When is the best time to introduce solids in your baby’s diet?

Weaning is a major step in your baby’s nutrition and coincides with some important milestones in their development. At around the time your baby is ready for weaning, they can sit up unaided, can swallow soft foods and purées You will also notice that their eye-hand-mouth co-ordination is improving rapidly so they can pick up small bits of food and put them in their mouths.

Timing really does matter: The first question that pops into every new mum’s mind is when to start weaning. The answer depends somewhat on your baby’s development and growth but it is advisable to wait until baby is at least four months old to ensure their gut and kidneys are mature enough to digest and absorb first solids without increasing the risk of allergy or infection. The WHO advices to start weaning at around six months of age as until then babies get all the nutrients they need from breast or formula milk.

However, if your baby is between four and six months of age but appears interested in solids (many babies show their interest by reaching for food or getting excited at the sight of mummy’s lunch) or milk feeds appear to leave them unsatisfied including waking up hungry more often during the night, talk to your GP or nutrition practitioner.

But don’t delay weaning your baby after six months: An important note on timing is not to delay weaning past six months, unless advised by your doctor, as you can miss the all-important window to introduce solid foods and baby might find it harder to accept new foods, flavours and textures. Also, as baby grows milk alone is not enough to cover their nutritional needs, especially certain minerals like iron.