Eating
Ready for solids
Many babies — around 6 months
Around 6 months, with readiness signs (sits with support, good head control, interested in food, no longer pushes food out).
What’s happening
Readiness for solids is less about hitting exactly 6 months and more about a cluster of signs together: sitting with support and good head control, real interest in food (watching, reaching), and no longer automatically pushing food back out with the tongue.
How to support it
- Start with one meal a day and iron-rich options — purees or soft finger foods both work; the AAP no longer recommends one approach over the other.
- Introduce one new food at a time over a few days so a reaction is easy to trace.
- Milk or formula is still the main source of nutrition at this stage — solids are practice and exploration first, not a replacement meal yet.
When to ask your pediatrician
Your pediatrician should confirm your baby is ready and guide timing and allergen introduction — this is a feeding question, not just a gear one.
Often leads to self-feeding finger foods
Where this comes from
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