Three signs your baby is ready for their first food.
Every baby is different of course, but there are three clear signs that show your baby is ready to be introduced to solid foods alongside breast milk or formula. It's rare for these three signs to appear together before your baby is six months old.
1. They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
2. They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all by themselves.
3. They can swallow food. Babies who are not ready will push their food back out with their tongue, so they get more round their face than they do in their mouths.
Some signs that can be mistaken for a baby being ready for solid foods:
- chewing fists
- waking in the night when they have previously slept through
- wanting extra milk feeds
This is normal behaviour & not necessarily a sign of hunger or being ready to start solid food. Starting solid foods won't make them any more likely to sleep through the night. Extra feeds are usually enough until they're ready for other food.
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