What is weaning?

"Weaning" is one of those words that means different things depending on who is saying it, which causes no end of confusion for new parents reading advice from around the world. Here is what it actually means, and what to do about it.

Two meanings, one word

In the UK and Australia, weaning usually means introducing solid foods alongside milk, what the US calls "starting solids." In the US, weaning more often means stopping breastfeeding. Same journey, different milestone. See baby food names around the world.

When to start (the solids kind)

Around 6 months, once your baby can sit with support, hold their head steady, and reach for and mouth food. Readiness signs matter more than the calendar. See best first foods.

How: purées, finger foods, or both

You can spoon-feed purées, offer soft finger foods (baby-led weaning), or mix the two, none is proven superior. What matters is soft, safe textures, no added salt or sugar, and following your baby’s cues.

Milk keeps going

When weaning means starting solids, milk stays the main nutrition through the first year, food is added around it, not in place of it. Ending breastfeeding is a separate, gradual process on your own timeline.

Frequently asked questions

What does "weaning" actually mean?

It depends where you are. In the UK and Australia, weaning usually means introducing solid foods alongside milk, what Americans call "starting solids." In the US, weaning more often means gradually stopping breastfeeding. Both are about a transition in how your baby eats; the word just points at different ends of it.

When do you start weaning a baby?

Around 6 months, when your baby can sit up with support, holds their head steady, and reaches for and mouths food. Those readiness signs matter more than the exact date. Milk (breast or formula) stays the main source of nutrition through the first year while solids build up alongside it.

How do you wean, purées or finger foods?

Either, or both. You can spoon-feed purées, offer soft finger foods (baby-led weaning), or mix the two, all of these are workable, and the evidence does not crown a winner. What matters is soft, safe textures, no added salt or sugar, and following your baby’s hunger and fullness cues.

Does weaning mean stopping milk?

Not at the start. When "weaning" means starting solids, milk continues as the main nutrition through the first year, food is added around it. When "weaning" means ending breastfeeding, that is a separate, gradual process that can happen much later and at your own pace.

Sources

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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