How to Support Chewing Skills

Did you know you can start supporting baby’s chewing skills basically from the moment they are born?

It’s true! First let’s define chewing. Chewing is the up-and-down jaw movements made to manage solid food. Typically, chewing patterns start to emerge in babies between 6-8 months (but remember, I don’t want to focus on WHEN it happens, but rather HOW to help it happen!)

Let’s look at the 4 steps you can take to support baby’s chewing BEFORE you even offer baby a chewable food.

1- Engage in lots of tummy time.

You can do this one from day 1 of life! Tummy time makes the core strong. Core strength and trunk support are the foundation of a child’s eating skills. Without a strong core, baby won’t have stability in the high chair. Without stability in the high chair, baby won’t be able to be comfortable when eating. Plus, a weak core usually indicates a weak jaw. A weak jaw means eating solids will be hard!

See my favorite toys for tummy time and floor play here!

2 - Introduce teethers around 3 months of age.

I don’t like to provide age-based recommendations; HOWEVER, there is no way around it with this one. Early introduction of teethers is important, as teethers help increase jaw strength, move the gag reflex back, and support tongue retraction. All of these are needed for chewing.

See my list of favorite teethers here!

3 - Make sure baby can mash soft and lumpy solids (e.g., mashed banana/avocado).

This initial mashing pattern of the tongue making contact with the roof of the mouth indicates that a vertical chewing pattern is on the way! (Banana, avocado, and sweet potato are great foods to mash and serve.)

This masher is a lifesaver for quick mashing of soft solids! Plus it’s great for on the go.

4 - Make sure baby has had some success with open cup drinking.

Wait, what? What does drinking have to do with chewing? If baby has had some success with open cup drinking (with support!), that indicates that their jaw is likely strong enough to start to chew small pieces of dissolvable and soft solids. AND it indicates that baby has practiced some tongue retraction, which is important for chewing, as it helps keep the food in the mouth.

See my favorite small open cups (and all my favorite cups) here!

If you offer baby a dissolvable solid or a chunk of chewable food before he/she is ready, he/she may have a negative experience such as excessive gagging or a feeling of being unsafe.

If your baby has started solids and is having difficulty managing bites, gagging, or expelling of foods, contact a feeding specialist. Or you can book a 1:1 Virtual Consultation with my team. We’re happy to help you problem solve and guide you to where you need to go- plus we schedule quickly so you don’t have to wait!

Support baby’s chewing from the start!

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