Mom’s Share Their Best Tips For Weaning Your Baby

1. Start with the familiar things

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You can start with tastes that your baby will recognise, like baby rice mixed with formula. That way, the taste is familiar but the texture is new. You can quickly move on to more exciting tastes when they get the hang of it. Puréed apple or sweet potato are always favourites.

2. Make sure they're in a comfy position

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No one wants to eat if they are not comfortable, so start in the best way and find a comfy position for your baby. You want to keep them upright, facing the table, often in a highchair. You don't want them to choke and you need to make sure their hands and arms are free enough to get messy!

3. Let them learn new things

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Solid food is brand new to your baby, so don't worry if they hold the food in their mouth or even spit it out. They are just getting used to the feeling of food in their mouths. Sucking is a natural reflex they have but swallowing is something they need to learn.

4. Sippy cups

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Around the same time as you start your weaning journey, it's also a great idea to encourage your baby to drink out of a cup. It helps them to stay hydrated which is incredibly important, but it also starts to build good habits for the future. Plus, eating a meal is thirsty work!

5. Prepare for the mess!

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It won't be long before they realise they can squish, throw and drop any type of food. The messier the better. So get ready! You want a high chair that's easy to clean and you might want a mat to go under it to collect any stray food, ESPECIALLY if you have carpet.

6. Make it a family affair

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Weaning is great as you can sit your baby at the table during family dinners. It's more sociable for everyone involved and at least you have your hands free to eat your own dinner. You can serve them similar food to everyone else if it's suitable, which will make them feel even more included.

7. Finger foods at first

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Strips or sticks work great as they can hold them easily in their chubby little fists. The strips should be twice the length of your baby's hand. They will likely just suck and chew it into a mush at first, but it's just their way of exploring. You can even try a crinkle cutter to help them get some extra grip!

8. A soft but firm start

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You want to have foods that your baby can hold, but you want it to be soft enough for them to try easily. Cooked vegetables are often a great starting point. Cut them into sticks or other shapes they can easily hold and get creative with what you give to them!

9. Let them be in control

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The whole idea behind baby-led weaning is that you put your baby in control. This may seem a little bit daunting, but its proven to be very successful. Only they get to put food into their mouths and they can decide what and how much they eat. Don't force anything on them, they key is for them to be in charge.

10. Start at six months

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By six months old, most babies will be ready to start trying their first foods. But this is only advice! Each baby will be different, but they should have developed enough hand-eye coordination to be able to pick up food or a spoon and feed themselves.

11. Timing is key

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Do not try and do this if you baby is too tired or too hungry. They will be too tired to concentrate and it will probably end with you both in tears! It's all about play and learning, so set aside the time to do it properly. Do what you can, when you can to start with.

12. Keep up with your milk

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Carry on with your milk feeds as before. At least until they are around twelve months old as it is still their main source of nutrition. Your baby will let you know if it needs less milk but simply having less. They can tell you more than you realise.

13. Slow and steady wins the race

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You don't want to overwhelm your baby on the first day. You should introduce foods very slowly into your baby's diet. You could start with one serving per day, and increase it from there, always led by your baby's reactions of course. Be sure to pick a time when you and your baby are relaxed.

14. Don't fill them up on milk

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If your baby is too full then they aren't going to want any food! So start with half a milk feed and then offer them some solid food after that. That way, they are hungry for more and will be more inclined to try. But make sure they aren't angry you just took the bottle off him!

15. Start with them on your lap

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Putting your baby straight into a highchair with food on a plate can sometimes seem a bit clinical and may distress your baby. You can try offering your baby their first tastes of food while they're sat on your lap, but always ensure it's in a upright position.

16. One taste at a time

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Introduce one or two new tastes at a time in the beginning. Maybe one every few days. Once they are getting more confident and seem happy with the flavours, you can start to experiment and mix different tasty foods together to make your own homemade purees.

17. Give it a second chance

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Your baby isn't going to like everything! At least not in the beginning. If they screw their face up at one flavour, don't force it on them. They're allowed not to like this. But it's often worth trying the food again in a few weeks and giving it a second chance. They might surprise you.

18. Don't overwhelm yourself!

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It's a big task to take on weaning a baby, so give yourself some credit. Don't feel like everything has to be prepped, chopped and cooked by you. Grocery stores have a wide variety of baby food that's ready to go. It's all labelled so you can find one at the right stage for you.

19. There may be some scary nappy findings...

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The poop in your babies nappy may start to look a little bit suspicious in the early days of weaning... they are used to only milk! It will start to look and smell different, but don't be too alarmed. It's normal. Make sure they are having lots of fluid to avoid them becoming constipated.

20. Remember the milestone!

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Trying foods for the first time is a momentous stage in your child's life and development! You should photograph the occasion, so you will always remember the good, the bad and the messy... It will be nice to look back on what his favourite foods were at the time.

21. Try, try and try again

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There's a chance your baby may not be interested and just spit everything out. Don't worry if they do! Leave it for a few days and then try again. Never rush it, your baby will let you know when they are ready. Try chatting to him and making sure you are both relaxed.

22. Keep Calm and Carry On

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If you're on edge or nervous, your baby will pick up on that. They will look to you to see how they should be behaving and they will follow your lead. Make sure you relax so you can both enjoy your new dinnertimes today. Your baby will thank you for it and feel ready to be let loose.

23. Don't let them be hangry

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Everyone gets angry on an empty stomach, your baby is no exception. They cry when they want milk, right? So if you're trying to get your child to eating something new it is probably best to do it when they're not throwing a tantrum. If they have a small amount of milk before, they will feel a lot happier and be able to take their time.

24. Bibs will be your saviour

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Food catching bibs will absolutely be your saviour! Letting your baby get messy at meal times will make it more enjoyable for them, but not if you're getting stressed out about how much food is going everywhere! There's nothing you can do about it so you might as well embrace it.

25. Help yourself out with the cleaning

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A bib isn't going to catch everything, so you might want to back it up with a plastic sheet on the food, or you can even get whole plastic outfits these days! This way, you can just let them get on with it and clean up the mess after they have finished enjoying themselves.

26. Prep and freeze!

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Meal prep isn't just useful for adults, you can freeze plenty of mashed up and blended foods ahead of time. Get all the hard stuff done in one go then you can just defrost as you go and always have a supply of baby meals in your kitchen. Great for those busy evenings.

27. Let their siblings help

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Watching older children eat will help your baby learn what they should be doing. If they have older siblings, let them sit together round the table and watch how your baby picks up new habits and tries things out for themselves! It gives you a bit of break too...

28. Let them tell you when they've had enough

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If your baby stops eating, they're trying to let you know that they are full! Don't try and force more food on them, if they don't want it that's up to them. Just like they need to let you know what flavours they do and don't like, they also need to be able to tell you when they're full.

29. Make it fun for you both!

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Any food you want your baby to try should be fun and engaging for them! You can get creative with flavours and colours that you mix together, also shapes you cut things into and textures. You might be surprised to find it's quite fun for you as well! If you are enjoying yourself, your baby will too.

30. No doesn't always mean no

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You can carry on feeding your baby milk for as long as is necessary for the both of you. If your baby is refusing to eat, then don't panic. You need to go at their pace and follow their lead. Breastmilk and formula will give them all the nutrition they need until they're a year old, so there's no need to rush.