What are signs that the infant is ready to be introduced to complementary foods?

A new mom sits at the table with her extended family, holding her five-month-old baby in her left arm while taking a bite of her dinner with her right. While talking about the joys and struggles of being a new mom, a family member chimes in with, “...that baby wants some of your food!” Sure enough, the baby is eyeing and perhaps even lunging for mom’s spoon. The family member leans in and says, “...what are you waiting for? You know she’ll start sleeping better once you start solids.”

So many parents have been there -- they’ve got the routine mostly down, and then a tooth pops in or their baby grabs some food off of someone’s plate, and suddenly all the extended family members are experts on when the baby should start solids. This question, along with frequent parental concerns about choking or gagging is not so simple. If you’re in that situation right now, you’re not alone.

Some friends or family members may encourage you to start solids before your baby is truly ready. Some might caution you to wait until you’re sure your baby is ready for that high chair. How do you know when to start? 

The most important step is to speak with your baby’s pediatrician who will evaluate your baby for signs of developmental readiness for solid foods. Here are the tell-tale signs your pediatrician will be looking for:

• Baby can remain sitting upright with minimal support

• Baby can hold his or her head/neck steady when sitting

• Baby tends to grab larger objects and pull them to the mouth

• Baby is interested in food

These signs are not necessarily tied to any specific age, but most often emerge around 6 months (adjusted for prematurity) give or take a few weeks, which coincides with the recommendations of the majority of major health organizations, who recommend starting complementary foods around six months of age. 

It’s worth noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that breastfeeding be the sole source of nutrition for babies under six months. Also, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of leading experts in evidence-based nutrition that provides the scientific review data for the official 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, has recently published its review of the available evidence regarding introducing complementary foods. Their review has revealed that there may be increased risk of developing obesity later in life if complementary foods are introduced before four months of age.

Not all developmental milestones or behaviors around this age necessarily mean that baby is ready to start solids. In fact, many well-meaning relatives and friends may encourage starting solids when baby is showing perceived - but not actual - signs of readiness. The following behaviors and attributes are all developmentally normal, but they do not necessarily indicate a readiness for solid foods:

• Baby has one or more teeth

• Baby’s rapid weight gain has slowed

• Baby no longer falls asleep while feeding

• Baby makes lip-smacking sounds

• Baby seems small or big for his or her age

• Baby awakens frequently during the night

Whether or not your baby is ready at 6 months to start solids, the best gift you can offer is your love and the room to grow and develop at his or her own pace, which is unique to each baby. 

If your baby is indeed ready for supplementary solid foods or likely to be ready soon, you may be finding yourself with a lot more questions about how and with what to begin. Here are some resources that will help:

• If you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, or if your baby has recently begun his or her feeding journey and you need guidance on food sizing, balanced baby meals, introducing the top allergenic foods, and making sure baby is getting the important nutrients needed for growth and development during infancy, check out my new online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.

• My book, Simple and Safe Baby-Led Weaning guides you step-by-step throughout the process of starting solids in a safe, developmentally appropriate way that minimizes choking risk, helps baby learn to recognize his or her own internal cues for hunger and fullness, helps develop a healthy and adventurous palate, and ensures that baby gets the nutrients he or she needs to thrive and grow.

• If you’re looking for meal ideas, my new e-book, Baby-Led Weaning Meals does all the thinking for you! It provides 21 balanced BLW meal ideas and lots of tips for baby-friendly ways to offer the top 8 allergens and keep them in baby’s diet throughout the first year.

Enjoy this amazing new food adventure with your little one! And thank you to my wonderful dietetic intern, Annie Hanes for her contributions to this blog post.

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