How on earth do I know when my baby is ready to start solids?
I was so excited to start giving food to my little one! I wanted so desperately to see her little face when she tasted all the different foods we eat as a family
My plan was to stick to the rule of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. But I got too excited and gave her some tastes of my food at around 5 and a half months!
That said, I 10000% support exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months if this is possible (as there are heaps of benefits to mum + baby in doing this!). And there are so many benefits of waiting until 6 months such as being able to allow your baby to self-feed from the start which can reduce the chances of them being a fussy eater
What do we look for?
So how on earth do we know when a baby is ready for solids? This is something that has been heavily studied in the nutrition world. But currently it is agreed - that waiting until at least 6 months is best - in most cases! But, if you walk down the baby food aisle in any supermarket you will see all manner of 'baby foods' aimed at 4 months, 5 months, 6 months babies, which is ultra confusinggggg
So what is so special about 6 months? Well there are a few key things we look for to decide if a baby is ready for their first foods. Some of these signs show earlier than others.
The skill of picking up food and bringing it to the mouth is one that develops later in babies – this is why ‘baby-led’ (self-feeding) style of weaning usually starts later at around 6 months or so. This style of weaning reduces the chances of them being a fussy eater when compared to traditional spoon feeding
On the other hand, spoon feeding a baby puree requires that a baby is able to swallow food – but they do not need to be able to pick up food and put it in their mouth. This skill usually shows earlier and is more relevant if you are weaning earlier than 6 months
Currently if a baby is high-risk for food allergy then early weaning (before 6 months) is recommended! And so if a parent decides to follow this advice then some element of spoon feeding may be required to achieve this goal
Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the current recommendation due to the heaps of benefits for mum and baby. But remember, this is not always possible
If weaning early, in the UK it is recommended not to start weaning before 17 weeks of age.
Developmental signs of readiness
If following the current UK advice around starting solids, these are the developmental skills that are recommended to wait for:
Sitting up: Being able to sit up independently! This is a suuuuper important skill as it means babies have the core strength needed to hold a good posture and therefore eat and swallow safely
Showing an interest: Watch out for your baby showing an interest in your food - they might stare you down as you bite into your dinner
Reaching out to grab food and able to bring it to their mouth
Able to swallow: Loss of the tongue thrust reflex – babies who aren’t ready push the food back out with their tongue (this skill is relevant if weaning earlier than 6 months)
Timing: These usually occur around 6 months (do not start before 17 weeks/4 months)
A note on baby-led weaning
‘Baby-led’ weaning is when babies are encouraged to explore food independently from the start by picking it up with their hands and self-feeding, rather than by being spoon-fed by someone else.
The skills required for a baby to self-feed (being able to look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth) often show later than those required for babies to be spoon fed puree/mashed food
If you decide to wean earlier than 6 some foods will require adapting to make them suitable for your baby (blending or mashing)
I hope you found this useful to read before starting your weaning journey with your little one!
Explore the first foods section of the blog or my 30-days of weaning series on instagram to get everything you need to feel confident starting solids with your little one and nourish them throughout the first year and beyond!
C x