https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 02:51:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250385 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:15:18 +0000 Greentea 1250385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: thanks for the help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250377 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:09:37 +0000 immabeetoo 1250377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Greentea: I think slices are easier, yes :happy: I think the biggest choking hazards are stuff like whole grapes that are tough to chew, or steak cut in squares. Peas, small blueberries, etc. have never given us any trouble. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250316 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:24:43 +0000 Greentea 1250316@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: I was thinking I would just mash some avo up for example and let her choose how much she wants on her fingers then into her mouth. But you think slices she can hang onto would be better? I was a nanny for a lo and the mum had me just hand him a bagel to chew on. Was never scared. I guess with my own lo... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250312 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:21:57 +0000 regberadaisy 1250312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started around the same age with roasted butternut squash. I cut them into 1" pieces. We were lucky that she is very good. About not over stuffing. If she took too big of a piece she would pull to bake out. She got pulling off pieces early on. And she had about 4-6 teeth by then so that helped. </p> <p>I just learned to trust her! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250308 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:18:51 +0000 immabeetoo 1250308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: I hear you! I am anxious by nature but motherhood has really mellowed me out. A few little people in my life have heightened my awareness of eating issues/problems and steered me to spend a lot of time reading and thinking about how to encourage DS to eat a variety of things and with enthusiasm. So I try really hard to not transmit my anxiety over what/how/how much he is eating and so far, so good at 12 months he has proven time and time again that even if he eats practically nothing at one meal, he will fill up at the next one, and if he rejects something 5X in a row, he will sometimes then love it the 6th. He has fun with food and I love watching him light up with a new flavor! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250305 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:13:22 +0000 sslm 1250305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: in my head I know you're totally right. I'm an anxious person in general so that doesn't help for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250301 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:12:09 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1250301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started with purées at six months and switched to take foods within the month. I was terrified of choking, but LO managed it t really well. We started when she started chewing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250294 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:05:23 +0000 immabeetoo 1250294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: @Greentea: Well I'm not going to CALL you irrational but IMO, it doesn't make sense. Letting baby be in charge of amounts,, sizes, and speed lets them figure out how to manage all that. We have only had one mini-choking episode, and it was when he had a cold and having trouble breathing through his nose and grabbed 2 clementine pieces at once. My husband was a lot more worried at first, but saw our LO figure it out pretty quickly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250246 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:29:52 +0000 Greentea 1250246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: :) lol. No I haven't read it. I feel the same way through... I feel like I should mash it instead of giving her something larger like half a banana. Ahhhh! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250242 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:27:34 +0000 sslm 1250242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scg00387: is it just my irrational self that's worried if I give her 1/2 a banana she'll bite a choking size piece off? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250240 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:26:25 +0000 sslm 1250240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Greentea: have you read the book? From what I understand there's no more risk of her choking than there is with purées! You can doooooo it!!!!! You're stronger than me :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250236 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:24:30 +0000 Greentea 1250236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: hahaha! I am so so so so scared! I am only going to try anything with dh there! I might chicken too :/ I am just so scared of choking! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250217 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:12:50 +0000 sslm 1250217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Greentea: we were planning on doing BLW but then I totally chickened out!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250089 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 12:23:31 +0000 Lindsay05 1250089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I cant remember when we started chunky food. My doc said to give them chunky food as soon as you can because it helps them learn to chew and also helps promote the teeth to come through. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1250007 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:21:16 +0000 immabeetoo 1250007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Big chunks are easier at first so they can control their bites! Try half a banana or a slice of sweet potato. Gagging is good and safe for her to lean how to move good in their mouth! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249995 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:14:16 +0000 Greentea 1249995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am feeling the same way! Lo is almost 6 months and I can hardly believe it. We are about to start blw solids. Yikes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249979 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:07:13 +0000 MoonMoon 1249979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm following this thread because I'm really anxious too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249967 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:59:43 +0000 ALV91711 1249967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started with bananas. We do steamed veggies and roasted veggies. I make everything about carrot stick size at it is easy for him to pick up and chew on. He has learned to take off bites and chew them. He doesn't gag much now. He's also learned to spit out a bite if it is too big. </p> <p>He is getting good at picking up puffs but I find with small stuff he gets frustrated easily when he can't get it to his mouth. </p> <p>And some of the food he will mush up into smaller pieces before he puts them in his mouth. </p> <p>I started just after 6 months and he is 8 months now. We still do purees too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249953 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:50:51 +0000 Smurfette 1249953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: nope! I thought it would be too but she does great with them. They are her favorite! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249888 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:16:30 +0000 heartonastring 1249888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Larger pieces are easier to control and although it seems counterintuitive, they're actually less likely to choke on them. Gagging is good! It means they're learning to control food in their mouths. And honestly, if you stick with it, the gagging goes away pretty quickly. Better to do it now than later when their gag reflex moves further back in the mouth.</p> <p>You can do it, mama! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249860 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:58:24 +0000 hilsy85 1249860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I waited until I saw lo making chewing motions with his jaws while eating purées? Maybe around 7 months? I started with very ripe fruit cut into small pieces. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249822 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:33:30 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1249822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I waited on pieces until he could pick them up on his own. I would say around 8 months I started giving him food from my plate. I started with puffs though and went from there.</p> <p>Like pp said, gagging is good. They learn that way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249809 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:20:31 +0000 sslm 1249809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: and it wasn't too slippery fo r her to pick up?</p> <p>@Mamaof2: I think I'll try the very cooked sweet potato too. As soon as I can get to the store :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249805 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:19:25 +0000 MamaMoose 1249805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't start table foods until 9 months. But part of that delay was because of M's food intolerances. But by waiting that long she picked it up really quickly. At the beginning I cut everything down to the size of a pea and gave her softs stuff only. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249782 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:02:52 +0000 Mamaof2 1249782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Gagging is good!! I would be more concerned if she wasn't gagging - its a reflex, totally normal!</p> <p>We started with soft foods - cooked sweet potatoes, bananas, small pasta, peas (yes I smushed them too), beans are good too!</p> <p>I didn't cut them too small since it was already challenging for them to pick up - </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249772 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 08:49:25 +0000 Smurfette 1249772@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tried puffs and Cheerios but she couldn't pick them up. So I took half a banana and sliced it in 3 long slivers so she could pick them up. Now she is better about picking up small pieces so we are trying more but I hear you the gagging freaks me out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/switching-to-chunks-of-food-from-purees#post-1249761 Fri, 29 Nov 2013 08:40:53 +0000 sslm 1249761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>M is about 7.5 months old and I think I need to start giving her pieces of food sometimes, as opposed to just purees. I'm scared guys. The last few days she's been making gagging noises just from purees!!! I'm scared I'm going to choke my kid if I give her pieces of food...</p> <p>If you did purees, when did you start pieces of food?<br /> What did you try first?<br /> Did you cut everything up super small? What size?</p> <p>I'm thinking about trying peas tonight, and smooshing them with my fingers just to make them not round... is this a good plan?</p> <p>I honestly just want to breastfeed her forever. I am way too anxious a person for this... </p>