The right start

If your baby is approaching six months old you are probably starting to think about weaning them onto solid food.

Weaning is the process babies go through when they move away from milk being their only food and start to eat solid food. It is important to wait until six months before you try your baby with solid food as your baby’s digestive system willcope with solid food before then.

Signs that your baby is ready for solid food are

• They have reached six months old.

• They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.

• They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at food and pick it up by themselves.

• They can swallow food. Babies that are not ready for solids will push the food back out again!

Getting started: Top tips!

• Wait for a time when your baby is happy and content. If they don’t seem interested try again another time.

• Start small! Just offer small pieces or teaspoons of food once a day.

• Let your baby touch and hold food, and try putting it in their mouth.

• Make sure the food is not too hot.

• Don’t add salt, sugar or stock cubes.

• If you are using a spoon wait for the baby to open their mouth, don’t try and force the spoon in.

• Always stay with your baby to make sure they don’t choke.

• SMILE! Make lots of eye contact and smile, your baby will see you are enjoying it and they will enjoy it too.

First foods to try

Homemade food is best for babies as it can be made from simple ingredients with no added salt or sugar. Start with mashed or soft cooked vegetables like parsnip, yams, sweet potato, carrot and potato.

You could try soft fruit like peach, strawberries, banana, melon and avocado. Baby cereals with breast milk or formula milk added are good also. Next you can try soft cooked meats like chicken and fish (check for bones!) as well as lentils, rice, pieces of chapatti, toast and pasta.

Even though your baby is starting to eat solids it’s still important they get milk. For more information about weaning contact

Lucy Street, Health Trainer on

07903 328 020.

Page sponsored by NHS Sheffield’s Healthy Communities Programme