Introducing Solids to Your Baby

When to Start

Most health organizations, including the WHO, recommend introducing solids around 6 months, alongside continued breastfeeding or formula. Before 6 months, babies' digestive systems typically aren't ready for anything beyond milk.

Signs your baby may be ready include:

• Sitting up with minimal support and holding their head steady
• Showing interest in food — watching you eat, reaching for your plate
• Losing the tongue-thrust reflex that pushes food back out
• Being able to move food to the back of the mouth and swallow

Every baby develops at a slightly different pace. If you're unsure whether your baby is ready, it's worth checking with your pediatrician rather than guessing.

What to Try First

There's no strict order you have to follow. Good first foods are single-ingredient, soft, and easy to mash:

• Vegetables: well-cooked and mashed sweet potato, carrot, or pumpkin
• Fruits: mashed banana, avocado, or ripe pawpaw
• Grains: iron-fortified baby cereal or well-cooked, mashed rice
• Protein: small amounts of well-cooked, pureed beans or lentils

Introduce one new food at a time and wait 2–3 days before adding another. This makes it much easier to identify the cause if your baby has a reaction.

How Much and How Often

Start small — even a teaspoon or two is fine for the first tries. Solids at this stage are about learning to eat, not about nutrition replacing milk. Breast milk or formula should still be the main source of nutrition until closer to 12 months.

A typical early routine looks like one small meal a day, gradually building to 2–3 meals by 8–9 months as your baby gets more comfortable.

Texture and Safety

• Start with smooth purees, then move to mashed and lumpier textures as your baby adjusts.
• Avoid added salt, sugar, and honey (honey specifically isn't safe before 12 months, due to the risk of infant botulism).
• Always supervise mealtimes. Never leave your baby alone while eating.
• Cut round or hard foods (grapes, whole nuts) into small, safe pieces, or avoid them until your baby is older.

Common Concerns

My baby refuses the food. This is completely normal. It can take 8–10 exposures before a baby accepts a new taste. Keep offering it without pressure.

My baby is gagging. Gagging is a normal, protective reflex as babies learn to manage food in their mouth — it's different from choking, which is silent and requires immediate action. If you're ever unsure, it's worth learning basic infant choking first aid before you start solids.

Should I do baby-led weaning or purees? Both are valid approaches, and many families mix the two. What matters most is that your baby is safe, supervised, and gradually building comfort with new textures.