Weaning is the gradual process of moving your baby from a diet that consists exclusively of breast or infant milk to one that includes solid foods.
Why wean?
Up until around 6 months of age, breast or infant milk contains all the nutrients and energy (calories) your baby requires. As they grow and become more active though, milk alone will not provide them with all they need and they therefore need more nutrient-dense solid foods.
Other reasons
Weaning isn’t just about filling their tummies up, it is also about:
- Laying the foundations for healthy, balanced eating for the years ahead
- Learning new social skills and becoming more independent; picking up a piece of food and eating it is one of the first things your baby will learn to do for itself!
- Learning to talk: chewing and swallowing will help develop the muscles that your baby needs for speech development
