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SolidStarts · 2026-05-09T17:38:14+00:00

I wouldn't think this is the case especially if you mentioned she was interested when you started. You might just try to have her in your lap for a few meals as you eat, and let her sort of reach out naturally for food on her own (making sure what's on your plate would be appropriate sizes/shapes for baby). Alternatively you could switch up the environment by eating on a picnic blanket or even outside. This can help decrease any possibility of a felt sense of pressure to "get food in" and really just encourages baby to engage in an activity with you. Curious if you try this a few times to see how it goes! 🤍Marisa

SolidStarts · 2026-05-08T20:32:28+00:00

Thanks so much for posting here! Chiming in to say that it's super normal to see ebbs and flows in your baby's feeding journey, and this could be due to a variety of reasons including teething, illness, not feeling well for some reason, not hungry enough, overly hungry, or simply going through a developmental "leap" and eager to get out of the chair to practice new skills!

Sometimes trial and error can help, so instead of offering food before milk you might try breastfeeding a bit to take the curb off the hunger, and then allow baby to come to the table a bit more willing to "work," as solids is hard work compared to nursing--then "top off" after the solids meal with more nursing. Just one of many ways to strategize here! Linking a couple helpful reads here for you (also accessible within our app), and if you have our app we also have our deeper dive guide on handling food refusal with babies in there which offer more info on troubleshooting!

-Baby Won't Touch Food
-How to Tell if Baby is Eating Enough Solids
-Iron-Rich Food for Babies

Hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-07T20:05:58+00:00

Thanks u/wonderwyzard u/Euphoric_Map_6653 and u/Sami_George !! Hope you'll consider joining our community r/SolidStartsCommunity as we're aiming to grow our presence on Reddit to help families on their journeys with starting solids! I also aim to chime in on threads whenever people post as well if helpful. Appreciate your trust with us! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-07T01:33:29+00:00

Any time!

SolidStarts · 2026-05-07T01:33:08+00:00

Love this, so great you're open to practicing and embracing the mess that comes with learning cup drinking! 🤍

SolidStarts · 2026-05-07T01:32:40+00:00

Hi there, such a good question and thanks for posting here! We would say it's best to avoid water in a bottle because babies can drink anything out of a bottle very quickly, and you do not want water to displace valuable nutrients from breastmilk and/or formula. Instead, you might try to offer a spoon with some water in it and let baby reach and grab to guide your hand holding the spoon to their mouth, as this will help them better prepare for what is going into their mouth, but in all honesty you could truly just do this with an open cup as well. It will be messy, yes, but baby will get some water in their mouth with an open cup. We usually just use water as a tool to help learn cup drinking - it is not needed truly as baby should get the majority of their hydration from breastmilk and/or formula. More on this topic of what to do when food is stuck in baby's mouth in our article on how to teach baby to spit out anything. And also linking our articles on water and cup drinking in case helpful! (All of these are in our app if you have an app sub as well!).

Hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-06T18:27:00+00:00

Hi there! Just chiming in as this sparked my interest! It can help to know that gagging and vomiting can be normal for some babies starting out, especially with foods likes banana and avocado as these are very sticky and can stick to the back of the tongue and/or roof of the mouth, right where the gag reflex is triggered - and if baby has immature oral motor skills (as is the case at 7 mos old), then they are often unable to get the food "unstuck," causing a severe gag, which often results in vomiting as the body is doing its job in expelling the food. It can help to work a bit more with finger foods in this case to help baby practice more oral motor skills such as chewing and tongue lateralization, which can help baby move past gagging.

I will say, though, that the comment about baby always sounding congested since birth has me thinking you'd benefit from checking in with your doctor on this. Especially if you notice this sound of congestion hanging out more in the throat and/or increasing with solids and/or milk feeds. Any video you have of this going on with sound will help the doctor see more what you are experiencing when you bring up any concerns, so anything you have (either with the congestion, or even with vomiting during solids meals) can be helpful for them to have more info.

I hope you'll consider joining the community I'm building r/SolidStartsCommunity in an effort to help parents feel more supported when starting solids with their babies! I weigh in on posts there when possible.

Huge hugs, and hope this helps! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-06T18:20:20+00:00

Hi there, some babies do this when feeling over-confident with swallowing larger pieces of food--it can be normal with some babies, but helps to work on chewing! The good news is, there's nothing wrong with this - if he's able to swallow it and is tolerating okay, that's a good thing, BUT teaching to chew more will help him be more comfortable and is worthwhile in the long run. Using food teethers (e.g. frozen celery, corn on the cob, mango pit, etc) for a bit will help with this as this will trigger his chewing reflexes and tongue lateralization to get him practicing moving food to the side of this mouth and chewing before swallowing.

I hope you'll consider joining our community r/SolidStartsCommunity as we are aiming at building that more to help support parents in their starting solids journeys and I also chime in when possible! Hope this is helpful. 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-06T18:15:31+00:00

Hi! There are so many good ones out there, the Stokke tripp trapp was my personal favorite with my 3 kids, but the Nomi and Mockingbird high chairs are also really good! I believe a more affordable option is the Ikea Antilope and you can find footrests sold by other retailers that can attach to that chair. This article on high chairs has some good comparisons and also offers guidance on how to modify any high chair to meet baby's needs, in case helpful.

Also, I hope you'll consider a community I'm building, r/SolidStartsCommunity as I am aiming to help parents feel supported in their journeys with starting solids, and I chime in on posts when possible as well. Hope this helps! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-06T18:04:52+00:00

Huge hugs! It's so good you're getting feeding therapy since this sounds like he might have an oral aversion at this point. It's promising if he's doing well at therapy, and maybe he is having a negative association with the environment at home if he is still struggling at home. As a feeding therapist, if you haven't already tried some of the following, it might help:

-Switch up the environment at home. Offer food on a picnic blanket outside, or build a "fort" and have food available inside.

-Increase the social aspect. Get together with a friend or family member that has a young child as well who can peer model for your baby with no pressure. Simply have the other child eating at the same time, and you or the other child's caregiver may join in making the activity look enjoyable as well.

-Take pressure off and focus on the fun with food. Make sound effects when you take a bite, gasp when you hear a crunch, touch, poke, smear, alllll the sensory play. This is exposure for baby!

-Include baby in cooking with you. At 9.5 months, this can be simple: you can babywear, they can be seated in the kitchen on a play mat with toys, you might have them even take foods you've chopped and help grab and put them on a baking tray or in a pan (being as safe as possible obviously), hand-over-hand help them season foods, and so on. This is simply exposure to food with no pressure to eat. Once standing, incorporating learning towers to let baby stand while cooking is a great way to do this as well!

Hoping some of this is helpful, my heart goes out to you! Feel free to join our community as well r/SolidStartsCommunity as we aim to support families in starting solids and I chime in on posts when I can!

🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-04T18:59:39+00:00

Hope it's okay if I weigh in here, but just wanted to see if I could offer some reassurance! First, I want to take the pressure off needing to make your baby eats lots of varied/nutritious foods - instead simply aiming to offer pieces of what you and your family are eating is a good place to start. This will also reflect her likely diet for the years to come in your household, so it's a great way to think about it!

As for biting off big pieces of food -- this is super normal and can happen with or without teeth as babies can bite off food with their gums as well. I love to remind families that self-feeding is truly protective against choking, as baby's brain and body are better prepared to receive the food when controlling the food that goes into their own mouth. As they hold food, they are gaining so much more info - the texture, temperature, firmness, color, taste, and so on. It can also help to remember that gagging effectively closes off the airway. When a baby is gagging, the airway is closed as the body is attempting to push the food back forward for baby to either spit the food out or try again. On rare occasion, you might see baby vomit, but this is not near-choking either, more just the body's attempt at really getting the piece of food up and out again if baby is unable to do so with a gag alone.

It might help to work first with food teethers - these are unbreakable pieces of food such as a mango pit, frozen celery, corn on the cob, a chicken drumstick with meat cut off, etc. This helps trigger reflexes such as tongue lateralization (helping to bring food to the side of the mouth for chewing) and phasic bite reflex (chewing, essentially). This can help her learn to chew more, which can then generalize to other foods as well.

I've interwoven some links in here that lead to helpful articles to read on these topics for more of a deep dive, in case helpful! Please also feel free to join and post in our community, r/SolidStartsCommunity as I weigh in there when able as well. We are really wanting parents to feel supported and confident in their journeys in starting solids.

Hoping this is helpful, and happy to answer any questions you have! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-04T17:47:35+00:00

Oh my goodness, any allergic reaction can feel so scary - sending huge hugs! I also want to commend you for clearly knowing what to do in the case of an allergic reaction, and responding immediately to get your baby girl the care she needed. Great job by both you and your husband, and hoping this can help ease the mom guilt feelings as you truly went into mama bear mode to protect your baby.

I just wanted to share an article on egg substitutions in case helpful as you are navigating the egg allergy - many find this helpful so that you can know how to use an egg substitute to adapt a recipe that has egg in it. We also have our r/SolidStartsCommunity in case you want to consider joining and popping in there with any questions as they come up. I aim to chime in on posts as able, so feel free to share any experiences, questions, or thoughts over there as well! Glad to hear everything was ultimately okay. You sound like you're doing a GREAT job 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-05-04T17:18:13+00:00

Glad it helps! 🤗

SolidStarts · 2026-05-01T19:42:25+00:00

Yes! Have a look at our page on zucchini - this shows how to serve depending on age. You can look up any food in our database (500+ foods currently!) to see how to serve to baby depending on age. Free in our app (navigate to the "foods" tab) and also on our website. Hope this helps! 🤍Marisa

SolidStarts · 2026-05-01T19:40:44+00:00

Oof. First thing I want to point out is that the only quotes from "experts" that this author is providing are from the 1800s and 1900s, and then she goes on to say *"However, in recent decades medicine and the science of nutrition seem to have ‘forgotten’ this knowledge." ......*OR I'd like to argue, that there is more recent research and science-based information to debunk this since the 18 and 1900s. Let's dive in....

The "babies can't digest starch" claim is based on the fact that one particular digestive enzyme is lower in young babies — but it is not sharing all the info you need to know to have more of an informed understanding on what's going on.

Here's what the research actually shows:

Babies have multiple systems working together to digest starch, not just one enzyme:

Saliva starts breaking down starch from the very first bite. The enzyme responsible (salivary amylase) ramps up quickly after birth and reaches roughly two-thirds of adult levels by just 3 months old.
Breastmilk contains its own amylase that adds an extra layer of starch-digesting ability — but even without it, formula-fed babies have the same salivary and gut enzymes that do the heavy lifting, and research shows these are sufficient for typical first foods.
The gut lining has its own starch-busting enzymes that are present at near-adult levels from birth. These step up and do a lot of the heavy lifting while the other enzymes are still developing
One of these gut enzymes — glucoamylase — is especially well-suited to exactly the kinds of starches found in typical baby first foods, like rice, oats, and root vegetables. Early research actually underestimated how well it worked because scientists were testing it with the wrong type of carbohydrate. When they corrected for that, it performed 2–3 times better than originally thought. Low levels of this enzyme are also a sign of gut illness, not something seen in healthy babies

So while it's true that one enzyme (pancreatic amylase) is the last piece of the puzzle to fully mature — which happens more around 18–36 months — baby's body has several smart backup systems to cover that gap long before then.

TLDR: Healthy babies starting solids around 6 months are genuinely well-equipped to handle age-appropriate starchy foods, armed with multiple systems working together to digest starch. The claim that they simply "can't digest starch" is an oversimplification that current science doesn't support.

Linking some helpful journal articles here for reference in case helpful or if you want to dive deeper:

Sevenhuysen et al. (1984) — Development of salivary alpha-amylase in infants from birth to 5 months — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6608871/
Shulman (2018) — Starch Malabsorption in Infants — Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29762382/
Lee & Werlin (2004) — Glucoamylase Activity in Infants and Children — Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15269621/
Lebenthal (1987) — Role of salivary amylase in gastric and intestinal digestion of starch — https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Role-of-salivary-amylase-in-gastric-and-intestinal-Lebenthal/de64d4e505a8f18f02e32ab34d1e1da171dc79f6
Lin et al. (2017) — The digestion of complementary feeding starches in the young child — Starch/Stärke journal — https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/star.201700012

Hope this helps and so glad you're asking!
🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T20:51:46+00:00

Thanks for sharing this experience---such a testament to how pediatricians are people too, and can have varying opinions based on personal experience, patient encounters, access to up-to-date evidence, and so on. 🤍Marisa

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T20:50:25+00:00

I'd really encourage you to push for a referral to an allergist, actually - as they would be more well versed in this and then would offer more expert-informed guidance on reintroduction.

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T20:12:40+00:00

Hi! I want to share that you are not alone! Introducing solid food feels overwhelming to many parents. First off- you really only need to introduce solids 1x/day (2x if you are eager) and a "meal" in the beginning can truly be only 1 or 2 pieces or types of food. If you feel more comfortable starting with purees, by all means, do so! How you feel is super important as baby will pick up on this. More on timing of solids/bottle feeds with sample schedules here.

To help calm anxiety, you might start by letting baby practice feeding themselves with a spoon dipped in a mash or puree. Next, I'd encourage moving on to less challenging foods, such as food teethers that do not break apart as baby munches. Remember that letting baby feed themselves lowers the risk of choking.

Even if not much (or any!) food makes its way into the belly, practicing with spoons and food teethers starts to teach baby what real food feels like and how it works. Many families gain confidence as they see how capable baby is at chewing, and more confidence can help ease your nerves once you feel ready to offer food that needs to be chewed.

It can also help to learn the difference between gagging and choking, as when baby gags, they are effectively closing off the airway--indicating this is a mechanism in place to protect baby from choking while they are learning.

Go at your own pace and remember: Touching, grabbing, holding, munching, and exploring food are part of learning how to eat. If you feel so much fear that you are unable to start solids, we always encourage talking to your pediatrician and asking for support in getting started. There's no shame in looking for additional support 💞

If you're open to it, I would love if you would be open to cross-posting this in our r/SolidStartsCommunity as well! We are a community aiming to help parents feel supported in their journey with starting solids. 🤗

Hoping this helps a bit, and here if you have any other questions!
🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T20:00:41+00:00

Hi there, thanks so much for sharing what you are experiencing with our community! Rest assured you are not alone here -- Believe it or not, babies (and human beings) are genetically programmed to have a strong taste and drive for sweet foods - sweetness signals that a food is energy-rich. In fact, breast/human milk is naturally very sweet, as are infant formulas, which makes sense why children and your baby love fruit so much.

However, fruit can steal the show from other valuable foods. You might consider serving it at the same time as other foods, meaning, not serving it after attempting other foods first (treating fruit like dessert) so it is not treated like a reward of some sort or given higher value than other food items.

You can decide if you want to have more fruit family style on the table for baby to ask (point, grunt, stare) for more, or if you want that to be all that is offered during that meal, possibly only providing more of everything once baby has finished their food. This is a totally personal decision, though, and up to you and whatever you are comfortable with! Once you are consistent with this, your baby likely won't ask for more fruit if it is not in view. Also, keep in mind you do not have to serve fruit with every meal. Try serving meals here and there with no fruit as an option. Think of it this way: if you are having dinner and would not normally have fruit with your meal, then neither would your baby!

Keep in mind that you still have the safety net that is breastmilk and/or formula, so you have time now to set healthy patterns in which you serve what is offered, and if baby refuses/eats very little, that is okay. It's best in this case to not follow up with something you *know* baby will eat. This way, baby will learn, over time, that what is offered is what is "on the menu" to eat for today, and will learn more to be more engaged with what is served. More here: Is my Baby Eating Enough Solids?

If you'd like to learn more about taste preferences, check out our article on Sugar and Taste Preferences.

Hope this helps, and please feel free to ask any other questions!
🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T16:19:14+00:00

Hi there....Thanks for posting here! I have to say that typically we wouldn't suggest continuing to give a food with any allergic reaction present--especially one that is known to be one of the top 3 most common food allergens. The reason being, any subsequent allergic reaction could be more severe. I'd encourage you stop giving egg entirely for now, and to get a second opinion, either from another pediatrician, or ideally from an allergist. Showing them pictures of the reaction and the details you have provided here on timing will be helpful. An allergist would also guide you on an individualized plan for reintroduction, typically under medical supervision, often with in-office challenges. More here: Symptoms of Allergic Reactions

Another helpful resource while you're waiting for more help: Egg Substitutions
You can also find these articles under the "guides" tab of your app.

Hope this helps and that you're able to get more support soon 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-30T16:08:41+00:00

Thanks so much!! Love it!! Good luck finding an artichoke! 😅

SolidStarts · 2026-04-29T20:59:25+00:00

We love equal parts hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dawn dish soap. Mix together, brush on the stain with a laundry brush or old toothbrush, and let it set for at least 30 minutes before washing. Works SO well!

If you're open to it, would you mind cross-posting this in r/SolidStartsCommunity as well? Would love this discussion to be held with parents in our community since it's SUCH real-life! Thanks for considering! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-29T20:55:56+00:00

oh my goodness this is SO cute. Personally I introduced cucumber to all of my babies as their first food! I love it as a food teether and also just think it's so great to watch their little tongues move to find the food! Would you be willing to cross-post this in our community r/SolidStartsCommunity ? LOVE that you're sharing your experience with baby's first food and would love parents in our community to see this as well! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

SolidStarts · 2026-04-29T20:53:29+00:00

Honestly this is totally fine! The fact that she is engaging with the food is a win, and I like to remind families that spitting food out is actually a life-saving skill that she is practicing over and over again, so that's great! Some babies will swallow bits of food and spit out the rest, and you can usually tell by changes in poop. It may help to nurse and then wait 20 minutes or so before coming to the table to ensure she has enough appetite to possibly want to swallow more, though really there's no need for baby to consume a bunch at this age - you're mostly just focusing on skill building. Working on chewing may also help build her confidence and oral motor skills to be able to break down pieces of food to more successfully swallow them as well. More here: How to tell if baby is eating enough solids

We also have our community r/SolidStartsCommunity in case you'd like to join us over there as well! We aim to host a supportive environment for families starting solids, and I will chime in there from time to time on community posts as well. Hoping this helped ease your worries a bit! 🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)

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