Weaning a baby marks a progression beyond the earliest stages of infancy and can be an exciting adventure as the child discovers new tastes and textures.
Despite this, some parents can be nervous about leaving behind the security of exclusive breast or bottle feeding. Mothers and fathers often worry about risks such as choking or food allergies. However, observing baby will reveal a number of signs that he or she is ready for weaning and that his or her small body is developed enough to cope with solid foods.
Passive Weaning Signs
The first indicators that baby is reaching readiness for weaning are passive ones. Ideally an infant should have reached six months old before the weaning process begins, in line with advice from the World Health Organisation, whose Infant Feeding Recommendation promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first 26 weeks of a child’s life. Parents who wish to wean their children before the six month mark are advised to discuss their plans with their healthcare provider, and no baby should be offered solid food before the age of 17 weeks as their bodies are simply not equipped to cope.
Another rough marker for judging if babies are ready to wean is to wait until they have doubled or exceeded double their birth weight. Often a baby who was previously putting on steadily will start to slow in their weight gain after this point indicating the need for additional food in the form of solids.
Developmental Signs Baby is Ready for Solids
Before weaning can commence baby needs to have a certain amount of control over his or her own body. Infants should able to sit well while supported (or to sit unaided if parents plan to follow a Baby Led Weaning plan) and to hold their heads up for a period of time in order to be able to safely begin eating solids.
When baby is ready to wean he or she will also have lost the “tongue thrust” reflex they were born with. This reflex is intended to prevent anything getting into a baby’s mouth before they are physically capable of effectively manoeuvring it around and swallowing. To check this reflex parents can put an empty weaning spoon between baby’s lips – if the tongue automatically “thrusts” out then the reflex is still present and parents may wish to wait a while before weaning.
Active Weaning Signs
When a baby is ready to wean he or she will give clues in his or her behaviour. A baby who is ready to try solid foods will often express an interest in what others are eating. Infants may reach for foods on their parents' plates and will often mimic the chewing motion made by those around them as they practise and prepare for the next nutritional stage.
Increased Appetite and the Decision to Wean
Infants aged between four and six months often display an increase in appetite, appearing less satisfied after their usual milk feeds and sometimes beginning to wake again at night after previously sleeping through. As the advice is to delay weaning until after the six-month mark, parents are advised to offer supplementary milk feeds in the first instance, as increased appetite could be the result of a temporary growth spurt rather than an indicator of readiness to wean. If in doubt parents should consult their healthcare provider to discuss weaning options.
Time to Start Solids
Parents should try and delay the introduction of solids until their baby is six months old as this is the optimum time to wean. To ensure baby is ready for new tastes and textures parents should ensure the child is physically developed enough and is showing an active interest in starting solids. If a baby seems hungrier than usual or is no longer sleeping through the night before six months, parents should consult their healthcare professional for weaning advice.
Jenni Potter - Jenni Potter is a qualified senior journalist and newsroom veteran with 10 years experience on titles across the UK. Jenni is also a ...
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