When to Start Solids: Signs Your Baby Is Ready

Elina @ Little Puku
2026-03-24T12:06:23+10:00

When to start solids and how to tell your baby is ready. Learn the 6 signs of readiness, best first foods and a week-by-week guide. Australian-made tips.
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Wondering when to start solids? You're not alone. It's one of the most-searched questions by new parents, and for good reason: getting the timing right sets the tone for your baby's entire feeding journey.

The short answer is around six months. But age alone isn't the full picture. Your baby also needs to hit certain developmental milestones before they're truly ready to eat. In this guide we'll walk you through the official guidelines, the signs to watch for, the best first foods to try, and a practical week-by-week timeline so you can start solids with confidence.

When Do Babies Start Solids?

In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends introducing solid foods at around six months of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) gives the same guidance, recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life before complementary foods are introduced.

Why six months specifically? A few things come together at this age:

Iron stores begin to deplete. Babies are born with iron reserves that last roughly six months. After that, they need dietary iron from food to support brain development.

The immune system matures. By six months your baby produces enough IgA antibodies to help prevent reactions to food antigens and pathogens.

The gut is ready. Your baby's digestive system can now process more complex starches and proteins.

Developmental readiness aligns. Most babies gain the motor skills needed to manage solid food around this age.

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) adds that solids should be introduced at around six months but not before four months. Starting before four months offers no nutritional benefit and may increase the risk of illness, while waiting well beyond six months can delay important nutrient intake and make food acceptance harder later.

Every baby develops at their own pace, so "around six months" is a window rather than a hard deadline. Your child health nurse or paediatrician can help you decide the right moment for your baby. The key is to look for developmental signs of readiness alongside age.

6 Signs Your Baby Is Ready for Solids

Age is a starting point, but readiness is what matters. According to the Raising Children Network, most babies show these signs at around six months. Look for several appearing together rather than just one in isolation.

Key points

6 signs your baby is ready for solids

Look for several of these appearing together around 6 months.

Good head control

Holds head steady and upright without wobbling.

Sits with support

Can sit upright in a highchair with minimal help.

Interest in food

Watches you eat, reaches for your plate.

Tongue reflex fading

No longer automatically pushes food out with tongue.

Chewing motions

Makes up-and-down munching movements with jaw.

Increased appetite

Seems hungrier even after a full milk feed.

Tip: Seeing 3 or more of these? Your baby is likely ready. Chat with your child health nurse to confirm.

Let's look at each sign in more detail.

1. Good head control. Your baby needs to hold their head steady and upright to swallow safely. If their head still wobbles or flops, their airway may not be well-protected during eating.

2. Sitting with support. Being able to sit upright in a highchair (with minimal support from a cushion or your hands at their hips) means the trunk muscles are strong enough to manage food. They don't need to sit completely independently yet, but they should stay upright and not slump.

3. Interest in food. Your baby watches intently while you eat, reaches towards your plate, opens their mouth when food comes near, and may even try to grab food from your hand. This curiosity shows they're mentally ready to explore eating.

4. Tongue-thrust reflex fading. Young babies have a reflex that pushes foreign objects (including food) out of their mouth with the tongue. When this reflex starts to fade, your baby can actually keep food in their mouth and move it to the back for swallowing.

5. Chewing motions. You might notice your baby making up-and-down munching movements with their jaw, even when there's no food in their mouth. This shows the oral muscles are developing the coordination needed for eating.

6. Increased appetite. If your baby seems hungrier than usual and milk feeds alone no longer seem to satisfy them, it can be a sign their body needs the additional nutrition that solid foods provide.

Signs Your Baby Is NOT Ready Yet

Just as important as knowing when to start solids is recognising when your baby needs more time. Rushing into solids before your baby is developmentally ready can lead to frustration for both of you.

Reassurance

Ready vs not ready: what to look for

General guidance only. Speak with your child health nurse if unsure.

Likely ready

Sits upright with support, head steady.

Opens mouth when food approaches.

Reaches for food, watches you eat intently.

Keeps food in mouth instead of pushing it out.

Needs more time

Under 4 months old (too early regardless).

Can't hold head steady or sit with support.

Pushes all food straight back out with tongue.

Shows no interest in food or turns away.

Here are the clearest signals your baby isn't quite there yet:

Under four months old. Both the NHMRC and ASCIA advise against introducing solids before four months. The gut, immune system, and motor skills simply aren't developed enough.

Can't hold their head up. Without stable head control, swallowing is difficult and the risk of choking increases.

Can't sit with support. If your baby slumps when placed in a highchair, their core muscles need more time. An upright posture is essential for safe swallowing.

Strong tongue-thrust reflex. If every spoonful gets pushed straight back out, the reflex hasn't faded yet. Try again in a week or two.

No interest in food. Some babies just aren't curious about food yet. If your baby consistently turns away or shows no engagement, give it more time. Interest usually builds over the following weeks.

Waking more at night or putting hands in their mouth aren't reliable indicators of readiness. These are normal developmental behaviours that happen at many ages. Stick to the six signs above for a clearer picture.

Best First Foods to Try

Once your baby is showing signs of readiness, what should you actually put on the tray? Raising Children Network and Nutrition Australia recommend starting with iron-rich foods, since your baby's iron stores begin to run low around six months.

Iron-rich first foods:

Iron-fortified infant cereal mixed with breast milk or formula

Pureed or finely minced red meat (beef, lamb)

Pureed chicken or fish

Cooked and mashed lentils or beans

Smooth nut pastes (like peanut butter thinned with water)

Vegetables to try early:

Sweet potato (soft cooked and mashed)

Pumpkin

Carrot

Zucchini

Broccoli

Avocado (no cooking needed)

Fruits to introduce:

Banana (mashed)

Pear (soft cooked or ripe)

Apple (cooked until soft)

Mango

Blueberries (mashed or halved)

Start with one to two teaspoons of a single food, once a day. There's no strict rule about whether to begin with vegetables, fruits, or meat. The important thing is to include iron-rich foods from the beginning and to offer a wide variety over the coming weeks. Pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C sources (like capsicum, tomato, or citrus) helps your baby absorb more iron.

Track what you've introduced with our free First 100 Foods Tracker PDF. It helps you keep a record of every new food, note any reactions, and make sure you're covering all the food groups.

Baby-Led Weaning vs Purees

You'll hear a lot of opinions about the "right" way to start solids. The truth is there are two main approaches and neither is wrong.

Traditional spoon-feeding (purees) starts with smooth purees and gradually introduces thicker textures, mashes, and then soft finger foods over several weeks. The parent controls the spoon and the pace. It's straightforward and many families feel comfortable with it.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) skips purees entirely and offers soft finger foods from the start. Your baby feeds themselves, choosing what to pick up, how much to eat, and when to stop. It encourages independence and helps develop fine motor skills, but it can be messier and requires confidence around gagging (which is normal and different from choking).

Combination feeding is what many Australian families actually do: offering some purees on a spoon alongside soft finger foods. This gives your baby the best of both approaches and lets you adapt to what works for your family.

Research shows there's no significant difference in choking risk between the approaches when food is prepared safely. The most important factors are proper positioning (upright, feet supported) and offering age-appropriate textures.

Whichever approach you choose, your baby's highchair setup matters. An upright seated position with foot support helps your baby feel stable enough to focus on food instead of balancing. Our detailed IKEA highchair BLW setup guide covers exactly how to get the positioning right, and our gagging vs choking guide will help you understand the difference between the two.

Setting Up Your Highchair for First Foods

Before your baby's first taste of food, take a few minutes to get their seating right. Proper positioning isn't just about comfort: it directly affects how safely and confidently your baby can eat.

Feeding therapists recommend the 90-90-90 rule for mealtimes. Your baby's hips, knees, and ankles should each be at roughly 90 degrees. This gives them a stable base, keeps their airway open for safe swallowing, and frees their hands for exploring food. You wouldn't eat dinner perched on a bar stool with your feet dangling, and neither should your baby.

If you're using the IKEA Antilop (one of the most popular highchairs in Australia), here's what makes the biggest difference:

Add a footrest. The Antilop doesn't come with one, and dangling feet make babies feel unstable. Our adjustable bamboo footrest clips on in seconds and adjusts as your baby grows.

Use a cushion for small babies. At six months, there's often a gap between your baby and the backrest. A cushion cover fills that gap and helps position your baby closer to the tray.

Fit a placemat. A silicone placemat gives food some grip on the tray, contains mess, and makes cleanup faster.

Protect your floors. Leg wraps stop the metal chair legs from scratching timber and tile every time the chair is moved.

Getting your highchair setup sorted before the first meal means you can focus on the exciting part: watching your baby discover food. Browse our full range of IKEA highchair accessories to find everything in one place.

Week-by-Week Guide to Starting Solids

Starting solids is a gradual process. This timeline gives you a general framework, but remember to follow your baby's cues. Some babies take to food quickly while others need more time, and both are completely normal.

Steps

Starting solids: a week-by-week guide

1

Week 1-2

1-2 teaspoons of a single food, once daily. Focus on iron-rich foods.

2

Week 3-4

Increase to 2-3 tablespoons, once or twice daily. Introduce new foods every 2-3 days.

3

Week 5-8

Build to 2-3 meals daily. Start combining foods and adding soft textures.

4

Month 3+

3 meals daily with variety. Progress to lumpy, mashed, and finger foods by 8 months.

Weeks 1 to 2: Getting started. Offer one to two teaspoons of a single food once a day, ideally when your baby is alert and not too hungry (mid-morning often works well). Choose an iron-rich food like iron-fortified cereal, pureed meat, or smooth lentils. Give the same food for two to three days before introducing something new, so you can spot any reactions. Keep breastfeeding or formula as the main source of nutrition.

Weeks 3 to 4: Building variety. Increase the amount to two or three tablespoons and try offering food once or twice a day. Introduce vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potato, avocado) and fruits (pear, banana, mango) alongside your iron-rich staples. Aim to introduce a new food every two to three days.

Weeks 5 to 8: Growing confidence. Move towards two to three small meals a day. Start combining foods (iron-fortified cereal with pureed pear, or mashed avocado with minced chicken). If your baby is managing smooth textures well, begin introducing slightly lumpier consistencies. This is also a good time to start introducing common allergens one at a time.

Month 3 and beyond: Expanding textures. By around eight months, aim to include lumpier mashes, soft finger foods, and a wider range of flavours. Your baby should be eating three small meals a day with continued breast milk or formula between meals. By 12 months, your baby can eat most family foods in appropriate textures.

Want a printable version to stick on your fridge? Our free starting solids checklist PDF includes this timeline plus a readiness checklist and first foods guide.

Common Starting Solids Concerns

Every parent worries when starting solids. Here are the three concerns we hear most, along with what the evidence says.

Allergies. Current Australian guidelines from ASCIA recommend introducing common allergens (peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, sesame, tree nuts) early and continuing to offer them regularly. The previous advice to delay allergens has been reversed based on strong evidence that early introduction actually helps prevent allergies from developing. Introduce one new allergen at a time and watch for signs of reaction (hives, swelling, vomiting) for a few hours afterwards. Our free allergen introduction tracker makes it easy to keep a record of what you've introduced and when.

Gagging and choking. Gagging is a normal safety reflex that helps babies learn to manage food in their mouth. It looks dramatic (coughing, retching, watery eyes) but it's different from choking. Choking is silent — the airway is blocked and your baby cannot cough, cry, or breathe. Always supervise meals, keep your baby upright (never reclined), and avoid high-risk foods like whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, and chunks of hard raw vegetables. A proper highchair setup with foot support helps your baby sit in the safest position for swallowing. Read our full gagging vs choking guide for a detailed comparison of the signs.

Constipation. Some babies get a bit backed up when solids start, especially with iron-fortified cereals, banana, and apple. This is common and usually resolves as their digestive system adjusts. Offer water with meals (small sips from an open cup), include high-fibre foods like pear, prune, and cooked vegetables, and keep breast milk or formula as their main drink. If constipation persists for more than a few days, check in with your child health nurse or GP.

For a comprehensive overview of safe feeding practices, our highchair safety guide covers positioning, supervision, and what to do in an emergency.

Readiness Checklist: Is Your Baby Ready?

Checklist

Is your baby ready for solids?

Around 6 months old (not before 4 months)

Holds head steady and upright

Can sit upright in a highchair with minimal support

Shows interest in food — watches you eat, reaches for your plate

Opens mouth when food is offered

Tongue-thrust reflex fading — keeps food in mouth

Makes chewing motions with jaw

Seems hungrier even after a full milk feed

Highchair set up with foot support and upright positioning

First foods prepared — iron-rich options ready to go

Ticking most of these boxes? You're ready to go. Start with a small amount of an iron-rich food, keep the mood relaxed, and remember that early meals are about exploration rather than nutrition. Breast milk or formula remains your baby's main food source well into the second half of their first year.

If you're unsure about any of these signs, have a chat with your child health nurse, GP, or paediatrician. They can assess your baby's individual development and give you the green light when the time is right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q&A

Common questions about starting solids

Can I start solids at 4 months?

Australian guidelines recommend introducing solids at around 6 months, and not before 4 months. If your baby is showing all signs of readiness between 4 and 6 months, speak with your paediatrician or child health nurse before starting. Most babies benefit from exclusive breast milk or formula until closer to 6 months, when their gut, immune system, and motor skills are more developed.

What if my baby refuses solids at 6 months?

This is completely normal. Some babies take a few weeks to warm up to solid food. Keep offering small tastes without pressure, let your baby watch you eat, and try different foods and textures. If your baby is still refusing all solids by 7 to 8 months, check in with your child health nurse to rule out any underlying issues.

Do I stop breastfeeding when I start solids?

No. Breast milk (or formula) remains your baby's primary nutrition source alongside solids for the first 12 months. The WHO recommends continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond. Think of early solids as complementary to milk feeds, not a replacement. Most parents offer a milk feed before solids in the early weeks.

What are the best first foods for a 6-month-old?

Start with iron-rich foods since your baby's iron stores begin to deplete around 6 months. Good options include iron-fortified infant cereal, pureed red meat, mashed lentils, and smooth nut pastes. Then introduce vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin, avocado) and fruits (banana, pear, mango). Offer one new food every 2 to 3 days to watch for reactions.

How do I introduce allergens safely?

Current ASCIA guidelines recommend introducing common allergens (peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, fish, sesame, soy, tree nuts) early in the solids journey and serving them regularly. Introduce one new allergen at a time, offer a small amount, and watch for reactions (hives, swelling, vomiting) for a few hours. If there's no reaction, continue offering that food regularly. If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, speak with your doctor first.

Is gagging normal when starting solids?

Yes, gagging is a normal protective reflex. It helps your baby learn to manage food in their mouth and actually prevents choking by pushing food forward before it reaches the airway. Gagging involves coughing, retching, and watery eyes. Choking is different — it's silent, with no coughing or crying. Always supervise meals and keep your baby upright with feet supported for the safest swallowing position.

Does my baby need a footrest for starting solids?

Feeding therapists strongly recommend foot support during meals. When feet dangle, babies feel unstable and focus on balancing instead of eating. A footrest gives them a stable base, supports safe swallowing posture, and helps them sit more calmly at meals. If you're using an IKEA Antilop, it doesn't come with a footrest, so adding one is the most impactful upgrade you can make before starting solids.

How much should my baby eat when starting solids?

Start with just 1 to 2 teaspoons once a day. Over the first month, gradually increase to 2 to 3 tablespoons once or twice a day. By 8 months, aim for 3 small meals daily. Remember, in the early weeks, most of your baby's nutrition still comes from breast milk or formula. The goal of early solids is exploration and learning, not filling them up.

Your Next Step

Knowing when to start solids comes down to two things: your baby being around six months old, and showing several developmental signs of readiness. There's no need to rush. Every baby's timeline is slightly different, and a few extra weeks of waiting is always better than starting before they're ready.

When the signs line up, start small with iron-rich foods, offer a relaxed and supportive mealtime environment, and build variety gradually. Make sure your baby is sitting upright with their feet supported — it makes a bigger difference to safe eating than most parents realise.

Here's where to go next:

Download our free Starting Solids Checklist PDF to keep on your fridge.

Grab the free First 100 Foods Tracker to record everything your baby tries.

Browse IKEA highchair accessories to set up the perfect mealtime station.