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The best time to wean your baby onto solid food is at about age 6 months. This is because your babys mouth will start to change around that time to help her cope with the transition. Another guide is to start when baby doubles in weight.

Before then your babys digestive system and kidneys are able to cope only with breastmilk and formula. But dont leave it too late as baby may find it difficult to adapt to swallowing food, and she will need a balanced varied diet.

What You Will Need

• Bibs - and plenty of them! At first she will spit out more than she swallows and feeding will be very messy.
• Unbreakable bowls and spoons.
• Lidded containers for storing the food.
• A food processor. You could manage with a fork and a sieve, but the one thing you wont have plenty of is time, so a blender will make life easier.

You dont need a high chair, not at this stage anyway. Baby wont be able to hold her head up until about age 12 months, so feed her while she is in your lap or in a seat that supports her head.

Foods To Try And Some To Avoid

• Baby rice is usually the first solid for babies, it has a low protein content and is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Mix with milk (expressed breast milk or formula) to make the rice easier to swallow. Rice also has the advantage that it can be mixed with both vegetables and fruit, so after a few days, mix in a little pured potato, vegetable or fruit. You may wish to start with vegetables to ensure she establishes a taste for savoury foods as well as the sweeter fruits.
• Foods to try include: potato, carrot, swede, parsnip, sweet potato; and apple, banana and pear. Cook where appropriate and pure. If the result is too dry or lumpy, add milk (breast milk or formula).
• Avoid cows milk until she is about 12 months old. Other dairy products like cheese and yoghurt can be introduced after a month or so.
• Avoid soft-boiled eggs; nuts; blue-veined cheese; salt; sugar or sweeteners, including those found in fruit drinks and squashes; bread and pasta; and rusks.

The Transition

The move from milk to solid food can take place only gradually. At first, solids should take the place of one of the milk feeds. Then, over the next 3 or 4 months, introduce more solid food and cut down on the milk; and chop and cut food rather than pure after a few weeks.

Vegetarian

If you are vegetarian and want your baby to avoid meat and fish, this should not be a problem. The same nutrients present in meat are also available in other foods and you will be familiar with what is required for a balanced diet. However, if you are a vegan, your baby could miss out on certain vitamins as well as sufficient protein. Prolong breastfeeding as long as possible, and take expert advice on any necessary supplements.

Babys In Charge

Of course no two babies are the same and there are no rules laid down regarding exact timing. Appetites vary too and your baby will tell you by her actions whether she needs to be topped-up with a bottle of milk.

About the Author

Tony Luck runs a website with advive to new moms and babycare. Included is the fascinating which supposedly tells you whether the baby you are expecting will be a girl or boy.