Is it time to wean?  The recommended age to start weaning your baby is from six months, up until this time they will have been getting all their nutrients from breastfeeding or formula milk. They will still need milk as part of their diet until they reach at least 18 months old, or maybe even older.  From around six months old  

• You may find your baby starts to take an interest in what you are eating.
• They may start to demand more feeds.
• They may also start waking more throughout the night or earlier in the morning due to hunger.
• They could start to be putting things in their mouths.

What should their first meal be? Baby rice mixed with a little breast milk or their normal formula milk is a good food to start with as it is fairly bland. You could always give a mouthful or two of food to start and then top it up with their normal milk feed. You may find they ‘play’ with the food by pushing it around their mouths using their tongues and actually look as though they are not eating anything. Don’t worry, it takes time for them to get used to the texture and taste. 

• Mix a small amount of pear puree or other fruit puree to get them used to different tastes.
• Introduce some vegetable puree. Many babies prefer the sweeter vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, squash.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment, if they don’t eat vast amounts don’t panic, they will be getting their nutrients from their milk.

Don’t panic, just make meal times fun. If you’re feeling relaxed, your baby will relax too!