It can be confusing knowing when and how to start weaning your baby, to introduce solid foods into their diet.
Many mums with young children feel pressured about it too.
One in three mums feel pressure to wean their baby before six months and a majority of mums feel weaning pressure from friends or family. This is according to a new survey of 1,000 mothers of young children conducted for Public Health England.
The research also highlights the pressures mums with young children feel with 83% feeling they have to get it right all of the time.
But don’t worry, support and advice on introducing solid foods is available.
When to introduce solid foods
The term ‘weaning’ refers to when a baby is introduced to their first solid foods alongside breast milk or infant formula.
Official advice is that most babies should not start solid foods until they are around six months old.
By this point their bodies are better able to cope with solid foods and they are more able to feed themselves. They are also better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing.
How to introduce solid foods
When the time comes, the ‘weaning hub’ on the Start4Life website is here to support parents during their weaning journey.
It’s packed with NHS-endorsed advice and tips, plus simple, healthy recipes, it has everything you need to know.
Visit the Start4Life website for expert advice and support on making healthy weaning easy.