Parenting

The milk your baby has been drinking for the first six months of his life is the only nutrition he will have needed. Weaning will progress the baby from a milk based diet to a more substantial range of solid foods.

At about six months, your baby's digestive system should have developed enough so that it can handle foods without developing an allergic reaction. At six months your baby needs more iron and nutrients than they get from breast or formula milk. Watch out for the following signs to suggest that they may be ready for weaning –                             

• They hold their head up and control their head movements
• They sit well when supported
• They make chewing motions
• They have doubled their birth weight
• They are still hungry after a milk feed 
• They wake in the night to be fed, after sleeping through for a period of time
• They demand more feeds more often
• They show curiosity about what you're eating

Weaning begins with the introduction of various solid foods, such as baby rice, fruit and vegetable purees, using a soft rubber tipped spoon. The Department of Health recommends iron enriched infant rice cereal as a starter food. You can make the baby's food yourself, or there is a large range of pre-prepared foods at the local supermarket and chemist. To begin with solids are given in addition to breast milk or formula, but they will gradually replace the milk as the baby eats more food.

If the food is hot, make sure you test it before giving it to your baby, and stir it well. The general rule is not to force feed your baby. If he doesn't want the food, then try another day.

Finish with a milk feed rather than the other way round, so that the baby will not be too full to be interested in the solids.

There are six useful tips to remember when weaning

1. Don't rush your baby. They will eat very little at first.
2. Make sure that you are both relaxed when you start to feed
3. Feed your baby on your lap or in a high chair
4. Try to mix any new foods with familiar ones
5. Go at the baby's pace
6. Weaning can be a messy business, so put a plastic sheet on the floor, and be prepared to get both your baby's and your own clothes dirty.

At the six month stage, your baby should still be having about 600 mills of breastmilk or formula milk per day. If you are concerned or unsure about when your baby is ready to start weaning, consult your health visitor.