When and How to Start Weaning: A Complete Guide to First Foods
📅 June 3, 2026·⏱ 1 min read·📖 120 words
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Around six months your baby watches every forkful with intensity. This is weaning readiness.
The NHS guidance: 6 months
Start solids around six months, never before four. Three signs of readiness: sits with minimal support, good head control, lost the tongue-thrust reflex.
Spoon-feeding vs baby-led weaning
Traditional weaning starts with purees; BLW offers soft finger foods from the start. Both work — many parents combine them.
💡 Key takeaway: Food before one is about exploration, not nutrition. Milk remains primary until 12 months.
💬 Parents also asked
The most reliable signs: regular wet and dirty nappies (6+ wet nappies a day from day 5), steady weight gain, and a baby who seems content after feeds. If you're concerned, your health visitor can do a weighted feed.
Formula-fed babies can have small sips of cooled boiled water from around 6 months. Breastfed babies don't need water before 6 months -- breast milk provides all the hydration they need, even in hot weather.
Three signs to look for together: they can sit with minimal support and hold their head steady, they've lost the tongue-thrust reflex (don't automatically push food out), and they show interest in your food. Age alone isn't enough -- wait for all three.
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