How to know if your baby is ready for solids? Although many health organizations suggest you should start your baby on solids at six months, this may not always be the case. Your baby is unique and will show you a number of signs when she is ready and it could be as early as at four months. The following five signs, when combined, are a good indicator your baby is ready for solids:

• Your baby’s tongue-thrust reflex keeps her safe by not allowing much more than milk to get past their tongue in her first four months. If they stop that adorable tongue wiggle, it’s a sign they might be ready for something a little more solid.

• So you know that cute bobbing thing your baby does when they can’t actually hold her head up? If they stop doing that, then they are likely ready to start solid food.

• Along with the end of the head bob, if your baby can sit upright with little to no support, that’s a sign they are ready for solid food.

• If your baby starts showing the ability to know when they are full by actions such as pushing away their bottle, then if all the other signs are there, they are ready to eat solid foods.

• This is important so you don’t end up overfeeding the solids. If your baby is showing interest in your food, that may also indicate they are ready to expand their food horizons. But this is the last sign to look for. If they are generally grabbing at everything then this may not be a sign.

How to introduce solid foods to a baby

Once you see the signs that tell you your baby is ready for solids baby are ready to meet her lifelong companion, solid food, you need a plan. The following tips are going to help you ease baby food in a no-pressure way; just remember to be patient as you move from food to food and help baby develop her palette.

• Before you delve into the lab of solid food, you should purchase a special spoon for your baby. Your big people spoons are too deep and solid enough to cause injury.

• Purchase a BPA-free plastic baby spoon, and one that’s quite shallow, for the first two months of feeding. It can also be helpful to buy weaning bibs to ensure that they can explore the new food without worrying about the mess that it is going to cause you, your baby, and the surrounding furniture items. 

• The first time you try to feed baby they may turn away from the food but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready. Just wait a week and try again; if the problem continues for more than two weeks then you may want to consult your pediatrician.

• Although you can start with veggies or fruit, we would recommend veggies so baby gets used to the more simple flavors before trying the sweet stuff.

• Stagger the introduction of new foods by at least three days. This will allow you to scope out allergies and also help baby get used to the flavors and textures.

We hope you found the above tips on spotting the signs that your baby is ready for solids. Remember, as always – trust your instincts as a mother – looking out for the above signs and trusting your gut is a win-win combination.