vitababyIn short
Most babies are ready to start weaning (starting solids) at around six months. The three signs that they are genuinely ready, usually appearing together, are: they can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady; they can coordinate eyes, hands, and mouth to look at, grab, and bring food to their mouth; and they can swallow food rather than push it back out. Waking in the night, wanting extra milk, or chewing fists are normal and are not on their own signs of readiness. If your baby was premature, ask your health visitor, GP, or pediatrician about timing using corrected age.
Key takeaways
- Aim to start weaning at around six months — not before four months.
- Look for three readiness signs together: sitting and steady head, hand-eye-mouth coordination, and swallowing (not pushing food out).
- Night waking, wanting more milk, and chewing fists are normal — they are not readiness signs on their own.
- For premature babies, discuss timing (corrected age) with your health visitor, GP, or pediatrician.
Why around six months
Current UK (NHS) and US (AAP) guidance is to start solids at around six months. By then most babies can sit and control their head, their digestive system and kidneys are more ready for food, and they are better at moving food around their mouth and swallowing safely. Solids should not be started before four months; before then a baby’s gut and coordination are not ready.
The three signs of readiness
Readiness is about development, not just age. Look for these three signs, which usually appear together from around six months:
- Staying in a sitting position and holding their head steady.
- Coordinating eyes, hands, and mouth — looking at food, grabbing it, and bringing it to their mouth.
- Swallowing food rather than pushing it back out (the tongue-thrust reflex has faded).
Signs that are often mistaken for readiness
Some things look like hunger for solids but are normal milk-fed baby behaviour: waking more in the night, wanting extra milk feeds, and chewing their fists. On their own these are not reasons to start solids early — they usually pass and do not mean your baby needs food yet.
How to begin
Start with single, simple foods — soft cooked vegetables, soft fruit, or baby cereal — in a smooth or soft texture, offered after or alongside milk so milk intake stays up through the first year. Include common allergens one at a time from the start. Keep mealtimes calm, let your baby decide how much to eat, never leave them alone while eating, and avoid added salt, sugar, honey (under one year), whole nuts, and other choking hazards.
Logging those first foods in VitaBaby — what you offered, when, and how it went — gives you a clear record as you build variety, and an easy way to spot any food that does not agree with your baby.
Step by step
- Check the three readiness signs. Wait until your baby can stay sitting and hold their head steady, can coordinate eyes, hands, and mouth to bring food to their mouth, and can swallow food rather than push it back out — usually around six months and usually together.
- Start with single, simple first foods. Begin with soft cooked vegetables, soft fruit, or baby cereal in an age-appropriate texture, offered after or alongside a milk feed so milk intake stays up.
- Introduce common allergens too. From the start of weaning, include common allergens (such as smooth peanut butter and well-cooked egg) one at a time, a couple of days apart, rather than delaying them.
- Keep it calm and let them lead. Offer small amounts, let your baby decide how much to eat, never leave them alone while eating, and avoid added salt, sugar, whole nuts, and other choking hazards.
FAQ
Can I start weaning before six months?
Guidance is to start at around six months and never before four months. If you are thinking of starting earlier because your baby seems hungry, talk to your health visitor, GP, or pediatrician first — extra milk feeds usually meet the need, and the gut and coordination are not ready before four months.
Is waking at night a sign my baby is ready for solids?
No. Night waking, wanting more milk, and chewing fists are normal and are not, on their own, signs of readiness. The real signs are sitting with a steady head, hand-eye-mouth coordination, and swallowing food rather than pushing it out.
When should a premature baby start weaning?
Timing for premature babies is usually based on corrected age and individual development, so ask your health visitor, GP, or pediatrician rather than going by birth date alone. Watch for the same three readiness signs.
Sources
- Your baby’s first solid foods — NHS
- Starting Solid Foods — American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)