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Weaning & Starting Solids Schedule
A stage-by-stage guide to introducing solids from around 6 months: what textures and foods to offer, how many meals a day, how much milk to keep, and which foods to avoid. Enter your baby's age to see where you are now.
Is your baby ready?
Most babies are ready at around 6 months, and not before 4 months. Look for these three signs together:
Signs of readiness
- Can sit up well and hold their head steady.
- Coordinates eyes, hands and mouth, looks at food, picks it up and brings it to their mouth.
- Can swallow food rather than pushing it back out (lost the tongue-thrust reflex).
These are NOT signs to start early
- Chewing their fists.
- Waking in the night more than before.
- Wanting extra milk feeds.
All three of these are normal and are not reasons to start solids before 6 months.
Iron comes first
From around 6 months, your baby's iron stores from birth start running low, so the first foods should be iron-rich: iron-fortified baby cereal, well-cooked pureed meat or chicken, mashed beans and lentils, tofu, or well-cooked egg. In Singapore, rice porridge (congee) with these added, plus soft vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot, are great local first foods.
Purees or baby-led weaning?
| Spoon-fed purees | Baby-led weaning (BLW) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | You offer smooth then lumpy purees on a spoon | Baby self-feeds soft finger foods from the start |
| Good for | Easy to control amount; gentle texture progression | Self-paced eating, motor skills, family meals |
| Watch out for | Move to lumps by ~9 months so baby learns to chew | Offer soft, graspable strips; know gagging vs choking |
Both are safe and you can mix the two, many families do. Whichever you choose, offer a variety of textures and let your baby join family mealtimes.
Introducing allergens
Introduce common allergens early, from around 6 months, do not delay them. The main ones are egg, peanut, dairy, wheat, fish and shellfish, soy and sesame. Offer one at a time, a few days apart, and once tolerated keep it in the diet regularly. Peanut should be given as smooth peanut butter thinned with water or as a fine powder, never whole nuts. If your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy, speak to your doctor before introducing peanut or egg.
Gagging is not choking
Gagging is a normal, protective reflex as babies learn to eat, your baby may go red, cough, or push food forward with their tongue, and it sorts itself out. Choking is silent or high-pitched, with difficulty breathing, and needs immediate help. Always sit your baby upright to eat, never leave them alone with food, and consider an infant first-aid course. Avoid choking hazards: whole nuts, whole grapes and cherry tomatoes (cut lengthwise), hard raw vegetables and fruit, chunks of meat or cheese, hot dogs and popcorn.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start weaning my baby?
At around 6 months, when your baby can sit up and hold their head steady, coordinate eyes-hands-mouth to bring food to their mouth, and swallow food rather than pushing it out. Not before 4 months.
What are the best first foods?
Iron-rich foods come first: iron-fortified baby cereal, pureed meat, mashed lentils, tofu or well-cooked egg, plus soft vegetables and fruit. In Singapore, congee with soft vegetables and protein is a great start.
How much milk should my baby still have while weaning?
Milk stays the main nutrition to about 12 months, roughly 750 ml of breast milk or formula a day for a 6 to 12 month old. Solids are offered alongside, building up as your baby eats more.
How many meals a day by age?
Start with 1 meal a day at 6 months, build to 2 to 3 meals by 7 to 9 months, and 3 meals plus 1 to 2 snacks from 9 to 12 months.
Purees or baby-led weaning, which is better?
Both are safe and you can combine them. Purees make it easy to control amounts and ease texture; baby-led weaning lets your baby self-feed soft finger foods. The key is variety and moving on to lumps by around 9 months.
What about water and juice?
Offer small sips of water from a cup with meals from 6 months. Avoid fruit juice and sugary drinks. Cow's milk can be a main drink only from 12 months, though small amounts in cooking are fine earlier.
Is gagging the same as choking?
No. Gagging is a normal, noisy reflex that protects your baby and passes. Choking is quiet, with trouble breathing, and needs immediate action. Always supervise meals and learn infant first aid.
Can I start solids before 6 months?
The advice is to wait until around 6 months. If you feel your baby is ready earlier, never before 4 months, and speak to your doctor or polyclinic first.
