You can start weaning your baby onto solid foods when they show signs they're ready. This normally happens at around 6 months.
There might be a free weaning workshop happening near you. If you are interested, talk to your public health nurse to get more information about it.
Here are some tips for establishing a mealtime routine during the first few days.
Choosing the right time of day
The best time of day is the one that suits you both.
Choose a time when:
- you do not feel rushed
- your baby is not too tired or hungry
Eating is a whole new skill. Allow plenty of time. Go at your baby's pace and stop when they show signs they've had enough.
Turn off distractions like the TV, radio and your phone.
Mealtime routine
Start introducing solid foods once a day.
A good way to start is:
- Offer them some of their usual milk feed first.
- Start with 1 teaspoon of food per meal. Increase the amount slowly over several weeks.
- Introduce new foods 1 at a time and allow your baby to get used to the taste and texture.
- When your baby is taking about 6 teaspoons of food at 1 meal, introduce a second meal.
How to start weaning
What solids to start your baby on
You might want to start with single vegetables and fruits.
Try mashed or soft cooked sticks of:
- parsnip
- broccoli
- potato
- yam
- sweet potato
- carrot
- apple
- pear
Include vegetables that are not sweet, such as cauliflower and spinach.
This will help your baby get used to a range of flavours (rather than just the sweeter ones, such as carrots and sweet potato). It might help prevent them being fussy eaters as they grow up.
Make sure any cooked food is cool before offering it to your baby.
Nutrients your baby needs during weaning
How to prepare your baby's food
You can make up a batch of baby food and freeze it in individual portions.
Do
-
wash your hands before you prepare food or feed your baby
-
make sure your baby's bowl and spoon are clean before you use them
Don't
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do not re-use food that has not been eaten - this might make your baby ill
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do not reheat cooked food more than once
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do not add salt, sugar or stock cubes to your baby’s food or cooking water
Feeding your baby safely
Do not force your baby to eat or rush them when they are learning to eat solid foods.
Never leave your baby alone while eating, in case of choking.
Let your baby hold the food
Let your baby enjoy touching and holding food.
If the food contains allergens such as peanuts or eggs, feed them with a spoon. This is to avoid it getting on their skin.
If you’re using a spoon, wait for your baby to open their mouth before you offer the food. Your baby may like to hold a spoon too.
Enjoy this special time as your baby begins to discover a whole new world of food.
Be prepared for a mess. Dribbling bibs and floor mats can be useful.
Letting your baby explore new foods (video)
Equipment for weaning
You will need some equipment when weaning your baby.
This includes:
- a chair that supports your baby's head and feet
- blender, liquidiser or a sieve
- small bowl
- feeding spoon with long handle
- cup or beaker with free-flowing spout
- steriliser for bowls and spoons
Baby-led weaning
Baby-led weaning means letting them feed themselves from the start with finger foods. This is instead of feeding them puréed or mashed food on a spoon.
Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding. Others do a combination of both.
Finger foods
Offering your baby finger foods at each meal is a good way to help them learn to self-feed.
Finger food is food that's cut up into pieces big enough for your baby to hold.