How to start weaning?
Starting solid foods is an exciting time. It is a new phase in your baby’s development one that you understandably want to embrace, but how do you do it? What are the practical steps you need to take?
When should I wean my baby?
Solid foods are typically introduced at around 6 months when your baby is showing signs of developmental readiness. You can tell that your baby is ready for weaning by checking if they can
1. hold their head up and sit upright.
2. reach out and grab food and then take it to their mouth.
3. swallow more foods than they push out with their tongue
Pick your weaning method
Before you start solids, it is helpful to consider which weaning appoach you think will suit you and your baby best. There are three approaches you can take
1. Spoon feeding. Using this approach, you would typically start with pureed foods served to your baby on a spoon. You can feed them yourself, be sure to use a responsive spoon feeding approach.
2. Baby Led Weaning. This is a specific approach to introducing solids which is completely baby led. You place foods in front of your baby and sit back and let them get on with it.
3. Spoon feeding with finger foods. This takes elements from the spoon- feeding approach as well as the baby lead weaning approach and gives your baby an opportunity to experience both spoon fed foods and finger foods. They can be introduced both together or you can start with spoon feeding and add the finger foods a little later on.
What weaning equipment do I need?
Lets be honest, weaning is big business and there are lots of different products available out there to support you with weaning but not all items are necessary or required. Here are the must haves with links to some of my favourite brands and products.
Highchair. Choosing a highchair is a big decision. The Stokke tripp trapp chair is hands down my favourite, but is a big investment. Here is a good alternative
Bib. You can either buy a coverall bib or a silicone catch bib depending on what you prefer.
Spoon. If you are feeding your baby I would recommend you choose a spoon with a flat bowl. If your baby is going to be feeding themselves then my recommendation is the doddl baby spoon.
Cup. Your baby can drink water from 6 months. I suggest getting started with an open cup. If you are going to be feeding your baby then the doidy cup is a great option. If your baby is self feeding then a smaller cup such as the baby cup is my recommendation.
Storage containers. These are a must have for those who choose to start with purees. Batch cook and freeze then defrost and you are good to go.
Blender. Another must have if you are starting with purees. You don’t need to splash a lot of money on this a basic handheld blender is fine.
This is by no means an exhaustive list.
If you are wanting more information about what equipment you need and how to get started with solids then take a look at my Introducing Solids online course.
What time of day should I feed my baby?
When it comes to the timing of offering meals to your baby it is important to ensure that your baby is not too tired and not too hungry. At 6 months it can be useful to fit a meal in as follows… Nap, milk feed, small gap and solids. If your baby only typically stays awake two hours between naps it could be that they wake at 10 am then have milk at 10.05 am, play a while and eat at 11 am. This brings me on to my next point which is that in the very early days it really doesn’t matter if your baby eats at the same time each day or eats at a typical mealtime e.g. 12 pm or 5 pm. Do what works for you both.
What are the first foods?
With the exception of small group of foods which should be avoided for babies and children, you can pretty much start with any foods you want when it comes to weaning. Those who choose baby led weaning may opt to give their babies family foods from day one and pick the same foods that they are eating. When giving purees and/or finger foods more and more families are choosing to start with vegetables. There is evidence that early and regular presentation of vegetables including the bitter tasting ones may help with acceptance later on. In the UK, tap water can be given from 6 months of age and can be served with or at the end of the meal.
How should I prepare first foods?
Puree food – aim to make a smooth consistency which is a little bit runny (not too thick) as a first taste. This is the ‘easiest’ texture for your baby to manage and will support them to get tasting and swallowing little bits of food from the start.
Finger foods – go for stick shaped foods. This shape is perfect to help those immature grasping hands grab the food. It also reduces choking risk. Aim for sticks to be the width of 1-2 adult fingers. Make sure they are long enough that the food sticks out of the top of their closed fist.
Now you have the basics and hopefully feel empowered to make some choices in readiness for weaning and beyond. I have lots of free weaning information and content on my Instagram account and if you are looking for more of a step by step guide you can purchase my self-paced Introducing Solids course. It contains around 30 video tutorials, over 15 real life baby weaning example videos, written content and multiple downloads.
*Affiliate links have been used in this blog.
