My 11 Month Old Won't Eat Table Food - Sensitive Gag Reflex

It's funny that I could have written the identical post about both of my 11-month-old twin boys. I guess it's not that uncommon! I just keep trying little pieces of banana on their trays every couple weeks to see how they do. I also break off small pieces of those dissolving puffs, which they somewhat tolerate if I put it into their mouths for them. Sometimes they gag and sometimes not. With the bananas, as well as with the puffs, they don't really even bring the food to their mouths, even though they stick everything else under the sun in there! They just like to smear it around the tray. I'm not too worried, though, since they're hitting all their other milestones. I'd be curious to hear what your doctor has to say, though. Good luck!

My son also had a sensitive gag reflex. Be patient eventually she will grow out of it but it can take a while. I spoke to my pediatrician about this and it seems like it is normal for a lot of kids that have had reflux when they were children. I stayed on stage 3 foods for a very long time and actually still use them here and there but now my son is 15 1/2 months old, doing great on solids and eats everything! He was a preemie so he is closer to a 12 1/2 month adjusted age. Good luck and be patient - it will get easier!

My now 2 year old still gags occationally, but when she was first starting to eat, anything with any texture made her gag. I would definitely check with your pediatrician to make sure that there isn't anything else going on, but after that, I found that slowly but surely she got used to things. Cheerios were always ok, but she couldn't tolerate even bananas. The smoother the food the better, and the smaller the pieces the better. It will eventually pass, but in the meantime it's difficult and needless to say, very messy.
I am a mom of 3 (14, 12 and 2).

we had that problem with my now 5 year old - it lasted until he was 4. Definitely talk to your pediatrician or an ENT and maybe see if you can get some therapy through early intervention. Also the rusk institute at NYU has a great feeding program if it all really gets out of hand.

If the doctor doesn't see any problems, don't worry. I thought my son was going to be on level 2 baby food FOREVER. I envisioned sending him off to school with jars. He wouldn't eat anything with chunks in it.

Now at 2-1/2 he's eating table food. Not that life is perfect. (he'd eat the pureed veggies, but now he rarely lets a veggie pass his lips).

My oldest son was a preemie, so his gag reflex lasted a little longer than usual. He would gag on some stage 3 foods. My mother-in-law insisted he was old enough to eat peas and I told her he gags. She didn't believe me and I watched him push the pea to the back of his throat and proceed to throw up all over the floor. I let my mother-in-law clean it all up because I warned her. He was just premature and needed a little time to catch up to what he was supposed to be doing.

Your daughter may just need a little more time, but I would definately ask the pediatrician because it could be that her tonsils or adnoids are swollen.