Are you gearing up to get started with solids and finding the prospect of weaning overwhelming?
This baby led weaning schedule for 6 month olds will show you how to introduce solids into your daily routine in a simple way.
There are also some first week baby led weaning (BLW) food ideas to get you started!
The process of weaning is where you gradually introduce solid foods with the goal of reducing breastfeeding or formula feeding.
The goal is to have your baby on three meals a day by the time they turn one – so this gives you plenty of time to make this gradual transition. This BLW schedule will help you get started!
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The best BLW schedule
Weaning begins when baby is six months and if you’re anything like me at this stage you’ll be wondering how you can squeeze feeding solid foods into your baby’s day.
It’s also the stage where I really felt I had got to grips with my baby’s daily schedule and we were in a really great steady and predictable place.
So adding weaning to the mix felt like a bit of a bump in the road, but actually it was just something that had to be incorporated into the daily routine and soon it just became normal.
What really helped me was to actually write down what the day would look like with weaning added into the mix, and as someone who loves to plan that made it less daunting.
This is a great sample BLW schedule to help you get started.
| 7am | Wake & feed (milk) |
| 8am | Breakfast (solids) |
| 9.30am | Nap |
| 10.30am | Wake & milk feed |
| 12midday | Lunch (solids) |
| 12.30pm | Milk feed |
| 1pm | Nap |
| 3pm | Wake up |
| 4pm | Milk feed |
| 5pm | Short nap |
| 6.30pm | Bathtime |
| 7pm | Milk feed & bedtime |
This schedule provides timings, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow them exactly. You can take cues from the general rhythm of this schedule, which follows the eat play sleep idea.
This schedule works by giving you an idea of what comes next – so your baby wakes and eats, then plays and finally goes down for a nap or to bed.
The idea of this is that it separates eating from sleep, so your baby can have a full feed when they are awake and alert.
You can download a free printable copy of this schedule at the end of this article!
How baby’s schedule changes at 6 months
At six months your baby’s schedule will look something like this:
- Two to three naps (featuring one long nap, probably after lunchtime, and two shorter naps)
- Five milk feeds
- One solid meal a day working up to two per day at seven months – in the first few weeks they may not eat much at a meal, just be persistent and consistent
At this stage your baby can sleep for eight hours straight a night, or even more. I’ve had one baby who slept 12 hours a night from around eight weeks and another who didn’t sleep for more than five hours at night until she was 15 months old.
It really does depend on the baby.
The biggest change at six months is the introduction of solid foods, and from this stage on as your baby gets used to solids then they will gradually drop milk feeds.
They may not drop their first milk feed until seven to eight months, once they’re on a couple of proper meals a day.
And some time between six months and 10 months your baby may drop their third nap – usually the short cat nap at the end of the afternoon.
Baby led weaning vs traditional weaning
Baby led weaning is where you offer your baby finger foods they can pick up and feed to themselves, whereas traditional weaning involves spoon-feeding your baby purees.
It does not have to be a case of picking one or the other. I’m a huge fan of doing a bit of both, as it means you aren’t limited to just providing softened finger foods to your baby.
Sometimes it’s just easier to give your baby a puree or a gently mashed meal, but it’s also nice to see your baby learning how to feed themselves.
While some people say the science backs up BLW as the best method, actually a review of studies around baby led weaning found no specific benefits and that the data is still a little limited.
Some people claim babies who are weaned with the baby led approach end up better, healthier eaters, however this 2018 review of weaning studies into this didn’t find that to be the case.
Baby led weaning does allow babies to practice their fine motor skills, as they are picking up foods with their hands and fingers, then bringing them to their own mouths.
That’s not to say though that babies weaned with spoon feeding don’t develop at the same pace, as they get to hone those fine motor skills during playtime.
So try to not get bogged down in a “which method is best” debate, because the science isn’t on the side of one or the other.
A dual approach is useful because at times you may just want to quickly feed your baby when out and about, in which case spoon feeding can be more efficient.
But BLW means that you can eat your own food while baby is left to their own devices as they feed themselves.
So how you approach weaning is really up to you, and you can always change your mind and mix it up later on.
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Baby led weaning in the first week
When it comes to getting started with weaning it’s actually pretty simply, and your first few days may feel like a bit of an anti-climax given how big of a deal starting proper food seems to be!
Your first few days of weaning should be about simply giving your baby first tastes of solid foods. They won’t be elaborate meals, just single tastes of fruits, veg and carbs.
For example on days one to seven your baby’s BLW menu may look as simple as this:
- Monday: Sweet potato wedges
- Tuesday: Banana and berries (strawberries and/or blueberries) sliced
- Wednesday: Pear or apple – steam or boil and then cut into small slices
- Thursday: Cauliflower or broccoli – cooked and cut into florets
- Friday: Carrot – cooked and cut into slices
- Saturday: Toast with butter cut into fingers
- Sunday: Hard boiled (sliced) or scrambled eggs
Do this at just one mealtime per day – you shouldn’t go straight to three meals per day! Just start off small, either at lunch or breakfast time (I personally favour starting with lunch time).
Your baby may only eat one or two mouthfuls – or nothing at all. This is all about first tastes, not about them getting calories from the food.
Your baby can continue to get all of the calories and nutrition they need from milk until they are one year old.
So if all your baby manages to do is gnaw on the end of a bit of toast or fruit slice during this first week, don’t sweat it!
Baby led weaning first foods
Here are a few first foods you can offer your six month old when starting out with BLW:
- Banana
- Apple slices
- Pear slices
- Avocado
- Mango
- Sweet potato
- Potato
- Peas – gently mashed
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cod
- Salmon
- Chicken – roasted or poached and sliced
- Beef – cooked and thinly sliced
- Lamb – cooked and thinly sliced
- Bread
- Rice
- Pasta
- Couscous
- Oats
- Yoghurt
- Cheddar cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Baby cereal or baby rice
You can find a full list of BLW first foods here.
Essentials for getting started with BLW
There are a few things I would definitely recommend you buy before getting started with weaning:
- A decent bib – something that provides full coverage of your baby’s arms and front is ideal as this will protect their clothes during meals. However a bib with a little pocket to catch any falling food is also a great option. Try the Bibado or these simple silicone bibs.
- Mat to go under the high chair – if your floor is not easy to clean then a waterproof mat to catch falling food is also essential. You could use a shower curtain for a cheap option. This is a good budget mat for weaning here.
- Plate and bowl – go for something with suction cups so you can fix it to the table in front of your baby, to reduce the likelihood of them flinging it on the floor! Try these fab weaning bowls.
- Sippy cup – I always really loved the Munchkin cups!
- Cutlery – just some simple spoons that your baby can grip onto easily.
How much food should your baby eat at six months?
At six months your baby should be on around 32ozs of formula – which may translates to around five to seven breastfeeds per day – and a small amount of solid foods.
Initially your baby may only eat one to two tablespoons of solid foods per day. This may increase to around 2 to 3ozs of solid food within the first month of weaning.
Solid foods will provide your baby with additional energy and nutrients such as iron they need to continue to grow and thrive after six months.
Final thoughts
I hope this has given you an idea of how you can incorporate solid foods into your baby’s daily routine at six months when it’s time to start weaning!
Grab your free printable copy of the sample weaning schedule here:
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