My son is nine months old and loves his purées, but he’s had difficulty with eating real solid food. He gags every time he eats or sometimes doesn’t even try it if he doesn’t like the texture on his fingers. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what are some tips to get him over it? What are the best foods to start with? My daughter never had a problem and ate any food we gave her. The doctor said to keep trying, and I am. But I just wanted to see if anyone else had some experience with this.
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It’s common for them to gag in the beginning. I never did purées so the transition was never an issue. I would just keep trying. Food before 1 is for letting them explore it and figure it out. Their main sources of nutrients are breastmilk/formula.
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My youngest. It got better as he got older but he is still an extremely picky eater especially when it comes to texture.
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You need to slowly change the consistency from puree getting thicker over time and I would give tiny tiny pieces at a time let him explore and take his time, try different things maybe softer foods first and see how that goes
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Let him play with more solid food so he can feel the textures. Bits of cheese, banana, crisp type snacks etc. You could also try making it slightly lumpier each time by not pureeing it as much each time. It could be SPD so it might take time to introduce new foods.
Same exact problem! My first born was super easy, no issues. Around 9 months my youngest gagged every time we tried solid food. He was fine with purées. He wouldn’t eat puffs, Cheetos, anything. We actually are in feeding therapy (hes now almost 1 yr old) & its helped tremendously.
My youngest did. I made his baby food and just gradually added more and more texture. Once he was on more solids, he still had to have everything in some sort of sauce or gravy or he would gag on it. He is 4 now and he still won’t eat certain textures
At 9 month stage one or two foods should be sufficient. No need to introduce solids just yet.
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My 3 year old is the same way. Never did purées but he took forever it seemed to do solids. Now he’s extremely picky on textures. He refuses to eat breads and noodles and anything squishy.
Not in the same way as you, but our oldest used to gage on mashed potatoes. She laget could not eat them for about a year.
It’s pretty normal for them to not like solids at first. Just keep trying.
Our daughter refused baby food all together she did formula for an entire year! When we started going to whole milk she decided food was ok lol dr said she would eat when she was ready and that the formula was fine. Shes now 22 months old and weighs 30 pounds lol
Have him evaluated by an ibclc for a posterior tongue tie. They will do a functional assessment as that is a very common symptom of a oral tie.
Personally I’d speak with his doctor. It could just be he needs to get used to it…but gagging can also indicate other issues…like throat irritation or enlarged tonsils. And while I dont believe babies are diagnosed if it continues it could be a sign of sensory processing disorder.
Definitely work on thickening the purees. If he also has an issue with texture, what we were told to do by my sons occupational therapist was to “push the reflex back” - we did this when we brushed his teeth. Using a toothbrush, you brush around his entire mouth and especially the roof of his mouth and tongue, gradually getting further “in” so to speak to push the reflex back. I used the different textures brushes for teething, swapped them every night so he had a new texture. It took a few months but it helped a lot. I would ask your pediatrician if that could be a thing before you officially try it, im by no means a doctor or OT. But this was what really worked for my son.
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Personally, I would hold off on solids for a while. Then try again with super soft stuff. He may not be ready for solids yet.
Either way, you should talk to his doctor about it to make sure something else isn’t going on that’s causing the gagging.
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Honestly at that age I use to just dip my finger in it and put some of the taste on her mouth and she would generally try it after that if she liked the taste
Maybe try different brands to see or make your own food…Could possibly be linked to Acid reflux
He might have a sensory disorder too my youngest does she is 17 there is food she won’t eat or touch of the texture or feeling of it in her mouth
My son was like that. We had to go to speech therapy. It helped for a few months but we’re back at square 1 now. He is very picky & hates anything with a texture.
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My son was the same way they found out when he was three that his tonsils were huge and he had to have them removed
My youngest daughter wasn’t big on solids til about a year. She gagged a lot. But is a normal eater now, at 5.
That happened with my baby when I tried to feed him baby cereal he would gag and nearly throw up every time, it’s their gag reflexes and their throat hasn’t grown like normal. I buy my baby the Gerber toddler dinners and I just chop them up. They are real soft anyway.
He will get better mama 
just needs some practice. My boys did the same & I know it’s Soo scary they r just learning 
my son is 11 mo and he gagged a lot when we introduced solids. probably at 9 mos. he now loves everything just gotta keep trying. if we go places ill bring baby food but at home he eats scrambled eggs, oatmeal, beans and rice, chili, mashed potatoes small bits of meat. he hasn’t mastered bread yet
So, the gag reflex is really normal- it’s how babies stop themselves choking. In baby lead weaning they learn the skill of pushing the food forward with their tongue earlier, in babies who eat purees they are just learning this as a new skill a few months later. Stick with it, gagging isn’t the same as choking, and nothing to worry about. He’ll be getting his nutrients from milk anyway.
He’s not ready yet.
Food before 1 is just for fun.
Keep offering the solids, and let the baby know it’s so okay if he doesn’t like it yet.
It won’t be long!
Food before one is just for fun- he doesn’t need it. I would put it on hold
It’s quite normal… With bottles and baby food it’s all soft… Learning to smash food with their jaws. So go slow… Do rap food not baby food. Baby food has no taste. Mashed potatoes… Eggs… Etc.
My daughter refused to eat until 13 months. And she is 8 now and still wont go near anything puree or mashed
Just keep offering it to him, make purees thicker to get him used to more solid food, if he doesnt eat it, its not a big deal before theyre a year old its basically just practice eating
Iv a 19 month old who’s like that will not put solid food in his mouth and same as doctor told keep trying x
Textural issues are normal with young kids… I agree with keep trying, if anything let him play with the foods. At 9 months, his primary nutrition should still be formula or breastmilk, with foods to supplement the nutritional needs. Just spoon feed certain foods, like the purees & avoid the commonly choked on foods. If he gags, it could be that he doesn’t like what you’ve given (either taste or texture). If he isn’t actually choking on the food, he should he fine. Sometimes babies don’t efficiently move the food to the back of their tongue and it causes them to gag a little to clear their airway.
My daughter did the same thing until she was like a year old. But still have some textural issues still and she is 5.
Yep!!! My son had extreme texture issues!!! He ate baby food primarily until he was 12 mos. I did easy Mac and would cut the noodles in half. That way he could roll them around in his mouth and wouldn’t choke. Also, try sweet potatoes or give him the end of a pissy crust to chew on. They are harder to actually get pieces off but will hold his interest and he can explore the different tastes & textures.
Maybe hes not ready for solids.
My daughter really didnt eat until 2. She gagged and choked on everything. It was a constant struggle. Then she just started eating like there was never an issue. Make sure baby isnt drinking their meals, but at this age food is just for fun. Keep an eye on things see if there is a pattern with what he struggles with.
Food before 1 is just for fun.
My son at a year old began eating everything I ate. Then he got a round of vaccines and stopped eating and talking. It took almost 6 months to get him to eat solid foods again. He is 2 and a half and still is picky about textures and food in general.
Our pediatrician is not concerned because he is still very active and growing above average for his age.
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Yup my 1.5 year old still gags on something’s. Just cut them up smaller. Could be texture too.
Some kids have texture issues. It’s ok for him to eat blended food just keep trying. Every kid is different. I hope for your sake he grows out of it quickly. My son is 15. He still won’t eat certain food because of not liking the texture. It isn’t a swallowing problem at this point as it was when he was small. It’s more of a sensory problem.
My son was the same…gagged everytime I tried anything that wasnt pureed. It turned out that it was a phase and he grew out of it. I just kept offering him different options of solids and eventually he started to eat them. I started with mushy solids like scrambled eggs and spaghetti and mashed potato …and slowly went from there. I also started making him green smoothies with kale and cucumber berries and yogurt. He loves it! Now he is 17 months and eats everything in sight lol.
Gagging is somewhat typical when learning to eat new foods, but can also indicate longer term feeding issues. A feeding therapist, either speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist, could support you if concerns persist. Here’s a questionnaire to help you assess: Feeding Matters Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire© | Feeding Matters
My daughter did that, it just took time. I kept trying and eventually she stopped.
My son is 9 months too and I am having the same issue!
You could try carrots, but boiled a little too long, so still a solid, but really soft. Same for green beans, (sweet) potatoe, cauliflower. Give it a try!
My son is 18 months old and he does that too. I don’t like to pressure or force him to eat something he doesn’t want but I don’t know if this is something I need to discuss with the doctor.
OMG YES my first did this. He was such a brat! Its just a texture thing!! I freaked out cause he was my first and held back on solids forever. He’d eat a cheerio and gag so I would give him puree forever. DO NOT DO THIS. He’s now 9 and will still gag at different textures. He’s a very picky eater too. There’s nothing wrong, he’s just getting used to it and the feeling of different textures. Its just sensitivity but if you wait too long to give them the proper food, it will condition them to it. My youngest is 6 and I have him chunky stuff as soon as I could and always fed him exactly what I ate and you know what? He eats anything and everything. Huge difference between the two.
My son was like this…he was later diagnosed with SPD
My son had this at same age. He was tongue tied and to have surgery to correct it. He ate fine after that.
My son did this. He has reflux, and hypersensitive gag reflex. Its improved as he has got older. He will be 21months in a few days
He will have difficulty at first, you gotta find a good in between and it is still early, don’t rush him.