Question about BLW

[Decosta1228]

Kai has just turned 6 months and we are slowly introducing food to him. The question that we have in relation to baby lead weaning. If he is chomping away on a carrot or breadstick and a bit breaks in his mouth, do you let him gag and spit it out or take it out straight away.

Hope this makes sense

 

[tricky nicky]

i let alfie gag and he clears it away quickly it either comes out of his mouth or he carries on chewing happily

 

[faille]

You need to let them clear it themself.
"Interfering" can do more harm than good x

 

[Connah'sMommy]

Iv only just got my head round this too as i would intervean(sp?) before but now now. He will gag and then carry on chewing x

 

[TigerLady]

Let him get on with it unless he is really choking (no sound, turning blue). If he is gagging, even for an extended time, just watch him. He'll bring it back up. He might even get sick to bring it up, but it will eventually come out!

 

[Decosta1228]

Thanks for the replies..As well as BLw, we're trying the ella's kitchen range

 

[porkypig]

is that what youre suppossed to do, let them gag? it goes against our nature to let them get on with it, earlier on my lo seemed to be choking on some little pasta shells i gave him and i got so scared and immeadiately was frantically patting his back. x

 

[Lu28]

Porkypig, we do need to let them gag. It teaches them how big a piece to bite off and how much to chew it before swallowing and they do learn quite quickly. Aisling now only tends to gag if she's bitten off a big bit of meat and is too impatient to chew it enough!

 

[soon2b6]

I was going to do BLW but it sounds so scary, I doubt I could just watch while she gagged

 

[faille]

is that what youre suppossed to do, let them gag? it goes against our nature to let them get on with it, earlier on my lo seemed to be choking on some little pasta shells i gave him and i got so scared and immeadiately was frantically patting his back. x

As soon as you understand the difference between gagging and choking, it really isn't that difficult to watch them and in a weird way, you kinda get the proud feeling when they do manage to clear it. It's what their reflexes are designed to do, they're perfectly fine gagging/coughing/being sick to clear food.

If LO was to actually choke, we'd all be in there like a shot but gagging really isn't anything to worry about x

 

[petal040]

I think it's a weird thought until you see it in action - with gagging, the baby doesn't get upset or even bothered. Once the piece of food is cleared they carry on eating without any hesitation. It is kind of reassuring to see how the babies reflex works to prevent choking (as that is what gagging is, and why it's important).

I've not weaned my LO yet but have seen others who are just starting blw. It was interesting to see. I hate when my LO is sick as it upsets me, but the gagging is different and less distressing (because baby isn't distressed). Also, you see the piece of food come up. Little else comes - maybe a little saliva and/or spit-up from what I saw (when the baby I was watching was having some orange.... they gagged and out came a lump of pith that must have been in there).

 

[TigerLady]

Don't let the gagging scare you off. It is hard to watch for the first couple of times, but then becomes nothing. I know that sounds strange, but it is true! I think it is scary at first because you associate the gagging with choking, so you think they are going to stop breathing or are in danger. After a few times, you learn that isn't true and you don't fear it anymore. And Petal is right, they really aren't bothered by it. They gag, get the food back up, then carry on like nothing happened.

 

[purple_socks]

Don't let the gagging scare you off. It is hard to watch for the first couple of times, but then becomes nothing. I know that sounds strange, but it is true! I think it is scary at first because you associate the gagging with choking, so you think they are going to stop breathing or are in danger. After a few times, you learn that isn't true and you don't fear it anymore. And Petal is right, they really aren't bothered by it. They gag, get the food back up, then carry on like nothing happened.

definately

IMO Its a really important skill for a LO to develop...the ability to bring their food back up. think most LOs find it more distressing when someone steps in and pats them/sticks their finger in their mouth...if u leave them to it they get over it as soon as they've bought the food back up and r happy to carry on. Also the more they r allowed to experiment and bring food back up themselves the sooner they learn how not to make themselves gag. In the space of a couple of weeks Kians gagging has gone from big dramatic ones each time he ate, to the odd little tiny gag (when he stuffs too much in his mouth at once!).

and it is true that once u understand the difference between gagging and choking, and once u've seen gagging a few times ur no longered scared by it.

 

[tricky nicky]

i was a bit nervous initially but i am also proud when alfie manages to sort his own meal out and realise that he has put too much in.
choking looks completley different to the gag reflex
x