When to start weaning

At six months, a baby's digestive system has matured enough to cope with solid food, and other developmental changes (such as the ability to bite and chew) mean your baby is ready to experience new tastes and textures.

The Department of Health recommends that weaning shouldn't be introduced until the age of six months, but your baby may show signs of wanting to try solids earlier than this. If this is the case, discuss your baby's readiness to try weaning foods with your health visitor.

The aim of weaning is gradually to introduce a variety of tastes and textures so that, by the age of one, your baby's enjoying a varied and healthy diet.

Every baby's different. Some enjoy trying new tastes and textures, moving through weaning quickly and easily, while others need a little more time to get used to new foods. Proceed at your baby's pace, moving on to each new food and weaning stage when it's right for them.

How to start

Before you begin, here are some general tips for successful weaning:

Choose a good time of day for your baby to start on solids. This should be when they're not too tired or hungry (in the early stages, offering a breastfeed or a little formula beforehand will mean your baby is not too hungry and so is less frustrated with learning to take solids from a spoon).
Allow plenty of time.
Don't force food on your baby. If they don't want to try a food, stay calm, take the food away and offer it again later or in a few days' time.
Prepare for some inevitable mess by keeping plenty of bibs and cloths to hand.
Only heat up a small amount of food each time so you don't waste food your baby doesn't eat. You can always heat up more if your baby is keen.
Don't reheat previously uneaten food.
Always stay with your baby when they're eating.
Always test the temperature of food before you give it to your baby - it shouldn't be too hot.
Encourage self feeding. As your baby develops and shows signs of wanting to feed independently, give them a spoon or finger foods to try.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatmen..._weaning.shtml