When most people look at a baby that is gagging, they get incredibly anxious. I can't tell you how many times parents who want to start with baby led weaning tell me they can't because they're afraid of their baby choking. And it’s not just parents! It’s grandparents and random strangers that get anxious, too. They want to jump in and help, or never give that food again. But that is not the best answer!
For those of you who prefer to watch!
Gagging is not bad
Gagging is a safety mechanism that babies have to keep foods from going down their throat. It can be loud and dramatic, and can even induce vomiting. Scary, for sure.
But normal! As hard as that is to hear, it’s normal! It’s what happens sometimes when your baby is learning to manipulate food in their mouth. Your baby needs time to learn and work it out themselves.
In an adult, our gag reflex is much closer to the back of our mouths, and not very easy to activate with normal chewing and swallowing. A baby’s gag reflex is much closer to the front of their mouth. Think of this as added assurance and feedback to help prevent the food from getting back to their throat when it shouldn’t. As they get older, it will move towards the back of their throat. Hopefully, by this time, they will have learned how to manipulate the food in their mouth well!
Gagging vs Choking
So how do you know the difference between gagging, which you shouldn’t intervene in, and choking that you should? Well choking is usually silent, or no air coming out. It can also be more along the lines of gasping if your baby's airway is partially blocked.
Now here’s the thing with gasping. Our usual response to a baby gasping might be to hit them on the back. But that’s exactly what you should not do. It could lodge the food further into their throat. If your baby is coughing to try to get the food up, that’s the best thing that can happen.
So what should you do? Well, frankly, someone, or even all adults, in your house should be CPR certified. At a minimum, find some reliable online videos on what to do if a child chokes. Knowing what to do when or if your baby chokes is the safest thing you can do. That is not at all restricted to a baby-led style of feeding, either. Kids under 5 are at a high risk of choking on lots of different things. It’s best to be prepared.
Prevention
The other way to help relieve your anxiety and reduce the risk of your baby choking? Prevention!
It’s actually not incredibly common for babies practicing baby led weaning to choke. Gag? That’s a different story, but as we said, gagging is not necessarily bad. So how can you actually prevent choking?
Make sure your food is prepared properly:
You or another adult should always be watching your baby.
This means that if your baby is sitting on your lap, someone else should be sitting across from you watching them. You always want eyes on your baby incase your baby does choke and you need to intervene quickly.
Your baby should be sitting up at 90 degrees, always.
Not lying back in a stroller, not in a carseat, not roaming around the house. Sitting at 90 degrees. This reduces the risk for choking drastically!
Follow these methods, and your baby's risk of choking goes down exponentially!
Last Thoughts
As hard as it can be for us to listen to our baby gagging, it truly is okay! Now if your baby is continuously gagging on a certain food, be sure to check that it’s prepared properly for their skill level. But know that gagging and choking aren’t interchangeable, and you don’t need to intervene in gagging. It’s okay if it happens, and doesn’t mean that they are in danger, or choking!
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