

Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro
Katie Ferraro
Is your baby ready to start solid foods but youβre feeling overwhelmed or confused about baby-led weaning? Babies can eat so many more foods than we give them credit for and you donβt have to force-feed or spoon-feed to get them to eat real food!Iβm Katie Ferraro, Registered Dietitian specializing in infant feeding and baby-led weaning. Iβm a college nutrition professor and mom of 7, and my goal is to help you start solid foods safely using baby-led weaning.On this podcast I share practical tips on safe food preparation and starting solid foods, as well as in-depth interviews with other feeding experts. Listen to learn how you can get your baby to safely enjoy real food so that you can start enjoying mealtimes again too!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 11, 2024 β’ 39min
Unpacking the Invisible Load of Feeding the Household with Erica Djossa, founder & CEO of Momwell
#422: What if you donβt love cooking new foods, prepping food for your baby or your other kidsβ¦or even just being in charge of food in general? So much of what moms are tasked with falls under this banner of the βinvisible loadβ that youβre probably hearing more mental health people in the parenting space talk about. Erica Djossa from @momwell is here to talk about HOW MUCH WORK being a mom is, and how we can set more realistic expectations to get food on the table without killing ourselves over it.Listen to this episode to learn:
Why you are putting unreasonable expectations on yourself and how to STOP
If your parenting partner is deploying βweaponized incompetenceβ and how to handle that
How to sort the most important values to you right now (...and effectively ignore the rest)
Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/422Links from this episode:Check out Erica and Momwellβs website: https://www.momwell.com/ and follow Momwell on Instagram @momwell Other Episodes Related to this TopicEpisode 372 - Mom's Mental Health: Strengthening Parenthood Through Therapy with @momwell Erica Djossa, PHM-C
π± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 8, 2024 β’ 15min
5 Baby Milestones to Begin Baby-Led Weaning Safely | What Your Baby Should Be Able to Do Before Starting Solids
#421: Is your baby developmentally ready to safely start solids? Learn why the 6-month mark is pivotal, the significance of independent sitting, and why the disappearance of the tongue thrust reflex isn't the only readiness to eat signal to begin the weaning process.Listen to this episode to learn:
Unveiling the significance of the 6-month mark for a safe baby-led weaning start, emphasizing exclusive infant milk feeding for younger babies as their primary source of nutrition.
Exploring the developmental stages of independent sitting after 6 months and its correlation with enhanced head control in babies.
Debunking myths surrounding the disappearance of the extrusion or tongue thrust reflex as the sole indicator of readiness for solid foods.
Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/2Links from this episode:
Episode 119 - Premature Babies: How to Estimate & Adjust Age for Starting Solids https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/119
Episode 158 - How Premature Babies Can Succeed with BLW with @doctorterrimd Terri Major-Kincade, MD https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/158
Episode 110 - Catch-Up Weight: Why Starting Solids Early Will Not Help Your Baby Gain Weight with Rosan Meyer, PhD, RD https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/110
Episode 144 - What Did Babies Eat Before Baby Food was Invented? with Amy Bentley, PhD https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/144
Other Episodes Related to this Topic
Episode 109 - I Started Purees Too Early: Should I Stop Before Switching to BLW? at https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/109
Episode 141 - BLW Basics: Is My Baby Ready to Start Solid Foods? at https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/141
Episode 147 - BLW Basics: Help! Nobody Around Me Understands Baby-Led Weaning at https://babyledweaning.co/podcast//147
Episode 172 - High Chair Positioning: Reduce Choking Risk Using This One Simple Move with Jeff Durkee of Nomi High Chair at https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/172
Episode 199 - Beginner's Guide to Baby-Led Weaning: Starting Solid Foods Safely with BLW at https://babyledweaning.co/podcast/199
π± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 4, 2024 β’ 29min
Why am I So Stressed Out About Starting Solid Foods? with Andrea Niles, PhD
#420: Do you feel anxious about your baby starting solid foods? Nervous that your baby will choke on food? Raising babies is stressfulβ¦and we donβt always get the support we need as new moms. Today Iβm joined by someone who thinks we should be doing things - and supporting new moms differentlyHer name is Andrea Niles, sheβs a clinical psychologist and mom of 2. Andrea is the founder of Prospera Mental Health and Wellness, which provides one on one weekly sessions with perinatal certified mental health coaches. β¦and in this interview she shares how she herself had a traumatic birth experience and recognized that even as a clinical psychologist she needed to ask for help in the post partum periodAndreaβs website for Prospera Womenβs Mental Health is here and you can follow her @prosperamhw on InstagramShownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/420 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:Episode 292 - Holiday Food Stress Stuff: Coping Tips from @diaryofanhonestmom Libby WardEpisode 214 - Overcoming Anxiety in the Feeding Relationship with Jo Cormack, PhDEpisode 32 - Post-Partum Depression: How a BLW Plan Helped This Momπ± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 1, 2024 β’ 25min
Everything You Need to Know About Baby-Led Weaning: A Safe Approach to Introducing Solid Foods
#419: Discover the ins and outs of baby-led weaning versus traditional spoon feeding, how it differs from parent-led feeding, and expert tips (pioneered by Gill Rapley, PhD) on safely introducing solid foods to your baby in this episode. Join me as I demystify baby-led weaning as a more developmentally appropriate introduction to solid foods and empower parents to make informed choices for your baby's nutrition journey.Listen to this episode to learn:
How baby-led weaning is different from spoon-feeding and what research supports it
Who started baby-led weaning and why you should read the original book by Gill Rapley
What benefits your baby (and you!) get from taking this natural approach
Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://blwpodcast.com/419 Link from this episode:Gill Rapleyβs Baby-Led Weaning book: Baby-Led Weaning The Essential Guide (get the 2019 revised 10th anniversary edition - linking on amazon here, this is an affiliate link).π± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 28, 2024 β’ 27min
Everything You Need to Know About FOOD ALLERGIES *Update* (Nutrition Labels, Research & Sesame) with Bob Earl, MPH, RDN
#418: What causes food allergies and can introducing certain foods early to your baby help prevent food allergy? Food allergy guidance and recommendations seems to be changing quite regularly and figuring out the best way to safely introduce allergenic foods is confusing. In this episode dietitian Bob Earl from Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) at foodallergy.org updates us on everything new and notable in food allergies including allergen labeling for the newest allergen on the Top 9 which is sesame.Learn more about Bobβs work at FARE on the Food Allergy Research and Education website here: https://www.foodallergy.org/ Shownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/418 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:Episode 401 - Does the Order of Allergenic Food Introduction Matter?Episode 380 - Why Doctors STILL Aren't Talking About Introducing Allergenic Foods with Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPHEpisode 227 - When Does the Food Allergy Prevention Window Close? with @allergykidsdoc David Stukus, MDπ± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 25, 2024 β’ 14min
Is Bone Broth Before Food Good for My Baby?
#417: Is bone broth safe for babies? Can I give my baby bone broth before they start solid foods? Bone broth is having a momentβ¦but itβs not a magical superfood that your baby needs. In this episode weβre looking at how to offer bone broth responsibly but why it should not be given to babies under 6 months of age.Shownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/417 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:Episode 193 - Protein: How Much Protein Does My Baby Need?Episode 252 - The Risk of Homemade Infant Formulas with Farryl Bertmann, PhD, RDNπ± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 21, 2024 β’ 26min
Is My Baby Developmentally Ready to Start Solid Foods? with Amy Manojlovski, RDN
#416: What are the signs that your baby is ready to start solid foods? What if your baby isnβt sitting up at 6 months, is it ok to do purees? Or what if you think your baby is ready EARLY even though theyβre not 6 months yet? In this episode Registered Dietitian and Early Intervention Specialist Amy Manojlovski, RDN shares some of the most important indicators that your baby is ready to start solid foods. Sheβs explaining typical vs. atypical development milestones that center around nutrition so that you can determine when your baby is really ready to start solid foods.Follow Amy online at https://happylittletummies.com/Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/416π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:Episode 141 - BLW Basics: Is My Baby Ready to Start Solid Foods?Episode 230 - FPIES: How Do I Know if My Baby Has Food-Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome? with Marion Groetch, MS, RDNπ± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 snips
Mar 18, 2024 β’ 20min
Waking Up at Night Again: Is My Baby Too Hungry After Starting Solid Foods?
#415: Is your baby waking up in the middle of the night again since you started solid foods? Does this mean the baby is hungry or not getting enough? In this episode weβre looking at solid food and sleep schedules to help you and your baby get a good nightβs sleep after you start solid foods.Shownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/415 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:Episode 55 - How to Drop a Milk FeedEpisode 146 - Setting Your Baby's Sleep Schedule when Starting Solids with Aubrie DeBear, PsyDπ± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 14, 2024 β’ 26min
Infant Food Refusal: Is it Reflux or EoE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis)? with Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD
#414: Itβs not uncommon for infants or toddlers to refuse food. Food refusal can be due to illness, tiredness, your babyβs temperament on that dayβ¦but, there is a disease that results in food refusal called Eosinophilic esophagitis or EOE.EOE is a chronic, allergic inflammatory disease of the esophagus that causes damage that makes it difficult and uncomfortable for the baby or toddler to eat which in turn results in poor growth, chronic pain and/or difficulty swallowing.The symptoms of EOE are sometimes confused with reflux and in this episode Dr. Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD explains what EOE isβ¦why it sometimes gets confused with REFLUX, how itβs treated as an allergic diseaseβ¦.and I think youβll be surprised because the treatment and certainly the diagnosis is quite different than the other allergic diseases weβve covered here on the podcast.CHOPβs Center for Eosinophilic Disorders: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/center-pediatric-eosinophilic-disorders American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED): https://apfed.org/about-ead/egids/eoe/Shownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/414 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:
Episode 230 - FPIES: How Do I Know if My Baby Has Food-Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome? with Marion Groetch, MS, RDN
Episode 182 - GERD: Does Starting Solids Early Help Babies with GERD? with Peter Lu, MD
π± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 11, 2024 β’ 13min
Food Before One is Just for Fun: True or False?
#413: Are foods before one just for funβ¦or does it really matter which foods we offer our baby? Saying food before one is just for fun is catchyβ¦but confusing. In this episode we break down the idea about just having fun vs. intentionally picking foods for a reason before babies turn one.Shownotes for this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/413 π§ π§ π§ π§ π§Other podcast episodes related to this topic:
Episode 387 - 5 Reasons Not to Start Solid Foods Before 6 Months of Age
Episode 351 - Label Reading 101: What to Look for in Foods You Offer Your Baby
π± π±π±π± π±Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.π― π― π― π― π―Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODSβ’ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.π π π π πBe sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.π π π π πIf you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices