Pinterest has some great ideas on first foods & how to introduce them. If you can, look into taking an infant/child cpr class (usually local police, fire, hospitals, or libraries offer them); it'll help ease your mind. If a class isn't immediately available or isn't something you can do right now, check out YouTube (search infant cpr american heart association) for some good instructions.

I feel the same way

Check out “Baby Led Weaning for Beginners and Beyond” on Facebook. Lots of very practical information on how to get started.My husband and I also took an infant first aid class and learned how to perform CPR and what to do if he chokes. Done right, the risk of choking during BLW is very low, but it makes us feel better.

The biggest thing to remember is that they are mostly just gnawing on the food and tasting it. They aren't swallowing and eating very much at all. You're not giving them small enough pieces where they'll just pop it into their mouth and swallow/choke. Start with foods that are soft like roasted sweet potato, avocado, etc, and cut them into strips. Baby can pick them up and chew on them to taste. Also, remember that babies are definitely going to gag, no matter when they start solids! So know the difference between gagging and choking. (Brush up on the Heimlich maneuver to ease your mind, too.) As you feel more comfortable you can try slices of egg, strips of meat, toast, pre-loaded spoons of food, and other veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Feeding Littles. They’re on Instagram and Facebook. Lots of free info on their pages... but I thought the class that you buy was worth it.

Yes! My lactation consultant recommended this book: ‘Baby led weaning: the essential guide to introducing solid goods and helping your baby to grow up a happy and confident eater’. It’s on amazon, eligible for prime and is only 8 bucks. It is so incredibly helpful and does a really great job explaining why introducing solids first actually HELPS with the gag reflex later on.... I was worried too!