When to Start Solids for Your Baby: 5 Signs of Readiness

Starting solids is one of the biggest milestones of your baby’s first year, and in Pakistan almost every family gets advice from every direction – from grandparents, neighbours and WhatsApp groups. This guide keeps it simple: when to start solids, the signs your baby is ready, and how to make the first spoonfuls safe and stress-free.

When should babies start solid food?

Health organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK’s NHS, recommend starting solid foods (also called weaning or complementary feeding) at around 6 months of age. Until then, breast milk or infant formula gives your baby all the energy and nutrients they need.

At around 6 months, your baby’s natural iron stores start to run low and they need more energy than milk alone can provide. That is why the 6-month mark matters. Keep breastfeeding or giving formula alongside food – solids are added to milk feeds, not a replacement for them in the first year.

What if my baby was born early? Babies born prematurely may follow a different timeline. Ask your paediatrician before you begin.

5 signs your baby is ready for solids

Age is a guide, but readiness is what counts. Most babies show these signs together at around 6 months:

• Sits up with support and holds the head steady. Your baby needs good head control to swallow safely.
• Looks at food, reaches for it and brings it to the mouth. Hand–eye coordination is developing.
• Swallows food instead of pushing it out. Younger babies have a tongue-thrust reflex that pushes food back out. If most of the food comes straight back, wait a week or two and try again.
• Opens the mouth when a spoon comes close.
• Shows interest when the family eats.

Signs that are often mistaken for readiness: waking at night, chewing fists or wanting extra milk feeds. These are normal baby behaviours and do not on their own mean your baby needs solid food.

Why not start before 4–6 months?

A young baby’s gut and swallowing skills are still developing, and early solids can replace milk feeds that your baby still needs. Never put cereal in a baby’s bottle – it can cause choking and overfeeding.

How to start: the first two weeks

1. Pick a calm time of day when your baby is alert and not too hungry or tired – for example, mid-morning after a milk feed.
2. Start with 1–2 teaspoons of a smooth food once a day. It is normal if most of it ends up on the bib.
3. Offer one new food at a time so you can spot anything that does not agree with your baby.
4. Go at your baby’s pace. Stop when they turn away, close their mouth or push the spoon away.
5. Always stay with your baby while they eat and keep them sitting upright.

Good first foods include smooth baby cereal, mashed banana, steamed and mashed apple, pear, potato, carrot and pumpkin (kaddu). See our 7-day starter plan for 6-month-old babies for a simple day-by-day guide.

Foods to avoid before your baby’s first birthday

• Honey (including honey ghutti): honey can carry bacteria that cause infant botulism, a serious illness. Avoid it completely before 12 months.
• Added salt and sugar: no salt in your baby’s portion of daal or khichdi, and no sugar in cereal or fruit. Babies do not need either.
• Tea and coffee: do not give tea (including doodh patti) to babies.
• Whole nuts, whole grapes and hard raw vegetables: choking risk. Nuts can be offered finely ground or as smooth nut butter.
• Cow’s milk as a main drink: it is fine in cooking or mixed into food from 6 months, but it should not replace breast milk or formula as a drink until 12 months.

What about allergies?

Common allergens such as egg, peanuts, wheat (gluten), milk and fish can be introduced from around 6 months, one at a time and in small amounts, so you can watch for a reaction. If your baby already has eczema or a known allergy, talk to your doctor first. Note that all Organilac cereals contain milk and gluten, and Happy Harvest Multigrain also contains almonds.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start solids at 4 months?
The recommendation is around 6 months. If you feel your baby needs food earlier, speak to your paediatrician rather than starting on your own.

How many meals a day at 6 months?
Start with one small meal a day. Between 7 and 9 months, build up gradually to three meals a day alongside milk feeds.

Should I give water?
From 6 months you can offer small sips of boiled and cooled water in an open or free-flow cup with meals.

This guide is general information based on WHO and NHS guidance and is not a substitute for medical advice. Every baby is different – if you have concerns about your baby’s feeding, growth or allergies, please speak to your paediatrician.