want to try BLW but terrified of daughter choking... Help, tips or words of wisdom?

[MrsClark24]

I've been weaning DD for 2 weeks now and its been the simple purees etc. But after reading about BLW it looks awesome.

But I'm terrifies of her choking. And i dont get it, I just give her what we are having? We eat salads mostly!

Any inspiration or tips or advice would be awesome!

 

[felix555]

I was very scared of this too so started off with purees (this was about 3 weeks ago) for the last two days i have been doing BLW because I feel a bit more confident after giving him lumpier purees.

he's really just playing with the food and taking tiny bites so far. he gags sometimes but never chokes.

i have started off with the following ...

toast fingers
broccoli stems (steamed)
apples (quartered, skin taken off and steamed until soft)
banana (the whole thing, i just give it to him)
rice cakes
roasted butternut chunks

next i am trying tofu, cucumber, red peppers, asparagus, carrots

also look up baby led weaning on youtube it gave me a bit of reassurance to see babies eating real food without choking

 

[Hangin_On_AGS]

I was really worried about it too. I know baby cpr and how to relieve a choking baby.. but I kept thinking I don't want to do it to my own child obviously...

We also started out with purees.. But Mia had other ideas she really didn't want them anymore and would push them away and reach for what ever we had.. For a 6 month old she is very independent and bossy.

I broke down and started giving her things like flaked fish and really soft green beans and big quarters of peaches.. She choked a few times.. But! their gag reflux is so far forward I noticed that she didn't barely get it all the way to the back of her mouth before she would spit it up if it was to big.

I have learned to trust my daughter and her instincts and she is much better at telling me what she is ready to eat than I am.

Currently she is eating waffle sticks with sunbutter hasn't choked once has her sippy of juice in her hand and is loving getting messy and feeding herself.. I've also noticed that her pinscher development is ahead and I honestly believe it is due to her practicing it 3 times a day picking up small food.

 

[Rachel_C]

I honestly believe there is a greater risk of choking if you start off with purées than if you do BLW. When baby is just starting weaning, the gag reflex is a long way forward in their mouth, so if something goes towards the middle of the tongue and they don't want it there they will gag and it will come back out. It can be noisy and messy but not dangerous - the body has its own defences and is being allowed to use them!

If you teach a baby to handle normal food when the gag reflex is further forward, they may gag more than a baby on purées but choking is very rare because they gag before unwanted food goes anywhere near the back of the mouth. However, if you wait until baby is older to introduce 'finger foods', they will only gag when the food is right at the back of the mouth and they're more likely to choke because they haven't learned to deal with normal foods while the gag reflex is further forward. Essentially, you stop the body protecting itself if you only give purées.

 

[MindUtopia]

Honestly if it's what you want to do, give it a try. Choking can happen anytime, whether with purees or finger foods. And unless you plan to do purees forever, you'll still have to face that fear a couple months from now anyway.

We've only ever done BLW and have been doing it almost 3 months now. My daughter gagged maybe 5 times ever (in first two weeks but not since) and has never choked.

 

[babymumm]

Sorry to jump on your post but I am wondering the same thing...should I give him small lumps of food..n is that any food like diced apples,potatoes?....i would like to do blw,but I too am scared of him choking..i mean he has no teeth!!