Around 6-7 months baby makes strong chewing movements and can accept
soft lumpy foods. At first she will ‘gag’ which is a natural reflex to
prevent choking. It happens because food catches at the back of her
throat causing her to cough it up. This prevents the food from getting
stuck in her throat and blocking her airways. It is quite normal for
small babies to 'gag' a lot at first until they learn to chew food a
little more before swallowing. Even if your baby gags, persevere
because if you continue to feed only pureed food to your baby, she
will have difficulty learning to chew.
Chewing is very important to help with teeth and jaw development and
for speech later on. By 7 months most babies should be well on the way
to eating soft lumpy foods. If this is delayed, babies often have
difficulty with chewing and will reject lumpy foods.
From 8 months baby will enjoy finger foods. Avoid foods that can break
off and cause choking. Avoid raw carrot, raw celery, raw apple, nuts,
sausages, popcorn and hard lollies."