Scared of baby choking on food (weening)

[Wendi38]

Hi,

My baby is six months old and weening has anyone got the fear of baby choking I’m really worried about giving him finger foods.... has anyone got Recommendations on what to do xx

[Seb9]

Babies have a really good gag reflex so it's worth having a look between the differences between gagging and cooking so you know how to spot the difference.I also went on a baby first aid course and they cover choking as part of the course which made me feel more confident.

I also looked up different ways to prepare food, on Instagram what mummy makes and wean in 15 were really good and the Annabel Karmel books were really helpful at knowing what to prepare for babies age.

[Cook7786]

Make sure you follow Solid Starts on Instagram or online. They will put you at ease with everything. Best thing we did when it came to weaning. Now our 9 month old is eating everything and the gagging is a positive thing. X

[Wendi38 in reply to Cook7786]

Thank you, I’ll add them xx

[XxjustmexX]

I would definitely read the difference between gagging and choking and what to do if baby does choke. I was nervous about weening but my lb was just fine but he did choke on a biscuit once (when he was about 15 months not to scare you ) but I new what to do so stayed calm and he was fine. I think it’s really important to know what to do as it can happen at any age and it will definitely but your mind at ease xx

[Octoberbaby2019]

Follow your gut instinct, just because you don't give finger foods at 6 months doesn't mean your child won't know how to eat at 18 years. I had a scary incident with a banana at 7 months which put me off finger foods and I delayed it until my son had a couple teeth at 10 months and he was totally fine picking up his foods then. Trust yourself you know your babe x

[Wendi38 in reply to Octoberbaby2019]

Thank you so much! I feel exactly like this I don’t feel his ready his ok with weening but finger foods he just plays with.... n puts too much in his mouth I’m on edge.... but I’m going to give it a while till we’re both ready for that stage , I just see babies at six months eating crisp, bananas, strawberries, blueberries( only cut a bit) etc freaks me out 🤦🏻‍♀️ Xx

[Octoberbaby2019 in reply to Wendi38]

Tbh don't compare them (easier said than done) also my HV at the time said the food is really just there to play with, get a feel for texture etc. I remember also stressing about it at the time seeing others being able to eat better etc but if I could go back in time I wouldn't worry so much. My little one wasn't even drinking water either, he just spat it out /refused it and only around 10+ months he suddenly was happy to drink it.If your son is happy to play with the food that's success already and if he gets a bit of a taste even better, but please don't worry too much its a long time from here until 1 years milk is all they need anything else is a bonus. You can take your time and just both of you work out what you can cope with

[Wendi38 in reply to Octoberbaby2019]

Thank you, this reply makes me feel a bit better 🤞🏼❤️ Xx

[Bigblueskies]

I had the same fear. We did a first aid course and I also attended a NCT weaning course which was really helpful! Particularly on reassuring me on choking and also learning what foods to introduce at what age. Babies really do know what they’re doing more than we think. If your baby is ready to start eating solids and reaches out for food, then the chance of choking is very small.

[Wendi38 in reply to Bigblueskies]

Thank you so much, I’m definitely going to look in first aid courses ... I wonder if there still doing them due to covid? X

[Shopper85]

I'm the same so I use a fruit feeder see photo, it's a safe way of giving baby finger food without choking. I also puree food too and spoon Feed now and will wait 7 to 8 months for finger food. She took a bite of a banana and I nearly had a panic attack she's not quite ready

[Wendi38 in reply to Shopper85]

Omg I’d of been the same! It’s so scary 😩.... I brought one of them food feeders thank u!! Xx hope we can relax a bit more lol xx

[Shopper85 in reply to Wendi38]

You're welcome I use it everyday but remember to give puree from a bowl and spoon too as this fruit Feeder won't be enough for them x

[PeterMorning]

I was worried about that, too. In fact, the chance of choking on food is very high as an adult, too, so we as parents will always worry about our children. Our whole lives. It's okay to worry about your child, but don't take your worrying to an extreme level, or your child won't be able to do anything on their own as an adult or will turn away from you because of overprotection. I fed my baby formula. Thank goodness the Baby Food Industry is now well developed ( just check this out here reportlinker.com/ci02047/Ba... ), and the products have everything you need for your baby. Providing on a dropper bottle is much safer