hi willow...i think i started my DS on porridge when he was maybe a week or so over 6 months? it was pretty early on. i just mix with water - mostly because that's how i make my own! i usually just give him some of mine. at the start, i'd mix in some extra water after i'd made it to make it a little runnier, but not too much. sometimes i add a fruit puree (the rafferty's garden ones) or mash up some banana & mix it through. the difference with the rafferty's baby porridge & normal oats is how runny it is - the rafferty's one is like a very thin soup (i can't think of a better analogy ) & not chunky at all. DS did like the rafferty's but he loves normal porridge so no need to get the specialty one.