1. Baby can hold his/her head up 

Baby needs to be able to keep their head steady, and move it from side to side.

2. Sit upright independently

This may be sitting in a high chair or booster seat on a chair with their back supported, or being held while sitting on your lap – either way baby needs to be able to sit upright with a straight, clear passage from mouth to stomach.

3. Curious about what you’re eating

This might be eyeing up your dinner, or reaching out to grab something from your plate – a new interest in everything you eat or staring at food is generally a good sign they might be ready to explore solid foods.

4. Good co-ordination

Baby should be able to look or focus on a piece of food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all on their own. Equally if you see your baby attempting to put toys or their hands in their mouth.

5. Baby can swallow food

If you’ve tried them with a little spoonful of something, if baby pushes the food back out with their tongue, they might not be ready to try more solid foods.

TIP Serve baby their first taste in the form of a veggie puree or very soft steamed veggie stick with the help of a baby blender/steamer food prep machine.

Even when you start to see signs that your little one might be ready to start weaning, experts recommend that breast milk or infant formula is the sole source of nutrition for infants until around six months. Until then, your baby will get all the nutrition they need from milk. Research also shows you shouldn’t introduce solids before 4 months (17 weeks), as baby’s gut is not yet sufficiently developed to deal with foods other than breast or formula milk, as it is more susceptible to sensitivity and infection. Every baby is different, and if you think your baby may be showing signs of being ready to wean earlier than six months, speak to your healthcare professional. 

This blog content is provided for general information and is in no way a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or medical professional. Please consult a healthcare professional for official advice.

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