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Dad on weaning duty this week while my wife is back at work. We gave our daughter (6 months) a bit of soft toast and she gagged so hard she went red and her eyes watered. She was fine within a few seconds but I nearly had a heart attack.
How do you tell the difference between gagging and choking? I've watched videos but in the moment I just froze.
Gagging is noisy. Coughing, spluttering, red face, tongue forward. It's their safety reflex doing its job, and at 6 months it's set much further forward in the mouth than ours.
Choking is often silent. They can't cough or cry, they might go pale or blue. That's when you act.
A baby first aid course is really worth doing so you know what to do in that moment, and it'll help with the freezing.
Gagging is horrible to watch but it's normal and it gets less frequent over the first few weeks. Sit on your hands and count to five, if they're coughing they're dealing with it.
Did a course at our local children's centre when our son was 5 months. Best two hours I've spent as a parent. Also showed me which foods to cut into sticks vs squash.
Thanks all. Booked onto one in a fortnight. Until then, toast stays as fingers and I'm sitting on my hands. She seems to find my panicked face hilarious so at least one of us is enjoying it.
"She finds my panicked face hilarious" - that's the next 18 years sorted, mate.
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