Weaning Schedule for Babies: A Month-by-Month Guide (6 to 12 Months)

Starting solids is exciting, a little messy and, for many parents, a bit confusing. When should you start weaning? How many meals a day? How much milk should your baby still have? This guide by Babymore gives you a flexible, UK-based weaning schedule for babies from 6 to 12 months, with sample days, milk feeds, portion guides, first foods, allergens and foods to avoid. Use it as a starting point and follow your baby’s cues. Every baby moves at their own pace.

Quick Answer

Most UK health guidance is to start weaning at around 6 months, when your baby shows the signs of being ready. Begin with a small amount of food once a day alongside normal milk feeds, then build to three meals a day by around 9 to 12 months. Breast milk or infant formula remains the main drink for the whole first year, with about 500 to 600 ml a day alongside solids from 6 to 12 months. There’s no strict timetable. If you think your baby is ready before 6 months, speak to your health visitor or GP first. This article is general guidance, not medical advice.

When Should You Start Baby Weaning?

UK guidance is to wait until around 6 months, because that’s when most babies can sit up, control their head and swallow food safely. Some local NHS leaflets say weaning shouldn’t start before 17 weeks (4 months), and that you should speak to a health visitor or healthcare professional if you’re thinking of starting before 6 months. If your baby was born early or has developmental delays, ask their medical team for advice first.

Signs your baby is ready for solids

Look for all three of these together:

1. They sit up with support and hold their head steady.
2. They can look at food, pick it up and move it to their mouth (eye, hand and mouth coordination).
3. They swallow food rather than pushing it out with their tongue.

Things that don’t reliably mean your baby is ready: waking more at night, wanting extra milk feeds, or chewing their fists. These are common at this age. Our guide to clear signs your baby is ready for solids goes into more detail. Read more about common myths in our guide to baby weaning myths.

Spoon-Fed, Baby-Led or Both?

You can wean in whichever way suits you:

• Traditional (spoon-fed) weaning starts with smooth purées and moves to mashed and lumpier textures.
• Baby-led weaning (BLW) lets your baby feed themselves soft finger foods from the start. See the benefits of baby-led weaning.
• A mix of both is perfectly fine and very common.

Whichever you choose, sit your baby upright, stay with them while they eat, and never leave them alone with food. For a deeper look at each phase, read our guide to baby weaning stages, and our weaning essentials checklist covers the kit to buy first.

Weaning Schedule at a Glance

These are typical patterns, not rules. Local NHS leaflets and parenting sites give broadly similar timelines.

Remember that milk is still the main source of nutrition for most of the first year, and solids gradually take over.

Month-by-Month Weaning Schedule

About 6 months: first tastes

Goal: get used to the idea of food, not to fill up.

• Offer one small meal a day, when your baby is alert and you have time, often around lunch.
• Start with a few teaspoons of a single-ingredient fruit or vegetable, and offer more if they want it.
• Offer solids before or between milk feeds so your baby isn’t too full or too hungry. Some parents offer a little milk first, then solids; follow what works for your baby.
• Don’t force it. If they refuse, stop and try again another time. Babies may need 10 or more tries to accept a new food.

Good first foods: soft-cooked carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, parsnip, butternut squash, potato, peas, pear, apple, banana and avocado.

Sample day at about 6 months (times are examples):

7 to 9 months: more tastes and textures

Goal: widen the variety, move to lumpier textures and build up to three meals.

• Move from 1 meal to 2, then 3 small meals over these months.
• Offer mashed foods with soft lumps, minced foods and more finger foods.
• Include iron-rich foods such as well-cooked meat, fish, eggs, lentils, beans and iron-fortified cereal.
• Offer a small cup of water with meals.
• Keep milk feeds going. They’ll naturally reduce as meals increase.

Sample day at 7 to 9 months:

10 to 12 months: three meals and family foods

Goal: join in with family meals.

• Aim for 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea) plus milk feeds, around 500 to 600 ml of milk in total.
• Offer chopped family foods with no added salt or sugar.
• Encourage self-feeding with finger foods and a spoon.
• Offer water in an open or free-flow cup.
• Eat together when you can, because babies learn by copying.

Sample day at 10 to 12 months:

12 months and beyond

• Offer 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks a day.
• Full-fat cow’s milk can replace formula from 1 year. Aim for around 300 ml (half a pint) a day for calcium, and avoid too much, because more than about 500 ml (a pint) can reduce appetite.
• Keep avoiding added salt and sugar.
• Offer plenty of water.

How Much Should My Baby Eat?

There are no set portion sizes. Let your baby lead and stop when they’re full. Some guidance from NHS leaflets:

• At first, just a few spoonfuls. Early meals are for practice, not nutrition.
• A palm or fist as a guide. For example, a fist-sized portion of mashed potato and a palm-sized portion of meat and vegetables for a main meal.
• Weekly intake matters more than daily. If your baby is growing and gaining weight, they’re probably eating enough.
• Appetite varies. Some days they’ll eat a lot, and others very little.

If you’re worried about weight gain or feeding, speak to your health visitor or GP.

Milk Feeds During Weaning

• Milk stays the main drink until at least 12 months.
• From 6 to 12 months, babies need about 500 to 600 ml (around a pint) of milk a day, alongside solids.
• Offer milk separately from solid meals, and offer water with meals.
• Don’t offer snacks between meals under 12 months. If your baby still seems hungry after three meals, offer extra milk.
• Vitamin drops: breastfed babies, and babies drinking less than 500 ml of formula a day, are advised to take children’s vitamin drops. Ask your health visitor what’s right for your baby.

Introducing Allergens

Current UK guidance is not to delay common allergens once your baby has started solids. Introduce them one at a time, in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.

• Allergenic foods include cow’s milk (in cooking or mixed into food), eggs, wheat and other gluten-containing grains, peanuts and tree nuts (ground or as smooth paste), seeds (crushed or ground), soya, fish and shellfish.
• Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion (red lion) stamp, and cook them until firm, unless the pack says otherwise.
• Nuts: give ground nuts or smooth nut butter, never whole nuts. Whole nuts are a choking risk for children under 5.
• Eczema, an existing food allergy or a family history of allergy? Talk to your GP or health visitor before you start.
• If you see a reaction (for example hives, swelling, vomiting or difficulty breathing), seek medical help straight away and call 999 in an emergency.

Our guide to baby weaning myths explains why you don’t need to follow a strict “one new food every three days” rule.

Foods to Avoid in the First Year

• Honey (until 12 months), because it can contain bacteria that may harm your baby.
• Added salt, including stock cubes and salty foods, which can strain your baby’s kidneys.
• Added sugar and sugary drinks, which cause tooth decay. See how to look after your baby’s teeth.
• Whole nuts and other hard, round foods that can block the airway.
• Raw or lightly cooked eggs without the Lion stamp.
• Raw shellfish and undercooked meat or fish.
• Cow’s milk as a main drink (small amounts in cooking are fine from 6 months).
• Fruit juice, which isn’t needed. If offered, dilute it and serve it with a meal.
• Tea and caffeinated drinks, because tannins can reduce iron absorption.

Check the latest NHS advice on foods to avoid giving your baby for the full list.

Gagging vs Choking

• Gagging is normal. Babies gag as they learn to move food around their mouth. It is noisy, they may go red, and their eyes may water. Stay calm and let them work it out.
• Choking is an emergency. The baby goes quiet, can’t cough or cry, and may turn pale or blue. Call 999 and follow first aid for choking babies. Consider taking an infant first aid course.
• Reduce the risk: sit your baby upright, cut food into suitable shapes (for example finger-length batons), never leave them alone while eating and avoid hard, round or sticky foods.

Weaning Tips for a Smoother Journey

1. Pick a good time. Choose a calm moment when your baby is alert and not overtired.
2. Get comfortable. Seat your baby upright, well supported, with space to explore food.
3. Expect a mess. Touching and squashing food is part of learning.
4. Keep offering. Refusing food is normal, and it can take many tries.
5. Eat together. Babies copy what they see.
6. Offer variety. Include colours, flavours and textures.
7. Stay flexible. Skip a meal if it’s a rough day.
8. Trust your baby’s cues. They know when they’re full.

Want to avoid the usual slip-ups? Read our guide to common weaning mistakes to avoid.

Weaning, Sleep and Teething

• Solids don’t reliably improve sleep. Night waking at this age is usually linked to development and routine, not hunger alone. Our guide to creating the perfect sleep environment has practical ideas, and our baby sleep schedule by age shows what’s typical.
• Teething can affect appetite. If your baby is fussy, pulling at their ear or drooling more, see our guide to ear pulling in babies and our tips to soothe teething pain in babies.
• Look after yourself. Weaning is busy, and our postpartum recovery tips are a reminder to rest where you can.

Final Thoughts

Weaning is a journey, not a race. Start around 6 months, build up slowly, keep milk feeds going, and follow your baby’s lead. If you’re ever unsure, your health visitor or GP can help. For the next step, read our guide to baby weaning stages, or explore more help in our guide and advice section.

Setting up for your baby’s first year? Our newborn baby checklist is a handy place to start.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from your health visitor, GP or other healthcare professional.

Frequently Asked Questions