problem with solid food feeding

sunata · Feb 1, 2012

Hi i am a new mom.
i have a baby girl who is just completed 7 months. i was giving fruit puree and rice cereal before ( after completing 5 months). Now i started giving rice to her. i cooked rice and mashed. i gave mashed rice with pinch of salt and ghee. it was not finely mashed. she didnt eat it. she doesnt want to swallow it. Now i dont know what to do.do i need to mash it finely? do you think i need to add sugar instead of salt? any suggestions please
Thanks
sunata

prtywomen · Feb 1, 2012

Hi Sunata,
I added salt with rice+dal+veggies(like potato, carrot, beans) when i introduced solid to my son around 6th month old. Also, i added gerber sweet potato initially with rice and then slowly i stopped adding sweetpotato.. you can try sweet potato and try..

fiza555 · Feb 1, 2012

the consistency of the food could be a prob for her to swallow.
it is common with babies of her age.
try making the rice with lil more water in it, so that it is bit runny which she will go down her throat easily.

or dilute it with lil water or bm to thin it after its cooked.hope it helps.

Sanmithra · Feb 1, 2012

Hi,
When you start with dhall and rice for first time you can add moong dhall instead of toor dhall. Moong dhall is easy to digest. You can a add ghee, turmeric powder a pinch and little salt and pressure cook and then mash it fine in blender. Once she has developed 3 to 4 teeth you can pressure cook for long time rather than fine mashing. Later on you can added finely chopped vegetables(carrot,cabbage or beans) in dhall and rice and pressure cook it.

varmaswathy · Feb 1, 2012

Hi,

Rice should be finely cooked and mashed like a paste. If possible add boiled veggies,cooked dal and salt, curd etc. Sometimes curd and diary products can produce mucus. You should also avoid giving sugar directly. If you want little sweetness add sugar candy instead of white sugar.

All the ingredients should be mashed like a batter without any solid pieces in it. If some solid pieces are there kid will try to vomit. I used to grind all in a mixer to make fine paste. Some people do not support this, but I didn't have any issues. After few days you should start giving it without mashing well. only then they learn how to chew the food.Don't worry this is a common issue which every new mother have to face. Everything will be alright slowly.

Ranchu · Feb 1, 2012

Am having the same problem with my 9month old.. I've been blending the cooked rice+dhal+ghee+little salt in mixie .. He wont eat if I mash and give it .. Even though I overcook it and mash it well , he wont eat it..

Now am concerned how to introduce texture for him.. He eats those Gerber Puffs.. but not comfortable with Biscuits too..

ramyaramani · Feb 2, 2012

@ranchu is he tring to pick the food himself? Why don't you try by giving him mashed veggies and then move on to mashed rice?

@sunata I also have a 7 month old. For the first 2 days I blended everything. After that I mashed everything. She would not eat it. This is what I did: kept everything separate. Cooked rice+ghee, dhal, veggies. I would give ghee rice first. Second serving would be dhal. Third one would be veggies. I would alternate between the textures. Dhal would be of paste/purée consistency. Veggies would consist of bits and pieces though finely mashed. She started eating everything. Now I give her dhall+ghee rice and veggies. Of course not all days are perfect. There are days when she just does not eat anything. But this works on 5 out of 7 days.

In fact I don't add salt or sugar.

Ranchu · Feb 3, 2012

Ramya,

Yes he picks up very well with his 2 fingers (infact he picks anything on the floor and puts in his mouth)..
But he wont chew , he would swallow, gag and throw up..

I have tried your suggestion to sunata as well.. I've given him mashed banana one spoon , then regular puree another spoon.. after 3 spoons, he would gag on mashed food and eventually throw up everything he ate so far..

Anisu · Feb 3, 2012

Ranchu,

avoid making a paste of rice and feed your son. Continue to feed him mashed foods slowly .....
Just taste the food what you give it to your son ..if it needs little spice or salt add it and then feed him. Initially he may not like ..but later he will start liking it and eat it .....

ramyaramani · Feb 3, 2012

@ranchu Are you giving water? After he gags give him water. Then start the process again. Eventually he will learn to swallow. I did not give water initially so I substituted it with juice.

Don't force him to eat the moment he starts gagging.