When your little one hits that 6-month mark, you’ll start noticing some signs that indicate they are ready to start solids. They become curious about food, start sitting up with support for longer periods, grab everything in sight to pop in their mouth and watch you eat with those big, interested eyes.
There are many quick and easy weaning recipes to start with. You can give them soft finger foods once or twice daily, while continuing regular breastfeeding, which remains the main source of nutrition throughout the first year. Milk provides essential nutrients, strengthens immunity, and offers comfort during this transition. You can download our baby weaning app to get more recipes to make your baby’s food journey better.
However, you need to take things slowly and follow your baby’s lead. The shift to solid foods should be gradual, and breastfeeding should strictly continue for the first 12 months of life and as long as desired beyond it. This gives your baby time to explore new tastes and textures while getting the important benefits of breastfeeding. You can consult with our nutritionists to learn about easy BLW meals during this phase.
Importance of Breastfeeding From 6-12 Months
Breastmilk remains your baby’s main source of nutrition throughout the first year. While you may start offering solids around 6 months, these foods support rather than replace breastfeeding.
During the first year, no solid food can match the complete nutrition that milk provides. Start with one BLW meal daily around 6 months while continuing breastfeeding whenever your baby is hungry. It’s best to offer solids first, then provide milk if your little one still shows hunger signs afterwards. Try not to offer milk right after your baby refuses solids, as this could affect their understanding of hunger and fullness.
Tips for balancing solids and breastfeeding during BLW weaning:
- Watch your baby’s hunger cues
- Start with one solid meal per day
- Continue breastfeeding on demand
- Offer solids before breastfeeding
- Let your baby set the pace
- Stay consistent with feeding routines
Benefits of Breastfeeding Beyond 12 Months
Many moms choose to continue nursing past the first birthday, and some even extend it until their babies are 2. Infant weaning guidelines show breast milk remains loaded with value beyond infancy. Consider these benefits if you’re deciding between breast milk and solid foods:
- Improved immunity – Breast milk provides live antibodies that help fight infections even in the second year, reducing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
- Nutrition – This adapts as your toddler grows, delivering vitamins, protein, and healthy fats for needed energy. It’s especially important during picky eating phases.
- Emotional comfort – Nursing offers warmth, nurturing contact, and relaxation when your little one gets distressed or hurt.
- Convenience – Breastfeeding provides a quick, nourishing snack or soothes upset stomachs.
- Oral health – Breast milk contains bacteria that support tooth and jaw development.
You need to let your baby enjoy more table foods and independence through toddlerhood.
How To Know Your Breastfed Baby Is Ready for BLW Weaning?
1. Baby Can Sit Up Without Support
When your little one can sit up straight without any help, it shows their muscles are growing stronger. Their neck and back can now hold up their head and body, which is important during feeding time.
Before BLW weaning, babies only had milk, so when you start rice cereals or mushy foods, they need to move bites from spoon to tummy without spills or choking. Sitting helps them swallow safely, as it means their neck and back coordination is developed. This helps them learn the motions needed for sampling and enjoying new foods.
2. Shows Interest in Food
Does your child reach out to get a bite from your plate or try grabbing your spoon? This food curiosity signals they are ready baby led weaning! Starting solids lets them explore new tastes and textures beyond milk. Around 6 months, you can introduce solids to supplement breast milk.
Watching you eat with interest shows they long to grow up and chow down. It kickstarts the journey to sharing family meals. Let their curiosity guide the timing (which is roughly around 6 months) as you consider introducing solids and breastfeeding at the same time.
3. Loss of Tongue Thrust Reflex
The tongue thrust reflex is an automatic pushing out of food from the mouth using the tongue. It is present in babies and helps with breastfeeding and swallowing milk. This reflex should fade as the baby transitions to solid foods. When this happens, they gain control of side-to-side tongue motions needed for eating solids. So when introducing purees or cereals, don’t worry about messes at first.
Your baby will slowly learn to perfect this tongue coordination. That’s why you need to continue introducing solids to babies, even when they are making a mess. It’s a learning process. You can chat with your pediatrician to know more about this process or any other infant weaning guidelines, as it’s essential for upgrading from breast milk to solid foods.
4. Increased Hunger Even After Breastfeeding
Do they wake at night eager to breastfeed despite full days of nursing? And does that nursing session fail to satisfy their hunger? This is a sign to start baby-led weaning. Around 6 months, your baby needs both breastfeeding and solids.
Even if you offer the breast much more frequently, their tummy likely yearns for bigger and more nutrient-dense meals. You can speak to your pediatrician about your baby’s breastfeeding and solid schedules. For BLW weaning meals, you can give them pureed fruits/veggies, cereals, and finger foods to satisfy their hunger.
5. Reaches 6 Months of Age
At this age, healthcare providers agree that babies can begin exploring solids while continuing their regular breastfeeding.
Starting solids at 6 months helps meet your growing baby’s nutritional needs alongside breastfeeding. The World Health Organization supports continuing breastfeeding for two years or longer if desired. This means you can confidently begin offering solid foods to your 6-month-old while maintaining breastfeeding.
This gradual introduction of solids provides additional nutrients as your little one’s diet naturally expands. The 6-month mark is a good time to start baby-led weaning since your baby’s digestive system has matured enough to process both milk and solid foods safely.
First Solid Food for 6-Month-Olds
Around 6 months, you can begin offering your little one their first tastes of solid food along with breast milk. These first foods for babies provide key nutrients to supplement breast milk:
- Rice/ragi porridge
- Mashed rice and ghee
- Steamed and mashed veggies
- Rava upma
Take time to observe how they respond to each new food, and keep breastfeeding as their main source of nutrition during BLW weaning. You can download our Happy Eaters app where we also have licensed pediatricians who can guide you during your baby’s baby-led weaning period. They will also make you aware of all infant weaning guidelines that will make this journey smooth.
Iron-Rich Solid Foods for Babies
Around 6 months, adding nutritious solid foods along with breast milk helps ensure your baby gets enough iron. You can give these iron-rich foods to your baby:
- Mashed moong dal khichdi
- Pureed spinach or leafy greens (saag)
- Ragi (finger millet) porridge
- Beetroot carrot mash
You need to introduce BLW meals slowly, starting with just a spoonful or two and paying attention to your baby’s cues on quantity. This will help you balance the
breastfeeding and solid schedules for your baby. You can start giving more varieties of foods as they are essential for growth and nourishment.
Soft Finger Foods for Babies
When introducing solids to babies around 6 months, start with easily grasped foods that they can pick up and enjoy at their own pace as you supervise. Some of the best first finger foods for your baby’s BLW meals:
- Steamed idli (small, soft pieces)
- Cooked and mashed potato or sweet potato
- Soft pieces of chapati soaked in dal
- Steamed carrot, beetroot, cauliflower fingers
- Dosa strips (soft and easy to hold)
- Banana slices (ripe and mashed slightly for softness)
According to infant weaning guidelines, you must avoid whole grapes, bits of apple, popcorn, or other hard snacks at first. You can experiment to see which solid food for a 6-month-old baby is the best by offering one new food at a time and observing their reactions. Allow self-feeding without pressure to eat a certain amount.
The main thing is to supervise closely while allowing your baby to touch, feel, taste, and learn about these solid finger foods at their own speed. Avoid any foods that pose a choking risk for their age and stage.
Finding the right rhythm between nursing sessions and solid food intake comes with time and responsiveness. You can keep breast milk as the primary source of nutrition until they reach 12 months.
You can offer solids once or twice a day at first. As solids gradually increase into several small BLW meals per day, maintain a nursing pattern based on your baby’s cues rather than sticking strictly to a breastfeeding and solid schedule. Remember, breast milk provides antibodies and easily digested calories that babies need in the first year as they grow rapidly
