Is Your Baby Ready for Solids? 5 Signs to Watch For

Our son just turned 5 months old on Saturday, and we have been talking through when to start solids and trying to understand if he is even ready for solids. We discussed it and thought waiting until the 6-month marker would work best for us, but it got me wondering what the physical and mental markers are if a baby is ready independent of the specific age. Below, I will list out 5 signs that your baby is ready for solids. As with almost everything—consult your pediatrician to make sure your baby is ready for the step. This is for informational purposes and not to be used as a specific medical recommendation.

1. Good Head and Neck Control

One of the more important signals that your baby is ready to start solids is steady and strong head and neck control. This typically develops around 4 to 6 months of age. You want your baby to be able to sit up with very little intervention. This helps ensure they can swallow safely to avoid choking. If your baby is still wobbly and slumping forward while seated, it’s best to wait just a little longer until they are able to support themselves better. At 5 months, our little guy is still a bit wobbly when sitting up and ends up slouching forward pretty far. For that reason and others, we are continuing to wait until the 6-month marker to start to introduce any solids.

2. Loss of the Tongue-Thrust Reflex

The tongue-thrust reflex does two things for infants:

1. It helps them latch onto the bottle or breast for feeding.

2. It protects newborns from choking by pushing objects out of the mouth.

When this dissipates, babies are more capable of handling the texture and movement required to eat solids. This helps them keep the food in their mouth and move it to the back to swallow. If this reflex is still strong, your baby may just end up pushing the food right back out of their mouth.

3. Interest in Food

Our baby has really started to take an interest in us eating. He seems to be very curious about what we are eating and what is happening as we are chewing and swallowing. I’ve even seen him mimicking me chewing, and he will move his mouth similarly. If your baby is watching closely, reaching for the food, opening their mouth when food approaches, or even mimicking chewing motions, this is a signal that they are mentally ready to try something new and explore different textures and tastes.

4. Ability to Close Mouth Around a Spoon

When babies are ready for solids, they start to show better control over their mouth and lips. If your little one can take a spoon and latch their mouth around it, this is a strong sign of readiness. If you are close to being comfortable with trying solids, see if they will even take the food on the spoon, latch their mouth around it, and keep it in their mouth without spitting it out. These are the initial building blocks of learning how to chew and swallow.

5. Increased Appetite or Unsatisfied After Milk Feeds

If your baby is still hungry after a full feed, it may be time to supplement with solids in addition to breast or bottle feeding. It’s important to note that this is not a replacement. Look for signs like increased feeding frequency, shorter time between feeds, or even fussiness after a feed. Breast milk or formula should be the primary source of nutrition for the first year, but solids can help your baby meet their growing nutritional needs, especially for iron and zinc.

Babies have natural stores of iron and zinc, which were built up during pregnancy. These stores begin to decrease around 6 months of age, which makes it important to get these from foods outside of formula or breast milk, since they contain smaller amounts than what is needed for proper nutrition.

So... Does My Baby Need All 5 Signs?

Not necessarily. From what I’ve read and from talking to our pediatrician, your baby doesn’t need to hit all five signs perfectly to start solids—but they should definitely have most of them, especially the first few. Good head and neck control, the ability to sit upright with minimal support, and the fading of the tongue-thrust reflex are the big ones. If those are in place, and your baby seems interested or still hungry after full feeds, you’re probably getting close. Food interest and appetite can vary from baby to baby, and they’ll usually grow into those parts once solids are introduced.

We’re personally waiting until 6 months to start, but it’s been helpful to watch for these signs as a way to feel more prepared when the time comes. Every baby is different, so follow your gut and chat with your pediatrician if you’re unsure.