Transition from Pureed Food to Chunkier Food

Let's see...my daughter is almost 11 months and a total table food hound. I started her out with those Gerber puffs around 6 months, then moved on to crackers (soda or club) (she liked to be able to hold them and mush them up in her mouth.

Then stuff off the table like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, canned green beans, cooked carrots, anything very soft in small pieces that almost crumble in her hand/mouth. (Oh, nothing with a outer skin like peas or corn). Gerber makes jars of soft cooked carrots, green beans, pears, apples and peaches. She likes pasta like macaroni (I cut each one in half). Oh, cheerio cereal is wonderful, she will eat it and play with it.

Cottage cheese is one she also likes, but will not eat it off a spoon...she wants to feed herself, it is messy, so I give her some at dinner before bath time. She likes small bites of chicken and fish (1/4" x 1/4" little cubes) and will feed herself bananas cut up into cubes as well.

Just go slow and he will let you know what he likes...there is a great book called Super Baby Food. I checked it out from the library before I bought a copy and it lists things you can introduce at each month...the author is down on meats and really into very healthy stuff, but I pick and choose out of the book what info I need. Good luck, and you will end up feeding your second child table food much faster...it can be a scary process they first time!! {{{{{hugs}}}}}

My daughter HATED things with texture when we first introduced them and she didn't know quite what to do with it. We tried giving her the Gerber puffs because they are supposed to sort of melt in their mouths. She spit them out the first couple of times, but eventually she got used to it. I think you are on the right track giving him the mashed bananas because they are softer. You could also try avacado, cottage cheese, very small bits of string cheese or some of the Gerber graduates finger foods (like the puffs). Once he gets the idea, it won't be so traumatic for him.

I think you should steer clear of meats for the time being until he gets more used to the texture. No matter how small you make those chunks, it's hard for them to chew that. My daughter has a mouth full of teeth (she's 2) and still doesn't do great with ground hamburger meat (like in Hamburger Helper). She can do chicken and ham okay though.

I'm sure it was scary to see him react that way, but just keep trying and make sure the bites are REALLY small. Also, I'm sure you know this, but make sure he is sitting up straight in his high chair when he's eating. He shouldn't be reclining at all as it could increase his chances of choking. Best of luck to you! My daughter gave up baby food at 9 months old, so she had to learn pretty quickly since she wouldn't eat the baby food anymmore. She is a great eater now, so just stick with it!

I just happened to sit down for a minute and I read your request. Although I have no advice about the food, I hope that you and any other mother who reads this response will consider this. Take time to learn the Heimlech Maneuver. There is a specific way to do this to a choking baby/toddler, that is not the same as an adult. I worked in the restaurant business for 18 years and had to certify for this every 3 years. In that 18 years, I performed this maneuver on a 76 year old woman (right in the middle of a lunch rush) I cant stress enough how important it is that we ALL know The Heimlech and CPR.
You never know!!!!
Margaret:)
EDIT: I just want to make sure that you know that I am NOT AT ALL suggesting that you were choking your child. I simply read the response, and it got my wheels turning!!! Nothing more!!! Good luck to you!!!

You are right on about nutrition from bf-ing! You can be confident in that! Also remembering that solids up to 12mos or so is for taste and texture exposure :-)

grains seem to be a good way to transition for my kiddos
if it's cereal (oat, rice) just make it so it's not so thin
if it's chips, puffs, etc - they'll have substance, but go down okay with all the drool :-)
other good first chunkier foods for us have been avocado, boiled/scrambled egg, pear, watermelon -- the last two have the 'melt away' factor :-)

I'll second the Super Baby Foods book. I didn't do the whole shebang, but still got loads of useful information from it.
I waited until molars were in before intro-ing meats. The author gives several combos of foods to get proteins in your baby. (This came in handy when dd decided she didn't like meat as a result of seeing real live cows and chickens)

Oh, also your local LLL chapter would be another good resource/place to ask this question
http://www.lllhouston.org/

Sorry if I rambled,
HTH some - feel free to ask if clarification is needed.

K., mama to
Catherine and Samuel