I am at the point where I've become just really frustrated and need some solid, good, tried, and true advice from mommies who have already been down this road. So here's what I am currently dealing with - I call it the Gag Reflex - and my son Hudson is incredibly talented using this tool while eating!
Like I said before, my buddy is 11 months old. He does really really well eating pureed foods. In fact, he LOVES most of them (except bananas). Since our 9 month appt I have been trying to get him to eat more solid foods including food that my husband and I eat. Boy's just like his mama and loves carbs - give him any type of cracker-like food - and he is in heaven. He self feeds only with these types of foods. Loves cheerios, goldfish, ritz crackers, animal crackers, and bread. Um, who doesn't?
Anything else I attempt to put into his mouth and here comes the good old GAG REFLEX, followed by...VOMIT everywhere! I usually try new foods at lunchtime so that if he does vomit he doesn't have a belly full to throw up. My attempts have included fruits like cut up bananas, pears, mandarin oranges and veggies like cooked green beans, corn, peas, and lima beans.
I have discovered he likes to eat cut up bites of grilled cheese sandwiches. I usually try and throw in a slice of ham or turkey in the grilled cheese in order to add some protein to his diet and he USUALLY does a good job of self feeding. Sometimes I'll have to stick the first bite in his mouth but of course I always run the risk of him gagging it up for whatever reason.
These are some trends I've noticed:
- anything cold or wet he refuses to pick up including meat
- he'll only pick up crackers, dry cereal, bread while sitting in his high chair
- Gags on most jarred "3rd Foods"
- Tastes the first bite of whatever I'm feeding him. If he likes it, great. If not, hands go up to cover his mouth and if I try and shove it in anyway he can instantly gag and vomit the food up.
I guess I'm just starting to stress because my pediatrician said by his one year appt (coming up at the end of April) he should no longer be eating baby foods, should be self feeding most every meal, and basically should be eating whatever solid foods we eat. I know this is not going to happen in a month and will most likely take more time since I do have a picky eater on my hands but any suggestions or advice would be gladly taken. Please! I just want Hudson to have a better, more well-rounded diet and of course I'd love for all the gagging and vomiting to stop too:)
Thanks!
Erica
