No solids and nearly 8 months old

[pookiesossige]

Hi!

Ariene is between 7.5 and 8 months old and breastfed on demand. So far, everytime I have tried to give her solids she has done the following:
-Pushed it back out of her mouth with her tounge
-Buttoned that mouth shut
-Gagged on any that made it's way in
-Started dry reaching/begining to heave after having a gag.

So she's never had more then a teaspoon of food- if that. It's tiring! I have tried Farex, baby custard, baby carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, sweetcorn, then an assortment of tinned pureed vegies and so on. I use EMB when mixing farex and have tried various thicknesses for all foods etc. The thing is, she shows the following signs of readiness for solids:

-Waking EVERY 1-2 HOURS ALL NIGHT for the past month (I need some serious :sleeping:... DH and I are not coping with this at all)
-Grasping at my food (and chewing on any paper that comes into close range :eek: )
-Uses pincer grip, sits unaided, etc. Has 4 teeth.

I'm wondering how I should approach this...
Is this actually a problem to begin with or is it ok? Will she ever be able to swallow down some food? Should I be trying more often, like, daily?
:detective:

Thanks in advance for any advice you might have!

[the pero clinic]

Dear Pookiesossige,

At nearly 8 months, your bub “should” be eating a range of smooth and mashed purees and be starting on soft finger foods. Some bubs can take a bit longer than others to transition to solids, but if you are finding that your little one is consistently struggling with purees than it may be a little more than ‘just taking her time’.

It is very positive that she is showing signs of readiness for, and interest in, food. The regular gagging, however, might start to put her off – so it is great that you are keen to help her. It is possible that your little girl is oversensitive to touch and taste in and around her mouth – and therefore gags very easily.

For bubs that are oversensitive, it is very important to go slowly with feeding. Start by feeding her with an empty spoon (to get used to the feel of the spoon in her mouth) before moving onto having a tiny taste of something on the spoon. This may be a drop of EBM or a touch of very runny rice cereal. Very slowly work towards small spoonfuls of bland and runny solids. Daily practice is a good idea.

It is, of course, very difficult to say exactly why your bub is having trouble with solids without assessing her, so if these starting tips don’t work, please see your doctor, CHN or paediatric feeding specialist. It is extremely unlikely that your little one will never learn to swallow – it’s just about finding the way of introducing solids that best suits her.

the pero clinic