Page 2 | When did you start weaning your baby?

LittleBearPad · 05/09/2025 08:02

Drivingmissrangey · 05/09/2025 06:13

information on children changes so much it’s not the same as it was 6+ years ago, like you can’t keep boiled water in room temp it has to be stored in the fridge

I don’t know what you were reading 6 years ago but this advice has been around for a lot longer than that.

The weaning at 6 months advice was around more than 6 years ago too but OP ignored that too. I’m not really sure why she’s asking as she’s going to do what she wants anyway.

GreenAndWhiteStripes · 05/09/2025 08:06

@CommissarySushi fair enough. Maybe we were both exhibiting a bit of confirmation bias as we read it.

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 08:07

Natsku · 05/09/2025 06:25

The NHS is behind the times in this actually as research shows early introduction of allergens reduces risks of allergies. Solids should be introduced between 4 and 6 months (6 months being the very latest) when your baby shows signs of readiness - sitting with support (so able to sit up in a normal high chair without falling over or wobbling around), bringing things to their mouth and doesn't push them back out with their tongue. Introduce the main allergens and keep giving them regularly. And just tasting amounts until closer to 6 months, as it mustn't replace milk consumption yet.

This is the advice of the health service in my country, which is evidence based.

She is doing all those things, I wouldn’t replace her milk she loves it so much lol she’s still doing 7 ounce every 4 hours and I don’t think she would give up that routine even after eating solids

OP posts:

CurlewKate · 05/09/2025 08:10

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 07:57

I never asked for advice on what age for weaning a baby, I asked what was the signs of them wanting to wean. I know people are trying to help and that’s why I said thanks for the advice.

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The problem is, you can’t tell by looking if their gut is ready!

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 08:10

LittleBearPad · 05/09/2025 08:02

The weaning at 6 months advice was around more than 6 years ago too but OP ignored that too. I’m not really sure why she’s asking as she’s going to do what she wants anyway.

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Because I never asked how many months was recommended to wean I asked when did children show the signs of readiness as every babies different some start early others start late…

OP posts:

Iocainepowder · 05/09/2025 08:15

We didn’t look for ‘readiness’ signs. We waited until 6 months and it was fine.

Actually with DC1, we did it the weekend before he turned 6 months for practical reasons.

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 08:18

CommissarySushi · 05/09/2025 06:11

That article is more than a decade old! There is some evidence that early introduction of allergens can help prevent allergies, but, on the whole, it's agreed that it's better to wait until 6 months.

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What is the allergens if you don’t mind me asking ? The thought of a baby having an allergic reaction to foods petrifies me

OP posts:

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 08:27

muddlingthrou · 05/09/2025 07:38

What’s the rush? I’d wait the extra month until she’s 6 months as it all goes by in such a flash anyway. The NHS guidance is based on research. They only recommend early weaning for babies with extreme reflux or other issues, as otherwise the risks (e.g. increased likelihood of contracting coeliac disease etc) outweigh the benefits. Congratulations on your little girl x

No rush at all, I’m enjoying my little girl being a baby for as long as I can as it does go so quick she weighs a ton though my arms dead within 4 minutes of her having a bottle 😂 she enjoys her bottles, she used to have one about half an hour before we ate but now it’s afterwards because she gets hungry off the smell of our food. I have a video of her yesterday watching my little lad eat a chocolate bar and she watched the chocolate in his hands move towards his mouth and as soon as he finished she was throwing a tantrum that she didn’t get any of it, I’m sure she will enjoy food when she does start solids it’ll be worth the wait for her.
And thank you she’s definitely the run of this house lol x

OP posts:

SheSpeaks · 05/09/2025 08:33

6 months I gave them food to play with and sometimes they ate it, but importantly they enjoyed it and I got to eat my dinner at the same time with my knife and fork without a baby sitting on me. So great.

The guideline to wean at six months has been in place for well over 20 years in the UK.

I’m not sure what you mean about storing boiled water. Babies over six months can drink water from the tap. Water should be over 70 degrees to make up formula if you use it. Storing boiled water doesn’t seem regularly necessary but in the fridge makes sense.

786BoobyMum · 07/09/2025 21:22

Paedetrician said to start the earlier of: 1) when he's ready (sitting up and interested in food) or 2) 6 months exactly and absolutely do not delay as she's seeing more and more kids being left behind with weaning. She also said "milk before 1 is just for fun" is totally incorrect.

So we started at 5.5 months. It takes aaaaages to get through veg purees, allergens etc. By 7 months he was reliably having one meal a day and we were starting a second. He was on 3 meals a day by 8.5 months and he is still a fabulous eater.

I wouldn't do pouches though. They're full of sugar and there is loads in the news about how they lack nutrients. If you're still on mat leave, there's no excuse to not be cooking. You can make purees yourself pretty easily.

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 08/09/2025 02:05

786BoobyMum · 07/09/2025 21:22

Paedetrician said to start the earlier of: 1) when he's ready (sitting up and interested in food) or 2) 6 months exactly and absolutely do not delay as she's seeing more and more kids being left behind with weaning. She also said "milk before 1 is just for fun" is totally incorrect.

So we started at 5.5 months. It takes aaaaages to get through veg purees, allergens etc. By 7 months he was reliably having one meal a day and we were starting a second. He was on 3 meals a day by 8.5 months and he is still a fabulous eater.

I wouldn't do pouches though. They're full of sugar and there is loads in the news about how they lack nutrients. If you're still on mat leave, there's no excuse to not be cooking. You can make purees yourself pretty easily.

my girl doesn’t really sleep much in the daytime I get 10 minutes free time if I’m really lucky 20-30 mins max until her dad gets home at 5 then I can actually do things, it’s hard because I also have a 6year old lad and I have to get my partner to pick him up from school because I physically can not get dressed otherwise she screams the house down until she’s picked up I’ve spoiled her with too much love but I don’t mind, unless I pre-made the purees in the evening before bed. She does suffer with bad reflux so that could also be the issue of why she doesn’t sleep much and when I changed her milk to anti reflux or added thickening agents into it, it made her scream with not having bowel movements which she’s already been struggling with since birth she’s gone okay now with that though.. my first option is to get one of them pacifiers with the holes in and put some fruit inside of it and see how it goes from there, she is showing signs of being ready for food i just feel like a first time mum all over again as it was 6 years ago since having a baby in the house and I don’t get as much help as I did with my first it’s literally just me & my partner, it’s his first ever child too so we’re in this together 😂 x

OP posts:

786BoobyMum · 08/09/2025 03:12

Meganrose2000 · 08/09/2025 02:05

my girl doesn’t really sleep much in the daytime I get 10 minutes free time if I’m really lucky 20-30 mins max until her dad gets home at 5 then I can actually do things, it’s hard because I also have a 6year old lad and I have to get my partner to pick him up from school because I physically can not get dressed otherwise she screams the house down until she’s picked up I’ve spoiled her with too much love but I don’t mind, unless I pre-made the purees in the evening before bed. She does suffer with bad reflux so that could also be the issue of why she doesn’t sleep much and when I changed her milk to anti reflux or added thickening agents into it, it made her scream with not having bowel movements which she’s already been struggling with since birth she’s gone okay now with that though.. my first option is to get one of them pacifiers with the holes in and put some fruit inside of it and see how it goes from there, she is showing signs of being ready for food i just feel like a first time mum all over again as it was 6 years ago since having a baby in the house and I don’t get as much help as I did with my first it’s literally just me & my partner, it’s his first ever child too so we’re in this together 😂 x

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Unfortunately feeding your children is non-negotiable, not matter how tired you are.

I batch cooked purees and froze them in the ice tray. For example some sweet potato, spinach, canelini beans makes a good puree to start with. After a week or two, I started adding meat too.

Mine was/is allergic to dairy and eggs so weaning has taken a lot of effort.

I also combined with BLW, so I gave a piece of broccoli or banana or steak alongside the puree.

Consider doing BLW if you don't have time for purees. Surely you have to cook for yourself?

Thunderpants88 · 08/09/2025 03:18

curious79 · 05/09/2025 07:40

I did baby led weaning, so absolutely no blended food. Instead, they are given solids from the word go ( pieces of pear, lightly steamed broccoli, banana, strips of chicken or beef that they gnaw on - whatever they can hold onto). When they are very little they grip response is very limited so they can’t do things like pick up a blueberry, which they might otherwise choke on.

The key to BL weaning is you don’t start it until they are able to sit up on their own as they have to be able to lean forward to be able to cough if they need to. For my daughter that was 5.5 months old. It can be messy, as you can imagine, but it means they develop a very sophisticated gag reflex (babies fed mush choke more), they eat what everyone else is eating (and not that horrible baby food), you don’t spend hours blending stuff

“Not that horrible baby food”

ahhhh love the (not so subtle) ‘other Mum bashing’

Thunderpants88 · 08/09/2025 03:28

786BoobyMum · 08/09/2025 03:12

Unfortunately feeding your children is non-negotiable, not matter how tired you are.

I batch cooked purees and froze them in the ice tray. For example some sweet potato, spinach, canelini beans makes a good puree to start with. After a week or two, I started adding meat too.

Mine was/is allergic to dairy and eggs so weaning has taken a lot of effort.

I also combined with BLW, so I gave a piece of broccoli or banana or steak alongside the puree.

Consider doing BLW if you don't have time for purees. Surely you have to cook for yourself?

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This product is fab. Steam cooks small amounts when you are pressed for time and not overly organised. https://amzn.eu/d/bybNf3E Also a slapchop and you will be golden.

Weaned 3 babies and about to be the 4th (5.5 months) I would personally wait until 6 months. And I know the BLW is considered the best way to wean, we did this with our eldest (age 6) her pallette is a disaster now and she hates a lot of textures. We batch cooked and pureed food in ice cube trays as someone else mentioned for baby 2 and 3 and their palettes and diets are phenomenal. So go with your baby and gut you will work it out.

i personally started baby 2&3 with purred vegetables and meat only and used sweet potato to “sweeten” food. I introduced fruit at about 10 months when they had really got weaning underway and I think they prefer savoury foods and veggies because of it and have much less of a sweet tooth then baby #1 had even now.

All the best it’s a hassle and a half

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Great prices on your favourite Home brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

https://amzn.eu/d/bybNf3E?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-weaning-5404818-when-did-you-start-weaning-your-baby

Original poster

Meganrose2000 · 08/09/2025 16:26

786BoobyMum · 08/09/2025 03:12

Unfortunately feeding your children is non-negotiable, not matter how tired you are.

I batch cooked purees and froze them in the ice tray. For example some sweet potato, spinach, canelini beans makes a good puree to start with. After a week or two, I started adding meat too.

Mine was/is allergic to dairy and eggs so weaning has taken a lot of effort.

I also combined with BLW, so I gave a piece of broccoli or banana or steak alongside the puree.

Consider doing BLW if you don't have time for purees. Surely you have to cook for yourself?

Show quote history

I was thinking of BLW as her dad was the same when he was a baby & she won’t even take her dummy unless she’s got it in her hands first 😂
I’m thinking of getting one of them food feeder dummy’s and putting veg inside of it maybe a banana too as it’s not too sweet for her too start off with, also how did you find out if yours was allergic too them? What’s the signs of an allergy as mines never had one before just incase she is allergic to the likes of dairy

OP posts:

786BoobyMum · 08/09/2025 19:28

Meganrose2000 · 08/09/2025 16:26

I was thinking of BLW as her dad was the same when he was a baby & she won’t even take her dummy unless she’s got it in her hands first 😂
I’m thinking of getting one of them food feeder dummy’s and putting veg inside of it maybe a banana too as it’s not too sweet for her too start off with, also how did you find out if yours was allergic too them? What’s the signs of an allergy as mines never had one before just incase she is allergic to the likes of dairy

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Yeah BLW suits some babies/families well.

You should give major allergens separately i.e. don't give eggs, dairy, and nuts/peanut butter together. Give them a few days in a row as sometimes the reaction is only obvious the second time. The reason you do it separately is so that you know what caused it I.e. if you give scrambled eggs cooked in butter you won't know what caused it which will then create more work for you to try and find out.

Dairy - he was ok on day 1 and on day 2 he started vomiting uncontrollably a few hours after I gave him some yogurt. Dairy often causes a delayed reaction rather than an immediate one so you only see it 3-6 hours after ingesting it.

Eggs - he was fine with a bit of egg yolk but I gave him scrambled eggs the next day and he broke out in hives all over. Tried again a week later and same reaction, red itchy hives all over. Had to run to the GP who gave him some antihistamines.

Peanut butter - thankfully he's not allergic to nuts but it would be an immediate reaction like hives, itchiness, wheezing

Natsku · 09/09/2025 04:56

My DD's dairy allergy caused eczema, which meant it took us a long time to realise she was allergic as babies often have eczema. So if you notice any skin changes keep a food diary of what you are feeding her and see if there's a pattern. If she does appear to have any allergies see a doctor, as you'll need a plan on when and how to reintroduce the allergens, as children often outgrow allergies they get in early childhood (DD outgrew her allergies to dairy, eggs and soya by about 4 years old) but it needs to be done carefully and safely, planned by the doctor.

kasssx · 26/01/2026 02:41

Meganrose2000 · 05/09/2025 03:12

Hi everyone,
when did you all start weaning your baby and what were the signs for you that they was ready? My baby girl is coming up to 5 months and she is going to be a little foodie she likes to be involved when we’re all eating she will cry for her bottles and even after that will dribble and try to reach out for our food and opens her mouth it makes me laugh honestly 😂 I have bought pouches of baby food for when she is ready without the textures which is from 4+ months, I know guidelines are to start them on solids from 6 months but parenting doesn’t have a manual. I remember my lad starting at 4 months but can’t remember the signs of him being ready as it was 6 years ago now and he is healthy and caused no issues, I will give her a taste of the sauces from our food on her dummy and she will suck the life out of it and then spit it out for more and she is very advanced for her age, so just wondering about your signs of them being ready.

heya, from a mam that isn’t the weaning police. wean whenever your baby shows signs of “readiness” being wingy when everyone is eating is one of them in my opinion, good head strength, good neck strength and honestly as soon as my girl could sit in her high chair and not flop to the side and all of the above i knew it was time
my girl has cmpa yet to be referred to dietician but i just make sure it’s 4m fruit pouches only (no they don’t have loads of extra sugar it’s just fruit guys 🤣)

shes only 3 months and she only gets tastes of 4m pouches, spoon of baby rice in a bowl of her milk or rusk mixed with her milk before bed, before this she’d wake every couple of hours but would refuse the bottle, we now know she was just hungry!

CurlewKate · 26/01/2026 02:53

The main sign she is ready is being 6 months old.

elliejjtiny · 26/01/2026 02:59

Ds1 was 16 weeks as advised by the health visitor. But he wasn't really ready and then suddenly at 6 months it became a lot easier. Ds4 was 7 months as he had an operation aged 6 months. The others were all 6 months.

Makingsenseofitall · 26/01/2026 04:03

CurlewKate · 05/09/2025 08:10

The problem is, you can’t tell by looking if their gut is ready!

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Exactly! Perhaps some babies have a gut that is ready before 6 months but whether they grab food or can sit is not going to tell you that! I never ever understand why people think a developmental progression shows you anything re the gut’s readiness for the introduction of a whole new set of ‘stuff’ appearing to be dealt with!

IAmNotPrepared · 26/01/2026 06:48

kasssx · 26/01/2026 02:41

heya, from a mam that isn’t the weaning police. wean whenever your baby shows signs of “readiness” being wingy when everyone is eating is one of them in my opinion, good head strength, good neck strength and honestly as soon as my girl could sit in her high chair and not flop to the side and all of the above i knew it was time
my girl has cmpa yet to be referred to dietician but i just make sure it’s 4m fruit pouches only (no they don’t have loads of extra sugar it’s just fruit guys 🤣)

shes only 3 months and she only gets tastes of 4m pouches, spoon of baby rice in a bowl of her milk or rusk mixed with her milk before bed, before this she’d wake every couple of hours but would refuse the bottle, we now know she was just hungry!

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“It’s just fruit” doesn’t work when they’re so heavily processed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62j0l0gg4go.amp

A toddler with blondey-brown hair sucking a pouch of baby food, which she is holding with both hands. She is wearing a burgundy top and dungarees.

Baby food pouches low in key nutrients, lab testing finds - BBC News

Parents are being "misled" by marketing from leading baby food companies, experts tell BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62j0l0gg4go.amp

Peonies12 · 28/01/2026 09:10

Why rush, weaning is such a mess and faff. I'd really avoid those pouches, they won't help baby learn to eat, and so expensive. Get the Solid Starts app and offer appropriately served pieces of actual food, then they learn to chew. And also have realistic expectations " she is going to be a little foodie " - mine was always interested at a young age but in reality took until she was about 14 months to actually eat 3 meals a day. Food is for exploring, learning etc in the initial months, don't expect she'll eat much especially if you do baby led weaning, not purees.

duadonka · 18/02/2026 00:06

kasssx · 26/01/2026 02:41

heya, from a mam that isn’t the weaning police. wean whenever your baby shows signs of “readiness” being wingy when everyone is eating is one of them in my opinion, good head strength, good neck strength and honestly as soon as my girl could sit in her high chair and not flop to the side and all of the above i knew it was time
my girl has cmpa yet to be referred to dietician but i just make sure it’s 4m fruit pouches only (no they don’t have loads of extra sugar it’s just fruit guys 🤣)

shes only 3 months and she only gets tastes of 4m pouches, spoon of baby rice in a bowl of her milk or rusk mixed with her milk before bed, before this she’d wake every couple of hours but would refuse the bottle, we now know she was just hungry!

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I’m sure I’m reading this incorrectly but are you saying you’ve weaned your three month old baby @kasssx? On fruit pouches and ‘baby’ rice?

And you put sugary rusks in her bottle before bed?

Please, speak to your HV about this. Or at the very least, look at the relevant NHS pages. You could be doing real harm to your baby.