apple sauce and yogurt. The first time I brought the spoon to her mouth, she looked at me like I was trying to poison her. Soooo she mostly feeds herself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381552 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:17:55 +0000 mrsjazz 381552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm thinking about starting LO on some soft finger foods. She's 6.5 months and I've been feeding her purees but she barely eats them. But when we eat our food she grabs at our food and does the same thing @pointybird: chewing motions and watching us intently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381550 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:17:15 +0000 plaidpants 381550@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think any soft fruits are good starters! We put everything in the microwave to steam it unless it was really mushy, like super ripe peaches and pears. My LO also LOVES string cheese! I pull strings off for her, but she loves to hold a long piece and bite at it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381543 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:14:56 +0000 plaidpants 381543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We decided our LO was ready because she would watch us so intently when we would eat in front of her. She started making chewing motions, mimicking us. She was also sitting up really well on her own and had really strong neck control. I think those are important factors to avoid choking and gagging.</p> <p>I know some babies start to get really grabby if they can take food from you, but my LO never did that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381535 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:13:00 +0000 Mrsbells 381535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good question I will be following this thread. i'm quite nervous about finger foods. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-how-do-you-know-if-your-lo-is-ready-for-finger-foods#post-381532 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:12:11 +0000 Freckles 381532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO gags a lot when i feed her purees that are a little chunky, and has thrown up a few times. Does this mean she's not ready for finger foods yet? What kind of finger foods would be best for her at 7 months (aside from puffs)? </p>