Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#261: Does your high chair have an adjustable footrest? If not you can make your own. In this episode I’m sharing a few of my favorite DIY high chair hacks that will make it safer for your baby to eat…and that don’t cost you hardly any money to do so!   Other podcast episodes covering the topic of high chairs and high chair safety you might want to check out include: Episode 205 - High Chair Help: What if My Baby Won't Sit in the High Chair? Episode 172 - High Chair Positioning: Reduce Choking Risk Using This One Simple Move with Jeff Durkee of Nomi High Chair Episode 7 - Why Your Baby’s High Chair Needs a Footrest Episode 92 - How to Choose a Safe Seat for Your Baby to Eat with Kirsti Vandraas Links from This Episode Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program  Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/261 Thank you for being a part of this amazing baby-led weaning community. If you like this BLW podcast, please would you kindly leave me a review on Apple Podcasts? This really helps the podcast get found by other parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals and I get my best future episode ideas from your reviews. Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Happy Feeding! -Katie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#260: Did you read any books about baby-led weaning before you started? Gill Rapley is the pioneer of BLW and co-author of the original baby-led weaning book…and Jill Rabin is a speech language pathologist and feeding therapist who adapted BLW for her work with babies with Down Syndrome and feeding challenges.  Gill and Jill just published a new book about Adapted Baby-Led Weaning called “Your baby Can Self-Feed, Too: Adapted Baby-Led Weaning for Children with Developmental Delays or Other Feeding Challenges” and in this interview they’re sharing their experience writing the book together from 2 different parts of the world.  Buy Jill and Gill’s new book on adapted baby-led weaning on Amazon here. Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie’s free BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20Link Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/ Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/260 Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly subscribe, rate and review where you’re seeing this? (...it really helps other parents find this BLW info too!)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover how to make rice safer for your family using the pasta water cooking method, which effectively lowers arsenic levels. This technique is especially vital for baby food safety, ensuring your little ones are protected from harmful substances. Plus, debunk myths around nutrient loss while learning about the health benefits of reducing arsenic exposure. Tune in for practical tips that can transform your family's meals and enhance your peace of mind!

#258: What if my baby eats too much food? Can babies overeat with baby-led weaning? In this episode we’re exploring concerns from parents and caregivers about babies who (their words) “eat too much.” We’ll look at portion sizes…and why there are no set portion sizes for babies as well as safety concerns, hunger and fullness cues and then why your baby’s growth chart is actually the best indicator of whether or not they’re getting enough nutrition from food. Need more ideas of foods your baby safely CAN eat? Grab your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on this free one-hour online video training called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS. Sign up here: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20Link The small portion size suction mats that I mentioned in this episode are the ezpz Mini Mats. I like that they remind us to keep baby’s portion sizes small - and to offer a variety of foods during the weaning process. If you’re shopping the ezpz Mini Mats you cna get 10% off everything at ezpzfun.com with my affiliate ezpz discount code KATIE10. Right now I’m really digging the growth chart app I mentioned in the episode called…wait for it…Growth! You can enter your baby’s height and weight from their doctor appointments and well checks and keep an eye on their path to health in this app which you can find here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/growth-baby-child-charts/id446639811  Safety matters when starting solid foods and we talk about how overstuffing can lead to choking in some instances. Make sure you’ve taken a refresher infant CPR course before starting solid foods. The CPR class I take each quarter is linked here and you can get an extra $10 off that class with my affiliate discount code KATIE10. The Choking Prevention and Response course I co-teach is also linked and code KATIE10 works for 10% off there too. …and there were LOTS Of other growth related BLW podcast episodes I’ve recorded and expert interviews that were mentioned in this episode. You can find them all on the shownotes page located here: https://blwpodcast.com/258 Follow baby-led weaning with Katie Ferraro @babyledweanteam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/ Subscribe to the baby-led weaning YouTube channel with new videos every Tuesday and Friday: https://www.youtube.com/c/babyledweaning Thank you for being a part of this amazing baby-led weaning community. If you like this BLW podcast, please would you kindly leave me a review on Apple Podcasts? This really helps the podcast get found by other parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals and I get my best future episode ideas from your reviews. Click here to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Happy Feeding! -Katie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#257: It is not your job to make your baby eat…but you are responsible for what the baby eats, when they eat and where they eat. This is Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding Theory in practice - but what if you’re not sure exactly WHAT the baby should be eating? In this episode we’re looking at 4 super simple BLW food prep tips that will make your JOB of making safe foods for your baby a little easier to swallow. From how to soften fruits that aren’t yet ripe enough to making meat safe for babies to eat, listen to learn 4 easy ideas for making foods safe for your baby to eat with baby-led weaning. Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie’s free 1-hour video training called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20Link Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/ Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/257 Other episodes mentioned: Episode 209 - Fruit Vacation: How to Help Babies Who Overly Favor Fruit Episode 155 - Bitter Vegetables: How to Safely Offer Bitter Vegetables for Baby-Led Weaning Episode 177 - Red Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat Episode 178 - White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat  Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly leave a review of this podcast with your idea for a future episode (...I get my best topics for the podcast episodes from your reviews!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the role of fats in baby-led weaning and why they are essential for brain health and energy. Learn which oils are best to use when introducing solid foods to your baby. The episode also provides helpful tips on managing allergies and safely introducing new foods. Plus, find out about new resources designed for parents seeking quick advice on common pediatric questions!

The host shares hard-earned lessons from their chaotic journey with quadruplet baby-led weaning. They emphasize the importance of waiting for your baby's readiness instead of succumbing to pressure. Learn how proper foot positioning aids safe swallowing, and why using suction plates can be a game changer for early eaters. Discover the value of cycling familiar foods with new textures, flavors, and allergens. Get ready for an entertaining mix of reflection and practical advice for navigating the wild world of solid foods!

Dawn Winkelmann, a Baby-led weaning expert and speech-language pathologist, shares her insights into how babies learn to chew and swallow. She discusses the critical role of tongue movements and the surprising fact that teeth aren't necessary for starting solids. Dawn introduces innovative feeding products she's designed, which support developmental milestones. Addressing parent concerns, she reassures them that gagging is normal and emphasizes the benefits of early exposure to various textures for fostering independent eating skills.

#253: How much salt or sodium is safe for babies to eat? In the United States we do not have clear-cut, evidence-based guidance for upper limits of sodium for infants…but other countries do have some standards for salt. In this episode we’re looking at what other countries’ nutrition and health bodies recommend as far as the amount of salt that babies can or should be eating. If you’re interested in sodium and feeding babies, another episode I did on this topic that you might want to listen to is: Episode 33 “Salt: 3 Easy Ways To Minimize Sodium For Your Baby”.Need more ideas on foods that babies CAN eat? Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie’s free BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20LinkFollow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/253Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly subscribe, rate and review where you’re seeing this? (...it really helps other parents find this BLW info too!)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#252: Commercially prepared infant formula is a safe and effective substitute for human milk. Homemade infant formula has been linked to documented, serious injuries and negative health outcomes in babies. In this episode Farryl Bertmann, PhD, RDN joins me to talk about the risks and dangers of homemade infant formulas.  Farryl Bertmann is a Senior Lecturer in the UVM Nutrition and Food Sciences Department and faculty with the University of Vermont Food Systems Program. She works in the area of food security and nutrition assistance programs and co-authored the paper The Risk of Homemade Infant Formulas: Historical and Contemporary Considerations. The four primary problems with homemade infant formula that are discussed in this interview are:  Inadequate nutrition and provision of nutrients in homemade infant formula Kidney health concerns due to inaccurate provision of minerals in homemade infant formula Food safety concerns and potential for foodborne illness from homemade infant formula Food allergy risk for babies Read Dr. Bertmann and colleagues’ paper The Risk of Homemade Infant Formulas: Historical and Contemporary Considerations here.  Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on Katie’s free BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20Link Follow @babyledweanteam on IG: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/ Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/252 Learn something you liked in this episode? Would you kindly subscribe, rate and review where you’re seeing this? (...it really helps other parents find this BLW info too!)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices