Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

Explore how the early introduction of allergenic foods can prevent food allergies in babies. Discover the concept of using real food instead of costly supplements for your child's diet. Learn about practical tips for enhancing meals with low sodium sauces and versatile high chairs. The discussion also covers a new program designed to guide parents in safely incorporating the BIG 8 allergenic foods. Join the revolution of putting food first in allergy prevention!

#125: Did you know that up to 50% of positive food allergy test results are false positives? Parents are ALREADY anxious about introducing allergenic foods and widespread testing when not indicated is making anxiety worse.In this episode, leading allergist Dr. David Stukus is bringing us the TRUTH about food allergy testing: why it’s so rampant, why in most cases it’s not indicated and why FOOD and in-home oral food challenges are the best bet for “testing” whether or not your baby is allergic to a food.Listen to this episode to learn: Why food allergy tests are so routinely over-ordered (...spoiler alert: it’s all about money in food allergy testing and you’re the one losing out!) What to do if your baby has an allergic reaction to 1 food and your pediatrician recommends a panel of tests (...”RUN!” is his sage advice) How families can do oral food challenges to introduce potentially allergenic foods to their baby...and why that is a way more reliable test than blood or skin tests Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/125Links from This Episode: Follow Dr. Stukus on Instagram and Twitter @allergykidsdoc Dr. Stukus is the Director of Nationwide Children’s Food Allergy Treatment Center He’s also the host of AAAAI’s podcast “Conversations from the World of Allergy”  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

BONUS 6: Ever been told by your mom, “Well, you were spoon-fed and you turned out just fine?!” SAME. It took my mom a LONG time to come around to baby-led weaning. In this special Mother’s Day episode I’m interviewing my own mom, Mary Clark, RD - aka Granny. We’re chatting about how she introduced solids with me 42 years ago, how that changed for her next 5 kids and what she REALLY thinks about baby-led weaning 20 grandkids later.Happy Mother’s Day to all of you...you are doing a FABULOUS job feeding those babies & keep up the good work. I hope you enjoy this little chat with my mom.  Listen to this episode to learn: How she introduced solids to me when I was a baby 42 years ago...and reminisces about how expensive babies can be and the time she cried at the grocery store  Why she initially thought baby-led weaning was “silly”...but how she eventually came around on it and might even now be considered a BLW advocate too What she thought about me feeding our babies broccoli (spoiler alert: she freaked) and ideas on how you can talk to your mom or mother-in-law if they’re not into BLW right away either Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/bonus6Links 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 and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#124: What if your baby has had an allergic reaction to egg? Is there ever the option that the baby can eat eggs again? Yes. And an egg ladder may help.Carina Venter, noted allergy researcher and dietitian is joining me to talk about using an egg ladder for babies with egg allergy. She is a member of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines Group who recently published revised guidelines on the prevention and development of food allergy in infants and young children.In this episode Carina is talking about why ladders are used more frequently outside of the US than in (she also published the first ever ladder for dairy, the MAP and subsequent iMAP) and how to talk to your practitioner if they’ve never heard of an egg ladder but you are interested in using an egg ladder.Be sure to check the shownotes for this episode for all of the research documents and guidelines Carina is mentioning in this episode. It’s a lot. But if your baby has an egg allergy I think you’re really going to appreciate this interview with Carina Venter, PhD, RD.Listen to this episode to learn: The difference between egg allergy and egg intolerance and why egg intolerance isn’t actually even a “thing”. Why if your baby has been given a diagnosis of egg allergy it might be possible to sensitive baby to egg and eventually have your baby consume egg safely in the future How medical care and education about food allergy nutrition differs in countries outside of the US...and how to talk to your pediatric provider if you want to give the egg ladder a go but your doctor doesn’t know what you’re talking about. Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/124Links from This Episode: Carina was previously on the podcast in Episode 84: Why You Don’t Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between Trying New Foods International Milk Allergy in Primary Care (iMAP) Guideline Irish Egg ladder British Egg Ladder Link to course from FARE she teaches with Marion - dietitian “celebrity” allergists Eat Paper (this was the one Carina was discussing that had reported “poor compliance” because of boiled egg) Follow Carina Venter, PhD, RD on twitter: https://twitter.com/ventercarina Instagram (stalk her and find this) - one she doesn’t know how to access Carina Venter PhD RD (@VenterCarina) / X View Dr. Venter’s allergy-related research publications here: Carina Venter | Colorado PROFILES  Dietitians earn your FARE Certificate of Training in Pediatric Food Allergy in this 9-month (32 CPE) course Carina co-teaches for FARE  Dietitians join IDANA: International Network for Diet and Nutrition in Allergy here Other Episodes Related to This Topic: Episode 34: Dairy Ladder for Milk Reintroduction with Meg Mason🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#123 What if your baby gets a red rash or a contact rash around the mouth or lips when trying a new food? Is this something to worry about? Will it go away on its own? Or is it a sign of a bigger problem?Pediatrician Dr. Ron Sunog who specializes in preventing food allergy with food is joining me to teach about what to do if your baby gets a contact rash from new foods. He’ll explain why this happens, what causes it and what to do when your baby does have a rash from new foods.If all this food allergy stuff scares you, Dr. Suno and I are co-teaching a series of free LIVE workshops called “What Do I Do if My Baby Has an Allergic Reaction to Food?” Everyone in the workshop gets a copy of our free Food Allergy Emergency Reaction Map....hang this one on your fridge and you’ll never have to wonder if you’re taking the right steps in the event your baby has a reaction to food.Listen to this episode to learn: Why a rash around the baby’s face that disappears on its own is significantly different than a severe food allergy reaction...and how to tell the difference between the two The Atopic March (also called the allergic March): how the series of allergic diseases progresses during and after infancy from atopic dermatitis (eczema) to food allergy, severe runny nose (allergic rhinitis) and asthma What to do if your baby has a contact rash around the mouth...and why teething and drool can make things seem so much worse (even when they really aren’t) Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/123Links from This Episode: Dr. Sunog’s book: Eat the Eight: Preventing Food Allergies with Food and the Imperfect Art of Medicine EatTheEight webpage HERE 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

#122: The MESS associated with baby-led weaning can be very off putting for parents. Although we can’t avoid the mess and getting messy is part of how your baby learns to eat, we can be selective in what cleaning products we choose for cleaning up food mess.In this episode I’m interviewing Branch Basics Co-Founder Allison Evans. Branch Basics makes a line of non-toxic household cleaners that ACTUALLY effectively clean food mess!Allison is a mom of 2 who found improved health outcomes for her whole family once she “tossed the toxins”. She’s not only sharing how and why she came to co-found Branch Basics, but some great tips on using their products. How you can get food stains out of baby’s clothes and the best non-toxic household cleaner for cleaning your family’s dishes too.Listen to this episode to learn: How along with her best friend and her aunt she came to co-found BRANCH BASICS...and why other brands that claim to be all-natural very often aren’t What to look for on the cleaning products in your house that indicate they contain pesticides or other harmful ingredients that were grandfathered in to be designated “safe” but that you definitely don’t want near your baby! How to use the Branch Basics soap concentrate in a variety of ways that are proven to get even the toughest food stains out (...even if you let those stain treated clothes sit for a few days before doing your laundry!) Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/122Links from This Episode: Check out Branch Basics on their website at branchbasics.com (and see their About page for sure for a wild backstory on all of the founders!) If you want to try out the BRANCH BASICS non-toxic household cleaners in your house, get 15% off the starter kits with code KATIE15 by shopping here (this is my affiliate link) Pro tip: if you’re getting a BRANCH BASICS starter kit: spend the extra $10 for the premium kit, it contains that Oxygen Boost we were talking about for cleaning the food stains out of clothes & you can even use it on your dishes too 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

#121: What’s up with the pH of baby foods? Can babies eat acidic foods? Should I avoid acidic foods for babies? Does the pH of the foods we feed our babies even matter? In this episode I’m diving into the data about acidic foods and feeding them to babies. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it safe for babies to eat tomatoes?” or “Is the alkaline diet safe for babies?” check out this episode for all the info you need to know on the pH of foods that we offer to babies.Listen to this episode to learn: Why the alkaline diet may be helpful in some adult situations...but why you don’t need to worry about categorizing foods based on their pH for babies What types of foods NOT to feed your baby...these are mostly for choking risk reasons but there are some additional do not feed foods in there too Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/121Links 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

#120: Ever heard of a formula company who lists “generosity” as one of their corporate values? I hadn’t either, until I discovered Kabrita. As part of our series spotlighting female-run feeding companies, in this episode I’m interviewing Simona Irwin, the General Manager of Kabrita USA.Kabrita USA makes gentle goat milk nutrition products for little ones who don’t do well with cow’s milk. Maybe your baby has eczema or gut problems with cow’s milk foods...well in that case you might be interested in exploring goat milk as an alternative.Simona is here to chat about how and why Kabrita came to the US, how formula regulation differs in Europe and other parts of the world vs. the United States. And she’s sharing a bit more about the process of bringing some of their other products to market in her role as GM of Kabrita USA.And if you’re looking for a safe way to feed your baby goat cheese, I absolutely love the Kabrita goat cheese puffs and in our interview I’m picking Simona’s brain about this new product too.Listen to this episode to learn: How own breastfeeding journey and challenges she experienced when her children did not tolerate cow’s milk well Her role as the first employee of Kabrita USA and how their team that is 100% female and mom led is working to revolutionize the world of infant formula, marrying science and safety with the ideal of all-natural The core values of Kabrita that include generosity...as well as a little background on the long haul to bring a new type of formula product to market in the US Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/120Links from This Episode: Check out the Kabrita USA website here 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

#119: When can premature babies start solid foods? If your baby was born before 40 weeks gestation you might have heard the term “adjusted age”. In this episode we’re analyzing this concept of adjusted or corrected age and determining what it’s telling us about your baby’s readiness to start solid foods.Babies who were born early need additional time to catch up developmentally before they are safe to start solid foods. Learn how to calculate your baby’s adjusted age, how long you need to use this corrected age for and the other signs to look for if you’re analyzing whether or not your premature baby is ready to start the transition to solid foods.Listen to this episode to learn: How do I know how old my baby is in adjusted or corrected age terms...and how does that differ from chronological age? What other signs of readiness to feed are important to consider once I do know my baby’s adjusted age indicates it’s close to the time to start solid foods? Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/119Links 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 Other Episodes Related to This Topic: Episode 110 - Catch-Up Weight: Why Starting Solids Early Will Not Help Your Baby Gain Weight with Rosan Meyer, PhD, RD is here Episode 5 - 5 Things Your Baby Should Be Able to Do Before Starting Baby-Led Weaning is here 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#118: Everybody knows a good bib is essential for starting solid foods. But not all bibs are really the best bets for babies. Kelsey Larsen’s first baby had a lot of sensory issues with standard bibs and that inspired her to create her signature Baprons and start her company Bapron Baby. Baprons are a pinafore-style bib that tie in the back under your baby’s shoulder blades. They’re a baby-led weaning bib that keeps your baby clean, but don’t restrict your baby’s movement and development like other full-coverage bibs with sleeves do. Kelsey started her business by designing and sewing the Bapron bibs by hand and selling on Etsy. Now just a few years later she is running a serious operation creating bibs and splash mats that baby-led weaning fans around the world use and love.In this interview Kelsey is sharing a bit about her business journey, what it has been like taking her product to market, how they select the fabrics and patterns and why she decided to do a licensed line with The World of Eric Carle of the Hungry Caterpillar.Listen to this episode to learn: How her mom taught her to make quilts in high school which gave her the skills to design the very first bapron bibs. Why her bibs cost more than other bibs and how her bet on using higher quality plant-based waterproof material in her bibs has paid off (...I have some Bapron bibs that have been used for more than 1,000 meals and they hold up!) The unique design features of her bibs that you might not recognize at first and why she refuses to put sleeves on the bibs despite requests from parents looking for more coverage Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/118Links from This Episode: The Bapron Baby website carries all of the Bapron Bibs (Toddler size is for 6m-3T and Preschool size is age 3+) and the code KATIE10 works for 10% off at bapronbaby.com Check out the Bapron Baby splash mats for minimizing the mess and reducing food  Follow Bapron Baby on Instagram @bapronbaby  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