Is your baby or toddler gagging on foods all of a sudden? Does your toddler chew food and spit it out? Or, your baby won’t put food in their mouth? Find out what’s normal and what’s not from a pediatric occupational therapist.
One of the most popular reasons parents find their way to Your Kid’s Table is because their baby or toddler isn’t eating baby food, table food, or both. Obviously, this is a huge area of concern for parents.
These refusals are usually a red flag that something deeper is going on with their eating, and if it isn’t addressed, it could lead to long years of picky eating and feeding difficulties that causes the whole family stress.
I’ve helped so many families of 2, 4, 6, 8, or even 12 year olds that are in a really desperate spot, and one of the first questions I ask (even for a 12 year old) is, “How did they transition to table foods?”
It gives me a clue as to how eating got so out of control! Because if a baby or toddler gagged a lot or started to all of a sudden, or if they refused to eat, it’s a sign that they have some difficulties that have caused challenging mealtimes for years.
I really want to help parents like you avoid that!
Let’s talk about 8 different feeding red flags for babies and young toddlers and what you can do to help your child.
8 Feeding Red Flags for Babies and Toddlers
#1. Baby Refuses Baby Food
Not all babies love the mushy pureed stuff, and many don’t gobble it down jar after jar the way other babies do. But, when a baby consistently refuses, and even becomes upset when presented with baby food, it is usually a red flag that there may be some sensory sensitivity.
While babies don’t need to eat baby food and can focus on table foods, it’s important for them to learn to tolerate using a spoon and eat purees like yogurt, soup, and applesauce as they get older.
Head to my baby won’t eat solids to learn a step-by-step plan to help your baby eat pureed baby food!
#2. Baby Refuses Table Food
Often, when babies refuse pureed foods, logically, parents will start trying table foods. In fact, that is just what I would recommend. However, if a baby is refusing pureed foods because of the mushy texture, they also may not be too keen on bananas or avocados.
Or, some babies love baby food, but want nothing to do with table food. There’s a way to help babies and toddlers transition to finger foods.
I always recommend starting with a dry and crunchy melt-able like baby puffs. If a baby is steadily refusing those and all other foods, then that is a clear indication that something else is going on.
View this post on Instagram
#3. Baby or toddler gags at sight, touch, taste of baby food or table food repeatedly
Some gagging when touching or trying new foods is normal, but if your baby or toddler does this every time, then it’s a strong indicator that they are sensitive to different textures. Or, yes, it’s possible your toddler gags at the sight of food alone.
This is because they’re imagining what that texture is going to taste or feel like.
It’s important (and very possible) to work with your child in a slow, but steady pace to help them desensitize to the textures that causing them to gag. Get an entire guide to toddler and baby gagging. You’ll find tips for how to move past it.
#4. Gags, spits food out, or seems to choke repeatedly when trying to chew or swallow food
There’s a difference between gagging when first interacting with a food and gagging when trying to eat.
Gagging or spitting food out after the baby has started eating tends to indicate that a baby may be having difficulty coordinating the actions of chewing and/or swallowing. These are called their oral motor skills.
Some babies and toddlers need help learning to chew.
At the same time, some babies won’t gag or spit out, but they’ll just hold onto the food, letting it sit in their mouth because they don’t know what to do with it or don’t want to swallow. This is called pocketing food.
#5. Baby or Toddler is only interested in nursing or bottle feeding at 8 months old or later
By 8 months old, at the very latest, babies should be showing some interest in some type of food (puree, soft table foods, or crunchy foods). If they don’t, despite repeated attempts, you would want to consider they have a texture sensitivity, oral motor difficulty, or a possible medical issue like food allergies, silent reflux, or a tongue tie, to name a few.
Make sure you talk to your pediatrician and see a pediatric GI to rule out any physical difficulties you might not be aware of.
#6. Baby or toddler won’t feed themselves with their fingers and/or spoon or fork
Sometimes, children aren’t able to coordinate the action of using a spoon or fork. Of course, I don’t expect a 6 month old to be able to feed themselves much, but they should be attempting to finger feed at a minimum.
When a child at 6, 9, or 14 months old refuses to feed themselves with fingers or utensils, it’s a red flag that they either can’t coordinate the movement required or that they’re too sensitive to textures so they’re avoiding getting messy or having utensils in their mouth.
Either way, you can learn how to teach your child to feed themself.
#7. Only will eat when watching a screen or other distractions
If a young baby or toddler is only able to eat by being distracted by a tablet, TV, phone, or a parent standing on their head trying to entertain them, then they again are lacking the intrinsic motivation to eat, which can happen for a variety of reasons. (See the big 5 reasons babies and toddler’s won’t eat.)
It’s a big bright red flag that something more is going on. Older toddlers and children can fall into this pattern for other reasons, but babies that have never been fed successfully another way, often need help to address the root of the problem.
Again, this is often underlying medical issues, sensory sensitivities, and/or oral motor difficulties.
#8. Doesn’t mouth on toys or chew on found items
I often hear from parents, “I thought it was so great that my baby never put anything in his mouth.”
On the surface, that does seem awesome, but there is a reason babies do that. It desensitizes their mouth to different textures, helps build their jaw, tongue, and lip muscles needed for eating, and they get to practice chewing. If your child never did this and has one of the other red flags, it is likely that there are some underlying difficulties.
Busted Myths About Babies and Toddlers Eating…
Myth #1: My baby isn’t eating because they don’t have teeth
If I had a dollar for every time I heard a parent say their child isn’t eating because they don’t have any teeth yet…. Well, you know how the rest goes! I hear this a lot, and I know that seems like good logic, but I want to shout from the roof tops: Babies and toddlers don’t need teeth to eat successfully.
Really, I’m not kidding!
Think about the first teeth babies get, which is anywhere from 6-14 months old. They are the front teeth. We don’t use our front teeth to chew, and babies shouldn’t be either. Their gums are strong and they should be chewing on them, right where their molars will be. It could be a year later before those molars come in.
Of course, the gums aren’t strong enough to chew steak or raw carrots, that’s why we don’t give those foods to babies.
Otherwise, babies and young toddlers were designed to eat successfully at meals without teeth.
Other foods they shouldn’t eat because they don’t have a teeth and are a choking hazard are:
- nuts
- lettuce
- popcorn
- other tough meats
- most other raw veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and celery
They need teeth and more advanced chewing skills to manage all of those foods. Other than those tough foods and a few choking hazards like grapes and hotdogs, babies are able to eat a wide variety of foods without teeth.
Myth #2: They will grow out of it
I hear this A LOT too! But, it’s not from the parents of babies that are under 15 months old. It is from the parents of 2, 5, 8 year olds plus.
While some parents do arrive at this conclusion on their own because they honestly didn’t know what else to do, sadly, most of the time, parents had a gut feeling something more was going on, but their pediatrician told them, “Don’t worry, she is healthy, she’ll grow out of it.”
I’m not trying to knock pediatrician’s here, they are amazing and I have had the privilege of working with some amazing ones, both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, many receive very little advanced training in feeding difficulties that aren’t causing medical problems or weight loss.
If you see one of these signs, do some research, push for help, or tap into our resources here so you can be supported!
When it’s Time to Get Professional Help
Generally speaking, if your child has two or more of the red flags listed above, I would highly recommend getting a feeding evaluation, which is usually completed by OT’s (like myself) or speech and language pathologists. However, in a lot of cases, only one of these red flags is enough to warrant an evaluation.
If your baby is not eating any foods by 9 months of age or no table foods by 11 months of age, I would also strongly encourage a feeding evaluation.
More importantly though, if you feel like you don’t know how to help your child and something in your gut is telling you that there’s more going on, then get some help. You will be glad you did.
*Please keep in mind that babies born prematurely or present with developmental disabilities may be on a different timeline. Also, every child is unique and this information is tended to be a guide for parents to make decisions about potential interventions to help their child. If you still aren’t sure if your child needs more help, leave a comment below.
Where to Get Eating Help for Your Baby or Toddler
We specialize in helping babies and toddlers eat well. It’s so important to address it sooner than later because the older a child gets, the more ingrained the challenges become.
We have an online program designed for babies and toddlers struggling to eat table foods called Table Food School and another one for picky eaters called Mealtime Works. Plus, we have two free workshops:
- Click here for a free workshop to help babies and toddlers learn to eat table foods
- Click here to a free workshop to help picky eaters (toddlers and older)
If you’re in the states, you can also look into early intervention. What’s covered varies by state, but the evaluation is often free for kids 0-3 years old. Feeding therapy may also be an option. Check with your individual insurance company first to schedule at a private clinic, outpatient facility, or children’s hospital.
Learn to Eat Table Foods Printable for Babies and Toddlers
Want some concrete tips in your hand right now? I have a free printable that will help give you some direction and ease your worries. It’s for parents that are struggling to get your toddler or baby to eat table foods. I’ll send it right to your inbox:
Grab the Free When Babies Won’t Eat Table Foods FAQ Sheet right here!
More on Babies and Toddlers Eating
8 Tips for Nursing Moms Returning to Work With a Baby That Won’t Take A Bottle!
The Best 9 Month Old Baby Food + Table Food Ideas!
How to Teach Your Baby to Chew
Feeding Milestones for Babies and Toddlers
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 19 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Hello!
For the past two weeks my 13 month old son refuses to eat, even his favorite foods. I try literally everything! He will pick her and there but won’t really eat. Sometimes I will give him something and he immediately pushes it away. I know he is teething a bit but this is lasting long I feel like. He’s never done this before. He has all of the red flags except 1. What can I do??? 🙁
Update: I meant a to say he has all red flags except 3.
Hi Kelly! Thanks for reaching out! We understand how hard this can be! I’d first be trying to get him to touch and interact with the food, it can be really helpful. Also, brushing his gums/teeth with a toothbrush can help with any gagging or sensory sensitivities. We also have a free table foods workshop that offers more tips and information- save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello, my now 3yr old son has been in speech therapy and behavior therapy for sensory. They stop helping at the age of 3 but my mom gut tells me he needs to be seen by someone. My son eats off any utensils using just his teeth and won’t touch it with his lips. He hardly feeds himself and we have to feed him. Who should I see about this?
Hi Megan! Thanks for reaching out! What you described definitely sounds sensory related! It’s great that he’s currently working with speech/behavior therapy. For continued therapy, which would help with his feeding struggles, we’d recommend an Occupational Therapist! You can always ask your pediatrician for a referral. In the meantime, we have a blog post with some feeding tips that may help- check it out here!
Best,
Kalyn
My 10month old pushes food from his mouth using his tongue. If i feed him while he sits he hardly takes food inside so i hv to make him lie down at 60degree angle to feed him so that he swallows. Even he doesn’t mouth toys or shows interest in food.
Hi Kusha! Thanks for reaching out! We recommend feeding upright at a 90 degree angle, as to prevent any choking. If he is refusing solids, it could be that he has some sensory/oral motor issues that he needs more practice with. For sensory, allow him to touch/feel/play with his food. Utilize a no-pressure environment, where you don’t force him to eat anything. For his oral motor skills, try using a baby toothbrush to brush the insides of his mouth. This will help desensitize his gag reflux and strengthen his oral muscles, which is what he uses to chew/swallow solids. We have another post here with more information.
Best,
Kalyn
Hello can anyone offer some advice??
Little guy is 19 months old and we have a speech therapist AND an OT. When they come over really so they do is chat with me and talk to him…. like seriously is that all speech therapists and OT do?
Little guy has serious aversion to ALL dairy and was behind with words/ pronunciation.
and the speech therapist just tries to give him a smoothie and when he refuses and just smiles and says “yeah he doesn’t want it. ”
I’m mad that they’re both getting paid tons just to come and talk to each other and chat with me and little guy. We don’t need paid friends we need help. He refuses ALL dairy, is breastfed, and has always had swallowing/gagging/ choking problems.
Please point me in the right direction!!
Hey Kylene, Thanks for reaching out. No, that is definitely not all OTs and SLPs do. It sounds like you might be in Early Intervention and them coming to your home? I would have a conversation with them about what are their goals, what should you be working on during the week. They should be able to provide you with those basic questions, and if they aren’t providing you different ideas, or have suggestions to help, I would talk to your coordinator and possibly ask for new therapists (it’s for sure your right to find a good fit), but always take the opportunity to see if they can explain what they are doing. I know Early Intervention has moved to a coaching model (so the therapists are more hands off, but should be coaching you on what to do!) Hope that helps, but if you have more questions, feel free to reach out!
Desiree
Amazing Product
Hi,
My baby is 9months old. I started feeding him puree when he is about 5months. Recently, i have been trying to let him feed himself. However, i noticed that he barely touch his food. If he does, he just played with it, squish it, feel it. He doesn’t put it in his mouth. He actually likes to eat. He gets excited when i put food in his tray. He gets irritated if i didn’t spoon-feed him. He eats when i feed him. Is it something to worry? Or will he sooner or later learn to feed himself?
Hello, did you get any help with this as my son is doing exactly the same at 10 months?
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! Transitioning to solids can be fun, yet stressful! Keep practicing and letting your baby touch/feel/play with their food- this will help them become familiar and more comfortable with different textures, which is great for sensory sensitivities. It is okay to spoon feed your baby, but it’s also important to try having your baby practice their pincer grasp and try using baby utensils. Try pre-loading a baby spoon with some puréed food and leaving it on their tray for them to pick up and bring to their mouth. You can also try demonstrating to your baby how you’re eating, making sure to over-exaggerate all your eating motions. We also have a free workshop available that helps to transition your baby to table foods. Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi. Our adopted 9 almost 10 year old is still having issues with food. He doesn’t like to eat, he doesn’t eat snacks, he takes forever to eat when he does, and he chews in the front or on the sides not in the back. What can we do to help, because searching online it almost seems impossible.
Hey Tara!
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds challenging! It might be helpful to place a mirror in front of him and practice with him chewing on his back teeth. You can also stick out your tongue and make all kinds of funny faces for “exercise” too. Tongue movement can play a big part in chewing! Our picky eating workshop is full of other ideas that would be helpful in encouraging him to eat more foods. You can save your seat HERE.
I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi my baby is 12 Month old he used to enjoy his food a lot but these days he doesn’t eat properly and when i try to feed him he gags whatever i feed and after sometime he coughs and throws up i don’t know what’s going on i am very worried 😓
Hi Akriti! Thanks for reaching out! Keep offering solids and allow him to touch/feel/play with different foods/textures. The more he experiences these food textures, the more comfortable he will be with food and will stop gagging. Babies have a strong gag reflux that helps prevent them from choking. This gag reflux becomes desensitized the more they practice with foods and other oral motor skills. To help with that, you can try brushing the sides of his mouth with a toothbrush! For more tips on offering solids, check out our free table foods workshop- save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello,
My 7 month old was eating a little bit of purées with oatmeal then got sick and vomited, about a month ago. She has not eaten food since. Her doctor told me she’ll get over it about 3 weeks ago. When I do find a purée or soft dissolvable food she eats, she vomits it up about an hour later then continues to vomit until it’s yellowish bile.
Hi my almost 9 month old wont take any purees , i started introducing purees a little after 4 months but i thought he wasnt ready since he would make gagging noises everytime i put it in him mouth until he wouod just end up throwing up his formula from before. I have been trying daily since then but he still rejects it .. im afraid to start whole pieces of soft food even though he has 2 bottom teeth
Hi Nina,
We know it can be such a challenge to have a little one with trouble transitioning to table foods. Gagging is a natural protective reflex, but it can also be a red flag for some sensory challenges. Our article on gagging might be a helpful place for you to start!
Best,
Andrea
Trying feeding the pureed food first then follow up with milk.
Hey Sharon,
Oh that sounds so difficult for you guys! Sensory gagging and vomiting typically happen right before eating or while eating. You might want to check back in with the doctor to be sure nothing else is going on. Our free table foods workshop might also be helpful. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
Hi, thank you for this article. My daughter is almost 14months and she has never been a great eater but the last 2 weeks she hasn’t been interested in anything. My husband and I sneak in bites of yogurt and banana while we are reading her books just to give her some food. She wants to nurse. We think she may be constipated or maybe she has teeth coming in. We have been making her eat at least 5 bites. I feel we now have made eating time a negative experience. Any advice? Should we let her go hungry and not force her to eat? We are frustrated.
Hi Breean,
Transitioning to table foods can be difficult for so many toddlers. You might try letting her experiment with feeding herself. She might be more excited to try new foods if she feels like she has a little more control. We also have a free workshop dedicated to helping parents transition their babies and toddlers to table food. You can save your seat HERE. I hope that helps get you started!
Best,
Andrea
My son is 2.5 years old and use to be an amazing eater until he was 15 months. He went from eating everything to eating only select foods. My ped hasn’t been concerned until his 2.5 checkup and he lost 4 oz. I had them run a full blood panel in him and everything came back normal. He went a solid 6 months without eating meat and basically lived off of strawberries, yogurt, cheese and bagels. I have supplemented pedisure shakes on days when I feel he doesn’t get enough to eat. He uses a fork and spoon fine. Spaghetti is the one dinner I can guarantee he will eat. We are going on a year of this and the doctor recommends food therapy. I’m just not sure that route will work he likes a routine and I don’t see him eating in a unfamiliar place with people he doesn’t know. I’m not sure if this. Is just a picky eating stage but we are going on a year of this.
Hi Maria,
It can be so tough when our kids eat very little! It sounds like the doctor is on board with your son getting some help. That’s great news! Likely it will take your son a little while to get comfortable with a feeding therapist. But a feeding therapist can help guide you on how to expand to new foods and can assess if there is any underlying difficulties like chewing or sensory processing. You can check out our post on what to expect from a feeding therapist.
We also have a post about food jags. It might give you some ideas on where to start with your son and how to expand his diet so he starts eating new foods! I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi, I’ve read article after article and even talked to my son’s Pedi and am at a loss. Our 21mo old eats solids however, started chewing them spring out foods he normally would eat. Some meals I don’t think he’s swallowed anything… we moved away from food packets because we didn’t want to rely solely on them and thought we were on a good track with solids. However, we did offer an apple sauce packet or a yogurt packet if you don’t feel like he’s getting enough nutrition. He also stop drinking milk and will only drink diluted juice or water. I’m just not sure what’s going on he certainly entering a tantrum stage and we’ve been very lucky he’s definitely been even tempered since birth and he has great sleeping habits and takes his daily nap but the eating thing is really getting to us. I’m depressed not feeling like I can help…I don’t know what to do. The only one that’s for me it is fruit. Our pediatrician thinks that it’s not so bad but he’s also in the 2nd percentile for weight and I don’t necessarily want to keep singing this is a phase. Rather than trying to find a different doctor because I really like her other than this I would love any advice. Thanks in advance.
Hi Kim,
It can be so difficult when toddlers have trouble transitioning off of purees and pouches! Sometimes spitting out food can mean that your little one is having trouble managing the food in his mouth. You might try sitting right in front of your toddlers chair and take a bite of his food and over exaggerate chewing. Sometimes that can be helpful in showing him what to do with the new foods. We also have a free workshop about transitioning to table foods for toddlers that might be helpful. You can save your seat HERE. Feel free to reach out with any questions. I hope that is helpful!
Best,
Andrea
Hey
My son is 15 months old. He has a speech therapist that comes once a week but doesn’t really seem to be helping much. My son eats baby food perfectly fine but if I try any soft table food or any table food at all he gags. He doesn’t like to touch the food or play with it. He doesn’t chew on toys much. He is visually impaired so I’ve been trying food play for over 4 months now and he still has no interest. I’m getting very worried. I just want my little boy to eat some real food. Do you know anything I could do ?
Hi Destiny,
Transitioning to table food can be a challenge for so many kids! You are not alone in that difficulty! You may want to start brushing his teeth/gums if you haven’t already. This can help the mouth get used to increased sensory information needed for eating. We also have a free workshop dedicated to transitioning toddlers to table foods. You can save your seat HERE. Feel free to reach out of you have any questions!
Best,
Andrea
Your Kids Table Team
Hi
My 2yr11months toddler eats pureed food perfectly but finds it hard to try anything on her own.I tried everything from bananas,rice,boiled and mashed apples… potatoes but nothing worked,she never picks anything and eat. It’s always fed by mama.oatmeal porridge is also accepted only if it’s powdered oats ,I really need help resolving this.
Any help from you will be highly appreciated 🙏
Hey! We’re so glad that you’re here. It can be tough when toddlers aren’t interested in feeding themselves. Practicing with drier foods like dissolvable solids (think graham crackers or baby puffs) might be helpful. If she has any sensory aversions, those foods are often tolerated better to get started. We have a great article to give you tons of ideas on teaching her to feed herself. You can check it out HERE.
Best,
Andrea
Hi, thank you for your very useful articles. My 15 month old son is very good with finger feeding and was pretty good with a spoon, with even some good attempts at using a fork. He now seems to stop trying, gets discouraged quickly when he doesn’t get as much food as he wants on the spoon. When I put my hand on his to help he lets go of the spoon. Any tips please?
This also coincides with a regression where he now sometimes takes food out of his mouth and sticks his tongue out… don’t know what to do, he was doing so well!
Thank you in advance for your answer
Hi Anne-Laure,
It can be so frustrating when toddlers start to show signs of picky eating! It’s wonderful to hear that he is great with finger foods. Using a spoon and fork can sometimes be a challenge for all kids his age. It’s a really complex skill! If he is resistant to you helping him with utensils, you might try modeling it for him in an exaggerated fashion. Watching you use a spoon or fork can help him see what he is supposed to do! You can check out more on self-feeding here. We also have some more great suggestions for preventing picky eating in toddlers.
Best,
Andrea
Hi,thank you so much for your answer! He eats with us so hopefully modeling will help.
What can we do about him taking food out of his mouth?
Hi Anne-Laure,
We are so glad you found that helpful! We have a post about what to do when toddlers spit food out that you might find helpful. We hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
My 22 month old does not eat or pick solid foods.
She is fed puried food and whenever solid food is introduced she would refuse to eat and gag when we try feeding her.
We try food in different shapes and colors but she wont budge. Sometimes she will pick something soft like Roti( indian bread) but if she gags anytime she will stop and will not touch anything after that. Even the fruits she would not eat.
My wife and I have difference in opinion where I want to keep.trying new foods and even see an occupational therapist but ahe wont agree. She is about to turn 2 years but my wife has only given her puried that also ia being fed by us and she is not eating by herself. Also she needs distraction like tv or books while being fed.
I am worried as she will have a hard time as wife now wants to send her to daycare and she is not trained to eat herself or any solid food.
Please suggest.
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! First, we always recommend discussing this with your pediatrician, who will make sure your child is otherwise healthy, at a good weight, and doesn’t have any eating difficulties (swallowing, GI, etc). They can also refer you to an Occupational Therapist, if needed- which would be very helpful for hands-on help! Next, start practicing some oral motor exercises and sensory activities to help ease her into being more comfortable with textures other than purées. Sensory bins, food play, and oral motor exercises can really help with this! Allow her to touch/feel/play with her food. Use a toothbrush to brush the insides of her mouth between meals. Sip from straws, blow bubbles, and make silly faces. All of these exercises can help strengthen her oral muscles and desensitize her gag reflux and sensory sensitivities. Lastly, we have a free table foods workshop that can help even further! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi Alisha . I have a baby girl she is 16 months. I am really worry because she refuse to swallow solid food. She put it in her mouth chew a little bit and the spill everything out. I have been trying with different kinds of food. She just can eat yogurt and brest milk. She can drink for a straw and from a bottle for doesn’t like anything else that water. She didn’t gain weight last appointment and the doctor said that she needs to gain weight.
Hi
I have 12 months old son i have have problem since i start him weaning he only eats baby food refuses to eat finger food dont even want touch, iam very worried he isnt talking yet just babbles mama dada when i put something ok his hand he just throw and wont pick up
Hey Susu,
Thanks for reaching out to us! I would try to start engaging him in playing/touching of the food as this can be the first step toward eating (you can even do this outside of mealtimes). However, we do have a free workshop that would be really helpful for your situation. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Hi,
My son is 10 months old. He only wants BM only if I latch him. He doesn’t drink from bottle. Also I wanted to start formula but he strongly refusing it. But He drinks water from straw bottle.
And meal time is a big battle. He will take 2 to 3 spoons and then starts gagging. I tried giving him pureed/mashed fruits but he rejects. Also he don’t want to eat any baby biscuits/crunchy foods/textured porridge. He doesn’t feed himself when I try table food, he would just play and throw the food . Please give me some tips to overcome this.
For trying to switch to formula, I’d try doing a mix starting with 75% breast milk and 25% formula. Then you can slowly be adding more formula to have him be more accepting. As far as the gagging, I’d check out our free workshop as we walk you through which foods to provide first and to help them work through any gagging difficulties. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi there, my 8 month old gags and throws up at the first bite of food. I breastfeed him and am trying to get him eating healthy from the beginning. So I gave him a tiny piece of raw cheese and he gagged. Same with mashed avocado. My 4.5 year old daughter would do the same and is a very picky eater now. Help please.
Hey Diana,
We understand how hard this can be! I’d first be trying to get him to touch and interact with the food, it can be really helpful. Also, brushing his gums/teeth with a toothbrush can help with the gagging. We do have a free workshop that is helpful to walk you through how to handle this. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree