I'm having an issue w/Zac and his manic eating. He is now not taking the time to get the finger foods mushy enough and he's just swallowing so he can pop another one in his mouth. I noticed this w/the gerber puffs. He's gotten so good at popping them in one after another he is not taking the time to let them dissolve in his mouth first. I know this because he's spit up some just after swallowing and they're still firm!
Well...today I broke up a biter biscuit for him and he's not mashing it in his mouth before swallowing! I notice him mushing a couple times and then his face gets real red and panicy as its going down his throat because its too hard. Finally we had a huge scare as he swallowed a big chunk and it was way too hard still...he turned RED and kicked his feet and started crying and choking. I don't know HOW on earth to fix this issue. :?

Noah's working on the Gerber puffs, and when he does manage to get one in his mouth, I sit in front of him and make these big exaggerated chews. He follows me lead...usually. Could you maybe just offer one at a time and wait until he swallows to give him another? I don't know if he'd catch on, but maybe he'd see that he gets another if he swallows it. :?

I get it, but the issue is not how much he has in his mouth. Even if I only give him ONE piece, he doesn't "chew" or "mouth" it enough before he swallows. I've tried the chewing along w/him...maybe i'll have to do it more.

N does the same thing. :? I have to do the exaggerated chewing and say "chew, chew" to him, but he still swallows whole every now and then, and then turns red and cries as the whole piece goes down.

I think it just takes them time to learn they need to chew, and there isn't much a parent can do... I just make sure that the pieces are small enough not to block his airway if he does decide not to chew and chokes, and then just encourage him to chew.

Chew, Zac!
:wink:

I don't know then, Sara. Sounds like you're doing everything you can. I wonder if its just that age. Do you know if other kids do the same thing? It seems like I've seen other mom's coaxing their kids to chew and swallow. :?

Eli went through the same thing, it was a phase, with him he loved eating because it soothed his reflux so he was over zealous. What I did during this annoying phase is I would feed him one bite at a time. Lay one down on the high chair, after it was swallowed I would lay another down because choking on something for E ususally meant a horrendous vomiting episode, Yikes!

My 19 month dd still does this. I first realized she wasn't actually chewing when food was coming out whole in her poop. If she doesn't get it down, she would just vomit.

Now we only give her one or two very small pieces of food at a time and she asks for more the instant she puts it in her mouth. I just tell her to chew it up and then she can have more. Sometimes this works and sometimes she chews it up and then says "mommy! mommy!" until I put my hand out and she spits the chewed food out on my hand. I guess she just wants to show me she chewed it up! :lol:

Feeding issues can be a real stresser. Try not to let it get to you or your baby will catch on and it will become a difficult mealtime. Keep your sense of humor.

Thanks ladies!