First tastes — a lovely, messy milestone
Half a year in, and it's time for food — tiny tastes, spectacular faces and a lot of mess. Milk is still doing the heavy lifting; solids are about exploring, not calories, for now.
Development
Most babies this age roll from tummy to back, push up on straight arms, and sit leaning on their hands — some are getting steadier by the week. They know their familiar people, laugh, squeal and blow raspberries.
Reaching is confident now, and everything still goes in the mouth — which is handy, because that's exactly the skill eating needs.
Take turns making sounds together; those back-and-forth exchanges are the roots of talking.
Starting solids
Start when the three readiness signs appear together, around 6 months: sitting and holding their head steady, coordinating eyes-hands-mouth to get food in, and swallowing rather than pushing it back out.
The NHS suggests starting with single vegetables, including less-sweet ones like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, to broaden tastes early. Mashed food on a spoon and soft finger foods are both fine — baby-led weaning and spoon-feeding are equally valid, and many families mix the two.
Introduce allergen foods — peanut (as smooth butter or ground), cooked hen's egg, gluten, fish and so on — from around 6 months, one at a time and in small amounts so you can spot any reaction; delaying peanut and egg past 6–12 months may actually increase allergy risk. No honey before 1, no added salt or sugar, no whole nuts, and cut small round foods like grapes into strips.
Gagging is common and noisy — it's a protective reflex while your baby learns, and it looks worse than it is. Choking is different and usually quiet: always stay with your baby while they eat, seated upright, and never leave them alone with food.
Sleep
Some babies manage longer night stretches now; many still wake to feed, and that's normal. Naps often settle towards three a day.
The Lullaby Trust advises your baby sleeps in your room for at least the first 6 months — after that, moving them to their own room is your call, whenever it suits your family.
Teething can ruffle sleep around now; extra comfort during the rough nights doesn't create bad habits.
And you
Weaning is messier and slower than anyone expects — a wipeable mat under the highchair and low expectations are the kit that matters.
Half a year of keeping a small human alive is worth acknowledging. And if your mood has dipped — even now — postnatal depression can begin at any time in the first year, and your GP or health visitor will take it seriously.
Feeding at this stage
Pick how you're feeding — we'll remember for next time. Every one of these is a good way to feed a baby.
Breastfeeding
- Milk stays the main food for now — solids at 6 months are about practice and flavours, so breastfeed as usual and offer tastes when your baby is awake and content.
- The WHO supports continuing breastfeeding alongside food right through this year and beyond — starting solids is an addition, not an ending.
- Keep the daily vitamin D drops (8.5–10 micrograms) going for your breastfed baby — UK advice for the whole first year.
Breast + expressed
- Everything about milk-first applies to expressed feeds too — bottles carry on as normal while tastes begin.
- Expressed milk is lovely for mixing into first foods like porridge or mashed vegetables.
- Your pumping pattern shouldn't need to change much yet; solids replace very little milk at this stage.
Breast + formula
- Keep your usual mix of breast and formula feeds while solids start — food comes alongside milk, not instead of it, for a while yet.
- First infant formula can be used in cooking and mixed into food, just like breast milk.
- There's no need to move to follow-on milk at 6 months — the NHS says first infant formula is fine right up to 12 months.
Formula
- Milk is still the main event — expect bottle amounts to stay roughly steady at first and ease down only gradually as meals grow.
- Babies drinking more than 500ml of formula a day don't need a vitamin D supplement — it's already in the formula.
- From 6 months, offer sips of water in an open or free-flow cup with meals — messy at first, brilliant for teeth and sipping skills.
Totally normal (even when it doesn't feel it)
- Your baby eats barely a teaspoon — first meals are practice, and milk is still doing the nutritional work.
- Dramatic faces of betrayal at new flavours — it can take 10 or more tries before a food is accepted.
- Noisy gagging while learning to move food around — it's a normal protective reflex.
- Poo changing colour and texture (sometimes startlingly) once food goes in.
- No teeth yet — some babies don't cut their first until after 12 months.
- Not sitting unaided yet, or not rolling in both directions — both have wide normal ranges.
Worth checking
You know your baby best — if any of these ring true, or something just feels off, it's always OK to ask.
- Your baby hasn't rolled in any direction at all and doesn't push up in tummy time.
- They don't laugh, squeal or make sounds back at you.
- They don't seem to know or respond differently to their familiar people.
- They don't reach for things they want.
- They can't hold their head steady when sitting supported on your lap.
- They seem very stiff or very floppy.
- Any of these is simply worth raising with your health visitor or GP — most turn out fine, and asking early is always the right move.