Stage 1

Although still sleeping a lot, your baby is starting to become more alert to the world and discover some exciting new tastes. At around six months old baby will be chewing lots of things (toys, clothing, fingers!) and watching you as you eat – both signs that your child is likely to be ready to start solids.* Adding new foods to the diet of breastmilk or infant formula will make mealtimes more exciting.

Your baby is used to having breastmilk (the best choice) or infant formula four to six times a day, but is now showing interest in other things. At this early stage iron fortified infant cereal, puréed fruits and vegetables are recommended.

Purées and special cereals prepared to the right consistency are the first step towards what will become a more grown-up diet but there’s a long way to go yet. Your baby still has lots of exciting new tastes and textures to discover!

* Babies can be given solids around 6 months old, however definitely not before 4 months.