Day 18: Hearty Meals
What on Earth??? I know, that's what you're thinking isn't it? This is the kind of post that really, unless you're Hugh's mama or daddy, you won't fully understand the magnitude of what occurred tonight with the above pouch of Hearty Meals.
So what is Hearty Meals and why is this a big deal?
A few months ago, when Hugh was starting to try different solids and purees, we noticed that he loved the stage one stuff and some stage two, but anytime he had something with any lumps, or texture that wasn't totally liquidy and smooth, he'd start choking.
Seriously.
I don't think I've been more scared to feed a baby than I have been with Hugh. He turns beet red, starts gagging, and then gasping for air. It's frightening and very traumatic to be witnessing.
What causes this? Anything that's not runny and smooth. Oatmeal, thicker apple sauce, stage three foods like Hearty Meals... all cause him to gag. Puffs, crunchies, O's, and melts also cause him to gag and choke.
When he eats these things, he'll get some stuck in the back of his throat and that's what causes him to gag. Then he ends up vomiting all over himself. It's scary and frustrating at the same time.
When he was eight months, I wanted to start getting him foods that were more protein packed. I didn't want him just eating veggies and fruits, so I went on Amazon and found some meals with meat in them. I love Happy Baby and was excited to see that they have a stage three called Hearty Meals. I ordered the beef dinner, chicken dinner, and pasta dinner.
The first time I tried to feed the beef one to Hugh was when he was almost nine months old. One spoonful and it sent him over the edge. I threw the entire pouch away because there was no way he was going to be able to eat it. :-(
I've talked to his PT about his feeding issues and we're hoping that when his team meets on Thursday, they'll be able to add feeding and speech to his services. We desperately need someone to help us with this. He'll be 11 months tomorrow and I'm afraid that he won't be able to enjoy his cake smash session because he'll be gagging on cake. :-(
So anyway, tonight, I deicded to give the Hearty Meals another try. I was absolutely delighted and shocked when he didn't puke or gag with the first spoonful. I kept going and he didn't gag once. No puking, and he ate the entire pouch!!
I was so excited, I had to take pictures and send them to Steve. His reply was, "No choking?!?!?" :-)
After dinner, Gus and Hugh played at the table and I captured some charming pictures of my delightful baby boy with a full belly.
I know we still have a ways to go. He should be eating cheese cubes, crackers, fruit, mashed potatoes, table foods. However, I'm so scared to try anything that's not purred because of how he gags and chokes and pukes.
But I'm thankful for the small victory tonight. It was an awesome night and I'm proud of Hugh and so thankful that we made it through an entire pouch of Hearty Meals without him choking on it.
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