Knowing when to start weaning your baby is always going to involve a bit of guesswork, but mostly health professionals recommend you start to wean baby around 6 months of age. That's because your baby's mouth, jaw and digestive system are all ready for solid foods by then. Another possible idea is to start weaning when baby's weight has doubled, although this doesn't always mean baby is ready.

It's also important that you don't wait too long to start. Once baby is ready, you need to start the process of introducing solids, otherwise you may find that baby struggles to adapt to swallowing food. So even if baby doesn't seem keen at first, you need to persist.

Handy Items

Bibs - you'll need heaps of them! And don't waste your money on cloth bibs - they need to have a plastic or rubber backing on them. To begin with baby will probably spit out more food than she eats, and a cloth bib allows the moisture to soak straight through into baby's clothes. I also recommend bibs that are easy to put on and remove - my favourite were bibs with Velcro fastenings. As baby gains more muscular control, she may decide she doesn't like bibs, particularly if you have to fuss around for a while or pull it over her head.

Unbreakable bowls - it's quite probably that more than one bowlful of food is going to end up on the floor, so make sure the bowl you're using won't break.

Soft spoons - Soft, rubber or plastic spoons are also good for the same reason, and also because they won't hurt baby's mouth.

Leftover containers - make sure you have plenty of small containers with tight lids for storing leftovers. You should always separate the food into portions before you feed baby, otherwise the bacteria from baby's mouth will end up in the leftovers and make them spoil. Only feed baby one portion at a time, and throw out any that's left over from that meal.

Food processor - this is optional, but can make it quicker to puree food. Personally I always made do with a strong bowl and a fork, but with a food processor you can be certain you've removed all the lumps. One thing you must watch, though, is that over the course of a few months you need to add texture to baby's food, so you might find eventually that mashing the cooked food with a fork gives you a better texture when baby's a bit more experienced with solids.

High Chair - again, this is optional. Certainly when you're starting out, baby may still be developing the necessary muscles to hold her head up, so a high chair may be best left until she's around 12 months of age. Feeding baby in your lap has advantages, because with you holding baby you can minimise squirming. You can also try propping baby in a chair with cushions to support her head and neck.

Weaning is an ongoing process, but it's amazing how quickly the months fly by. Your baby will quickly become a toddler, and hopefully, because you've given her the right start, she'll be eating a wide, varied diet with lots of different tastes and textures.