What age should we start solids?

Around six months is the general guideline, based on a combination of age and readiness signs like sitting with support and losing the tongue-thrust reflex, rather than age alone.

What does a true allergic reaction look like?

Typically hives, swelling, vomiting or difficulty breathing, distinct from ordinary skin irritation. Any swelling of the face or lips, or trouble breathing, needs urgent medical attention immediately.

Starting Solids: A Simple, Stress-Free Guide for First Foods

Q: Should we delay introducing peanut or egg to prevent allergies?

Current guidance generally favors introducing common allergens like peanut and egg relatively early, around six months, rather than delaying them, since early introduction may help reduce allergy risk for most babies. Always follow your pediatrician's specific guidance for your child.

Readiness signs matter more than age alone

Around six months is the general guideline, but readiness is really about a cluster of signs together: sitting with minimal support, good head and neck control, showing real interest in food, and losing the tongue-thrust reflex that pushes solid objects back out of the mouth automatically. A baby who has all of these at five and a half months is ready. One who has none of them at six and a half months probably needs a little more time.

What to try first

There is no single mandatory first food. Iron-rich options, like iron-fortified infant cereal, pureed meat, or mashed beans and lentils, are a sensible starting point, since a baby's iron stores naturally begin to dip around this age. Single-ingredient purees or soft, appropriately sized finger foods both work well; the right approach is simply the one that feels manageable for your family.

Introducing common allergens with confidence

Current guidance actually favors introducing common allergens like peanut, egg and dairy relatively early, around six months, rather than delaying them, since early introduction is now understood to help reduce the risk of developing an allergy for most babies. The safest approach is one new allergen at a time, in a small amount, at home, and ideally earlier in the day so you can watch for a reaction over the following hours.

A true allergic reaction usually involves things like hives, swelling, vomiting or trouble breathing, which is different from ordinary newborn skin irritation. Any reaction involving swelling of the face or lips, or any difficulty breathing, needs urgent medical attention right away.

Texture and pace

Babies move through textures at their own pace, from smooth purees to mashed, to soft lumps, to appropriately sized finger foods, usually over the months following six months. Rushing texture rarely helps, and going a little slower than a chart suggests is almost never a problem.

What if your baby refuses everything at first

This is extremely common and rarely means anything is wrong. Many babies need to see or be offered a new food eight to ten times before accepting it. Staying relaxed about mealtime, offering rather than pressuring, and remembering that milk remains the primary source of nutrition for most of the first year takes a lot of the pressure off both of you.