Why Is My Baby Spitting Out Food?
This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a product through a link, I will receive a small commission - this does not impact the amount you pay. Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk (*).
For many parents, a baby’s transition to solid foods can feel both rewarding and challenging. The combined confusion and frustration when your baby starts spitting out food can lead to doubt about whether the baby is even ready for solid foods, feeling unsure about which foods to offer, and so on.
The good news is that a baby’s spitting food is a common and healthy response when learning how to eat. Observing your baby's cues and behaviors can help you understand what might be driving the spitting. The more we can understand what is going on during moments of spitting, the better we can help our babies learn to eat without needing to spit.
My goal in this article is to help you understand the many reasons why babies might spit out their food at different ages and stages of development and what you can do to help them stop. Let’s get started!
Why is my baby spitting out food at 6 months?
First and foremost, eating solid food is an entirely new experience for babies. They are learning to eat in the most literal sense. It takes time to learn to chew and swallow, understand how to manage bites of food in the mouth, and breathe simultaneously.
You may have also heard of something called “the tongue thrust.” This innate reflex is present in babies and causes the tongue to push a piece of food out of the mouth to protect the airway.
It naturally fades with time and is generally gone entirely by about 12 months of age. It is a myth that the baby’s tongue thrust should be gone before a baby starts solids around 6 months, and it may be one reason why your baby routinely spits out baby food from the mouth.
Why is my baby spitting out food at 9 months?
Babies and toddlers are curious, and due to that curiosity, they often want to see what they are eating. As your little eater gains more independence and explores more table foods, it’s common for babies to spit out food on purpose (9 months, or close to it) just to get a better look at it, only to immediately put it back in the mouth.
Babies are still learning about different textures and sensations in their mouths. They might spit food because they're still getting used to the texture or taste. If you ate something that felt like no other food you’ve ever tried, would your first instinct be to spit it out? Babies are no different, except that they’ve experienced fewer food textures than adults.
As a pediatric dietitian, I’ve seen time and time again that for this and other reasons, allowing babies plenty of time and opportunity to explore and play with food is helpful and can increase food acceptance and baby’s comfort level around solids.
A sweet 8-month-old baby girl exploring new food textures! Big thanks to her parents for allowing me to share!
Why is my baby spitting out food at 11 months?
Babies become more aware of their caregivers and responses as they age. A baby may enjoy the reaction from a caregiver when they spit out food, whether a positive or negative response. It might become a game for them! Try to remain unphased when your baby spits out food.
Babies will often become more selective about the foods they eat as they grow. They might spit out food if they find it too challenging to chew, if it's a texture they dislike, or if they encounter a piece that's too large or difficult to manage. Parents can help by offering appropriate-sized pieces of food and being patient as their little one learns to eat independently.
Why is my baby spitting food on purpose?
There are a few other reasons for spitting out food that may affect your baby at any stage. These include:
1. Teething: Teething can make babies uncomfortable at any age, and they might spit out food to soothe their gums or prevent irritation from eating. It’s common to see food jags during teething episodes. Continue to offer soft, easy-to-chew foods or pureed foods.
2. Fullness: Sometimes babies spit out food because they're full or not hungry at that moment. It’s important to use a responsive feeding style and watch for the baby’s fullness cues. Turning their heads away or throwing food are other signs they may not want or like a particular food.
3. Sensory Sensitivity: In some cases, babies might be more sensitive to certain textures or tastes, causing them to spit out food. Try to increase oral sensory input, which can help babies who don’t like to feel new textures in their mouth acclimate to the variety of tastes and textures that come with solid foods; you can do this by offering different textured toys, including bumpy, soft, compressible, and firm textures for them to explore with their mouths (for example, a toothbrush*, a molar teether* or vibrating teether*).
**IMPORTANT NOTE: If a baby is older than 8 months, has had a few weeks or months of positive opportunities to explore food, and displays the signs of readiness for solids but is still uninterested in food and refusing to eat, it may be time to get further evaluation from a feeding therapist.
7 month-old baby spitting out pasta! Thank you to her parents for sharing.
Why is my premature baby spitting out food?
Premature babies may have unique feeding challenges due to their early arrival and the potential impact on their development. While it's not necessarily the early arrival that causes babies to spit out food, premature babies might encounter specific issues related to feeding.
They might have underdeveloped oral motor skills or developmental delays, which can affect their ability to suck, swallow, and coordinate their feeding. This can lead to difficulties in managing food in their mouths, potentially resulting in spitting out food more frequently.
Premature babies also may have a more sensitive gag reflex, which could cause a stronger reaction to certain textures or food consistencies, leading to spitting. Premature babies are also more prone to gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which can lead to discomfort during feeding.
Parents of premature babies should work closely with healthcare providers, including pediatricians, pediatric speech-language pathologists, and feeding specialists to address any feeding issues and ensure that their babies receive appropriate support and nutrition.
Techniques such as paced feeding, offering smaller, more frequent feedings, and using specialized feeding equipment may help premature babies overcome feeding challenges and reduce the likelihood of spitting out food.
A happy 10-month old babe after his meal - thank you to his parents for sharing!
What To Do When Baby is Spitting Out Food?
Provide Easy Options
While starting solids and throughout infancy, babies are still developing their muscles in the mouth and oral motor skills, which can take time. To help your baby safely and successfully swallow food, the foods and textures you offer should be easy to move around inside the mouth.
Some great first foods for babies to start with once they show signs of readiness for solids (usually around 6 months of age) include bananas, avocados, and eggs due to their soft texture. Be sure to avoid common choke foods and familiarize yourself with gagging versus choking.
2. Respect the Refusal… and Try Again Later
Babies are often referred to as the original intuitive eaters. They innately know when they are full. Spitting out food could simply be a means of communicating fullness, and respecting that is a cornerstone of responsive feeding and strengthening a child’s internal self-regulation system.
Overfeeding a baby can also lead to acid reflux, which is uncomfortable and unnecessary. So watch for signs of fullness and follow your baby’s cues for eating.
Don’t take food refusal as a sign that you shouldn’t ever serve that food again, though. Babies may need as many as 8-10 exposures to a new food before they accept it. Continuing to offer foods repeatedly, even after your baby previously rejected them (or spit them out), helps prevent picky eating behaviors and leads to greater food acceptance.
3. Lead By Example
Mama do, baby do - you may notice that your baby wants to grab everything out of your hands and mimics your actions. Use that to your advantage during mealtimes!
When feeding your baby, having your baby see you eating the foods you’re offering (without spitting them out yourself) teaches your baby how to eat. Role modeling is a powerful tool that can also help get your baby more interested in foods in general.
It is also helpful to model what to do if you dislike a food. For example, having a specific bowl or place on their food tray designated for unwanted foods can be helpful. Some parents call it a “no-no” or “no thank you” bowl.
4. Ensure Your Baby is Hungry
Lastly, spitting out food can be a sign that your baby is not hungry, so try to time solid food meals for moments when your baby has had a chance to build up a bit of an appetite.
The transition to solid foods can be difficult, especially if you are unsure of how much food your baby needs in the first place. Starting with small amounts of food and looking for baby hunger cues like turning their head towards food or sucking their hands can help.
If you're concerned about your baby's feeding habits or growth, or if your baby is just not interested in solids or is having trouble transitioning from purees to solid foods, it's always a good idea to consult with your pediatrician or registered dietitian.
And if you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, download my FREE BLW Starter Guide. It includes my top expert tips for successfully introducing solids, a short list of budget-friendly baby-led feeding tools, a printable 1-sheet for your baby’s caregivers, first food ideas and how to safely serve them, PLUS a 5-day packable BLW meal plan with photos for food sizing to make your life easier.
You can also check out my online course for parents, based on my best-selling book, which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids and introducing top allergenic foods using a baby-led approach. The course includes my Safe & Simple 12-Week Meal Plan, which maps out the entire first 12 weeks of your baby’s solid food feeding journey and provides over 30 recipes, weekly shopping lists, tons of balanced baby meals, a complete plan for top allergen introduction, and lots of guidance (with photos) on how to serve each food safely.
And if you're looking for personalized nutrition support for your babies or kids, I am currently accepting new clients in my virtual private practice. Thanks for reading!
