Your doctor/nurse/medical advisor has told you that it’s best to start solids at around 6 months. And you remember seeing this in your new baby handbook that the hospital gave you when your baby was born. 

But well-meaning friends or family might have been saying otherwise. ‘Why don’t you start earlier?’, asks your mum. ‘My baby started at 4 months’ says a friend. ‘It will help your baby sleep longer at night’ and ‘will help to keep them full’, they say. And desperate to finally get a whole night’s sleep (without night feeds), you start thinking about when to begin giving solids to your baby. 

The truth is that, unless you’ve been medically advised otherwise, it’s best to start solids at around 6 months. And up to then, all your baby needs is milk and more milk (and possibly a little water if they’re on formula and it’s hot weather).  

This is for a few reasons: 

1. Breastmilk or formula is packed full of great stuff! It provides all the nutrients and energy that babies need until they’re around 6 months old. The only exception is that it’s usually recommended that babies take a Vitamin D supplement (which is easy to find in shops or online). 
2. Waiting until 6 months gives a baby’s digestive system the proper time to mature so as to be able to cope with solids. 
3. At 6 months, babies are better able to move food around their mouth, chew and swallow – making it easier and more enjoyable for them to eat. 

Starting solids too soon 

Introducing solids too early can actually cause problems for a baby. What can go wrong? 

1. There’s a higher risk of choking because a baby might not yet have developed the ability to swallow properly. 
2. Filling up on solids could mean a baby takes less breastmilk or formula, which they need for proper nutrition. 
3. A baby’s digestive system might not be ready to properly handle solids. This can cause a tummy ache, wind or bloating.