8 Month Old with No Teeth

I started my daughter with food right of my plate and she didn't get her first tooth until she was 13 months old. Let's see . . . 9 months she ate tandori chicken, yakitori, sushi (cut up), jerky (whole--she just gnawed on it), dried fruit, bananas, sauerkraut, apples, pesto, chili, kimchi, carrots (raw whole--just gummed them), celery (gummed this one too), burgers, eggs (this is considered "high" on the allergen list so there's debate on whether to start before 1 year or not), pasta, fruit sorbet, pudding (homemade), soup, mashed/baked potatoes, liver pate . . . .

My "rules" when introducing foods for my daughter were:
1. ALWAYS SUPERVISE
2. Soft foods should be baby bite size.
3. Tough foods (jerky, raw veggies) should be whole or in pieces large enough that they won't fit in the baby's mouth or be broken into choking size pieces easily.
4. Semi-soft food (apples, pears, etc) cut into slices or left whole.
5. Don't force or encourage the baby to eat. Let them choose what to eat and how much.

(I think I had another "rule" but I can't remember it.) Check out this page for more info:

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/blw/engels...

http://www.tribalbaby.org/babyLedEating.html

Gagging is an important reflex to help your child learn what and how much he can efficiently put in his mouth ;) If he's really only gagging on the food, let him work it out himself. Don't ignore it, watch carefully and if he really needs help, help him, but if he does OK getting the food out, observe what he does with his next bite. Seriously--let your baby experiment now and not in 2 years when he stuffs his whole sandwich in his mouth at one time so he can "get done faster" :D

my girls didn't get teeth until they were well over 1 year. so i made beef stew in a crock with lots of potatoes, peas, corn, carrots...cut everything in little pieces. the veggies get really soft in the crock pot. perfect for little gums withhout teeth.

my son was 13 months when he got his first teeth!!! with that said, having no teeth did not stop him from gumming things. He ate just about anything, even steak. I would smoosh things or put them in a baby mil to grind down a bit, but always kept his meats a little wet so he can gum them easier. Other foods were also no problem, just cook them a bit longer. Congratultions on having a good eater.

hi, my daughter is turning 1 yr old in two weeks, and she has no teeth either. she also likes adult food, so we just make sure to give her what we eat but cook it a little more. she does a pretty amazing job chewing even with no teeth. she can chew apple pieces and crackers and bread.
whatever you give your son, make sure it's in smaller pieces, so he can manage.
it's totally normal for them at this age to start rejecting the mushy purees.
you can still give him "baby" food, just don't mash after you cook it. , you can give him sweet potatoes just boiled in cubes, asme with other veggies.

hope this works for you.

You would be surprised what they can eat before they
have teeth. Remember, some babies do not get them
until after a year old and manage to eat table food.

Cheerios, mashed potatoes, really anything cut up really
really small.

That should keep him happy.

The teeth will come. In the meantime just get a food processor in the dollar store and blend what ever you eat. It will just be for a short while and he will enjoy the taste of your food.

My youngest when she was 7 mos old would grap fistfuls of hile off my plate with no adverse effects. She had no problems with mashing with her gums though, So thats why I suggest the food processor to you

She did teethe on pizza crust

Dear J.,
My son was also an avid eater of "people food" and got his teeth late. We never had a problem with pizza crust or mini bagels, also a great idea and a good teething tool. The acid in the mouth should disolve them to mush before they swallow. Fish, such as tilapia or orange roughy, is an easy to-chew food you can start him on without worrying about bones. My kids graduated immediately from them to swordfish and salmon - all great brain food. Bananas are a great food that turn to mush immediately, as well as pancakes - not much chewing there. I used to put food in the food processor to make them easier to chew, and digest. Also, when you cook meats, such as chicken or beef, all day in the crock pot, they simply fall apart. That may be an idea.
I understand that now there is a utensil, for lack of a better word. It has a netting, similar to cheesecloth, attached to a plastic figure. When you put food in it, a child can get the taste of the food, but until it turns to a mush he can swallow, it remains in this cloth. You may want to look into it.
Good luck, W.

I bought this thing in the mall... at a baby store.. i think its called one step.. or something like that. they make this thing.. it looks like a pacifier..but it has a net.. you open it up and put big people food inside.. like pieces of fruit, pieces of veggies... and the baby chews on it.. until it breaks apart and then it slowly goes thru the netting.. and the baby is happy. my kids loved it. I used to put pieces of watermelon, berries, even a meatball... it's great. good luck. the baby should be able to chew or gum cheerios.. you can break them in half.. so it's easier to gum. good luck

I would continue giving him the food that he likes, but in much smaller pieces. My daughter only has 6 teeth and she's nearly 15 months old. I heard that at that age, children are able to use their gums to "chew".

Also, try introducing, if you haven't already, foods like cheerios, fruits, and vegetables. Make sure he sees you eating these kinds of foods as well.

Having no teeth doesn't necessarily mean he can't have people food. We have an 8 month old daughter who loves people food. We chop our food into little bits and give it to her and she loves it. I used to put it in the food chopper but she can eat it in bigger bites, so we just cut things up. Pasta (unsalted) is given in pieces, pear bites are given as long as they are soft. Mashed potatoes she loves, pizza crust is given as long as there isn't a tiny piece left (she could choke). Some other things I give her is scrambled eggs, pieces of toast, pieces of meat in TINY pieces, mushed up beans, etc. And yes, she begs for our food :) We try to get her to try everything, and she has done great with it. We were worried too about her choking, but she really has learned how to eat all different textures. Hopefully teeth will come soon. Good luck. :)

hi! My older son Xavier didn't have any teeth until he was ten months old. I still gave him big people food. He was able to use his gums to mash the food up. All kids are different, and only u know what's best for ur cutie! If u feel comfortable that he won't choke, give him what he likes! Food is mostly for experimentation for babies under one. I give my kids bits off our plates. This way they get a taste of everything! Neither of my kids were big on baby food, and I wasn't big on giving it to them when there was other fresh whole foods to feed em! Good luck and don't stress!
<3 C.
Mama to Xavier, 3 yrs & Hunter, 8 mos

My 14 month old still has no teeth and he eats everything. We manage to just cut things up for him and he feeds himself very well. He even eats steak! Your kid just has to learn to eat without choking, if he is never goven the chance then he will keep choking. And what if he does not get teeth for many more months-like mine? Are you going to deny him? You may also want to try the pacifier net feeding thing. That is great for kids who choke alot.

Think about giving Carson foods that can be cut up really small but are soft: avacado, bananas, mangos, baked potato, sweet potato, cooked carrots diced up. I know they are kind of gross but those little feeders with the mesh top are great too - you can get them at walmart, target & babies r us. My daughter used to go to town on those baby biscuts - she could naw away and they never broke apart. I used to put chicken and potato in the food processor - it was more like a harty baby food and she was eating food that smelled and tasted like big people food. My little food processor was the best investment ever! If he will eat off a spoon you can also try smoothies you make with blueberries, bananas, nectarines/peaches. Good Luck!