in My baby's plate (BLW meals and ideas)

Need tips on overcoming BLW anxiety

I was very much looking forward to BLW for my baby. We were visiting MIL the week before the baby turned 6 months. She was very interested in the food we were eating, so I cut up fruits appropriate for BLW (following clear advice from the Solid Starts app). The baby loved it - she gagged a bit as it was the first time she was eating solids. But MIL made a huge drama about how she was choking, asked me to put my finger into her mouth etc (really bad advice - I know). We started weaning after we returned home, but I am now terrified that the baby will choke, so we have been sticking to purees and mashes. I really want to start BLW and have done a basic first aid course on what to do if a baby actually chokes. I have also educated myself on the difference between choking and gagging. However I am still terrified. I would love some advice from the wonderful group on how I might be able to overcome this fear. Thanks!

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I'm not sure there is a way to fully overcome the fear of choking other than to just monitor your child closely as they eat. As you watch them, you'll find they surprise you, and after you've given the same food a few times, you'll start to become more confident they can handle it. There's no need to rush into new foods - we're taking it pretty easy and at 11 months, my girl is an excellent eater. We have had a couple of choking scares - once with a strawberry, which I took to mean she was ready for the next stage of size preparation, and once with yogurt drops which I absolutely will not give anymore until she's much older. The thing with choking is that while in theory, kids can choke on anything, foods that are properly prepared WILL respond to intervention if you need to do it. That strawberry WILL come out with back slaps and chest compressions, as it's supposed to. Foods that are dangerous, like uncut grapes or hot dogs, don't respond to the vibrations required to get them out - that's why

they're dangerous. But a properly prepared piece of food will get dislodged with a few good back slaps (in theory), so you can at least feel confident that as long as the food is prepared properly, it will do what it's supposed to - come out - if you have to intervene.

Melissa - thanks very much for responding, super helpful!

@Melissa this has helped calm my own anxiety tremendously. thank you.

if you have the means, you should invest in a LifeVac to keep on hand! it'll put your mind at ease and in the event that something does happen, you'll have a tool on hand. they also have a lifetime replacement policy if you do have to use it 🩷

https://www.amazon.com/LifeVac-Choking-Rescue-Device-Public/dp/B017J293OU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2DM3THWP86DKE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xffJ3w5CZT-_FnYEkYBZIjFGrSwvibT2QPflou-1rM1vL6AdvsBUEreNcTDiMY5U7pA3hNIuur0ASJGmFU2-PtAG3CKp2QOiiakG87UiwBNZpBbHCxlfdpcUgpatCyqScJs5Qz7jKIYZvW4X4toRPgQgD7gl3kHTAVw9MPtu3tKqotHh_W6qjXIKki6OZFViK4EHj25ZS_I4_j9SP22EIg.UJznjKZWd9YRCaWdo34gR7XyTbBWO4627_LGGyF4Fsw&dib_tag=se&keywords=lifevac&qid=1728427439&sprefix=life%2Caps%2C769&sr=8-3

I'll look into it - thanks Sarah!

Watching some videos of kids gagging can be helpful. Solid starts has some great educational examples. Seems like you have solidly done your research and are educated on what to do if you do need to intervene. Dont let your MIL’s anxiety rub off on you! They’re from a totally different generation that did things differently. Science has advanced as so has parenting choices. Trust that you know whats right for your baby, and that your baby can and will learn this new skill of eating solids. Making sure their highchair properly fits them with a footrest under their chair, and practicing your calm reaction when they do gag is helpful 🫶🏽 theres also no rule that you have to do BLW for every meal. You can work up to it and offer solids when other people are around (if that makes you feel more confident) and let baby self feed purees for other meals. Either way they are still learning how to feed themselves which is great!

My MIL also TRIED to give me that same anxiety but i stood my ground and assured her and myself that if i stay calm i can react appropriately to any given situation. don’t give into other people fear! mother knows best

now at 18months old all i hear from my MIL is WOW she is such a good eater and how smart she is because of how many different foods she’ll eat that have made her develop well & she also feeds herself with utensils very well. not bragging just sharing!(:

Choking rates are the same for purees etc as they are for BLW. Unfortunately there is always a risk but the more you do it, I think you'll quickly become confident in how amazing babies actually are. Our LO sucked in a piece of fruit (appropriately cut for blw) as it is was spaghetti and the whole thing was in hid mouth! He went very quiet but I could hear him breathing. My partner wanted to intervene but I said as long as he is breathing, let him work it out. He spat it out after about 10 seconds and was fine, but I'm convinced that if we panicked, he would have too. They're so clever!

Thanks very much everyone

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