Pre-Weaning: How to Get Ready for Weaning and What You Need

We’re not quite there yet, but the countdown to solids has officially begun. Philip’s getting curious about our food, watching every bite, drooling a lot.

While we’re still a few weeks away from that very first taste, so I’ve been using this time to get everything prepped and ready. Because let’s be honest—weaning is a whole new world, and I want us both to feel excited and a little more confident going into it.

I am currently reading a lot of different books about weaning, methods, how to get ready and most importantly how to minimise the risk of choking. Since I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding for the last six months, it has been fairly easy – just whip out the boobs and all meals are taken care of 😃. With weaning, I need to plan and prepare in advance, so I am both excited and a little bit anxious.

What is Weaning?

A lot of people still think of “weaning” as stopping breastfeeding or bottle feeding, but really, it’s all about introducing solid foods to your baby. It’s often called complementary feeding, which makes sense because solids are meant to be introduced alongside milk, not as a replacement. The process of helping the baby start solid foods by slowly increasing variety, texture, and amount—until they’re eating more like the rest of the family.

From around six months old, babies start to need more than just milk to meet their nutritional needs. Nutrients like iron and zinc begin to dip, so food gradually becomes an important part of their diet.

But weaning isn’t only about nutrition—it’s also about learning how to eat. Just like walking and talking, eating is a skill that takes time and practice. Through weaning, babies get the chance to explore and develop important abilities like biting, chewing, swallowing, sipping, and even self-feeding. It also helps them build hand-eye coordination and confidence with food.

This stage is also about discovery—textures, flavours, and the joy of trying new things. Weaning gives babies the chance to explore the world of food in a fun, hands-on way.

When is the Baby Ready to Wean?

Not too long ago, babies were often started on solids much earlier than they are now. These days, though, the general advice is to wait until around six months—that’s when most babies are developmentally ready to start their food journey.

Some babies might show signs of readiness a little before or after that point, and that’s totally okay. Rather than focusing too much on the number of months or weeks, it’s more helpful to watch for your baby’s individual signs of readiness.

Here’s a simple checklist you can use to keep track. You’re looking for these signs to appear together, and more than once—not just as one-off moments:

🟢 Is your baby around six months old?

🟢 Can your baby sit up with little or no support, and hold their head and neck steady?

🟢 Does your baby have good hand–eye coordination? (e.g. can they pick up an object and bring it to their mouth?)

🟢 Have you noticed a reduced tongue-thrust reflex? (That’s when you touch their bottom lip and they no longer automatically push their tongue forward.)

You might notice some early signs that your baby is getting curious about food—but these don’t always mean they’re quite ready to start solids just yet. Things like:

✳️ Watching you closely while you eat and showing real interest in your meals
✳️ Reaching out or trying to grab food from your plate
✳️ Opening their mouth when they see you eating
✳️ Chewing on their fists, toys, or anything they can get their hands on
✳️ Starting to wake up at night after previously sleeping through
✳️ Seeming extra hungry or not quite satisfied after milk feeds

These are all normal signs of development and curiosity, but on their own, they don’t mean your baby is ready to begin weaning. It’s best to wait until the key readiness signs (like sitting up and good coordination) are all there, too.

Once you’re starting to see these signs, you’ll know you’re getting close to weaning time—and that your little one is getting ready to explore the world of food!

Pre-Weaning: Get the Equipment Ready

This is the list of things I have been buying in preparation for Philip’s weaning:

✅ High chair with a cushion and harness: Make sure your baby is sitting comfortably and upright—not leaning back or slouching forward. A footrest is a great bonus, as it helps them sit with better posture and keeps their back nice and straight. High chairs with removable trays are super handy too—you can pull the chair right up to the table so baby can join in with family mealtimes.

✅ Baby food maker – a mini kitchen robot for steaming, blending and preparing baby’s first food

✅ Bamboo set of plates, forks, spoons, bowls – these are great for reducing the chance of breakages—especially in the early days when things often end up on the floor! As babies learn hand-eye coordination, mealtimes can get a bit messy. Bamboo is ideal because it’s lightweight, won’t shatter, and don’t conduct heat, making them a safe choice when starting weaning.

✅ A splash mat – because weaning is very messy

✅ Baby food jars with stickers – for storing purees

✅ Personalised weaning long sleeve bibs with bags – they come in their own little bag, which makes them super easy to throw into the diaper bag. I feel like they’ll be especially handy when we start eating solids on the go

Getting Ready Slowly but Surely

I know weaning will bring new adventures (and plenty of mess), but I’m really looking forward to watching Philip discover new flavors and textures. Right now, I’m soaking up these last weeks of milk-only snuggles, but having everything set up and ready is giving me some peace of mind.

If you’re in the pre-weaning stage too—hi, I see you!—it’s such a fun time to plan, gather everything, and maybe even practice a little. If you’ve got any tips, tricks, or favourite items, I’d love to hear them!