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For a parent, the weaning process is one you may not be looking forward to. It can be an uncertain time for both baby and mother. While the general advice is to start weaning at around six months of age, there are other telltale signs that your baby is ready for weaning and that the time is right to try solid foods.
Nevertheless, these signs don’t mean that the weaning process is going to be an instant success (although there’s always a chance it could be!).
Here are some key signs it’s time to try your baby on solid food:
Your Baby is Using their Mouth More
Babies like to explore, and one way in which they do this is by putting things in their mouth. If your baby is openly being more explorative with their mouth, this could be a sign. Your baby may be putting their fingers or fists into their mouth more often, putting other objects into their mouth, or sucking things.
A Milk Feed Doesn’t Seem to Be Enough
Your baby should always feel full and content after an adequate feed, and during breastfeeding, this should come with each feed. However, if you are starting to see restlessness in your baby after a normal breastfeed, this can be a sign that they are still hungry, and it might be time to move on to more solid food.
Your Baby is Showing Coordination
Eating requires more coordination than you’d think, which can be a challenge for a young baby still finding their feet! However, when your baby can coordinate their hands, mouth, and eyes to work together, they will have a good chance at eating solid foods by themselves. If you notice your baby is able to look at what you’re feeding them with interest, grip it, and move it to their mouth, this is a good step forward.
Of course, having your baby feed like this will always get messy, which is why it’s a good idea to have a suction food tray for your high chair, from companies like EasyTots, to make sure that your baby doesn’t use their newfound coordination to pick up the food tray and drop it instead!
Your Baby Can Hold Their Head Up
If your baby is able to maintain a sitting position and keep their head up without problem or complaint, it means it can be a good time to try sitting in a highchair and take advantage of them being able to sit up for feeding time.
Success in Swallowing
Trying to switch your baby to solid food may result in them immediately spitting it back out. If your baby is successfully swallowing the food, they’re taking a positive interest in their new eating routine and managing to interact with solid food in the right way.
In Conclusion
Watching out for these signs can really help to move the weaning process along and hopefully make it more of a success. It’s important to note, however, that all babies develop at different rates, and if you’re not seeing these signs as soon as you’d hoped, that doesn’t mean there’s a problem or that weaning needs to be rushed. Enjoy the journey!
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