When to start solids: weaning around 6 months
Most babies are ready for solid foods at around 6 months, alongside their usual milk. Starting much earlier isn't recommended. Here's the gist of the NHS advice, your health visitor can guide your own baby.
Signs your baby is ready
Usually around 6 months, when your baby can stay sitting and hold their head steady, coordinate eyes, hands and mouth to look at, grab and put food in their mouth, and swallow food rather than push it back out. Reaching for your food, chewing fists or waking in the night on their own aren't reliable signs of being ready for solids.
First foods and textures
Start with single, soft foods, soft cooked vegetables, soft fruit, or baby cereal mixed with their usual milk, as smooth purees, mashes or soft finger foods. Let them explore, mess is part of learning. Keep offering milk; food is on top of milk at this stage, not instead of it.
Keep it calm and unrushed
Go at your baby's pace, never force, and try foods more than once, tastes take time. Always stay with your baby while they eat to watch for choking.
Track meals as they start
Log first foods, tag what was offered and snap a photo so you (and the nanny) can see what your baby actually ate.
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