baby weaning & starting solids | Paediatric Dietitian
Feel confident starting your baby's weaning journey
Starting solids is an exciting milestone, but it can also come with so many questions.
I can help you with personalised, evidence-based paediatric dietetic advice for weaning that is tailored to your family.
Does any of this sound familiar?
You may be wondering:
when should I start weaning?
what foods should I offer first?
should I choose baby-led weaning, spoon feeding or a combination?
how much should my baby be eating?
when should I introduce allergens?
what if they refuse everything?
You don't have to work it all out on your own. I can help.
Weaning - what? when? how?
Weaning, also known as complementary feeding, is the process of introducing your baby to foods alongside their usual breast milk or infant formula. It’s an exciting stage when your baby begins to explore new tastes, textures, flavours and ways of eating.
Most babies are ready to start weaning at around 6 months of age, when they show signs that they are developmentally ready. At first, your baby may only eat small amounts — the focus is on learning and exploring rather than replacing milk feeds straight away.
Every baby is different, and there isn't one perfect way to wean. Some families choose baby-led weaning, others prefer spoon feeding, and many use a combination of both. What matters is finding an approach that is safe, nutritionally appropriate and works for you and your baby.
Weaning is an important time for your baby. They are learning a completely new skill - how to eat. It can sometimes feel like another thing you need to get right. With the right support, it can be an enjoyable experience for the whole family.
Ready to feel more confident about weaning?
You don’t have to navigate the weaning stage alone. Book your free discovery call and let’s discuss how I might be able to help.
How can I help?
Together we can:
understand when your baby may be ready to wean and how to get started
explore what to offer and how to build variety into your baby’s diet
understand how to introduce different textures and support the development of eating skills
discuss introducing common food allergens
support existing food allergies or intolerances
support vegetarian or vegan diets and any other dietary requirements
talk through concerns about food refusal and what’s normal during the early stages of weaning
develop practical strategies to help make mealtimes more relaxed and enjoyable
FAQs
When should my baby start weaning?
1
Most babies start complementary feeding at around 6 months, alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula. Readiness is about more than simply reaching a particular age, so it's important to consider your baby's development and individual circumstances. If your baby was born prematurely or has additional medical or nutritional needs, you may need individual advice about when and how to start.
Do you recommend baby-led weaning or traditional spoon feeding?
2
There isn't one approach that every family needs to follow. I can talk you through baby-led weaning, spoon feeding and combination approaches so you can choose an approach that feels appropriate and manageable for your baby and your family.
Can you help if my baby isn't eating much?
3
Yes. At the beginning of weaning, eating is about learning new skills, tastes and textures as well as nutrition. If you're concerned about how much your baby is eating, we can look at their overall milk and food intake, nutritional needs, development and feeding pattern and work out whether anything needs to change.
Can you advise on introducing allergens?
4
Yes. We can discuss the practicalities of introducing common allergenic foods and how to incorporate them into your baby's diet. If your baby has already experienced a reaction to a food, please mention this when booking so that appropriate individual advice can be provided.
Can you help with vegetarian or vegan weaning?
5
Absolutely. A vegetarian or vegan diet can require careful planning during infancy. I can help you understand which nutrients need particular attention and how to build a varied, nutritionally appropriate diet for your baby.
What if we've already started weaning?
6
That's absolutely fine. Whether you've been weaning for a few days or several months, we can look at where you are now and identify practical next steps.
Let’s take the worry out of feeding your child.
Book your free discovery call and let's talk about weaning, what’s worrying you and how I may be able to support you and your family.