Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

Bitter vegetables can be a crucial part of a baby's diet, helping them develop a diverse palate. It's important for babies to encounter these flavors multiple times before acceptance. Discover when to introduce these foods to minimize nitrate exposure, while ensuring they’re prepared safely to prevent choking hazards. Learn preparation tips for popular choices like Brussels sprouts and spinach, along with insights on how a mother's diet shapes a baby's taste preferences. Embrace the journey of expanding your baby's food horizons!

#154: This one’s for the mamas who are doing that back-to-back baby thing! What if you’re pregnant but you’re still working on transitioning your existing baby to solid foods? Moms who find themselves in this situation have a unique set of needs as they need to nourish themselves, their growing baby and their older baby too!Liesel Teen, RN from @mommy.labornurse is joining me in this episode to talk about what pregnant moms can do if they’re also dealing with an existing baby and trying to figure out baby-led weaning at the same time!Listen to this episode to learn: Strategies for dealing with morning sickness in early pregnancy during mealtime with your BLW baby Language on how to ask from help: be that form your friend + ideas about communicating with your partner...do think “I wish” vs. saying it out loud?? Tips for handling the mom guilt that might come from trying to tend to 2 babies at once Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/154Links from This Episode: Check out Liesel Teen, RN’s website www.mommylabornurse.com She’s on Instagram @mommy.labornurse as well as Facebook:  Mommy Labor Nurse 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 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

Zinc plays a vital role in infant growth and development, supporting over 300 enzymatic reactions. As babies transition to solids, their zinc needs increase, making it crucial to introduce zinc-rich foods. This podcast dives into the best sources of zinc, including animal foods, and offers practical tips for parents on integrating these foods during baby-led weaning. It also addresses the challenges of zinc absorption and highlights a modern breast pump designed for convenience, helping busy moms ensure their little ones get the nutrients they need.

Dawn Winkelmann, a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist, shares invaluable insights on when babies may need feeding therapy. She explains common signs of feeding disorders and reassures parents about the benefits of therapy. Dawn discusses the types of feeding challenges therapy can address and how professionals can help babies transition to solid foods. Listeners learn practical steps for recognizing potential feeding issues and the importance of seeking qualified therapists to ensure a smooth mealtime journey.

Can babies eat whole grains? Absolutely! Whole grains pack more protein and nutrients compared to refined options, making them a fantastic choice for little ones. Discover tips on safely introducing grains like quinoa and buckwheat, and learn clever preparation methods to make mealtime enjoyable. Explore creative ideas like oatmeal with new flavors, while also navigating common concerns like toddler screen time. Get ready to revolutionize your baby's diet with these nutritious and delicious whole grains!

#150: Can you continue breastfeeding when you start baby-led weaning? Absolutely! And in this special episode Heather Dvorak, IBCLC joins Katie to talk about how to succeed at both breastfeeding and baby-led weaning simultaneously. Heather Dvorak is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who helps parents succeed at breastfeeding in her private practice. But Heather is also a mom of 4 and has done baby-led weaning with all of her children. Heather and her 4 children also all have a myriad of food allergies, so her baby-led weaning journey has not always been an easy one! In this episode Heather talks about strategies for continuing to breastfeed when your baby starts solid foods. She discusses transitioning to greater intake from food as breastfeeding sessions decrease in number and frequency. We talk about individualizing your breastfeeding + BLW goals and she shares tips for breastfeeding and chestfeeding parents who want to continue past baby’s first birthday. If you’re ready to raise an independent eater and prevent picky eating then let’s get started learning about baby-led weaning together! Subscribe, rate and review the podcast here.WHAT DO I FEED MY BABY AFTER AVOCADO, BANANA & SWEET POTATO?! https://bit.ly/3lfHd4S FOLLOW @BABYLEDWEANTEAM ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/Get your copy of the 100 FIRST FOOD: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20LinkSHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:https://blwpodcast.com/150 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#149: What are the drawbacks of using baby food pouches? In this episode I’m joined by pediatric swallowing expert and speech language pathologist Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP to talk about why your baby does not need to suck puree food out of a pouch. Ms Dawn and I are breaking down the limitations of pouches from cost, developmental and nutrition standpoints. While pouches are certainly convenient, their persistent use can actually inhibit your baby’s ability to achieve certain growth, nutrition and developmental milestones.Listen to this episode to learn: Why we want babies to transition past purees when they’re learning how to eat...and what a baby stuck on purees  Why pouches promote suckling (an immature swallowing pattern) at the very time we want them to develop a mature pattern (chewing and swallowing) Why pouches aren’t as healthy as they purport to be and why their persistent use can actually inhibit your baby’s ability to achieve their growth, developmental and nutrition milestones. Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/149Links 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 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

Avocados are the ideal first food for baby-led weaning. That’s because when ripe they are the perfect texture for starting solid foods, you can cut them into strips that babies can pick up and self-feed and avocados are packed with nutrition. In this episode we’re celebrating National Avocado Day with a rundown of how to safely feed babies avocados for baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: How to expedite ripening of your avocados How to safely cut an avocado so you don’t slice your hand How to serve the avocado to your baby whether you’re doing a pre-loaded puree approach or diving into solid strips of avocado for baby-led weaning How to preserve the leftover avocado to feed again in the future and prevent browning Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/bonus8Links from This Episode: Article: California Avocados as a Perfect First Baby Food by Katie Ferraro Video: How to Prepare Avocados for BLW by Katie Ferraro  Additional avocado content by Katie Ferraro for the California Avocado Commission  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 Other Episodes Related to This Topic: Episode 142 Debunking the Biggest BLW Myths with Gill Rapley, PhD Episode 5 How to Do “Purees for a Few Days” When Starting Solid Foods Episode 145 BLW Basics: My Baby Isn't Eating Very Much...What's Wrong? Episode 16 10 Easy Starter Foods 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

#148: Can babies with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate successfully do baby-led weaning? July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness month and in this episode I’m joined by Vikash K. Modi, MD. Dr. Modi is a Pediatric Otorhinolaryngologist and Co-Director of the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Program.He’s explaining the difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with baby-led weaning and starting solids. For babies with cleft palates, there may be more challenges but Dr. Modi shares tips for promoting self-feeding success in these babies, even though the transition to solid foods occurs usually when the baby is awaiting cleft palate repair surgery.We also cover drinking for babies with cleft lips and cleft palates and how sippy cup and straw cups are not indicated for cleft palate but why open cup working will work. If you’ve struggled with feeding your baby breastmilk or formula because of cleft anomalies, please know that things WILL get easier when you make the transition to solid foods.Listen to this episode to learn: The difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with BLW How cleft palate babies can succeed with BLW leading up to and following surgical repair Why open cup drinking is preferred over straw and sippy cup for cleft palate babies Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/148Links from This Episode: Dr. Modi’s Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center bio is here More info about the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Team is here Learn more about National Craniofacial and Cleft Awareness Month (July)  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 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

Feeling isolated in your baby-led weaning journey? Discover key strategies to help others understand your choice! Learn the importance of education, firsthand experience, and simple explanations. Seeing is believing, so showcase your baby's self-feeding to skeptical friends and family. Plus, get tips on navigating conversations with those who may not support your approach. Embrace the benefits of independent eating and hear personal stories that make meal prep a breeze. It's time to feel empowered in your feeding decisions!