Weaning plan at 6-7 months

The following plan gives an example of how to introduce solids during the first week of weaning at six months. Please remember this is only an example; all babies are different so be guided by your baby’s needs:

First week of weaning

Foods to choose during the first week of weaning are pure organic baby rice fortified with iron, pear, apple, carrot, sweet potato, swede, courgette.

Note: A ‘cube’ is a level tablespoon (15ml) or three teaspoonfuls.

Days 1-2
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 120-150ml (4-5oz) of formula milk
1-2 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula milk or cool boiled water
Small top-up of breast milk or formula milk
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
6pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Days 3-4
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 120-150ml (4-5oz) of formula milk
1 cube of fruit purée
Small top-up of breast milk or formula milk
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
6pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water
Remainder of milk feed
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Days 5-6
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 120-150ml (4-5oz) of formula milk
1-2 cubes of sweet potato purée
Small top-up of breast milk or formula milk
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
6pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
2-3 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, mixed with 1 cube of fruit purée
Remainder of milk feed
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 7
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 90-120ml (3-4oz) of formula milk
1 cube of vegetable purée mixed with either 1-2 cubes of sweet potato pure or 1-2 tsp of baby rice.
Small top-up of breast milk or formula milk
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
6pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
3-4 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, mixed with 1 cube of fruit purée
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)

Second week of weaning

During the second week of weaning, you should continue to introduce the foods suggested from the two lists of first stage weaning foods (see here and here). You should aim to reduce the milk your baby is having before his solids at 11am. Breast-fed babies should gradually have the time they are on the breast reduced before being offered solids, and formula-fed babies should gradually have the amount of milk they are taking before solids reduced over the next seven days, until they are taking 90–120ml (3–4oz) before their solids. If you continue to allow your baby to take much more than this before his solids, you may find that he is not so interested in his solids or he may even refuse them altogether. It is important that he starts to increase the amount of solids at this age, so that you can progress quickly on to more iron-rich foods.

By day seven of this week you should have moved the evening solids forward to about 5.30pm, with half the milk before the solids, and the other half after the bath. By the end of the month you are working towards establishing breakfast, lunch and tea, and no milk feed at either lunchtime or teatime. Instead offer your baby a drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker.

If your baby is still taking a full feed at 10/10.30pm and sleeping soundly to 7am, then I would reduce the amount he is taking at 10/10.30pm every three days. For breast-fed babies, reduce by five minutes on the breast, and formula-fed babies by 30ml (1oz) at a time.

Days 1-3
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 90-120ml (3-4oz) of formula milk
1-2 cubes of sweet potato purée or 1-2tsp of baby rice mixed with two cubes of vegetable purée
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
6pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
3-4 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, mixed with 1 cube of fruit purée
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Days 4-7
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
11am Breast-feed or 90-120ml (3-4oz) of formula milk
2 cubes of sweet potato purée or 2tsp of baby rice mixed with milk, plus 2-3 cubes of vegetable purée from the first stage weaning selection
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5.30pm Offer one breast or half the 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
4-5 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, mixed with 1-2 cubes of fruit purée
6.30pm After the bath offer the second breast or the remainder of the formular feed
Note: It is important to increase the ratio of baby rice much more quickly than  the fruit purée, as the baby rice is much more filling
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)

Third week of weaning

During the third week of weaning, you should continue to reduce the amount of milk your baby is having before his solids. Breast-fed babies should be taking no more than a few minutes before being offered solids and formula-fed babies should be taking between 60–90ml (2–3oz) before being offered solids. As the solids have increased, you should find that the top-up milk feed after the solids has reduced. Remember that by the end of six months you should, ideally, have eliminated the 11am milk feed altogether in order to encourage your baby towards a feeding plan of three solid meals a day and three milk feeds a day. Mixing small amounts of chicken stock with his vegetable purées will help prepare him for the different tastes of protein. Provided he is still sleeping through to nearer 7am, you should continue to reduce the 10pm feed gradually every couple of days.

Your baby should now be used to taking a variety of vegetables from the first stage weaning and you can begin to introduce him to stronger-tasting vegetables.

You will probably find that your baby will accept these vegetables more readily if you mix them with a ratio of three to one, of carbohydrates to vegetables, e.g. three cubes of sweet potato or three teaspoonfuls of baby rice to one cube of green beans or courgettes. Once he is happily taking this you can increase the cube of green vegetables by a further cube.

If you find that your baby is not managing to get to 11am and is looking for food before this time, I would suggest that now would be a good time to introduce a small amount of solids at breakfast. Starting him off with a small amount of yoghurt and fruit will prepare him for the introduction of cereal the following week.

Foods to introduce this week are broccoli, cauliflower, peas, peaches, mango, parsnips, avocado and yoghurt.

Days 1-3
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of yoghurt plus 1-2 cubes of fruit purée
11am Breast-feed or 60-90ml (2-3oz) of formula milk
2-3 cubes of sweet potato purée or 1-2tsp plus 1 cube of vegetable  purée from the first stage weaning selection mixed with a little chicken stock
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5.30pm 4-5 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, mixed with 2 cubes of fruit purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Days 4-7
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
2-3 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 1-2 cubes of fruit purée
11.15/30am Breast-feed or 60-90ml (2-3oz) of formula milk
2-3 cubes of sweet potato and root vegetable purée plus 1-2 cubes of cauliflower or green vegetable purée from the second stage weaning selection mixed with some chicken stock
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiler water, mixed with 2 cubes of fruit/root vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)

Fourth week of weaning

During the fourth week of weaning, you should be preparing your baby for the introduction of protein foods. Continue to introduce the foods listed above, mixing small amounts of chicken stock with his vegetable purées. Lentils and chicken are ideal forms of first stage protein, but it is important that your baby is used to digesting reasonable quantities of first stage foods before you introduce protein. Although all babies are different in the amounts they eat, I have found that when babies are introduced to protein when they are taking only small amounts of vegetables, they do sometimes suffer from digestive problems. Ideally, your baby should be used to digesting around six ice cubes or six tablespoonfuls of mixed vegetables before you introduce animal protein or pulses at lunchtime. If you have already introduced a small amount of solids at breakfast, you can now begin to replace the yoghurt and fruit at breakfast with a small amount of oat cereal and fruit purée.

Day 1
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 3-4 cubes of vegetable purée plus 2 cubes of chicken casserole purée (see page 85)
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 2
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 3 cubes of vegetable purée plus 3 cubes of chicken casserole purée
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 3
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 2 cubes of vegetable purée plus 4 cubes of chicken casserole purée
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 4
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 4 cubes of vegetable purée plus 2 cubes of red lentil savoury purée (see page 89)
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 5
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 3 cubes of vegetable purée plus 3 cubes of red lentil savoury purée (see page 89)
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 6
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 2 cubes of vegetable purée plus 4 cubes of red lentil savoury purée
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)
Day 7
7/7.30am Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
1-2 tbsp of oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, plus 2 cubes of fruit purée
11.30/45am 6 cubes of red lentil savoury or chicken casserole purée
Drink of cool boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker
2/2.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
5pm 5-6 tsp of baby rice mixed with breast milk, formula or cool boiled water, plus 2 cubes of fruit or vegetable purée
6.30pm Breast-feed or 180-240ml (6-8oz) of formula milk
10.30pm Breast-feed or formula-feed (optional)

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Introducing solid food

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