Finger Foods - when to start

When did you start introducing finger foods to your babies? My LO's are 7 months now and have been on solids (pureed) since 4 months. They haven't practiced "chewing" at all but was wondering when to start that sort of thing. Neither of them have teeth yet but want to chew on everything. My mother asked if they'd had graham crackers yet and that got me wondering when do they start that sort of thing and what do you start with when they have no teeth?? Oldest DS got teeth at 3 months so this is very different for me. Any advice? Thanks in advance!!

 

They don't have to have teeth to start finger foods. Their little gums are hard as rocks & can handle chewing most things just fine. I started with Cheerios (not much of a choking risk and great for working on fine motor skills), small pieces of cheese (if they are okay with dairy), soft vegetables cut small, and L&L always LOVED those Gerber Puffs. Just give them a few pieces of something on their tray & let them experiment. You will know soon enough if they are ready or not! Good luck!

 

I started with Puffs around 7 months, and around 8-9 months they started eating cheerios too.

 

With the twins, I started with Puffs around 6-7 months. Like Tina said, they don't need teeth!

 

I started Puffs around the same time Becky did, 6-7 months. Mine did not get the concept at first, that the puffs go in their mouth, but after a bit, they got and loved them (still do!)

 

Here too with the puffs, then cheerios. Now my DS only eats food he can feed himself, which is pretty much anything. My DD is starting to like small pieces of food, but will still eat pureed foods. I just keep putting stuff on her tray and letting her play with it. I have just been following their lead with finger foods. You will know if they are ready, my DS was grabing things off my plate!!

 

Thanks so much! I guess we'll give the Puffs a try to start with and see how they do. I think I'm terrified of them choking so I've been nervous about trying anything chunky or finger foods but from what I understand the Puffs melt in the mouth so we'll start with those. They try to steal everything off our plates so it sounds like they're ready and they're great with their pinching fingers ability. Thanks again!

 

QUOTE(LMW1015 @ Jun 28 2009, 09:48 AM) [snapback]1372113[/snapback]
Thanks so much! I guess we'll give the Puffs a try to start with and see how they do. I think I'm terrified of them choking so I've been nervous about trying anything chunky or finger foods but from what I understand the Puffs melt in the mouth so we'll start with those.


GL! Start with a half a puff and once they are comfortable with that, then give them whole ones. Have fun.

 

I started around 6-7 months as well. My girls still only have two teeth each and they pretty much eat everything now. I give them pieces of chicken, pasta, peas, corn, cheese etc. They are pretty good little gummers. I think the puffs and cheerios will be fine and like Rachel suggested you can always break them in half for the first little while. Have fun. Finger foods are great!!

 

You can try the Baby Mum Mums as soon as they start solids. Those are great in that they melt in their mouths like the puffs, but they can hold them with their own hands. They are great because they can feed themselves with them before they develop the pincer grasp for the puffs. Good luck!

 

One of my girls is so bossy, when i'm giving her solids or her water from her sippie cup she tries to do it herself. The other day i was eating some fruit cocktail and she more or less took a pineapple piece out of my hand and into her mouth lol she loved it and made alot of mess but had alot of fun with it so i guess you could say she started herself on fingerfoods at nearly 6mths old?

 

I started at 6 months with Gerbers Puffs and Baby Mum Mums. They didnt have any teeth and in fact they are just now getting their first teeth at 8 months. They could always chew just fine with their gums. I would say to just try it and see what they do.

 

I agree with the PPs; they don't need teeth to chew, and puffs are great since they melt in their mouths and are less of a choking hazard. If they're not ready for them they just won't pick them up and eat them.

I do have one piece of advice: don't ever make the mistake of giving them teething biscuits. Oh it starts out fine; they chew on them and are happy as clams. Then the drool starts, and you get a sticky mixture of baby spit and teething biscuit over their entire bodies. Which hardens to the consistency of concrete. Then the biscuits get slimy and slip out of their hands, which makes them furious. So you end up with cement-covered pissed off babies in full meltdown mode.

Shame on me, I've made that mistake. Twice. :blush:

 

We started our babies with Puffs, then yogurt melts, which they really love (cut in half), now they love Cheerios. I just watch them carefully with the Cheerios, as they want to put too many in their mouth. The teething biscuits were not good for us either. I bought them and had not planned on giving them those yet, by my MIL saw them when she was watching them one afternoon and gave them each a cookie and were coated with a sticky hard mess. I recently bought them some banana cookies for babies and soaked them in some milk. That treat was a hit! Have fun!

 

QUOTE(Nate and Jack @ Jun 29 2009, 01:36 PM) [snapback]1373859[/snapback]
So you end up with cement-covered pissed off babies in full meltdown mode.

ROFL!

 

We did Puffs at 6 months and then tried shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses next.
We started them eating spaghetti Os, raviolis, grilled cheese sandwiches (cut into strips), mac n cheese, chicken nuggets and pierogis when they were 7 months too. For veggies I buy a bag of frozen "mixed vegetables" and heat a portion of them up. They are precut in just the right size, I just pick out the green beans since they seem to have trouble chewing those right now. Our doctor told us to have them eating what we eat by 9 months. Now they eat everything I plunk on their tray and they still only have their bottom 2 teeth. They had steak and corn on the cob the other day and really loved rubbing it all over their gums (and face and shirt and each other...). It has made meal time so much easier! It took a little bit of practice at first but they catch on pretty quick.

You would be surprised what they can masticate without teeth. Give it a shot! Have fun with it!

 

Oh I forgot to mention that you will need to be patient while they try these things at first. You have to remember that babies have never eaten a Puff before. When they first try it, they will most likely try to swallow it whole like they have gotten used to doing with the purees. They may do a little choking face and cough but our doctor said that was a normal part of the learning process. Just watch them very closely and if they can cough, leave them alone, if they can't that's when you interfer. It's tough and takes some getting used to but they have to learn to eat, it's not a natural thing.