There is resistance, fussiness and constant trial and error till your baby starts to accept food other than breast milk or formula.

It is a common practice to start weaning a baby with liquid foods like dal pani, chawal pani, vegetable soups, runny porridges, fruit juices, milky kheers and others. Sometimes these liquids are given even to a baby under 6 months old, because most mothers think that "I don't have enough milk".

Use of dal water (water part of cooked lentils) has been observed to be a commonly used weaning food. Containing just the supernatant watery contents, it usually has no carbohydrates, proteins or fat. However, this is a dangerous practice and it is best to avoid giving such liquids to a baby. There are two main reasons why babies should not have liquid or very runny foods;

1 Liquid foods have very little nutrition. Liquid or very runny semi solid foods will simply fill up the baby and replace breast milk or formula and provide no nutrition to compensate.

2 One of the main reasons why solids are started at 6 months is to get an additional source of iron in baby's diet. There is no iron in dal pani, it is better to give thick dal instead.

Liquid foods do not contribute in any way to baby learning about different textures of food. When babies start eating food, they must learn to manipulate foods of various textures in their mouth. If babies are given liquids or purees for too long, they do not get enough practice with normal textures of food and may be reluctant to eat normal food.

Keeping both of the above reasons in mind, please do not give your baby any liquid foods at 6 months. Give thick purees that do not pour off from a spoon easily (if you are doing traditional weaning) or normal food that you eat (if starting with baby led weaning).