8.5 Month Old Won't Swallow Table Food

Don't rush things, what you're doing now is perfect. Let your son play with it, taste it, push it back out. Children who learn how to feed themselves, not having food shoveled in, have an easier time of stopping when they're full. The tongue-thrust and gag will go away when his body is ready for solids...it's not something you really have any control over. It's okay, tho! :)

Check out this info from Kellymom.com about when to introduce solids - http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html

Enjoy and good luck! :)

my daughter was the same way until 10 months old. I would first feed her table food second feed her stage 2 baby food and then last her milk. I did every meal the same way. That way she practiced on the table food, but after she gagged and threw up she still got some food that she could swallow and milk. It took a while, but eventually she got used to the table food and now she eats everything.

He'll get better at this with practice. If you haven't already, you might try something that dissolves really easily, like these Gerber toddler puffs:

http://www.gerber.com/toddlersite?tmsdir=food&tmspage...

Good luck!

Sounds like he is not ready for table food quit yet! I would stick to baby food for now and try table foods again in a few weeks. My son had the same problem and my mom would "freak" out if he choked a little so she bought him a food grinder. It did the trick but some of the food he did not like because of the texture though! You can get a cheap grinder at babies r us that worked great. But I would just hold off a few more weeks & just give him jarred baby food for now. I think your sons pedi would agree too!

I'm not trying to be rude - but why start table foods at 8 mos? Have you gone through 2nd & 3rd foods? How did he do with those? What kinds of table foods have you started him on? Things like mashed potates, sweet potato, avocado, other mashed foods? Or is it ground up foods like noodles or meats?

Sometimes its a texture thing. table foods have an incredibly different texture than baby food (obviously) and it can take several times of introducing something before he will accept it. Some kids do have a more sensitive gag reflex than others - so you are right that it could be that as well. I guess the main thing to do is to carefully watch him (as I'm sure you already do) and consistantly offer him the foods you'd like him to eat. Are you eating with him, like at dinner? Sometimes sitting down together and letting him eat what you eat, when you eat it will help him learn and increase his curiousity with these new foods.

Hope this helps! Good luck.

Hi J.,
Hang in there. My daughter did the same thing. Even to the extent of choking on the smallest piece of food. Literally the size of a pencil eraser. It was scary. She would gag on cherrios and anything with texture. All of a sudden she turned 10 months and POW! she could swallow fine without gagging. So just keep offering things to him and eventually his musles in his mouth, tongue and throat will get the hang of it. Until then I know it can be hard but it will eventually resolve itself.
Take care

Dear J., Sounds like you are on the right track-keep doing what you are doing ,and let your son experiment with the food at his own pace. But also check with your doctor and explain what's happening,and have your son checked to rule out any physical problems that may be present. L. S.