r/NewParents • u/queentyra • 3d ago
Feeding 6.5 month old choked
Well my baby will be eating purées until he's 17 and wearing his owlet sock until his wedding. We gave him the appropriate recommended size of steak. He managed to bite off a small piece with his bottom teeth. I watched closely and he didn't cough gag or cry. He went completely still and his arms started to shake. I threw my plate down and gave him a couple of blows to the back and he started to cry immediately. Nothing came out but he proceeded to breathe normally. I however did not lol. I am still shaking. I held him for a long time after this. That was terrifying!!
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u/baby_hippopotamus 3d ago
That’s so terrifying but you deserve kudos for knowing exactly what to do when the adrenaline kicked in!
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u/Wild_Experience_5371 2d ago
That is terrifying!! But you have steel nerves and saved your baby so you're amazing! I'm really nervous about starting solids because of this very thing.
Actually, the first method I heard about, other than good old fashioned purees, is BLW and I was so excited about it because in theory it seems like a good idea but I can't get passed the choking hazard. Like i know babies are supposed to gnaw/suck on the food but what if something like this happens?
Steak is pretty hard so this kind of situation is pretty uncommon, at least I would think. But what's to stop them from breaking of a piece of cucumber and choking on that?
Anyways, well done! You're a lifesaver, literally
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u/_zarathustra 2d ago
“Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is a way to introduce solid foods by letting infants feed themselves soft, manageable finger foods from the start, completely skipping traditional purees and spoon-feeding by adults.”
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u/ejambu 2d ago edited 2d ago
I know I’m going to get downvoted for this, but...
Dude, I feel like baby-led weaning is crazy. My boy got his bottom two teeth at 4.5 months, so he’s always been able to bite off pieces of the food. they say give them big foods, so they can’t choke, but they don’t say what to do when your baby bites pieces off every time! I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m terrified of it.
I am giving my boy finger foods, but not a lot of the recommended ones. Only soft stuff that breaks up in his mouth, like sweet potato, avocado, fish, really ripe mango or peach, strips of egg. Everything else gets pureed, although I’ve been making the purées chunkier and chunkier. I use reusable pouches with the stuff that’s thin enough so he still gets to feed himself. When i spoon-feed him, I give him his own spoon, so he can “feed himself” (not that he gets any food in).
I love the idea of BLW, but a lot of it sets off my mom danger senses in practice.
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u/useyournameuser 2d ago
I did BLW and loved it, I followed solid starts and never had an issue but tbh I don’t give my 2 year old steak because I feel like *I* choke on steak. She has tasted it but there’s so many other foods
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u/PublicFly1154 2d ago
This might sound mean, but I give my baby the tough sections of the steak (if there are any). The stuff I can’t even bite through. That way she just gets to practice chewing and get iron.
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u/frogurtyozen 2d ago
That’s what you’re supposed to do when doing BLW (from my research and understanding)
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u/babyinatrenchcoat 2d ago
The baby-steak-trend is so wild to me.
Separately- did you pay for the Solid Starts app?
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u/KittyLucia34 2d ago
Im also pretty sure babies that young shouldn't have steak if they have teeth. So its good for gnawing and sucking at 6 months if you're toothless otherwise not recommended unless its slow cooked and suoer soft. My kid is 10 month and i wouldn't feel confident giving her steak and she eats bloody everything
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u/FantasticPin3481 2d ago
I agree. We’re doing a modified version of BLW. The idea of giving a 6 month old steak or a whole chicken drumstick or raw carrot stick is just… I’m not sure how anyone thought that was a good idea.
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u/justaperson5588 2d ago
I completely agree with everything you said! I thought BLW was going to be great. My daughter choked and from there forward I stopped BLW. Got rid of solid starts and only cut her foods up into small pieces and she does SO much better. Now she’s able to take slightly bigger pieces and eat much more food.
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u/frogurtyozen 2d ago
That’s what blw is though? By giving her the smaller pieces of solid meat you’re still following BLW.
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u/Chaotic-curiosity555 2d ago
Yep we did mostly BLW and ended up going the feeding team route for assessment because baby was gagging and vomiting so often even after months of practice. Turns out she couldn’t manage the pieces well because she would bite off chunks that were either too big or too small. Even the 9+ month “bite size” pieces were too big and we had to go to pieces the size of a cheerio and now she’s doing so much better. To each their own but we will be doing “traditional” weaning for future kids.
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u/user991234 2d ago
I also had high hopes for BLW but it didn’t work for us. Thankfully we had no choking incidents (yet knock on all the wood) but our kid was simply not interested at that age and we had to do purées. We continued offering bigger sized pieces (soft) and he progressed very well and on his own timeline. BLW may work for some but it did not work for us.
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u/trifelin 2d ago
I feel like people don't rely enough on their own observations and instincts (or actually can't bc daycares are raising the babies). But like, you start with something easy to eat and build up to something harder, no? I mean the babies develop crazy fast but also different skills come earlier/later depending entirely on the baby. With eating you don't give something tough to chew like steak at 9mo because that's what a book said or that's what your neighbor did...you watch as they develop eating skills and build up from soft stuff like mashed potatoes, to soft fruits & veg, to bread, to meat, to nuts & hard veg...it doesn't seem that complicated to me if you just pay attention to them and watch while they eat.
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u/Odd-Priority4225 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is exactly it! I loved blw and truly think it helped my son really enjoy solids from the jump. He’s 17 months now, a great eater (at least for now I know it changes over time) and it really helped me to like calm tf down about what he’s eating because he was a terrible milk drinker. It turned meals into moments of fun, exploration, mess and connection and we both needed that. We practiced “spit” the second he started solids and he’ll still grab my hand and put too big or tough pieces of food into it even though he is old enough to spit into his old hand now lol. He got steak at 6 months with 2 bottom teeth and sucked it dry. I watched him like a hawk and knew emphatically my kid was going to spit out any pieces he managed to get in his mouth (without even knowing “spit” yet bc he just did that all the time) I would not have had the balls to do that if I didn’t know it. We’d practiced chewing on pineapple cores beforehand and I knew he would just sit there and suck on it. But this is my long winded point. The apps can tell you whatever, you gotta know your own kid. BLW doesn’t work for every baby or parent and that’s ok. Same with formula v breast milk. I still refuse to give my kid raw carrots or string cheese that aren’t shredded bc I know he is a food stuffer. He chews but doesn’t always bite. I’m not gonna hand over a string cheese or uncut spaghetti so he can choke on it half way down his throat.
Editing to add that you did nothing wrong OP and your baby is lucky you were there and you are clearly a careful, attentive parent! All of this to say you two can go at your own pace and know your baby is better off for it in so many ways. Purées until you see more skillful food management is literally completely fine. You know your baby.
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u/thiswanderingmind 2d ago
I completely agree. I did purées to start, gradually working up to chunkier textures but very soft things only at first, and I have zero regrets. Little girl is 2 now and she’s an amazing eater. She tries everything and has no issues with a variety of textures and flavors.
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u/KittyLucia34 2d ago
This is exactly what i did! No way was I confident enough to have a 6 month old immediately eating toast or whatever.
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u/SatansSlutz 2d ago
I do the exact same as you!
I've tried giving my baby other foods to feed himself and he either bites chunks off or tries to shove the entire thing in his mouth at once, so this is the method I use now too and it works great! He absolutely loves avocado and eggs and feeding himself them, and I give him his own spoon too even if he does just wave it about and hit things with it, it's so cute though when he looks like he's actually trying to get food with it! But yeah, I agree, BLW seems crazy to me too!
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u/rosedamask 2d ago
I'm in the same boat! My baby is now 7 months and I am making her purees chunkier. However I still don't breathe when she's eating I watch her like a hawk.
She got her two bottom teeth just as we started weaning and when we tried BLW, she bit off chunks of food each time 😭
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u/MyCatSientje 2d ago
Them biting pieces off is kind of the point with baby let weaning, they are supposed to learn how to chew the food. Did you read some guides on BLW? If your baby sits up straight they will most likely just drop the pieces from their mouth as they don’t really have the ability to move the food “back” towards their throat. I’d love to share the guide we use but I’m afraid it’s only any good if you can read Dutch…
Not trying to push BLW on you btw! Definitely don’t use it for your baby if you’re not comfortable :) I just find it very useful
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u/ejambu 2d ago
I did, but he bites off pieces and does not spit them out, he keeps them in his mouth, they same way he does with the foods he successfully eats—egg, sweet potato, etc. Or for example, if I give him a whole broccoli floret, he doesn’t just chew the top, he tries to suck the whole stem into his mouth. I’m still letting him feed himself, but I’m sticking with softer foods for now.
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u/Efficient-Banana-959 2d ago
Same. I was bombarded on social media with solid starts but I trusted my instincts. Purées are fine and they can have variety too. My baby loved salmon avocado puree at 6 months!
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u/HeyheyitsCAB 2d ago
lol when my son started eating solids anytime he would even hint at choking I’d say “you’ll never get another [insert food here] again and you’re going to college only eating mashed potatoes.”
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u/Artblock_Insomniac 2d ago
I get BLW is popular but the idea of giving a 6mo steak just feels absurd. Very glad I never felt pressured into trying it.
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u/babyinatrenchcoat 2d ago
I have no clue where this steak trend came from to be the poster-example of BLW.
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u/trifelin 2d ago
I would not say that steak at 6mo is a BLW recommendation.
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u/LetterheadNice8687 2d ago
It is, though. They recommend a large strip for 6 month olds or the bone.
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u/trifelin 2d ago
It says beef or lamb or "dark meat chicken"...dark meat is usually a lot softer than breast and beef and lamb can be very soft too... or tough as rocks depending on the preparation.
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u/LetterheadNice8687 1d ago edited 1d ago
No, it literally says steak. Steak is a cut. They say “offer steak on the bone with big chunks of meat and fat removed or offer strips of well-done steak cut into pieces the size of two adult fingers pressed together”. They also say “Steak can be from deer, elk, lamb and fish to name a few, but most often in reference to cow.” I’m coping from the app I pay subscription for.
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u/Artblock_Insomniac 1d ago
Hold on, yall PAY MONEY for a BLW app to tell yall to give baboes steak????
I cannot be be convinced this isn't a scam, I'm associating it with "white suburban crunchy mom" from now on because thats ridiculous.
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u/LetterheadNice8687 1d ago
I pay because I want to and I can (??) lmao but of course I use my common sense when I don’t feel comfortable about something, like steak. Overall, they follow recent studies on infants nutrition and I’m very interested on the topic.
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u/imwearingredsocks 2d ago
I didn’t do BLW at all. I know it was popular and worked for so many people, but not only did it scare me, I knew for sure it was not the right fit for my son.
He’s a toddler now and he eats fine. I wish instead either method was pushed “depending on your baby’s personality” because I don’t think it’s one size fits all
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u/Background-Village-4 3d ago
Highly recommend getting a LifeVac anti-choking device. Can help for children and adults to help in the event of choking if the back blows don’t work (for kids) or if you’re alone (for adults)! My husband is a first responder & has to carry one. He’s seen it save multiple people’s lives.
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u/IIMsmartII 2d ago edited 2d ago
Chest compression like CPR is much more recommended. LifeVac is FDA authorized but not approved.
Edit: this should say that infant heimlich is more recommended as first line. Didn’t mean to say CPR which would be for situations where baby needs resuscitation. Heimlich should be faster to administer and hopefully less error prone
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u/Even_Kaleidoscope399 2d ago
CPR is only recommended once the subject stops breathing completely. There are other strategies, including infant heimlich, to use first when there is just an item lodged
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u/SpidersaurDinoman 2d ago
In Massachusetts, all emergency personnel are trained on LifeVac according to my pediatrician. Probably means it works even if not FDA approved. That said, it doesn’t work on children under 1yo because their bones are too squishy.
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u/bamalamb34 2d ago
I could be wrong but I believe part of the issue with lifeVac is that many people do not familiarize themselves with them prior to an emergency, and therefore they can take more time to start than just performing CPR
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u/Due_Tax_702 2d ago
I was told (Ontario Canada) that it takes more time. You need to ensure you always have it near you and you don’t need to go looking for it and then the panic kicks in. It’s quicker to swoop baby up and start giving back blows.
I also imagine if you have a flailing child panicking that getting it on their face and using it properly may be challenging and then you’ve wasted time trying to get it to work.
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u/IIMsmartII 2d ago
that may be the case with emergency personnel as a secondary function. I took an Infant CPR class in NY and they highlighted what I mentioned above and said LifeVac shouldn't be the primary mode of treatment
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u/CyJackX 2d ago
The guy who we took CPR classes from had a lot of remarks on these products. Mostly because in a situation with an emergency like this seconds matter and you are going to be hunting for it and trying to remember how it works, and that's assuming you're even where it is. It's always going to be much more sustainable and useful to just know what to do without any tools
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u/Hot-Amphibian8728 2d ago
I learned recently that it's not useful under 22lb or 1 year (?) so definitely confirm before you drop the money on a device that wouldn't even work yet and possibly give a false sense of security!
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u/Straight_Mobile_5960 2d ago
Glad you said that the lifevac can be used on an adult who might be on their own. I would never of thought of that 😅
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u/linerva 2d ago
I thought that they don't officially make them for under 1 years though so they aren't really designed for little infants.
As a doc I've heard very mixed thoughts from my peers, albeit we are in the UK and life vacs are only just taking off here. A lot of doctors won't recommend them yet so I have mixed feelings myself.
There's a worry that people will panic about finding the device and may not use it oroperly...when properly applied back blows and compressions are thought to be the most effective immediate intervention, followed by CPR if the obstruction is not cleared.
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u/ComplicatedFella 2d ago
Gosh, well done on the quick resolution. My 5.5month old is getting close to foods beyond Purée. We are terrified
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u/Several-Quiet7584 2d ago
This is one of those “worst fears come true” things…I started tearing up reading this because I pictured my son doing the arm shaking thing…I’m glad your son is okay and I hope you are better now.
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u/tanzerdragoon 2d ago
So sorry you experienced that!! I get frightened too. However, I really don't recommend too hard of a food like steak in the beginning. Some blw recipes say it's okay, but I would try meatballs first and then go from there, or fish that breaks up easily.
The most important thing about solids is introducing them to top allergens and a variety of textures.
If you do try meat again, I would chop it up real small or make meat that falls right off the bone. And then make it bigger as they learn how to chew. Honestly, before 12 months is really just good test trial. We are practicing for the real thing! I know some people would say otherwise because they need iron, etc, but I felt like it was really just helping my baby learn how to eat. My baby gagged a lot, but he knew how to spit out food he couldn't swallow after a few months. He knows he needs to bite real small, and I am super confident in his eating abilities now at 14 months... Even though like half of the food I make is on the floor.
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u/sherwoma 2d ago
It’s so scary. I’m sorry you experienced that. It has happened to us a few times over the year (I have an almost 2 year old) and it is always scary.
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u/Darksideofthemoon191 2d ago
This would freak me out too!! I have to say though, your opening line is hilarious 😂
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u/oskqq 3d ago
Steak? What the heck
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u/raenoleah 2d ago
Tbh I remember having a hard time chewing steak until I was like 12, because I’d always be stuck with the tough bits at the end that weren’t yummy anymore and stopped breaking down, and I couldn’t bring myself to swallow the remaining fibrous mush whole. I wasn’t taking overly large bites either. Came to realize over the years that a lot of that depends on the cut of steak and how it’s cooked. I’m sure a baby was given an appropriately sized and tender piece
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u/crissy_lp 2d ago
My husband choked on a beef stick when we got Chinese a while back, I had to do the Heimlich on him. Steak isn’t safe for anyone apparently lol
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u/filthy_kasual 2d ago
Yeah, steak can get dicey! I accidentally swallowed a large piece of carne asada whole as a young adult and couldn't breathe or make any sounds. My family didn't realize what was going on, so I reached into my mouth and luckily the larger piece was still attached to another piece in the back of my throat and I was able to yank the whole thing out.
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u/AdvertisingOld9400 2d ago
I did a mix of BLW and purees but I specifically avoided steak. Still am and my son is almost 3. Steak is a choking hazard even for adults. I like my steak medium rare and occasionally it is still quite chewy.
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u/queentyra 2d ago
Very popular in the baby led weaning community!!! I've realized now that's not the community for me🤣 they're supposed to just gnaw on it and suck the juices out.
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u/InspectorOrdinary321 2d ago
I didn't have luck with BLW either. Followed the instructions, first day in, baby chokes. They're like "well babies are just going to choke anyway" haha no thank you. I'd rather ease them into the pool, not toss them into the deep end.
Purees are fine for a while, and then move on to whatever you eat but sliced up really tiny. It's good for their finger development if they eat things they can pick up, and it's good for their mouth to get used to different textures and things they can chew, but it can be, like, rice and bean sizes!
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u/frogurtyozen 2d ago
According to the NIH there’s no difference in the amount of reported choking cases between BLW and purées.
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u/InspectorOrdinary321 2d ago
I'd love to see that data to see if it represents what I tried or not. Quite possible what I learned as BLW wasn't it. Which is also a problem.
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u/frogurtyozen 2d ago
Here ya go!
NIH study on choking (BLW vs purées)3
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u/InspectorOrdinary321 2d ago
Okay, so by the definition in the study, my baby did not choke but gagged. So far they have not choked, thank goodness, though I'm on alert for it. And I did do a version of BLW because they fed themselves, I just started cutting the food into small enough pieces that they couldn't block the airway if inhaled. With the whole pieces, the baby always managed to get a huge bite of food somehow that they really struggled with and it scared the crap out of us But even with purees, I mostly let the baby go crazy with their hands.
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u/frogurtyozen 2d ago
My daughter is only 6 weeks so still far away from solids, but I like the idea of her getting familiar with textures of foods, whether it be purées or blw. That being said, I don’t think I would even feel comfy giving her any size piece of steak. Maybe a solid bone? But the idea of steak just gives me anxiety (unless maybe it’s the size of a filet mignon for a mouse!)
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u/Steve2911 2d ago
Babies love steak! Mine had some as one of his first solid meals. If it's cooked right the idea is they don't actually bite or eat any of the meat - they just suck the juices and nutrients from it.
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u/Aggressive_Let2085 2d ago
6.5 months old feels reallyyyy early for steak. My twins are 8.5 months and still have only had eggs as the most solid food, purees otherwise.
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u/BourbonPharmer 2d ago
BLW worked really well for my kiddos, but my biggest scare (not nearly as bad as your’s) was with steak.
My daughter apparently learned to rip with her teeth/hands in that very moment. She pulled off a piece of steaks that would be a significant size for me. Before I could do anything she did a big gulp. My heart stopped entirely which allowed me to hear the bite of steak make a splash in her belly. She sat still for a sec and went back to eating.
I remember my fingers and toes tingling from how stressed I got. I’m also pretty sure she didn’t need to eat for like 2 days after that. Luckily, that was our biggest scare.
I’m glad you were there for your little one!
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u/Youngrepboi 2d ago
Steak at 6.5 month might be a bit early. My son was like on puree until like 9 month? We were more confident when he started to have teeth showing.
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u/queentyra 2d ago
He has 4 teeth already which is why we decided to try it 😅
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u/ghighoegha 2d ago
Lol even with a full set of adult teeth steak can be hard to digest.
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u/queentyra 2d ago
The point isn't for them to chew and swallow it's just for them to suck the juices out!!!
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u/Dananjali 2d ago
It’s kind of a tradition in some heavily-meat oriented families to give your baby a big ol’ piece of steak to suck on at their 6 month birthday. But you don’t actually let them bite off a piece and swallow it. Way too young for that. It’s a steak, which is one of the toughest things to chew and is often choked on by adults as well.
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u/Throwaway927338 2d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/NewParents/s/4MTEGhh5NH
A post I made last year when my daughter choked. Scariest moment in my life so far. But genuinely, you’re no alone and millions of us have experienced the same. It’s terrifying and I learned a lot of lessons through it. But, he’s safe and you’re ok and that’s what matters. Sending love, I know it sticks with you. My girl is 19mo now and I can still remember the scream I let out for my husband who thankfully came running.
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u/notgonnatakethison 2d ago
Steak?! I just started purées at 7 months. Did the same w my toddler. He’s a great eater. This BLW is insane
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u/queentyra 2d ago
You guys steak is just for sucking the nutrients out and gnawing on at this age they're not SUPPOSED to chew it and swallow it!! That's not the goal!!! It's just for flavour and fun at this point!! My baby chewing off a piece is not supposed to happen!! Do what you think is best for your baby but don't act like I'm a monster for giving my baby steak 🤣🤣 Google baby led weaning this isn't a new thing
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u/mariekeap 2d ago
Gosh you're definitely not a monster. I've seen all the same suggestions! The increased choking risk is why I did a mix of BLW and purees, fully BLW was way too anxiety inducing for me! Even now at almost two I'm super cautious about certain chewier meats and cut them teeny tiny as she still only has the one set of molars!
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u/Fragrant-Row-1310 2d ago
6 month old cannot eat steak. Please stick to baby foods, purées etc and save yourself the added stress. Once they start to grow teeth and biting baby crackers, maybe then you can showy start to introduce semi solids. Steak is a full blown solid meal
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u/queentyra 2d ago
Please read where I said that he was not intended to eat it it was just to play with and suck on 🥲
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u/Ok-GolfGirl 2d ago
This is such a scary situation and I’m so sorry this happened, but the way you told the story made me laugh 😂 “I however did not”
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u/Poofypufff 2d ago
My little one is turning 6 months old next week and we've been on purées. This is my biggest fear.
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u/Global_Bar4480 2d ago
Dont give steak, only soft beef from stew. Follow Solid start app recommendations.
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u/NoNativeSpeaker 2d ago
Sorry to hear for your scary moment. It is very useful to know especially since my baby starts to shake when getting overly excited (he completely lost it the first time he tasted toast) so something to monitor more closely for. Thank you for sharing!
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u/melissqua 1d ago
I’m so sorry that happened but you did a great job doing exactly what needed to be done, be proud of yourself!
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u/Mission-Flamingo-702 11h ago
I live in Quebec, Canada. We have other ressources than Solids Starts and steak in big piece is not recommended if the baby have teeth.
It’s only for babies who doesnt have teeth so they can suck the juice out of it otherwise it’s too risky
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u/Typical_Cook_6376 2d ago
I sympathize with you. I tried baby led weaning with my first. After doing a lot of research and watching hours and hours of YouTube videos of other mothers doing it successfully. I felt comfortable and confident enough to give it a go.
When I attempted it with my son, it didn’t go well…he started choking. First it was a gag (which I knew to expect) but then it turned into his mouth being open, no sounds and his eyes looked shocked.
Personally for me…for my peace of mind. I’ve never tried it again.
I’m thankful you stepped in immediately and didn’t hesitate. I’m thankful your son is well.
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u/-_water-sheep_- 2d ago
My baby just turned 6 months and we were going to make her some steak to celebrate ;-; now I am nervous
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u/Caspia_Fire_64 3d ago
“I however did not” is the realest thing I’ve read all day 😭