When should I introduce solid foods?

It's best to wait until your baby is about six months old before giving her solid food in addition to her usual milk.

If you wait until she's six months old, there’s less chance of her:

• picking up an infection from food, as her digestive system is more mature
• having a bad reaction to food, as her immune system is stronger

If you think your baby is hungry for food earlier than six months, try offering her more of her usual milk first. If you still think she’s ready for solid food well before she’s six months old, talk to your child health nurse or GP, especially if your baby was born prematurely or with a very low birth weight.

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends exclusively breastfeeding your baby until she’s six months old. After that, breastmilk on its own doesn't give your baby everything she needs, in particular, iron.

If you’re feeding your baby formula milk, there’s no need to move to follow-on or stage-two milk at any stage. When your baby is ready for solids, she’ll get the extra nutrients she needs from her first foods.

When your baby is around six months old, look out for signs that she’s ready to start eating solid foods, such as if she:

• can hold her head up
• sits well when supported
• makes chewing motions
• is curious about what you’re eating
• has good coordination

Wanting extra milk feeds, chewing her fists and waking in the night when she previously slept through aren’t signs that your baby is ready to start solid foods. These are just normal things that growing babies do.


If your baby is six months old, but you don’t think she’s ready for solid food, see your GP or child health nurse. At around six months, babies can’t get all the nutrition they need from breastmilk or formula milk alone, and so you shouldn’t delay introducing solids without medical advice.

Read more about how to start your baby on solids and check out the worst foods for babies.