Important Developmental Milestones for Weaning

Signs your babe is ready for weaning.

October 6, 2022

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eaning can be an exciting time in a baby’s life – not only are they moving into a major developmental phase, they’re also experiencing many motor skills fully for the first time! Imagine the wonder that comes with becoming more independent as they learn how to sit up without any adult support, hold items they could only once look and point to, and experience a whole new world of flavors and textures. All these factors play an important role in helping your babe wean and are especially critical for baby led weaning. Whether you and your child are going the traditional route or the baby led weaning route, there are some important developmental milestones to keep an eye out for that’ll let you know that a baby is ready to begin the weaning process.

Sit Independently Without Support

Being able to sit independently without support – that includes cushions, belts, and the like – is not only a practical necessity, it also prevents choking. As babies develop core strength, they’ll also be able to move around and lean over to grab something without falling over. Every child differs, but some kiddos may begin to sit independently as early as six months of age. Others may do so at seven to nine months. 

Grasp Objects Easily

While it’s not realistic to expect young kids to juggle with ease, they should be able to at least pick up objects and hold them for a brief period of time. This is especially the case with baby led weaning, as it’ll be up to the child to pick and grab the food that they choose to eat. At first, young ones may only be able to use a couple of fingers and need to rest their arms on the table or tray while doing so. So be prepared for inevitable messes, as there are sure to be some mealtime snafus along the way while kids learn how to grasp and handle objects. Till then, Bibbrella’s full-coverage bib is the perfect remedy for those messy accidents! 

Have Developed Sufficient Oral Skills

Similar to being able to sit upright without support, having sufficient oral skills is vital for safe weaning. Babies should be able to swallow without being prompted, demonstrate increased tongue mobility, and the loss of a tongue-thrust reflex. The latter is a reflex that young babies have to prevent choking and is usually noticed by parents of kids who are about four to six months old. Instead of swallowing foreign objects, tongues are used to push everything back out of the mouth if they’re not ready to be weaned. This reflex gradually disappears, which means that children can actually swallow the food that they’re trying to consume.  

Unfortunately, these abilities can be a bit trickier to establish. Instead, look for signs of increased coordination and decreased spitting. Look out for growing abilities to keep mouths closed and tongues inside as well as decreased instances of spitting out food. These outward signs are more obvious and can indicate that a child is ready to be weaned. 

Weaning is an exciting journey, but children need to be as ready as their parents in order for it to be a smooth ride. These cues will give you insight about whether or not a baby is ready for weaning as well as play a significant role in making sure your child can wean safely. Wondering what else you need to get started? Grab a full-coverage bib and check out our other posts for more weaning tips and ideas!