BLS - How big of pieces?

[@llli*mek]

I've been doing a variation of baby-led solids. Every time that I give DS a chunk of food to pick up, the whole thing goes into his mouth. I've been breaking it up into smaller pieces for him instead. I thought I read about people giving their babies hand-sized chunks of food. Is that right?

I gave DS cooked baby carrots last night, and he shoved the entire piece in! Is that normal? I got scared, so I fished it out of his mouth and broke them up into bite-size tiny pieces instead.

[@llli*katia11]

I know the Rapley book recommends "chip size" (french fry in America) pieces, so that they hold on end and bite off the other. But I give Connor little chunks too most times

I think as long as he can pick them up, it is fine. It's not an exact science

Oh and as for the baby carrot, don't get scared. I they bite off more than they can chew, they'll probably spit it out (lovely). Maybe after a couple tries he will figure it out!

[@llli*kmanih]

great question... i had been wondering the same thing.

[@llli*manddbp]

i would give my dd chunks( fist size thing) like a whole peeled/cored apple or do the pieces depending on what we were having to eat. What i was told by the pediatrician is that a babies windpipe is roughly the same size as there pinky finger so when giving sticks of food then makes sure they were more like wedges and not smaller then the pinky finger. This way they would more likely gag if they took to much instead of actually choking. also we got a crinkle cutter and it ended up cutting up whatever food( apple/pear/sweet potato) look like a rippled chip. It was a good size for holding and the lil grooves helped my DD when the food was a lil slippery.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

I give big pieces.

[@llli*sassypants]

It doesn't matter what size we cut it, DS will shovel a dozen pieces in if they are small and over-stuff his mouth anyway. He has gotten better as he has gotten older; it is just something they have to learn. I do agree to avoid the windpipe size pieces, at least of harder foods. for instance we always cut grapes in half just in case.

[@llli*mek]

So do you think baby carrots are too small to be given whole?

[@llli*kmanih]

i am so confused. should the foods be very big, or should the pieces be smaller than the windpipe so they'll go down even if swallowed whole? sorry if this is a dumb question, but i don't know where to begin!

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

I give baby carrots.

[@llli*djs.mom]

I used the third of a banana the way bananas split naturally as my example. But if erring on the side of caution think in terms of a McDonalds French fry. That is long and skinny and would go down...but honestly a baby that is not ready to swallow food won't. It will get pushed back out by tongue or puked up if it comes to that.