Your 24-week-old baby: what to expect
Emily Gulla
WriterFind out how to get ready for weaning, plus make sure you're clued up on when to get medical help for a poorly baby.
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Your baby is fast approaching six months old! You're probably wondering where all the time has gone, but if you compare your little newborn to your almost-six-month old now, you'll realise just how far they've come!
But they're not done developing yet; there's still lots going on, so find out what's in store for your baby this week...
Your 24-week-old baby: development
Getting ready for weaning
Can you believe your baby is almost ready to try their first solid foods? The NHS advises that you wait until six months before starting weaning, which is around the 26-week mark, so it's coming up soon!
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Of course, there's no set textbook date for when you should start weaning, and when you start will depend on when your individual baby is ready.
Your baby's behaviour will give you some indication that it's time, though. See some of the key signs below...
Signs that your baby is ready for solid foods
- They can stay in a sitting position and can hold their head steady.
- They can coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth, meaning they can look at food, grab it and put it in their mouth by themselves.
- They can swallow their food. If they're not ready, they'll push their food back out and will get more around their face than in their mouth.
If you're unsure whether your baby's behaviour is an indication that they're ready for weaning, take a look at some of the commonly mistaken signs below.
The following are NOT signs your baby is ready for weaning:
- Chewing their fists
- Waking in the night more often than usual
- Wanting extra milk feeds
The NHS says that these are all just normal behaviours for babies, and they don't necessarily mean that your baby is ready for weaning. If you're thinking of weaning your baby before six months, always check with your health visitor first.
Weaning methods
Before you start weaning, you might want to think about which weaning approach you'll take. There are two methods – spoon feeding (with purees) and baby-led weaning (with finger foods), but many parents opt for a combination of both.
So, what's the difference?
- Spoon feeding. This method entails pureeing or mashing foods until they're smooth, then spoon-feeding them to your baby. You might also prefer to feed them purees from a jar or a pouch.
- Baby-led weaning. This is where you let your baby feed themselves with finger foods, meaning they choose to eat if they're hungry and stop when they're full. You can learn more about baby-led weaning here.
Again, many parents like to choose a combination of both methods, and some foods are better-suited to being purees or finger foods than others.
Your baby's first foods
An important thing to remember with weaning is to offer your baby one new food at a time, leaving a few days in between so you can catch any allergic reactions – especially for foods containing common allergens.
The foods you start with are up to you, but it's best to start with vegetables or fruit. Soft foods like banana won't need to be cooked, but harder fruit and veg like apple or carrots will.
Fruit and veg ideas include: banana, apple, pear, ripe melon, peach, carrot, sweet potato and parsnip.
You can either puree or mash fruit and veg, or offer your baby soft foods like banana slices as a finger food.
Remember: for small, round foods like blueberries, grapes and cherry tomatoes, make sure to peel and cut them to reduce the risk of choking.
For more ideas, take a look at our baby weaning chart here, or browse our baby and weaning recipes.
Find out more about how to get started with weaning here.
Your baby's health this week
When to see a GP or call 999 for your baby
Your baby's immune system is still developing, so they'll probably pick up little coughs, colds and bugs quite often. But it can be hard to tell when your baby's just a bit under the weather, and when they need medical attention.
If your baby is unwell, you'll want to make sure they get the right help – so it's important to know when to see a doctor, and when it's crucial to call 999 or go to A&E.
When to call a doctor
You should see a doctor as soon as possible if your baby has any of the following symptoms:
- Listlessness or being unusually drowsy.
- Crying persistently or differently to usual, and unable to be soothed, especially if moaning, whimpering or screaming in a high pitch.
- They're not interested in feeding.
- They seem to have severe leg pain or tenderness.
- They have a rash, particularly if it's accompanied by a fever.
- They seem irritable and don't like being touched.
- They have a fever (a high temperature over 38ºC or 100.4ºF) or are flushed, hot and sweaty.
- Not wetting or soiling their nappies as normal.
- Diarrhoea for more than 12 hours or blood-streaked poo.
- Excessive vomiting (not just possetting i.e. bringing up normal amounts of milk after a feed), particularly if the vomit is green, bloody, or projectile.
- Discharge of any sort from ears, eyes, navel, penis or vagina.
When to call 999 or go to A&E
You should call 999 or take your baby to A&E if they have any of the following symptoms:
- Not breathing, breathing much faster than usual, or having difficulty breathing accompanied by grunting, or wheezing.
- They're unconscious, or semi-conscious.
- Their skin looks blue, or is dusky around the lips.
- They're having a convulsion, when they've never had one before.
- Cold hands and feet as well as a fever (a temperature over 38ºC or 100.4ºF.)
- They're floppy or limp, and unresponsive.
- They won't be woken, or appears not to recognise you.
- They have a purple rash anywhere on their body that doesn't fade or lose colour when you press a glass against it.
- They have a raised, tense or bulging soft spot (fontanelle) on their head. (Although this can occur quite harmlessly in healthy babies, after a spell of crying or immunisation, for example. If in doubt, get it checked out.)
- They've had an accident involving a burn, deep cut, significant fall or bump to the head, or they've swallowed something that could be harmful.
If you have a question about whether a particular over-the-counter medicine is safe for your baby, or want help treating a minor ailment like a cough, any pharmacist should be able to help.
If you're ever in doubt about whether your baby's symptoms mean you should take them to the GP or A&E, call NHS 111 for instant expert advice.
Learning baby first aid can help you know what to do if your baby has an accident or becomes ill. You can search for baby first aid classes near you using out Netmums local page.
Find more information on when to get help for a poorly baby here.
Your life as a parent
Your essential purchases for weaning
Getting ready for weaning also means making sure you've got all the bits and bobs you'll need. There are tonnes of fancy items out there, but the basics you'll want to start with include:
- Bibs. It goes without saying that weaning can get just slightly messy – so make sure you've got plenty of bibs available! See our advice on how to shop for baby bibs here.
- A highchair. This is another essential item to have in your kitchen – and prepare for it to get messy too! Take a look at our favourite highchair options here.
- Plastic mats. You might want to whack one of these under the highchair to keep things clean. It doesn't have to be fancy, though; a standard tarpaulin or old shower curtain will do the job!
- Wipes and flannels... LOTS of wipes and flannels! You'll likely already have plenty already, but you'll want to make sure to have some on hand in the kitchen.
- A stick blender. A blender of some kind will be handy for making purees – and some will even steam the food for you too.
- Small plastic bowls. Grab them in fun colours to make mealtimes more exciting for your baby. Plus, you can even get plastic bowls with suction pads on the bottom, helping to (hopefully) keep food off the floor.
- Weaning spoons. Available in plenty of fun colours too.
- Baby's first cup. You can give your baby small amounts of water from six months old, so grab an age-appropriate first cup for your baby to drink out of.
- Freezer cube trays. You'll likely find yourself freezing bits of puree to feed to your baby later, and freezer cube trays can help you separate them into baby-sized portions.
Find the best brands in our roundup of the top weaning buys here.
Your feelings as a parent
While you're already almost six months into your baby's life, it's still important to check in with your feelings and to be aware of the signs of postnatal depression (PND).
It's still possible for PND to develop at any point for up to a year after your baby is born, and it can affect mums, dads and partners, so make sure you're aware of the symptoms and know where you can get help.
You can read more about postnatal depression (PND) and the symptoms to look out for here.
There's lots of help and support out there, and remember that you're not alone! If you're worried, you can speak to a friend, family member, your health visitor or GP.
You can also get support and advice from others in the same situation on our PND support forum, and you can learn more about PND in dads and partners here.
Looking for more information on your 24-week-old baby and what to expect as a parent? Check out our other articles below or chat to parents in our forum.
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