                Remember that at 6 months milk is still providing your baby's main source of nutrition, and solid food is a complement to this. Don't stop her milk feeds, and always give these first and her food later. It is recommended that breast milk be a part of a child's life right up until 12 months to ensure that the maximum benefit is gained for healthy growth and development. Allow your baby to guide you, as her intake of solid food increases, her intake of milk will decrease. Eventually by about 12 months, baby should be following the same meal patterns as the rest of the family with solid food making up at least 50% of her nutrition. See our Weaning Chart for a personalised guideline.  Midwife and healthcare worker Sister Daryl Jennings says: "No child needs to drink water under 6 months of age because breast milk or formula provides all their water requirements. From 6 months onwards, when they start eating solids, they should drink about a litre of liquid, which they would get from breast milk, formula, water or fresh fruit. From one year on it's fine for them to drink tap water but before one year, only give cooled boiled water. Babies should never be given mineral water as it overloads their kidneys. If you want to give juice, the maximum recommended dilution is 1 teaspoon fruit juice to a cup of water. Ideally babies should never be given juice - only water." (Your Baby magazine, December 2005) 
At the weaning stage single vegetable or fruits should be used. Only ever introduce one new food at a time so that you can monitor how your baby responds to that food. If there are any adverse reactions, avoid feeding that food for another month or two. Re-test the food on its own again at this later stage to see whether baby is still intolerant. If there are any allergens in the family, this food should be avoided until 12 months to help prevent your child from developing a reaction to it. 
Start with just one meal a day. Pick a relaxed time of day, when you are both relaxed. Starting with the lunchtime or morning feed means you can watch your baby over the rest of the day for any reactions to the food. Remember to introduce one food at a time for at least three days in a row. 
The best foods to begin with are simple fruits and vegetables such as carrots, butternut, bananas, apples or pears. Any of the olli organic step 1 variants will be suitable for this first stage of weaning. If you can, prepare and purée your own fresh organic varieties at home. Add some boiled filtered water if it's too thick. At feeding stage, you can also add a little breast milk or some of her milk feed to the purée to help with the introduction of this new taste. 
Sit your baby on your lap and make yourselves comfortable. Give a little of her milk feed first so that she's not too hungry. You can give her the rest of her milk feed afterwards. Start with a tiny bit of your chosen food on the tip of a teaspoon and let baby suck it off the spoon. 
Don't get upset if she refuses it at first. Leave it for a few
days and try again. Until now your baby has only had milk
from a nipple or teat, so solids will feel strange - a totally
new taste and texture and the feel of a spoon in her mouth. 
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