Baby Weaning Advice: 10 Things Every Parent Should Know
Updated: 13 hours ago
By Katherine · Paediatric Nurse, Health Visitor & Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner · Baby Steps
Starting solids doesn't have to be stressful, complicated or perfect.
If you're about to start weaning your baby, you've probably already discovered something…
There is A LOT of advice out there.
Baby-led weaning. Spoon feeding. Purées. Finger foods. Organic. Homemade. Pouches. Allergens. Gagging. Choking. Portion sizes. Recipes. Instagram-worthy baby meals…
And suddenly something that should be a lovely new stage can feel like one more thing you need to get "right".
After more than 30 years supporting families - in Paediatric A&E, as a Health Visitor and Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner, and through their weaning journeys, as well as being a mum of two, I've learnt something I really want every parent to know:
There isn't one right way to wean. What matters is finding what works for you, your baby and your family. You just need to know the steps to take, feel confident and, most of all, enjoy creating happy, healthy mealtimes.
So, if you're wondering how to start weaning your baby, here are some of the things I wish every parent knew.
1. You don't need to rush when starting solids
For most babies, the recommended time to start introducing solid foods is around six months.
Your baby doesn't suddenly wake up one morning and become an expert eater. Starting solids is about gradually introducing your baby to new tastes, textures and experiences alongside their usual milk feeds.
Look for the signs that your baby is ready rather than feeling pressured because another baby you know has already started eating.
There are three key signs of readiness: your baby can sit upright and hold their head steady, coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth to pick up food and bring it to their mouth, and swallow food rather than automatically pushing it back out.
And remember: babies develop at different rates. There is no prize for being the first baby on your street to eat a sandwich!
2. There isn't one "right" way to wean
This is probably one of the biggest messages I want parents to hear. Baby-led weaning and traditional spoon feeding are not opposing teams. You don't have to choose a parenting "camp".
Some babies love picking up food themselves. Some babies prefer being offered food from a spoon. Many families naturally end up doing a combination of both. And that's absolutely fine.
Baby weaning should work for your baby, your family and your circumstances.
The aim isn't to follow a particular weaning method perfectly. The aim is to help your baby become a confident, happy eater.
3. Gagging and choking are not the same thing
This is one of the biggest worries I hear from parents. And I completely understand why. Watching your baby gag can be incredibly frightening if you don't know what is happening.
Gagging is a normal protective reflex that can happen as babies learn to manage different textures and move food around their mouths.
Choking is different. It happens when the airway becomes blocked and requires immediate action.
Understanding the difference, and knowing what to do if your baby actually chokes, can make a huge difference to your confidence.
This is one of the reasons I believe every parent should have basic baby and child first aid knowledge, and why I include First Aid for Weaning in all my Weaning Without Worry™ workshops and appointments.
Because confidence doesn't come from hoping nothing will happen. It comes from knowing what to do if it does.
You can learn more about my Weaning Without Worry™ Course here:
4. Finger foods don't have to be scary
One of the wonderful things about starting solids is watching your baby explore food.
They will squish it. Smear it. Drop it. Throw it. Put it in their hair. Pull the cutest faces. And occasionally, they might actually eat some!
That's all part of learning.
Soft, appropriately prepared finger foods can help babies explore different textures and develop skills such as picking food up and bringing it to their mouths.
You don't need complicated recipes or beautifully presented meals.
A piece of soft-cooked vegetable, ripe fruit, toast with an appropriate spread or other suitable family foods can be much more useful than something that has taken you an hour to prepare.
5. Your baby doesn't need huge portions
One of the easiest ways to create anxiety around weaning a baby is worrying about how much they're eating.
At the beginning, portions can be tiny. A few tastes. A couple of mouthfuls. Sometimes almost nothing!
That's okay.
When babies first start solids, they only need small amounts and their breast milk or first infant formula remains an important source of nutrition.
Try to think about weaning as learning rather than simply feeding.
Your baby is learning:
"What does this taste like?"
"What does this feel like?"
"How do I pick this up?"
"How do I move it around my mouth?"
"How do I swallow it?"
That's a lot of learning going on at once.
6. Don't be afraid of allergens, but introduce them safely
Introducing common allergenic foods is another area that can make parents understandably nervous, and again, it's something I always include in my workshops and appointments.
Foods such as peanut, eggs, milk, wheat, soya, fish and other common allergens can be introduced from around six months as part of your baby's diet, in an appropriate form.
For example, nuts should be offered crushed, ground or as a suitable nut butter rather than whole nuts, which can be a choking hazard.
Introduce allergenic foods one at a time and in small amounts, so you can identify any reaction. Once an allergenic food has been safely introduced and tolerated, continuing to offer it regularly is generally recommended.
If your baby has eczema, an existing food allergy or another reason you are concerned about introducing particular foods, speak to your health visitor, GP or other health professional for individual advice.
The important thing is not to avoid foods simply because they sound frightening.
It's about understanding how to introduce them safely.
7. You don't have to make every meal from scratch
I love homemade food. Note I didn't say baby food!
Your baby can enjoy suitable parts of your family meal from the beginning, prepared in an appropriate texture and without unnecessary added salt or sugar. But I also love a realistic mum.
Sometimes you have a baby attached to your leg, a toddler asking for a snack, laundry everywhere and absolutely no desire to spend 45 minutes making three different vegetable purées. That's real life.
Convenience foods can have a place too.
Pouches and jars aren't automatically "bad", but they shouldn't become the only experience your baby has of food. As your baby progresses with weaning, it's helpful for them to experience a variety of tastes, textures and family foods.
The goal is to build healthy eating habits for life, not to create a tiny food critic who expects a separate three-course meal every evening!
If meal preparation and cooking are making weaning feel stressful, this is another thing I cover in Weaning Without Worry™.
8. Your baby will not eat perfectly every day
Some days your baby may eat brilliantly. The next day they might appear to survive entirely on milk and one lonely piece of banana. Welcome to weaning.
Appetite naturally varies. Teething, tiredness, illness, development and simply not being hungry can all affect how much your baby eats. Try not to turn every meal into a battle.
You decide what food is offered. Your baby decides whether and how much they eat.
Keeping mealtimes relaxed can help your baby develop a positive relationship with food. And if you're finding mealtimes stressful, it's worth looking at what might help you feel calmer too.
Some relaxing music, a few deep breaths or simply reminding yourself that one difficult meal doesn't mean something is wrong can make a difference.
I explore this with parents too, because often your baby is doing just fine but understandably, parents become anxious when they don't know what is normal.
9. Weaning is about much more than nutrition
Yes, nutrition matters. But so does everything else that happens around the table.
Weaning is an opportunity for your baby to:
explore new tastes
experience different textures
develop hand-eye coordination
practise picking food up
learn to chew and swallow
sit and eat with other people
become familiar with family foods
begin developing a positive relationship with food
And perhaps most importantly… It's an opportunity to enjoy food together.
You don't need to create Pinterest-worthy meals. Your baby doesn't care. They want to explore, copy you, connect with you and discover this completely new world of food.
10. Please don't compare your baby's weaning journey
This one is easier said than done. But try. Your friend's baby might be eating three meals a day.
Your sister's baby might adore broccoli.
Someone on Instagram might have a six-month-old eating an elaborate rainbow bowl of quinoa, avocado and something you've never heard of.
And your baby might currently be enthusiastically eating toast and throwing everything else on the floor.
That doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. Babies are individuals.
Weaning isn't a competition.
Comparison, or "comparisonitis" as I call it, is the thief of joy.
The most important baby weaning advice I want you to remember
If I could sit down with every parent starting weaning, I'd say this:
You don't need more pressure.
You need good, trustworthy information.
You need to understand how to keep your baby safe.
And you need permission to relax.
There will be messy meals.
There will be gagging.
There will be food on the floor.
There will probably be days when you wonder whether anything has actually made it into your baby's stomach.
And that's okay. Weaning is a journey.
There will be meals when you're around the table together, sharing the same food, laughing, and it just feels magic, no matter how much they eat!
Weaning Without Worry™: Calm, Practical Baby Weaning Support
This is exactly why I created my Weaning Without Worry™ approach.
Drawing on over 30 years of supporting families, I've created a simple three-element approach combining:
First Aid - so you understand choking, gagging and allergies and know how to keep your baby safe
Practical weaning support - step-by-step weaning advice for where you are right now
Emotional reassurance - because weaning can feel overwhelming, and you don't need to figure it all out alone
I'll give you the reassurance, practical skills and confidence to make informed choices for your own family, without the guilt, confusion and endless scrolling.
Come and Wean Without Worry™ with me
My next Weaning Without Worry™ Workshop is at the Baby Steps Studio in the Hindhead woods on:
Monday 14th September1.30pm–4pm
Baby Steps Studio, Pine House, Bramshott Chase Lane, Hindhead, Surrey/Hampshire, GU26 6DG
2 minutes from the A3, free parking and a warm welcome!
Your baby is very welcome, and we'll cover everything you need to feel more confident about starting and progressing with weaning in a relaxed, friendly and completely non-judgemental environment.
Don't fancy coming along to a group?
You can also arrange a Weaning Without Worry™ course in your own home or at the Studio for friends and family or simply arrange a session just for you and your baby.
And if you're already somewhere along your weaning journey and feeling overwhelmed, confused or like you've completely lost your way, please don't struggle on alone.
My 1:1 Weaning Appointments are there for exactly this.
We'll take a step back, talk through what's happening, unpick what's worrying you and make a realistic plan together so you know what to do next.
No judgement. No pressure. No "perfect" weaning plan.
Just calm, practical support to help you move forward with confidence.
A little note from me
I’m Katherine, founder of Baby Steps. I've spent over 30 years working with babies, children and families as a Paediatric Nurse, Health Visitor and Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner. For over 20 years I've supported families and weaned my own two babies, through the exciting, messy, sometimes overwhelming journey of starting solids.
And I know that sometimes what parents need most isn't another list of foods or another opinion from social media.
They need someone to sit alongside them, listen, make sense of it all and say:
"Right. Let's work this out together."
That's what Weaning Without Worry™ is all about.
Written by Katherine Whitby
Paediatric Nurse · Health Visitor · Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner · Mum of Two
With over 30 years of experience supporting babies and families, Katherine founded Baby Steps in 2006 to give parents the calm, expert, personalised Weaning support that stretched NHS services can no longer provide. Katherine works with families online and in person from her peaceful woodland studio - and genuinely loves every minute of it.
Comments