We can start her on a gentle fish like salmon, sardines or pomfret, boiled or steamed until it flakes easily, with the skin and all bones removed. Flake it flat on a plate and press through it with your fingers to feel for any stray bone, then mash it soft, loosening with a little breast milk, formula or water to a smooth, scoopable mash.

You can also stir the soft flakes through a dal, khichdi or a little curd she already takes. Because fish is a common allergen, give it by itself the first few times and watch her over the next few days before adding another new food. A spoonful or two is all she needs at the start, and let her appetite guide the rest.

If your family prefers to start fish a little later, nearer eight months, that is completely fine. The start is the same either way, with the same soft deboned flakes and small amounts.

Now you can offer soft, deboned fish in bigger flakes and small bite-sized pieces she can pick up herself. Picking up these pieces is good practice for her pincer grasp, the thumb and forefinger coming together that she uses to feed herself. Keep checking for bones each time, even in a piece that looks clean.

Flaked fish stirred through rice, dal or a soft khichdi is an easy way to serve it, still with no added salt in her food while she is under one.

By a year, she can have the same fish the family eats, in a mild curry or simply pan-cooked, chopped or flaked into pieces she can manage herself.

Go on checking every piece for bones even now, and keep her share light on salt and spice.