How can I tell if my baby is ready for solids?

It's recommended that your baby is ready to start eating solid foods when she's around six months old.

If you're thinking of starting your baby on solids, there are some signs to look out for that will help you decide if the time is right. Your baby may be ready if she:

• Can hold her head up. Your baby needs to be able to maintain a steady, upright position, to take her first foods.
• Sits well when supported. You may have to have your baby on your lap at first. A highchair can be pulled into action a bit later when she can sit up by herself.
• Makes chewing motions. Your baby should be able to move food to the back of her mouth and swallow. As your baby learns to swallow efficiently you may notice that she dribbles less. She may even have a tooth or two, though babies don’t need to teeth to start with solid food.
• Is curious about what you're eating. Is she looking at your meals and reaching out to try foods you're moving from your plate to your mouth?
• Has good coordination. She should be able to look at food, grab it and put it in her mouth, all by herself.

There are several signs that are often mistaken for a baby being ready for first foods. These include:

• chewing her fists
• waking in the night when she previously slept through
• wanting extra milk feeds

These are normal things that growing babies do, and they don't necessarily mean that your baby is ready for solids.

Even when you see signs that your baby is ready to start solids, experts recommend waiting until she's around six months before introducing solid foods.

Waiting until six months to give your baby her first foods protects her health. It reduces the chance that she will develop allergies or pick up an infection from food, because at six months her immune system and digestive system are stronger.

If you feel your baby needs to start solids before six months, talk to your doctor or child health nurse, especially if she was born prematurely or with a very low birth weight.

If your baby is six months old and you think she’s not ready for solid food yet, also talk to your doctor or child health nurse to get advice. At around six months babies can’t get all the nutrition they need from breastmilk or formula and so you should not delay introducing solids without advice.

More weaning tips

• Signs your baby's ready for baby-led weaning
• See what normal gagging looks and sounds like
• Does your baby still need breastmilk or formula?
• What other parents wish they'd known before starting solids

Reviewed for BabyCenter Australia by Naras Lapsys, dietitian and nutritionist.