Osteopathy and childhood: what are the benefits to support your child's development?
5 July 2026
The early years of life are an extraordinary period of discovery, learning and change.
There baby weaning is one of the most anticipated — and most stressful — milestones of the first year. What age to start? Purées or pieces? Which foods to begin with? What to do if baby refuses? This guide answers all your questions to approach the weaning calmly. 🥕
The WHO and the French Society of Paediatrics recommend starting the baby weaning between 4 and 6 completed months — never before 4 months, ideally around 6 months for breastfed babies.
No exact universal age: it is baby who gives the signal. Three signs indicate that he is ready:
With these three criteria met, it is the right time. Neither too soon (allergy and digestive risks), nor too late (risk of food neophobia).
This is the traditional method: blended vegetables, stewed fruit, dissolved cereals. We start with simple flavours, one at a time, to test for tolerances. The texture thickens gradually — smooth at 4-6 months, lumpy at 7-8 months, mashed at 9-10 months, soft pieces at 12 months.
More recent approach: baby feeds themselves, using their fingers, with suitable whole foods (soft, in stick form) from 6 months. No purée, no spoon fed by the parent — baby explores, grasps, tastes at their own pace. BLW develops independence, fine motor skills and the acceptance of varied textures.
Baby-led weaning requires baby to sit up unaided (not just with support) and to have lost the tongue-thrust reflex. It is not recommended before fully 6 months of age.
The most common in practice: spoon-fed purées for some meals, pieces to explore for others. It combines the advantages of both approaches without the rigidity of an exclusive method.
Traditionally, you start with vegetables — less sweet than fruit, they allow baby to develop a taste for vegetal flavours without being influenced by sweetness. The first recommended vegetables: courgette, carrot, green beans, pumpkin, parsnip. Well cooked, blended, with no salt or spices.
Cooked apple, pear, mashed banana, peach: gentle and naturally sweet flavours that baby accepts easily. Raw or cooked depending on texture and digestive tolerance.
Potato, sweet potato, semolina, rice — important sources of energy right from the start of weaning. Pureed with a little breast milk or formula to thin it out.
To be introduced from 6 months: well-cooked blended meat (chicken, veal), cooked fish (sole, cod), well-cooked egg. Gradual quantities: 10g at 6 months, 20g at 8 months, 30g at 12 months. The iron contained in meat is essential for preventing anaemia.
The guidelines have changed: major allergens (peanut, egg, gluten, cow's milk, sesame, tree nuts, etc.) must be introduced right at the start of weaning, not delayed. Early introduction reduces the risk of allergy. They should be introduced one by one, a few days apart to observe any reactions.
Weaning causes mess — it’s inevitable and desirable (it’s sensory exploration!). Here is the equipment that makes life easier:
It doesn't slip, won't tip over, and separates food for babies who don't like things touching. Made of food-grade silicone, BPA-free, dishwasher safe.
→ See the PetitMaxou complete silicone meal set
→ See the PetitMaxou crab-themed baby meal set
Spoons and forks designed in size and shape for baby's small hands. The silicone is soft on delicate gums and does not hurt in the event of a knock.
Essential for baby-led weaning in particular: it catches everything that falls, so you don’t have to change your baby’s clothes after every meal. The ultra-thin silicone bib is dishwasher-safe and dries in a matter of minutes.
→ View the bavoirs silicone PetitMaxou
Ideal for introducing early flavours safely: baby slips a piece of fruit or vegetable into the silicone mesh, nibbles away and discovers tastes without the risk of choking. Perfect for the early days of weaning.
→ See the PetitMaxou teething dummy
Baby must be sitting upright, stable, with feet supported to eat properly. A portable table seat or a highchair harness makes it possible to eat as a family at the table — essential for baby to observe and imitate adults.
→ See the PetitMaxou baby seat harness
→ See the PetitMaxou baby high chair
Certain foods are strictly not recommended before 12 months:
Food refusal is completely normal and is all part of the process. A few principles to bear in mind:
The food neophobia phase (refusal of anything new) is normal between 18 months and 5 years of age. It is not a failure of weaning — it is a developmental stage.
Yes, absolutely. Milk (breast milk or formula) remains the main food up to 12 months. Weaning comes IN ADDITION to milk, not instead of it. The amounts of milk decrease gradually as solid meals increase.
At 5-6 months: 1 vegetable meal at lunchtime in addition to bottles/breastfeeds. At 7-8 months: 2 meals (lunch + fruit snack). At 9-10 months: 3 meals. At 12 months: 3-4 meals like adults, with a snack.
For BLW: only offer soft foods that can be squashed between your fingers. Cut into batons (not rounds). Avoid small, hard, round pieces (whole grapes, nuts, raw carrots). Baby must sit upright, never lying down. Learn first aid for choking.
Let baby lead. Guide quantities: 2-3 teaspoons at 5 months, 100-150g at 8 months, 150-200g at 12 months. But every baby is different — respect fullness cues (turns head away, closes mouth, plays with food).
Suction-cup plates, silicone bibs, teething dummies, high chairs: PetitMaxou offers everything you need to make the baby weaning simple and pleasant. Free delivery throughout the EU, 14-day returns.
→ See all PetitMaxou baby feeding accessories
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The early years of life are an extraordinary period of discovery, learning and change.
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