Introducing solid food

Introducing your baby to solid foods, sometimes called complementary feeding or weaning, should start when your baby is around 6 months old.

Try not to feel nervous and overwhelmed at the thought of introducing your baby to solid foods, you are not alone. Your baby may eat more on some days than others. That's fine. Have fun, stay relaxed, take your time and share mealtimes with your baby.

Here are some key points to keep in mind when introducing solid foods to your baby:

solid food should be gradually introduced around 6 months alongside breast milk or formula
introducing solid foods helps develop the muscles in the mouth which helps with speech
introducing solid foods is a great way of stimulating your baby's brain development
it may take 10 or more tries for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures

When your baby is ready for solid foods

Your baby is ready for weaning and introducing solid foods if they:

stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady
coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
swallow food, rather than push it back out

The Best Start in Life weaning hub is a great tool to make parents feel confident about how to wean their baby.