At six months, babies should be introduced to solid food. This can be a time of great enjoyment for parents as they and their babies explore new tastes and textures together. But it can also be a time when parents need plenty of patience.

The main thing for parents to remember is that it is more important for the baby to get used to the idea of eating than how much he or she eats. The baby will still be getting most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula milk so there is no pressure for the baby to eat three meals a day.

The weaning period is a time when the pharmacy team can offer support to parents. Parents may find this experience quite an anxious one, as it may coincide with a mum returning to work outside the home, new child care arrangements and exhaustion as the baby becomes more lively and demanding. While a pharmacy may not be the first port of call for parents wanting advice about weaning, the pharmacy team should be knowledgeable and be able to refer any feeding problems to other healthcare professionals, if necessary.

If possible, identify a customer who is looking at baby foods or perhaps follow-on milk in the pharmacy. Explain to them that you would like to talk to them about their experiences when weaning their baby. Be sensitive in your approach as parents don't want to feel threatened that they are not being good parents!

Alternatively, use the pharmacy team's experience to help. Try to find out:

• What was it like for parents to give their baby solid food for the first time? Was it fun?
• What foods did they try at first?
• Which foods did the baby enjoy?
• Which foods did they not enjoy?