New moms meet a number of problems during the first few weeks after they get back from from the hospital. Soon they start learning and in some time everything becomes routine until baby starts eating solids. Then new moms have a new worry and start learning how to feed baby properly. There are a number of baby feeding problems. Most common baby feeding problems are gagging and refusing to eat solid food. Such behavior can make feeding stressful for mom and a baby. It is the most important to understand why baby gagging and how she is learning to chew food.
You will notice that when you give baby solids first time, she will almost every time push food out of her mouth and even the spoon. That is completely normal because baby are born with such reflex which they lose after some time. When they are around 6 months old that reflex would fade and that is the time when they are ready for solid food. It can still happen that baby pushing food out, but only if taste is new and then it will take time to adjust.
The most important is not to force baby if she rejects the spoon. Try again in a day or two, but if baby is not ready, continue feeding as before. Probably she is just trying to say she is not ready for solid food yet. After 6 months they are more interested in things around them, exploring texture and taste, putting everything in their mouth, and that is why that time is the best to start giving solid food. If you don’t see your baby putting things in the mouth when playing with her toys, that means she is not ready for solids yet.
If the baby is gagging when you put food in her mouth, that is normal. Gagging is a natural reflex that prevents choking. Baby doesn’t know what to do with food in her mouth and more texture in food, more problems with gaggin because the baby doesn’t know how to chew and swallow. When the food moves to the back of her tongue, the baby starts coughing and gagging to prevent food from going to airways. Sometimes gagging can happen if the baby is not hungry, so pay attention to details which will help you to understand your baby’s behavior.
Lumpy foods can be one of baby feeding problems too. Such foods can also cause gagging when introduced to baby first time after smooth foods. Some babies even refuse to eat lumpy foods and in such situation you have to be calm and patient, no matter how difficult that is. Try not to force and don’t show that you are upset if baby refuses to eat lumpy foods. Just switch to smooth and wait a day or two trying to make that mealtime fun because if you scare baby or you start shouting, meal time can become traumatic and that can have long term consequences.
