When to start solids nhs
Start4Life – Getting started with weaning
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we were looking forward to starting my
own solid foods he seemed really engaged
when we were eating sitting up in his
highchair we noticed he was starting to
show a little bit of interest in what we
were eating reach for our food that sort
of thing this is Jonas and the moment
he's exploring new textures new foods we
ever seems to enjoy
weaning is when you introduce your baby
to their first solid foods alongside
breast milk or infant formula it's a big
step for parents and for baby and
there's so much information out there it
can be difficult to know what to do at
first how much food your baby takes is
less important and getting them used to
the idea of eating they will still be
getting most of their energy and
nutrition from breast milk or infant
formula you can try starting with single
vegetables and fruits and gradually
progress to a variety of foods such as
potato rice or pasta meats fish and
beans yogurt and cheese avoid ready-made
foods with added sugar or salt and don't
add salt to your baby's food it isn't
good for their kidneys
I'm Ruth this is Moe he's 10 months old
we started winning him onto solid food
at 6 months we followed the medical
advice and we knew that he was ready
because he was sitting up securely in
his highchair and and his aim was good
putting things into his mouth with his
hand
NHS advice is to introduce solid foods
to your baby from around six months old
there are three clear signs which show
that your baby is ready when they appear
all together they will be able to sit up
and hold their head steady coordinate
their eyes hands and mouth so that they
can look at food pick it up and put it
in their mouths all by themselves and
swallow food so more goes in their mouth
than around their face there can be
pressure to wean your baby from four
months or earlier but waiting until
around six months gives your baby time
to develop so that they can cope fully
with solid foods it means that they can
progress to a range of tastes and
textures more quickly and be better a
chewing and swallowing food they may not
need smooth blended foods at all as they
will be ready from mashed lumpy and
finger foods
just remember to start with small
amounts be patient and go at your baby's
pace have fun exploring new tastes and
textures together they will eventually
get the hang of it and so will you for
expert advice and support on making
healthy weaning easy search start for
life
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