Is My Baby Ready for Solids? Readiness Checker
Tick the signs you've noticed to see whether your baby looks ready to start solid foods — plus how to begin safely, from first foods to allergens.
Most babies are ready to start solid foods around 6 months, but the signs below matter more than age. Pick your baby’s age (their adjusted age if they were born early) and tick what you’ve noticed.
Estimates for general guidance only — every baby is different. Ask your pediatrician about your own child.
The signs that matter most
- Sitting with support and steady head control. This lets your baby swallow safely.
- Swallowing instead of pushing food out. As the tongue-thrust reflex fades, your baby can move food to the back of the mouth.
- Interest and grabbing. Your baby opens their mouth for food, reaches for it and brings things to their mouth.
Some things are not reliable signs: waking more at night, chewing on fists, or being a big baby. These are normal at many ages and don’t mean your baby needs solids.
Starting safely
- Offer iron-rich foods early, such as meat, beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereals.
- Keep breast milk or formula as the main drink. From 6 months, offer a few sips of water from an open cup with meals.
- No honey before 12 months, and no cow’s milk as a main drink before 12 months.
- Avoid choking hazards: whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, and hard raw vegetables or fruit.
- Introduce common allergens like peanut and egg early. Ask your pediatrician first if your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy.
Next steps: best first foods, baby-led weaning and introducing allergens.