Hi I have a 10 month old she's been spoon fed but won't eat lumps in her food, I personally think she is not ready because she's gagging.She will eat a very limited amount out of her hand like a wafer biscuit or a small piece of chocolate but when it comes to swallowing it it's the same thing (althoughnot with the chocolate as that melts in her mouth). I don't know what to give her as finger food,I really feel in a muddle. I don't know if it is that she's not ready or what or is it just me being afraid of giving her more.I don't know where to go from here
I've had babies not ready for table food until after a year. I'd just wait it out. She'll get it in time. The longer you wait, the less likely she'll have food allergies, or so I've heard.
Don't push her. Continue to offer her finger foods or food with lumps from time to time, but, for the most part, stick to the food she can eat. If you push lumpy/finger foods and she is not developmentally ready, you will just be driving yourself crazy. Also, there is no reason a 10 month old needs to be eating food with lumps. They can get all the nutrition they need from pureed food. You could also try Puffs (made by Gerber, I think) as they kind of dissolve in the child's mouth. On a final note, I don't think you are supposed to give children chocolate until they are one, as it is a food many have allergic reactions to, so I would be careful about that. Other foods to avoid in the first year include nuts, whole milk (though cheese is okay, go figure), eggs and citrus fruits. Some sites also say to avoid berries and tomatoes, but I have given both my children berries before they were one.
If she's gagging, she's not ready. Give her small pieces of Cheerios (they dissolve well), grains of rice, peas, anything you eat that can be cut into tiny pieces (avocado and banana are good). Right now (up until a year) solid foods are more practice than anything else. Let her control it by playing with the foods and getting used to them. She's still getting most of her nutrition from breastmilk (or formula, if you use that), so don't push it. She'll get there. :)
No need to push her or you based on what "all the other babies are doing." Development is based on time spans, not just months thank goodness:) In the meantime, you can make mealtimes fun and comfortable so that later she does not shirk away from new foods:)
Good luck mama!
