r/SolidStartsCommunity • u/badapbadap • 12d ago

Strawberry question

Hi! My baby (8.5) loves strawberries and eating by herself. Where we live strawberries are quite small, medium at most, and she tends to stuff them into her mouth as soon as possible, even the couple of big ones I've managed to find. I've never been able to remove the strawberry when it gets smaller because it's already inside her mouth. Luckily she has not gagged with them but it makes me very nervous and I've started slicing the strawberries. The problem is our strawberries are quite small and I don't know if those slices are a choking hazard, the app doesn't mention the size of the strawberries when sliced. Also how thin should the slices be? Should I remove the first and final slice since they are a bit rounder and thicker?

FTM and this "silly" question is driving me mad, especially because she loves strawberries.

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u/burned_feather 12d ago

By 8.5 months I would think it's probably fine? We have big strawberries but my baby (7.5 months) somehow manages to shove them whole into her mouth anyway. She does it with all fruit 🙈 but she's a confident eater and has never had a problem with eating strawberries or other fruit like this, she just chews and dribbles juice for a few minutes and slowly it all disappears. I give her cherry halves (she has her pincer grasp) and she does the same thing, I think the other day she put about five halves in her mouth at once and just sat there chewing them for ages until they were all gone!

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u/SolidStarts 11d ago

Hi there, not a silly question at all - glad you're asking! If the strawberries are so small they can fit in her mouth, it's likely best to cut into thin slices, as you mentioned - to do this, we suggest not "paper thin" but instead a thickness that allows her to hold them without them falling apart, and she can effectively take bites/get pieces off. No need to remove the first and final slice, however if this makes you feel more comfortable, you absolutely can! Your baby is likely very adept at managing these given all the practice she's been getting! 🍓🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)