My baby is 9 months old. I tried feeding her stage 3 chunky jarred baby food about a week ago. Her face turned red and she coughed up 3 chunks of vegetables! Scared me to death! She never puts things (other than her fingers) in her mouth-unless I hold it up to her mouth. Is she just not ready for chunky solids yet? Or should I try again soon? She also refuses to hold her own bottle. She can hold her toys and things just fine and will hold her bottle to play with it but will not put it to her mouth. Any suggestions on this?
Thanks!
Terri

She may or may not be ready. Some infants don't like the baby food with chuncks in them. Have you given her any finger foods. If not, then it is obviously a new experience for her. To help her adjust to them you can give her tiny pieces of food and let her feed herself. Most start with crackers because they disolve easily. Just break them up into very small bites. This also helps her fine motor skills/pincer grasp develop. As for the bottle, my dd never held hers-although she was capable-I guess it was 'our special time'. It did make it really easy to get rid of though.

Thanks for your reply. No I haven't tried any finger foods yet-I was afraid to after she choked on the chunky baby food. I'm half afraid she won't put it in her mouth herself, just like everything else. She'll have no problem picking it up. She can pick up the smallest piece of lint from the floor!! Should I worry about trying to get her to put the finger foods in her mouth herself? Or just wait it out until she does it in her own sweet time?
Thanks again for your help!
Terri

My daughter is 8mths and takes to chunky foods great, we started her with finger foods first, now she eats EVERYTHING... Try some of the fruit wheels and fruit puffs from Gerber, also the toast and the biter biscuits are good too.. It takes them a while but they get the hang of it, also try little noodles like stars or stuff... GOOD LUCK!!

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Gina and Lyric (9.27.03)
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My dd wasn't interested in table foods until close to 11mos. Every baby is different. I wouldn't worry quite yet. I would prob. just start putting things on her tray to get her introduced to them. One of these days she will pick them up and start eating them. Good luck.

Hi,

My son was the same way even at 10 months. With any of the stage 2 and 3 chunky dinners he would start to gag or just spit it out.
Don't worry, every baby is different and will do different things at different stages, just like crawling, walking, etc.
Like the others said start offering little bits of finger food. Any of the teething biscuits that easily dissolve are good, banana chunks, etc.
My son did not start liking the chunky jars of baby food until almost a year and then soon after that would only eat our food.
Also, my son was the same way with his bottle and I used to worry just like you.........but DON'T. Just remeber your daughter will do things at her own pace and when she feels comfortable.

Good luck

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Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom and encouragement! I did try giving her the Gerber fruit puffs last night. She just wanted to play with them. When I tired putting them to her mouth, she closed her lips tight and pushed my hand away. I even tried showing her by eating one myself-no better luck. I guess I'll just keep putting finger foods in front of her and like you said, someday she'll pick them up and start eating them herself. I've never seen a 5 year old still eating jarred baby food, so I know she'll outgrow this obstinance someday!!!

Thanks a bunch!
Terri

Each baby will do things in their own time, I wouldn't be too worried. For instance, my neice started crawling as young as 4 months, and my son is now 7 months and still has no interest in it at all. Doctor says it is normal, guys tend to things a little slower.

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