There are many different ways to wean a child successfully. In most cases, it is better to make a gradual transition to weaning in which a diet of solid foods is integrated with continued feedings of breast milk or formula. Not only does this help ease the transition for the child, but it also reduces the risk that a breastfeeding mother’s breasts will become engorged, a painful condition that can lead to a breast infection. By gradually reducing the number of feedings, the mother’s body is given the time needed to slow down milk production.

Many parents begin to wean their child by dropping one breastfeeding or formula-based feeding session per week and replacing it with solid foods. A midday feeding is often the best time to introduce solid foods because it tends to be the smallest feeding. In other cases, parents leave it up to the child to determine when they should breastfeed. In this example, the mother only breastfeeds when specifically asked to do so by the child.  

In succeeding weeks, additional sessions of breastfeeding or bottle feeding can be dropped until the child is consuming solid foods all the time. The last breastfeeding sessions to be dropped are often the morning and bedtime sessions, as these usually involve comfort and emotional attachment and may be the most difficult to quit for mother and child.

Before feedings, children should be safely strapped into a highchair that has a stable base so that it will not tip over. Highchairs should not be placed next to a counter or other stationary object that the baby can push off against and tip the highchair over.

Parents who introduce solid foods to their child’s diet can use either commercially prepared baby foods, or create their own foods by making cereals or pureeing vegetables. Parents should dish out a certain amount of food onto a plate before serving it to their child. Feeding children directly from the jar risks contamination of the food due to bacteria and saliva on the spoon.

Solid foods should never be given in a bottle. Swallowing solid foods requires different reflexes than swallowing breast milk or formula, and there is a danger that a baby who is swallowing the liquid portion of the bottle’s contents will gag on clumps of solid food.

In addition, weaning may be easier if a child drinks breast milk or formula from a cup rather than from a bottle whenever possible between the ages of four months and seven months. This will eliminate the need to wean the child from the bottle later on. Most children should be weaned from bottles soon after they turn one year old, as the transition is easier at this age than it will be later. Replacing the bottle with another comforting object – such as a blanket or favorite toy – can help.

Parents are urged to consult with a pediatrician about which foods to introduce first. One good choice may be a single teaspoon of a single-grain, iron-fortified baby cereal such as rice, which is unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction. This should be mixed with four to five teaspoons of warm water, formula or breast milk. As a child becomes used to eating solid foods, less water can be added to the mixture.

Some children will adapt to eating cereal with enthusiasm, while others will be harder to win over. Some children will refuse to eat the cereal at all. In such cases, it may be a good idea to wait and try again in another month or so. It is natural for children to initially spit out foods or otherwise react negatively during the transition to eating solid foods. Over time, children become comfortable with the texture and consistency of these foods.

One or two teaspoons of rice cereal is a good choice of solid food for babies who are between four months and eight months old, followed by introduction of strained fruits and vegetables. Babies who are six months to nine months old may graduate to soft foods and finger foods that dissolve easily, including mashed bananas and potatoes, applesauce, cottage cheese, graham crackers and ground meat or poultry. Babies this age can typically eat between 3 and 4 tablespoons of these foods two to three times a day. They can also eat bite-sized pieces of foods such as graham crackers.

Utensils can be introduced to a child’s feeding regimen sometime between six months and nine months of age. Parents may want to begin this process by having a child hold a spoon while the parent feeds the child with a second spoon. Eventually, the child will grasp the purpose of the spoon and the parent can dip the spoon in food and attempt to have the child self-feed.

Between nine months and 12 months of age, children may be able to eat bite-sized portions of finger foods and table foods. These include apples that are peeled and cut into eighths, soft cheese, thoroughly-cooked noodles (including spaghetti with meat sauce) and tender meats (e.g., tuna, chicken, turkey).

Foods that may cause illness or intolerances (e.g., honey, certain home-canned vegetables, cow’s milk) should be avoided in children under the age of one.

Other foods to avoid are those that pose a choking hazard to young children. Foods that should be avoided until a child turns three years old include:

• Small, slippery foods (e.g., hard candy, whole grapes, hot dogs)
• Dry foods that are difficult to chew (e.g., popcorn, raw carrots, nuts)
• Sticky or tough foods (e.g., peanut butter, large pieces of meat)