Baby Gags When Eating Pureed Food

Updated on January 31, 2011
M.G. asks from Mount Laurel, NJ
11 answers

Hi everyone. I started my 6 month old on pureed baby food about 2 weeks ago and she's been eating rice and oatmeal cereal for a little over a month ago. She gags on the first spoonful of cereal but then she loves it. The problem is the pureed foods, she gags after every spoonful and isn't really interested in eating it. I've tried sweet potato, mangos, carrots, prunes, acorn squash, and bananas. She is strictly breastfed. What should I do?

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T.S.

answers from Sacramento on

Give her a break. Different babies are ready for food at different times, and 6 months is on the early end. (A good friend's daughter really didn't eat until she was a year old! She is a beautiful, healthy, smart almost 5 year old... and a great eater).

Also, It seems like you've tried to introduce six new foods in two weeks. Remember that this is brand new to her and the recommendation is that you introduce just ONE new food a week.

What you want is for her to have normal, healthy eating habits. If she's gagging and doesn't like it, wait a few days before you offer it again. Wait until she's been eating THAT new food for a full week before you offer her the next new thing.

HTH
T.

1 mom found this helpful

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M.W.

answers from St. Cloud on

Take a break! This is her way of telling you she's not ready. Your breast milk is the perfect food for her right now. Try again in a month.

ps> My son was strictly bf till 9 months. It's okay to wait for solids!

2 moms found this helpful
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K.I.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My baby Didn't like pure food either, so we start table food, she loves's to smash the food in her mouth , just make sure there tiny little pieces, I start with home made chicken soup and vegetables, and you can find very small pastas at the market.....everybody will tell you to keep trying , that a baby need to try at least 10 time the same food to like it but didn't work for us ...good luck .

1 mom found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I would just keep trying it. She probably just isn't used to it and it may take her a while. My son was kind of a gagger too and eventually it goes away. I would stick with one food for a while and then slowly move onto other foods. It's sounds like you've tried quite a few foods in only 2 weeks time.

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J.G.

answers from Springfield on

You could try mixing some of the food with cereal (since she's familiar with it) and see how she does. Also, Kate's suggestion of table food is a great idea. My kids loved the idependance of feeding themselves. We started with sliced bananas and small pieces of avacado. We also gave them graham crackers. As they got better and got more teeth, we gave them more and more from our plates.

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

This could potentially become a huge problem later on. Take her to an occupational therapist who specializes in feeding issues. Sounds like her SSB is off. (suck, swallow,breathe). If everytime she eats she cannot breathe, she will start to hate food and become an extremely picky eater. Her reflexes are immature so stop feeding her any solids until intervention can be provided. The mouth is the most organizing place in our bodies so kids who gag could have sensory processing issues, speech language delay, or other problems. PLEASE get it checked out NOW and don't listen to your pediatrician who will just say,
"she's fine"
I work with these kids and I know what ignoring the probelm can become.
Good luck and let me know if I can be of further assistance.

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J.M.

answers from Pensacola on

Maybe you could express some breast milk and mix it with the babyfood and see if she eats it better. THen you could gradually decrease the breastmilk until it is only baby food she's eating.
Best of luck!
Jen M.

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J.V.

answers from Raleigh on

Have you ever tried baby food? I would gag too if I were her! All babies are different. My daughter liked pureed fruit and not veggies, my son didn't like any baby food. They also were both eating table food at 6 months. But really at that age babies don't really need anything besides formula/breastmilk so if she doesn't like it or if she just isn't ready...and if milk is what she's happy with that's o.k.! Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from Tampa on

Breastfeed- she isn't ready for that stuff no matter what anyone says,
She does NOT have acid reflux, and should NOT be put on one of the drug companies' drugs. Little ones have become the drug companies new target,
just put her back on what she was doing well on, and check out WestonPrice for tips, and know she isn't ready for puree yet.
Best, k

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Thin it out some more with a little breastmilk or water. She might not be ready for that texture?consistency yet.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

It seems like she has had WAY TOO MANY things in a 2 week period. She should be trying something new NO MORE than every 3 days, I personally waited a week with each kid before introducing a new food.

It takes practice to get eating right. If you need to, back off and try again later.

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