🍼 Feeding · 4 to 6 months
🥕 Starting solids: the ultimate beginner's guide
Begin complementary foods around six months when baby is developmentally ready; continue breast milk or infant formula.
Gear to get ready
- 1 soft silicone spoon designed for tiny mouths.
- Smooth, single-ingredient vegetable purees (one veggie at a time: carrot, zucchini, green beans, squash).
How to do it
1. Readiness and variety
Baby should have good head control and be able to sit upright with support. Offer iron-rich foods and gradually varied textures, supervised and seated. Australian guidance also says not before four months; ask your clinician about individual timing.
2. Allergens and choking
Do not delay common allergens unnecessarily once solids start; introduce in age-appropriate forms and seek advice for severe eczema or known allergy. No honey before 12 months, whole nuts or other hard choking hazards. There is no requirement to delay fruit for two weeks.
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Same topic
When in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.