Introducing Solids FAQs

Australian guidelines recommend babies can start solid foods at around 6 months of age, and not before 4 months. Aside from age, your baby should show signs of readiness also – reaching for food, putting everything in their mouth, increased appetite after a breastfeed, to name a few.

Baby-led weaning is a method of introducing solid foods that skips the more traditional progressive puree method. The theory is that jumping straight to finger foods allows your baby to pick up, touch and play, smell, and taste the usual family foods. There are some watchouts with introducing finger foods too early, care should be taken to introduce foods that are an appropriate texture and consistency for your baby’s developmental stage. Speak to your healthcare professional for advice.

By definition, baby-led weaning can start when your baby starts on solid foods, which is recommended at around 6 months of age, and definitely not before 4 months. There are some safety concerns you need to consider carefully if using this method of introducing solids, including choking hazards. There is also the concern that finger foods won’t provide the extra nutrition needed at this age, so ensure a healthy balanced diet is still maintained.