10 Month Old Not Eating Solids

I had the exact same problem with my little one. He would gag on any solids I tried to give him and would throw up all of his food that he had just ate. This was also about 10 months and everyone else's child that age was eating solid foods really well. My doctor suggested the puffs and to keep trying. He only had two teeth at this time as well. I would put them on his try every once in a while BEFORE I fed him. Once he started eating the little pieces I gave him, we moved up to the whole pieces. He would also always spit out the pieces in the Gerber 3's too. I started mixing the 2's and 3's together which was a little easier transition. It took lots of patience and persistance. My doctor just said keep trying. At 15 mo. old, we have just 2 weeks ago stopped giving him 3's. If he is not ready just wait and try again. Don't push it ~ it just frustrates you and him both.

I would say that he is just not ready. Just as some walk at 12 mo qnd some not till 18 mo. That aside, has the doc given him a good exam? Maybe there is a reason he isn't swallowing solids.

My son (now grown) was a puker. He couldn't stand the texture of certain foods and if he got just a little bit too much of anything in his mouth, he threw up everything he had eaten (until he was going on 3 years old or so), although I don't remember him ever really nearly choking as you described (though he probably did, it's just been so many years ago - he's now 20). But it was the texture of some foods that he just couldn't handle. He too was very late getting teeth. He was on very soft foods til he was well past a year. He couldn't even handle Cheerios til he was more than a year old. He was quite a picky eater for years afterward, but I'm glad to say that he is now a gourmand who has been to Europe numerous times and loves exotic foods!
Good luck - though it's probably worth telling the doctor next time you go.

I wouldn't push it with the thicker textures and solids. My 11 month old doesn't care for thicker textures either, so I continue to feed him the smooth baby food and occasionally something with more texture that he can handle. And in very, very small pieces. It may just take more time for your son to handle other textures, and that is okay, just move along at his pace.

Hey M.! I know exactly what you are going through. When my son was about that age, he would eat a couple of bites of food and then gag and throw up. I was convinced he would never eat normal foods and be the weird child. My doctor told me to keep trying and if i knew he would gag at 3 bites then only give him 2 until the next week and then try 3. He is now 15 months and to this day he still wont eat jello without gagging bcz of the texture. Just keep trying and eventually he will eat.

Hi M.~
Don't push it. He'll get there. My little one is almost 1 and he still has trouble with the stage 3. Maybe when he get more teeth. Also I've noticed with my LO is that if he can't see piece of food (if it's hidden in the pureed) he is not expecting something he needs to chew. Keep with the stage 2 and maybe give him pieces of stage 3 a little at a time or just wait till he has more teeth. Wouldn't it be hard for you to chew a piece of food, even though it is cooked, with 1 tooth? It would be hard for me :) There is nothing wrong with your 10 month old still eating stage 2's. Try some puffs next week and see how he does, also put it in front of him while your feeding him the stage 2's so he can play with it and figure it out. Get that pincer working! Good luck!

Paula G.

My son is now 19 months old, but I remember trying to introduce solids such as that to him and he had the same reaction. I just think they have to get used to the texture. I went back to what he could handle and every once in a while I would give him a banana (small piece) or something soft that will melt. I think what got him used to it the fastest was Nilla Wafers because they get really mushy pretty fast and they usually love the way they taste. At this stage of introducing new foods, it has its trials and errors, but just keep at it and he will get used to it eventually. Good luck.

That's completely normal. My son would even gag if his oatmeal was a little too thick. He really liked his foods runny. When it was "time" for finger foods, I started him out on really tiny and soft pieces of avocado and banana. It took him a few tries to figure out how to pick them up because they were slippery but he didn't choke on them. Now he's able to eat lots of things, including little bread cubes and shredded cheese! I think they just have to get used to swallowing foods that aren't runny.

Dear M.,

Some children have a more difficult time swallowing than others. I had this experience with my 7th child, who is now 4. He choked on *everything*. If the cereal had a lump in it, he choked. If he picked up a crumb off the floor, he choked. He couldn't eat anything but perfectly smooth mush - cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables, until he was past 18 months. He got his teeth very late, too; first one at 15 months.

Anyway, there's is plenty of nutrition in the cereal and stage 1 foods, so he doesn't need other types of food for that reason. He's not going to spend his entire life eating mush. Eventually, he will learn to handle food with more texture.

Fwiw, my 4-year-old is still more likely to choke on his food than any of his brothers and sisters.

Sincerely,

C.

My sister-in-law uses this net to give my nephew solid foods, because he only has one tooth as well. You put the food inside and they can just chew on it without any big chuncks. I think you can find them at Wal-Mart or Target. Another thing that really helps is starting with real foods like mash potatoes or sweet potatoes, these are soft foods they go down easily just like the stage one foods and you can make them as running as you need to until they get used to it.

Dont know if anyone suggested possibly having your child checked for swallowing or gag reflex issues. Probably a worst case scenario but it does happen. . .

Good Luck,
L.

My first son was the same. He ate baby food until he was at least 18 months old. I read once that they are ready to eat solids when they start trying to chew their baby food and he never did that. He was big and would eat a lot so I would have to blend up the stage 3 foods for him. Finally, one day I just stopped because I felt like he was too old and eventually he caught on because he was hungry. I think it's a texture thing and he is still very picky about what he will try and he just turned 5. My second son was the complete opposite. He started to chew his food around 7-8 months and was completely on table food by 10 months. I don't think I even used the stage 3 foods with him and he eats everything.

Both of our boys choked on cheerios till they were past 12 months.It was crazy to watch friends 6 months olds eating teething bisckets and crackers, and mine could not even do a cheerio.I do not know why it was but they were fine eventually.
It's funny but just today at a playgroup, one mom was saying that her friend's child had a condition where she could not swallow solid foods and they had to do a therapy for that....I've never heard of such thing but I guess there is.
I think since your son is eating stage 2 , I would give him a little more time and then try again, but ask your doc just in case.

My oldest was a gagger. It probably has something to do with the texture or the flavor of the puff. My third (almost 10 months) is eating the puffs, now. He has been put off by some of the flavors of the puffs (i.e. banana), but he loves the sweet potato version. You might try rice crispie cereal. I used this for my first 2 children as their first solid cereal. It is small, little flavor, and softens quickly.

Hi M.,

Well, I can't say my daughter ever had this kind of issue, but I worked in a daycare for many years, and have known many children like this. One boy in particular, I recall him not eating anything you had to really chew until he was almost two. Some children have issues with their gag reflex. He just may not be ready for the texture. I am not a doctor, but I think this is completely normal and you just have to have patience. I also knew a lot of kids who HATED Stage 3 because it had the mushy texture they thought they could just swallow, and then they'd realize there was a chunk of something in it and gag it up. You shouldn't have to worry about him choking. I would suggest you make some healthy meals and blend them up yourself, gradually making them a little chunkier each time. As far as giving him something to snack on or chew, I would try the zwiebacks, because he can hold it himself, and it will soften as he sucks on it. This will help teach him about texture. Hope that helps you some. Good luck hon!!!

Hi M.. Don't stress about it....he'll eat them when he's ready. I've got an 18 month old who was very "texture challenged" when he was that age. Anything with any texture at all was a struggle. He started eating things like puffs and diced banana and that sort, but then skipped over the stage 3 foods and went straight to table food. Once he decided the textures were ok, he totally boycotted the baby foods. They all develop at their own rate. If you're really concerned, talk his doctor, and they can give you some advice on how to ease him into solids. Hope that helps!!

I agree. He'll eat when he's ready... That's what my ped. tells me with me 15-month-old when I went again for her check up! Yes I said 15 MONTHS. He said she's texture sensitive. I tried and tried. same thing gag and throw up. But out of the blue last week she wanted to try the puffs, cookies (regular kind), and cheerios... Just out of the blue. I'm scared to try baby food. I think I’ll skip it and just let her feed her self from the tray. BUT my ped. said it didn't matter how many teeth she had it's how well the mouth muscles are developed for them to be able to eat. So he'll eat. Just try a small bite once a week or so. That's what my ped. told me. Good Luck Hang in there.

V.
www.CraftLister.Com/ValerieAltman

My son is 21 mos and he still gags occasionally. He really had a problem when he was smaller, but it has gotten better. Mainly the problem now is that he tries to cram too much into his mouth at one time. When he started foods, I had to make his baby food. I just pureed his foods less and less over time until he got used to the new textures and consistencies. I still cannot get him to eat meat, though. It's a slow process...Some babies are just more sensitive than others.

Age doesn't really determine when a child should move up in food as much as teeth, IMHO. Puffs do dissolve in the mouth but usually in a clump. I've tried it before, LOL.

As long as he's healthy, happy and growing I see no reason to move him up in food level until more of those little chompers come in.

I know this was frightening for you, it would've been for me too. 3 boys, how wonderful!

My son had the same problem, choked on everything. I was giving him stage 2 and 3 until he was about 18 months. I know its expensive to buy baby food but I was just patient and waited until he was ready. Try wholesomebabyfood.com for some great homemade babyfoods, and it might help make the transition easier.

My son is 9 months and eating stage 3 and we are starting on the solids. We did go through a period though that he would gag when something solid touched his tounge. It was just a whole different texture and different having chunks of food in the mouth. Keep trying and eventually he will get used to having more solid food in the mouth. You can also try (even though it might be more work) getting the stage 3 meals and putting it in a food processor and smoothing it out a little more. It would still be thicker then the stage 2 but not as chunky as stage 3. Now the stage 3 fruits and veggies arent as bad as the meals. As far as the puffs go, my son likes the wagon wheels because he can hold them easier and naw on them instead of having to "chew" the star puffs (he doesnt have any teeth). We've just begun giving table foods like diced peaches and green beans. Really just keep trying.

Hello...I know you posted this a few years ago so I don't even know if I'll get a response, but what did you end up doing to get your baby through everything? My 10 month old has the same issues that your baby had and I have absolutely no clue what to do...I am having to do the "back blows" about 2 times a day, and finally gave up on trying to give her table foods (even a grain of rice has her gagging). I'm hoping that stage 3 foods fed to her alot of times throughout the day will keep her fulfilled and am even thinking about starting her on whole milk a little early because she is a little on the lighter side, and it's so fattening. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated if you have the time because you have obviously been in my shoes before!

Hi! My second son had the same issues right around the same time. (Which was the complete opposite of his older brother who would eat ANYTHING like ribs at 10 months old :) ) Anyway back to my picky eater, we tried every kind of stage 3 foods and he would gag and choke and puke. When I talked to the doctor she said that some kids get confused with stage 3 foods - when foods have the mushy stuff like they are used to in stage 2 and chunks at the same time. They don't know if they should chew or swallow. She recommended to me to use stage 2 foods and then give hime some table food on his tray. It was amazing! He loved the finger foods and he loved that he was able to feed himself. Eventually he was eating what we were for dinner (cut up into micro sized pieces so he didn't choke) and a jar of stage 2 baby food. Fast foward to now (he is 22 months) and he is the best eater. One of his favorite foods is peas and his older brother won't eat anything without a fight. Go figure. So hang in there it will get better and your littlest one may turn out to be the best eater in the house. GOOD LUCK!!