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My daughter is 8 months old and is gagging sometimes on super thick purees (like bananas or potatoes) so I don't know how she would do with chunkier solids!

At 10 months, she still gags sometimes. She does well woth things that melt easily, but sometimes gags on things like mashed/chunked banana or steamed carrots. She only has 2 teetg, which I think is part of it. But, I am not too worried about it . I will continue nursing and giving her purees, while adding more chunks as we go:)

@plantains: my lo gags on the smallest pieces of avocado or ground beef or pasta or anything somewhat dry. I feel your pain. All I see are photos of my friends with babies my daughter's age or a little older eating normal sized food. I freak out thinking something is wrong with M. And now my pediatrician says we need to start weaning from purees. HOW do we do that if she keeps gagging?

I don't know about you but gagging freaks me out. I know coughing is good but it's still scary.

Good luck. Keep giving her purees and do things at your speed. I'm trying to do that, as well. I've stopped offering the things she gags on and am letting her go at her speed...

@plantains: Oh yeah he vomits. I think it is fine because he makes it so he doesn't choke. He actually likes vomiting now. lol

He has no problems with solids at all. He loves eating. Right now he gags because he just shoves so much food into his mouth at one time.

my 8mo old is a gagger. it is better than it used to be but still...

it seems that it happens more when he puts too much in his mouth and he seems to do better if i give him some water during meal times.

@plantains: is your LO gagging on chunkier purees or 'table food'?

I find the meats are harder for babies (it 's that chewy consistency that makes it hard) and she only recently at 11 months started eating meats without gagging. How about if you offer her table foods? I found that at 9 months she did a lot better with finger foods than if i am feeding her chunky foods. It's almost like touching something tells her brain she needs to mash the food with her gums before swallowing.

I have a friend whose 15 month old still gags on chunky foods. But they are so afraid of gagging that they don't offer different textures/consistencies, which i don't think will help.

@Freckles: Yes. I used to stop her from stuffing her mouth but now I just let her be because she needs to learn. And I agree--my LO does better with food when she can pick it up and feed herself vs. me feeding her chunky textured food.

@plantains: i started at 6 months. I started with kamut puffs which she looooved. It takes time, because in the beginning she would just stuff her fist into her mouth. I think it was around 8-9 months that her pincher grasp was really developed. How about peas? They are soft and a good size. Really ripe pears cut into sticks are good too. I found that cutting food into sticks rather than cubes were the best.

What i did was put the puffs on the tray, and then i would pick them up and put them into my mouth, making "mmmm yummy" sounds. Then i would put one in her mouth. After a couple of snack time sessions she figured out what to do.

@plantains: I just started scrambled eggs recently. I'm sure she would have gagged on them at 6 months, too. Chop them up really fine and put some on the tray for her to play with and some on a spoon to feed her with. She'll get the pincer grasp eventually. M's still perfecting hers!!

My LO still gags on chunky purées, but is fine feeding herself finger foods. So, we just don't give her chunky purées.

@plantains: i think chunky purees are just hard for some kids because it isn't a puree but it is not finger food either?almost like if they don't know if they should chew or just swallow...

When we started purees/BLW I give him everything cut into finger size sticks. Toast, waffles, pancakes, banana etc. Most of it will end up crushed in their hand but some will make it into the mouth! Working on the larger stickes helped him to work on his pincher.

When I fed cereals J was constipated too - until i introduced prunes (pears didnt help). I would give one spoon cereal, one spoon prunes, back and forth. Good luck!