What age is best for weaning?
The NHS recommends parents start weaning their baby at around six months of age, although some parents may choose to do it slightly earlier than this. If your baby was born prematurely, it’s best to ask your GP about when to start introducing solids.
Breast milk or formula will still be providing most of the nutrients your baby needs, so for the first few months it’s just about introducing new flavours and textures to your child.
Signs that your baby is ready for weaning include being able to stay in a sitting position and hold their head up, and being able to coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so that they can put food into their mouth themselves.
What are the three stages of weaning?
You might find that some books and nutritionists split the weaning process into three stages similar to these below:
Purées and soft finger foods from six months
Mashed food with lumps and finger foods from seven months
More variety and family meals from nine to 12 months
What food should I start with when weaning?
Many nutritionists and weaning experts recommend starting your baby on one fruit or vegetable at a time. This will allow them to get used to a range of flavours and textures. It’s also important to not just give them sweet flavours. Try mashing up (or boiling until soft) potatoes, parsnips, carrots, broccoli, peas, apples, bananas and pears.
Another reason it’s recommended that foods are introduced one at a time is so you can be aware of any allergic reactions. Foods that can commonly cause reactions such as fish, nuts or eggs should be given in small amounts and one at a time too. Cow’s milk can be added to foods when cooking but should not be given as a drink until your baby is over one year old.
If you’d like to give your baby finger food, make sure you start off with soft foods which can be easily broken down in their mouths. Many babies may still not have many, or any, teeth at six months. Try boiled carrot sticks, broccoli and sweet potato, as well as bananas, avocados and peaches. Pasteurised full-fat hard cheese and toast are also good finger foods.
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How long should weaning take?
Every child is different and, while some babies may take to food straight away, others may not be interested at all for the first few weeks and months of weaning. As we’ve said above, this should not be a concern as breast or formula milk should still give them all of the nutrients they need.
Don’t panic if your child doesn’t seem to be swallowing much. The actions of picking up food, holding spoons and tasting different flavours are all part of the weaning process and will help with their development.
From seven to 10 months your child may be ready to start on three small meals a day, plus their normal milks feeds. If they are starting to eat more substantial amounts, they may start to drop their intake of milk. By 12 months, your baby will be on three meals a day, plus healthy snacks.
What is the best weaning book?
Many weaning books contain similar information and tips so your favourite will come down to personal preference but, overall, we think Annabel Karmel’s Weaning Made Simple is the best book on our list.
She’s been writing about weaning for over 30 years so parents can be reassured that she really knows her stuff. The easy-to-follow book covers absolutely everything from dropping milk feeds to choosing finger food or baby-led weaning and dealing with allergies. There’s a reason why she is one of the most famous names in the business!
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About the author
Jenny Wonnacott has been working as a Content Editor for Mumsnet since 2022 with a particular focus on pregnancy, child and baby care product guides, articles and reviews. As a mum of three, Jenny has extensive hands-on experience in all of the Mumsnet content she writes about. She is passionate about sourcing, testing and thoroughly researching the products which make every stage of parenting easier, from the best pregnancy pillow to the most reassuring baby monitor as well as top kids' toys, games and tech.
Jenny has more than 16 years of experience working as a professional writer and journalist including stints as a local newspaper reporter, radio news reader, TV researcher and editor of a trades magazine and website. Becoming a mum in 2013 ignited a passion for writing about parenting, a theme which started as a light-hearted blog and has made its way into three published novels and several guest articles for national publications.