Weaning at 6 months

[marshmallow2468]

DS is now coming up to 5 months, so my thoughts are turning to weaning. I'd like to try finger foods mainly, with maybe a bit of stuff spoon-fed, but I'm pretty flexible, we'll see what he likes.

My questions are about the 6 month date to wean. My health visitor says to do it the day he's 6 months old. But surely all babies are different and there's no sudden change that happens dead on 6 months which suddenly makes them suitable for solid food? Are there other considerations? Are there signs that some babies are ready before then? I think I've read that them being able to sit up in a high chair is a good sign, but is there anything else to look out for? Are some babies not ready until after 6 months? I'd rather do things when he's ready, rather than by an exact date. If it's of any relevance, he's been pretty much entirely breastfed, although we have added one formula feed a day recently. I plan to give up breastfeeding in the next month or so.

Also, any useful weaning books?

Thanks!

We started about six months, it wasn't the exact date it was just when she seemed ready. We had been putting her in high chair for a few weeks with a few toys watching us eat and she was sitting well. I just put some banana to play with one night and she had a taste. From there we just have her some veg or fruit from our plates at various meals over the next few weeks. We went pretty slow and just watched her play and have fun!!

We're doing baby led weaning and I recommend the recipe book by gill rapley. It explains all about baby led weaning and has recipes to cook for whole family so your not cooking separate for baby.

If you want to do purées then anabel Karmel is recommended but if you've waited till six months they don't need mush and can just eat what you are ( minus sugar and salt)

Thanks for that (love the username btw!) He's sitting in a highchair at dinner, sometimes happily, sometimes not, so he is getting used to it. He watches us eat. Occasionally I hold something out to him to get a closer look (but always ready to grab it back from him if necessary) but he's not showing a huge amount of interest beyond a quick glance. I suppose when he makes a grab for it, he might be ready.

I'll look up the Gill Rapley book.

at your HV advising 6 months exactly, like there's a magic switch!

We weaned at about 5 months after DD grabbed a sandwich crust off OH and ate it. I queried this with my friend who is a HV, whilst having lunch ... she passed DD a bread roll, watched her gum it enthusiastically and said "she's ready!"

My son wasn't ready at 6 months. He's now 7 months and is still not very interested in food but will have a little bit of lunch 2 to 4 days a week. It seems to be correlating with him getting better at sitting. If he doesn't want to eat I don't force him but he watches me eat.

I went though exactly same thought process as you just over a month ago!
I also found gill rapleys book helpful & the river cottage baby & toddler cookbook (which includes BLW too).

One thing I would say us that it astonished me how much DS changed in just one month! At five months I couldn't get my head round him being able to pick things up confidently etc etc, but he does & is even figuring out how to pick up small objects (that's not something to wait for though, just a sign of how great BLW is for fine motor skills I think).

Would be nice if he could work out which way is 'up' on his cup though! .

You're going to love it, its so fun!

We started steamed veg (BLW) at 24wks. DS was grabbing food and cups from 20wks, sitting happily in his chair (cushi tush) from when it was bought at 16wks. At 24wks I gave up 'fighting' him! For the first week I was admittedly freaking out a bit about gut maturity, future problems etc, then decided that gumming a broccoli floret 1x a day would be fine :)

I waited till 26wks to introduce cereals, dairy etc by following the MN weaning guide on foods before 6mo, just to be 100% ok (in myself). Tbh if I just followed instinct he would have been weaned earlier and had the cereals/dairy etc earlier.