Recognising the signs of weaning

After months of drinking just milk, your baby is ready for a new adventure. He or she is ready to try new textures and flavors. There are a few signs that appear when your child is ready to wean. Find out more below.

Weaning is an important stage of your baby’s development, and it’s important not to rush into it before they’re ready. It is recommended that weaning should start from 6 months and certainly no sooner than 17 weeks. To help you understand when your baby might be ready, we’ve put together some useful information on the key signs of weaning.

How to recognise the signs of weaning

As your baby learns new skills such as rolling over and sitting up, they’ll be using a lot more energy every day. With their growing appetite, it’ll soon be time to start introducing them to the gentle tastes and textures of first weaning foods. Your baby will show definite signs that they’re ready for more than milk. All babies develop at their own pace but knowing what to look out for will make it easier to provide the extra nourishment your baby needs, when they need it.

Key weaning signs

As well as demanding more milk feeds than usual, your baby will give you other signs that they’re ready for more than milk. If you notice some or all of the following changes in their behaviour, it may be time to start weaning:

• Sucking their hands or putting other objects in their mouth
• Watching you eat and becoming more interested in your food
• Sitting upright without your help

If you think your baby is ready but they’re only showing one or two of these weaning signs, it’s best to check with your health visitor before offering solids. We’re also here with expert advice about weaning, so feel free to get in touch.

Ready for weaning or a growth spurt?

Babies can often go through a growth spurt at around 4 months, leading to an increase in hunger. It’s important not to confuse this with the real signs of weaning, as your baby’s digestive system needs time to develop before it is ready to process solids. If it’s a growth spurt, the increased hunger will only be temporary and your baby’s appetite should return to normal relatively quickly.

If you’re unsure whether your baby is ready for weaning or not, our Careline team is on hand to help you find the answers. Call us on 800 6458 6262 (UAE)/ +971 4 420 9489 (Other Countries) between the hours of 9am and 6pm Saturday to Thursday.