Okay, so I've been browsing through 20 plus pages of threads for help, and I am starting to go cross-eyed! My trips will turn 1 Monday (yay)! and still do not take much table food. They love baby food-but we are stuck in stage 2. They will eat some finger foods like cereal, puffs, crackers, yogurt melts, cheese bits, etc but just are NOT catching on to table food. I have tried cut up sweet potato, fresh fruit, steamed veggies,waffles etc. but they tend to gag and of course puke up everything, or just mush it up and not eat it. I'm SO tired of cleaning up puke but I know the only way they'll catch on is practice. I'm also totally confused on how much baby food to feed three one year old babies...here's what they eat right now:

7am bottle (6-8 oz)
8am breakfast (1 cup baby oatmeal with 4 oz fruit puree, 1/2 cup yogurt, pieces of toast, dry cereal)
11:30 bottle (6-7 oz)
Noon lunch (4 oz meat/veggie puree, 8 oz veggie, 4 oz fruit)
2:30 snack (4 oz each fruit and yogurt, finger foods (crackers, puffs, cereal, cheese, etc)
4:30 dinner (1/2 cup cereal with 8 oz veggie)
6:30 bottle (6-8 oz)

They are still on formula right now, but am anticipating transitioning to whole milk soon-maybe even dropping another bottle or two. Am I over analyzing this? Even though it seems like EVERYONE I know is telling me "my kids ate table food by a year" (argh) I know others have gone through this, so tell me-when did they get off the puree band wagon?
Trish

BBG triplets
Born 6/20/10
32 weeks 5 days

Hey Trish --

My GGG are just a year (adjusted) on the 22nd -- actual they are about 14 months. We've got one girl who, similar to yours gags and throws up with any texture. She's gotten a lot better in the past weeks with a lot of advice from feeding clinics and suggestions from others on this forum.

I'm not sure I can help but some of the things we've tried:

- if I give purees, I thicken them up with baby cereal to give it a different texture -- something she has to move her tongue around.

- we were adding wheat-germ for added texture to the puree.

- the OT from the feeding clinic gave us a "textured spoon" - it has bumps on it so gives the sensation of texture.

- LET THEM PLAY WITH THE FOOD! This seems to be the greatest advice - our girl will often need to play with something a few times before she even tries to put it in her mouth.

- our big success has been "strips" of food -- toast strips, waffle strips, fries (sweet potato) -- she was able to hold the food and kind of lick it. This seemed to be her break through as she has increased her repertoire of foods since...

- let them decide what they will eat after giving them an opportunity to explore the food with their hands and, hopefully they'll get it to their mouth!

I'm not sure what table food is versus finger food, but I would keep doing what you're doing, and experiment with new things.

Have you tried elbow or fusili pasta? I tried mine on plain pasta to start...not a great hit. I made macaroni and cheese -- she gobbles it up. I also tried her on finely chopped pork - clearly not thinking she would have anything to do with it...she devoured it. Try different things and don't give up!

They will get this....I too have to believe this!

good luck

Janet
G - 12/07 35 weeks
GGG-04/10 30 weeks

Thanks Janet,
I actually thought of you when I posted this, and wondered how your babies were doing. It's good to know I'm not alone!
Trish

BBG triplets
Born 6/20/10
32 weeks 5 days

I'm not sure how to attach the link here but the subject for my question posed to the group was "texture troubles"....if you do a search, it might give you some more ideas from others whom I found really helpful!

You're NOT alone -- just keep trying. Try not to worry (I need to remind myself of this daily)...

cheers,
Janet

Janet
G - 12/07 35 weeks
GGG-04/10 30 weeks

I'm so glad I saw this thread. My triplets are 11 months adjusted & still very much attached to their purees. I keep reading in baby books to start table foods at 12 months, but our pediatrician told us to keep them on purees until 15 months! She describes the choke cases she's had in the hospital & said the worst is bread. I don't want to put the kids in danger, but I also don't want them to be behind everyone else. The funny thing was that the handout her office gave us as we left her office said babies should be on table food by 12 months. Anyone else have that same advice from their pedi?

Two of my kids don't have any teeth yet. Does that make a difference?

GGB Triplets Born 32 weeks Nov,2010

Janet

2 of my triplets go to feeding therapy and our FT says that carrot sticks or celery sticks or even just giving them baby spoons to play with are the best things for helping them get rid of the gag reflex. I started giving mine carrot sticks or spoons while I'm getting their food ready and while I'm spoon feeding them and within about 10 days they weren't gagging on a bit of texture. Might be worth a try.

Morgan
M 17yo
J 5yo
C 3yo
GBG triplets born at 29wks in Jan 2011!