Blythe is 5 months and I've just had her trying to steal my macaroni cheese off my plate! She can sit up (mainly with support but can manage unsupported at times), she's moving all over the place, picking up things and putting them in her mouth etc. (her 1st solids were newspaper lol). So, do I start offering solids? If so what should I try? Most of the things she wants is toast, pasta etc which I don't think she's meant to have yet - right?

I suppose you could say we have sort of started as my LO has tasted some food (including carrot and asparagus), although at the moment all I am doing is putting a veg on the table near her at dinnertime. She picks it up and eats it.

She started picking food up a while ago, has been picking up toys and 'eating' them for ages... when I found carrot in her nappy after a family meal, I decided to let her have the dinnertime veg available if she wanted to pick it up.

My LO was 15 days overdue and so I am going to cheat and start early I think, although I'm not going to 'feed' her anything, just put safe food on the table and not prevent her from having it I think. She has been able to sit upright, unaided, for lengthy periods of time for about two weeks I think. Her weight gain had slowed right down, and she now wakes 3 times a night after sleeping through for months. She breastfeeds very very frequently during the day (always has done). I know these things don't necessarily mean she is ready for food so am being cautious - but I also think if she is able to feed herself then it probably won't hurt for her to have a veg. Also - and this is probably a selfish thing - she sits for ages now at the table with us, where before one of us had to hold her while we ate (she always hated the bouncy chair or high chair without food, and would cry unless held and sang to etc throughout the meal).

At the moment she only has that veg. I think when she is 5 months (so 5 and a half in the cheating way) I might widen the range of foods slowly until she is 6 months and can have pretty much everything.

There are some others on here who started blw before 6 months who might be able to give more advice.

Regarding the toast and pasta - I think gluten (wheat) is off limits until 6 months old - but I am not 100% sure. I am not going to give it until 6 months anyway, to be on the safe side

I've started giving Alice fruit and veg in the past week or so. I think strictly speaking, it's better to wait, but like Blythe, she was just so interested in food. She doesn't exactly manage to eat much of it, but she loves the experience. She sits at the table with us and eats her veggies. I can't wait until she's 6 months and she can have exactly what we're eating.

Although it's best to wait until 6 months, one of the main things with BLW is that LO can sit well while assisted. The general thinking with BLW is that if LO is capable of picking up food, getting it to their mouth, biting a bit off, chewing it and swallowing without any help at all, then chances are their digestive system is ready for solids

Before 6 months I would stick to things like roasted or steamed vegetables, fruit etc etc. I would steer clear of bread and pasta etc until 6 months.

Come and join us on the BLW support sticky above, a few of the ladies started at around 5 months