Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#225: We have now hit the two year anniversary of the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY Podcast! To celebrate, I am giving you a behind the scenes look into the making of the podcast. I will share with you the HOW and WHEN it all started and my overall reason for creating this podcast whose goal has been to help parents and caregivers gain competence and knowledge to be able to safely start solids with baby-led weaning.    Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/225   Other episodes related to this topic: • Episode 40 “6 Reasons to Skip the Sippy Cup with Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP” (2ND MOST DOWNLOADED GUEST EPISODE) • Episode 87 “7 BLW Mistakes I Made So YOU Don't Have To!” (1ST MOST DOWNLOADED SOLO EPISODE) • Episode 98 “Breastfeeding + Scheduling Solid Foods with @milkymamallc Krystal Duhaney, RN, IBCLC” (MOST DOWNLOADED GUEST EPISODE) Series with Business Owners: Leading Women with feeding related companies • Episode 114 “Revolutionizing Infant Feeding Gear with ezpz Founder & CEO Lindsey Laurain” • Episode 116 “Eczema Management and Skincare Made by Moms in Medicine with Evereden Founder Kimberly Ho” • Episode 118 “Why I Built a Better Bib with Bapron Baby Founder Kelsey Larsen” • Episode 124 “Using an Egg Ladder for Babies with Egg Allergy with Carina Venter, PhD, RD” • Episode 125 “Why are False Positive Results in Food Allergy Testing so Common? with David Stukus, MD” • Episode 126 “EAT THE 8: How to Use Food to Prevent Food Allergy (...and skip the supplement powder stuff!)” • Episode 129 “Exploring the Eczema & Food Allergy Risk Link with Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH” 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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 or ⁠⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#224: How much sugar is OK for my baby? According to the current dietary guidelines, it is recommended to avoid any added sugars for babies zero to twenty-four months old. To get a better understanding of why these recommendations are given, I am interviewing, professor, director and co-author Dr. Michael I. Goran, PhD who will be touching on the downsides of added sugars in baby food during the developmental stages. Dr. Goran will be providing some tips on how to SUGARPROOF your baby by offering natural sugars in place of added sugars.    Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/224   Links from this episode: • @sugarproofkids • Amazon: Sugarproof: The Hidden Dangers of Sugar That Are Putting Your Child’s Health at Risk and WHat You Can Do Book in all formats: hardcover/paperback/audio/kindle • Sugarproofkids.com where you can get recipes for kids with less sugar. 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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

#223: Is ground meat safe for babies to eat? Of course! In this episode we’re looking at ways to offer different types of ground meat to babies but also how to make sure it is cooked and offered safely for baby-led weaning.   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/223 Other episode related to this topic: • Episode 177 “Red Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat” • Episode 178 “White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat • Episode 176 “BLW at the Butcher: Identifying Ideal Cuts of Meat for Babies with 4th 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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

Explore the journey of baby-led weaning through the eyes of seasoned parents! They share their best advice on trusting your baby’s instincts and embracing the delightful messiness of mealtimes. Discover tips on differentiating gagging from choking and the importance of dietary diversity. Learn about choosing the right high chair and meal prep strategies to ease the process. Plus, hear how community support can bolster your confidence as you navigate this exciting phase of feeding your little one!

Discover the crucial difference between gagging and choking in babies' feeding journeys. Learn why gagging is a normal part of introducing solids and how to respond calmly. The discussion also touches on recent advancements in breast pump technology. Parents will find valuable resources, like a Choking Prevention and Response Course, to boost safety awareness. Plus, get insights into the ideal timing for starting solid foods and creative alternatives to screen time for kids.

#220: For those who are currently WIC participants or WIC educators there may be LOTS of great nutritional changes in the horizon for the food package issued to babies. WIC is the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, a program that is designed to offer nutritious foods and nutrition education to income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to the age of five.  In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview the National WIC Association’s Senior Manager of Public Health, Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN who talks about the proposed changes underway regarding the package of food provided to WIC participants. Darlena focuses on explaining the recommendations to reduce the amount of jarred infant food and replace it with an increased amount of fresh fruits and vegetables which would be a great opportunity for participants to offer their babies a greater variety of foods.   Show notes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/220   🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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 or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#219: Ever wonder what other ways you can use to cook meat for your baby during baby-led weaning? In this episode Iliana Cruz, an owner of a meat processing plant specializing in the sous vide cooking method is here to describe how using this method of cooking can help prepare meat with perfect texture and consistency for BLW.    Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/219 Other episodes related to this topic: • Ep 178 “White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat” • Ep 177 “Red Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat” • Ep 176 “BLW at the Butcher: Identifying Ideal Cuts of Meat for Babies with 4th Generation Butcher Cara Nicoletti” • Ep 175 “Pork: How to Safely Prepare Pork for Baby-Led Weaning” • Ep 117 “Game Meat: How to Offer Game Meats Safely to Your Baby” • Ep 76 “Sustainable Meat: Smart Selections for Starting Solids with Diana Rodgers, RD” • Ep 19 “Meat: How to Prepare Meat Safely for Baby-Led Weaning” 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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 or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#218: What are some feeding challenges for babies with Down syndrome? Can baby-led weaning work if my baby has Down syndrome? In this episode speech-language pathologist Sabrina Smiley Evans, MS, CCC-SLP is joining me to discuss some of the feeding challenges that babies with Down syndrome may encounter but also the ways in which parents and caregivers can moderate and create a safe environment for these babies to successfully accomplish baby-led weaning and become independent eaters.   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/218   About the Guest: • Sabrina Smiley Evans, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist specializing in early intervention, Autism, and sensory-based feeding disorders. • She is a mom of three-year-old Graham who has Down syndrome and successfully did baby-led weaning when starting solids  • Sabrina, along with Sara Quirk run the Instagram account @ableappetites which features children with Down syndrome who are learning to become independent eaters Other episodes related to this topic: • Episode 198 “Adapted Baby-Led Weaning for Feeding Challenges with Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLP/L, IBCLC” 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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 or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are crackers safe for babies? This discussion dives into when to introduce them during baby-led weaning. Expert tips highlight choosing whole grain options and avoiding choking hazards. Sodium levels are examined, along with the risks of rice-based crackers. The chat also touches on a new, portable breast pump innovation for busy moms. Get insights on softer, safer cracker choices and debunk common teething cracker myths, all while providing useful resources for parents navigating feeding challenges.

#216: Just in case you are wondering if there are any updates in the pediatric food allergy world…Dr. Ron Sunog, who is a pediatrician specializing in preventing food allergy with food, joined me in this episode to give us an update on food allergy in babies. He discusses recent studies that have been published and also talks about the recently added ninth major food allergen: sesame.   Shownotes with all the links mentioned in this episode are here: https://blwpodcast.com/216 Links from this episode: • Dr. Sunog’s book “EAT THE EIGHT: Preventing Food Medicine with Food and the Imperfect Art of Medicine” (this is an affiliate link). • To learn more about Dr. Sunog’s “EAT THE EIGHT” campaign to safely offer babies all 8 allergenic foods early and often,visit his website. Other episodes related to this topic: • Episode 128 “Introducing Allergenic Foods: Ask Us Anything with Ron Sunog, MD and Katie Ferraro, MPH, RDN, CDE” • Episode 123 “HELP! My Baby has a Contact Rash from a New Food with Ron Sunog, MD” • Episode 58 “What do I do if My Baby Has an Allergic Reaction? with Ron Sunog, MD” • BONUS Episode “Is it Safe to Introduce Allergenic Foods During COVID-19 with Ron Sunog, MD” • Episode 202 “Gut Check: Microbiome and Food Allergy Development with Liam O'Mahony, PhD” 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 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. 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ 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. 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 Be 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. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 If 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 or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices