The best way to know if your child is ready to start solids is to try them out.  If they reject it constantly, then they're not ready.  If they take them, then they are. Simple, tried & true.

If you are worried about what to try them on first, check out the baby food section of your supermarket.  They are all age coded (4-6months, 6 minths plus etc). Use them as a guide, but not the be all and end all.  If you feel your child is ready for the 8month plus when they are 7 months, try giving them a bit and just see how they respond.  Every child is different, and you know your child the best. Hope this helps!

~ Clair_gal

Yeah I agree with the previous comments.  You do what feels right for you.  I always listen to everyones advice/opinions and then I take on and use what I choose.  Its always a good idea to check with Child Health Nurse at your visits that you are doing the right thing though ;-)

Started both my bubs on solids at 4months coz they were both ready.  Farex Rice Cereal is a great starter and then into the good old homemade mashed potatoe, pumpkin and broccoli which I cook and then freeze in the tupperware ice cubes coz they are big.  Then just pop out what quantity you need :-)  (thats my handy hint contribution) 

Soldier on...ppl will still put their 10cents worth in even when they are toddlers and probably teens too I imagine :-)

~ Heidi

I agree. She is your daughter so dont listen to wat ne1 says, you raise how you see fit. and i agree wit the 1st comment on gradually introducing foods.

~ Royal Dutchess

My second child wasnt having it with solids at first.  She was interested more in squeezing the food BUT this is good.  Allows them to get comfortable with there food instead of being alarmed or fearful of it.  Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions when it comes to raising a child.  From a nutritional standard I believe that its 6 months that children are not able to get the nutritional value from brestmilk/formula alone and that its good to start them on puree foods from 4-6 months of age.  When they become interested in your food is a general idea that they are ready to eat as well as if they can sit up................

~ Blessings, Rachael

I agree with evrything that has been said but would just like to add that nurses will give you a list of things you cant feed babies til certain ages that is half a mile long. The only things that are really important are: no nuts or shellfish until well into the toddler years, as they are very allergenic, and lots of dairy before 1 yr can constipate them. good luck

~ Alyce

Personally it's up to the baby when they start soilds some start earlyer then othas... like my daughter started when she was five wks old... and my son didnt start till he was twelve wks old.... there is no rite or wrong way to raise a child... ur her mother and u will no when the best time to start is... u just have to make sure u only give her a lil bit everyday and slowly bluid it up to a full jar... u should always give her a bottle aftawards tho... i hope this helps u... just remeber that there is noone out there that can tell u how to raise a child... i have ppl always tellin me how to cause im only a young single mum... but u forget bout them... use this as a learnin curve...

~ Beck

I'd definetly be starting her now, as shes getting more active she needs more energy, but like the others have said, your not doing anything wrong, now would just be a good time to start, I tried my son at 4 months, because I thought he was ready,but he wasn't, though some are,, he just ended up going off solids at 5-6 months, and I had to re-start all over again. I do believe in giving it to them when they are ready, but before 4 months is not reccomended by any doctor,midwife ect... only in extreme cases of reflux i have heard of it being reccomended by a doctor, and that was only plain farex. There tummies just can't take it when they are younger, and its also been proven that starting solids before 4 months can cause allergies. Just over the next few weeks, id suggest slowly building up the amount, and then introducing another meal. Goodluck with it!!

~ Lisa

My name is Rhiannon my daughter is 9 months I dont think you need to feed your baby the same thing for a week darl really think how would that be the same thing everday and nite for a week she is 7 months she has teeth and should no how to chew by now or almost have it all worked out  my daughter eats slices of cheese and all feed her wat you think she can eat like a sandwich for lunch and stuff as long as your watching not much can go wrong if it makes her not feel to good you will no straight after she eats it ok its all up to you not a doctor not me or others or the health nurse half of them dont even have kids and really not books either i mean the books thease days say no solids till 6 months and thats not right ok well i hope i was some kind of help good luck with everything tell who ever is trying to tell you about wat not to feed your baby that its your child not theres ok its all up to you  bye for now

~ Rhiannon

The reason I said try one new thing a week is because if they have an allergy you will know what caused it, otherwise you'll just be guessing what it was because she fed her so many different things.

~ Crystal

Starting solids is a bit daunting.. My little one had the tongue action going by about 4 months so we started him on rice cereal. From there we haven't looked back. I then went to mashed pumpkin, sweet potato etc.. Slowly building up to every vegetable imaginable. I made sure at the start that none of the vegies were mixed together so he would get used to all the different flavours. But now i chuck every thing in.  Watch out for excess starchie foods - it can/may make some babies a little constipated.. There only needs to be about 2 or 3 days between trying new foods, if your child reacts to a certain food, you'll know about it pretty quick. But in the end, its all up to you. I generally listen to all the advice then pick the bits out that i think will work for me. Same with reading books - every book says something different. But thats the rules of life. No two chefs will ever cook things exactly the same way. We all are different.. I feel that health nurses have 'loose' rules and regulations as to what they can say to you. They are there to reassure us and guide us in what we feel. Don't get too annoyed at the elders, i know they are painful but they all survived so there must be something worth listening to somewhere!!

~ Naomi

She probly should be on solids now but i dont think its much of a big deal they catch up quickly. My experience sucked I had my parents my in-laws and my grandparents and just about every other person who knew me trying to give me advice. I was nice at first but then it just made me so angry beacause they would push and push.it made me depressed and I couldnt sleep in the end I just told them all that he was my baby and I would do what I wanted now that I stood up for myself they leave me alone. You just have to stick up for yourself and be confident in your choices noone knows your baby like you.really they are just trying to help but they are helping in the all the wrong ways.just start off on a liitle bit of apple puree or pear at first my son didnt like at all at first hes just get a little on his tongue but i just did it everyday and they get the hang of it.remember give her things she can hold and eat (rusks, bananas etc) my son loves oranges.try anything and everything.

~Whiteny