No baby learns to eat solids without scaring their parents to half to death at least once by choking or gagging.

It takes a lot of time for babies to learn how to chew their food – it’s a skill they don’t really master until are over a year old. That, coupled with the development of their gag reflex, can cause for many a harried mealtime.

Why do babies gag?

Everyone has a gag reflex that protects us from choking. But babies under the age of six months thrust their tongues forward whenever something hits the backs of their throats, making it easy for them to gag when learning how to eat.

Here are some tips to help avoid gagging:

Six months of age

A little at a time

Babies are typically introduced to solids when they are four to six months old and can sit upright with support Be sure to start by giving your baby teeny, tiny spoonfuls of mushy solid food. Put the food on the front of his tongue, so it doesn’t travel to the back of his throat. Also, if your baby is bottle fed, make sure they are sucking from age appropriate nipples – too much flow can hit the back of their throats with enough force to bring on a gag session.

If your baby can’t manage the swallowing process after a week or so of trying, you might want to hold off on solids for a few more weeks then try again.

Relax

Eating should be a slow, mellow process. Don’t worry so much about how much your baby eats, just work on getting them to eat correctly.

Six months to one year

Once your baby masters cereal and moves on to table food, it’s of the utmost importance that you stay close by to watch for gagging or choking.

Teeny tiny bites

Better to serve food that’s too easy to eat than too hard. Make sure you cut up soft food into teeny, tiny pieces. Avoid all small, solid foods that can get stuck in their throats, like raisins or whole grapes. Encourage them to take occasional small sips after swallowing bites of food to wash any remaining bits down.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Your baby will be at least a year to 18 months old before they even get close to mastering the process. So hang in there!

If your baby seems to have a lot of trouble with gagging, talk to your pediatrician. There are a number of digestive conditions where an aggravated gag reflex is a symptom.

Learning how to clear airway obstruction is one of the most important things to master as a parent. Find out where your local infant/child CPR classes are held by contacting your local Red Cross for more information.