How to know when your baby is ready for solid food

As with most milestones, your baby will let you know when he's ready to move on from a liquid-only diet. A few signs to look for are:

1. He has head control - Being able to keep his head in a steady, upright position
2. He shows significant weight gain- Most babies are ready to start eating solid food once they've doubled their birth weight.
3. He seems hungry- If you're giving a large number of feeding's of breast milk or formula a day.
4. He can sit well- Baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.
5. He is losing the 'extrusion reflex'- Baby needs to be able to keep food in his mouth and then swallow it.
6. He shows chewing motions- Baby should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow.
7. He is curious about what you're eating- Baby may watch you closely when you eat, following the food as it travels from plate to mouth.

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Breastfeeding: When to stop

The advantages to breastfeeding are numerous both for the mother and the baby. 


For the mother:

1. Reduces the risk of breast cancer. 
2. Reduces the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer. 
3. Lessens osteoporosis. 
4. Benefits child spacing. 
5. Promotes emotional health. 
6. Promotes postpartum weight loss. 
7. Costs less to breastfeed.

For baby:

1. Contains all the vitamins and nutrients a baby needs in the first 6 months of life.
2. Breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances.
3. Breastfeed babies tend to have less allergic reactions.
4. Various studies have shown that breastfeed babies are more intelligent.
5. Breastfeeding may protect your child from obesity.

A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (US) showed that children who are breastfed have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between the ages of 28 days and 1 year than children who weren't breastfed, with longer breastfeeding associated with lower risk. 

For the first 4 to 6 months your baby will feed solely on your breast milk. At this point the paediatric will usually advise that it is time to start introducing solids into their diet.

I have breastfeed both my sons. With my eldest I stopped when he was a year old. I currently still breastfeeding my 7 month old and will continue to do so at least until he is a year old too.

Why a year? For me it seems like a natural cut off point. They are used to a varied diet by that point and so have less need of the milk. Plus by that time they have teeth and weigh quite a lot so it's no longer as comfortable for me. 

Some mothers last longer though as this video shows:

If you're pregnant, will you breastfeed your baby? 


When did you stop breastfeeding? 


What age do you think is the right cut off point?