Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#108: What’s up with your baby’s gut? Do babies need probiotics to help make their belly health better? In this episode I’m joined by James Marin, RD, EN and Dahlia Marin, RDN, LD of @marriedtohealth. They’re a plant-based dietitian team who help parents and clients with their unique approach to integrative medicine.In this episode we’re chatting about your baby’s microbiome (...and also your gut health!) How can foods provide the probiotic bacteria a healthy gut needs, and what foods babies can eat to make this happen. James & Dahlia also speak about what supplements babies should (and should not) take as well as their evolution to a 100% plant based diet for their family and how that worked when they were doing baby-led weaning.Listen to this episode to learn:  Your baby’s sterile gut environment and how environmental and dietary factors can contribute to both a healthy and unhealthy gut environment Being a plant-based family and raising their daughter 100% plant-based. Dahlia shares about her own upbringing in a family that celebrated the “clean plate club” and how she’s reframing a healthy relationship with food for her own daughter  Working together in nutrition practice as a married couple and how James and Dahlia deal with requests from parents about supplements for gut issues that can be solved with a food-first approach Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/108Links from This Episode: James & Dahlia’s website MARRIED TO HEALTH is here Follow @marriedothealth on Instagram 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

Discover the ins and outs of introducing corn to your little one! Learn why corn kernels can pose a choking hazard and when it's safe to offer corn on the cob. Explore fun recipes like homemade polenta and adapted cornbread that are perfect for baby-led weaning. Plus, get tips on enhancing flavors with ingredients like agave syrup. This guide is packed with essential safety advice and delightful ideas for making corn a nutritious addition to your baby's diet!

#106: Yes, making wholesome food for your baby from scratch sounds amazing...but who has all day to do it?! Babies can eat modified versions of the same foods the rest of the family eats, and Ellie Krieger is going to show you how to do it using only one pot or one pan! Ellie Krieger, MS, RDN is a culinary nutritionist who helps you find the sweet spot where delicious and healthy meet. She’s the host of public television series “Ellie’s Real Good Food” and previously hosted “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger” on the Food Network. She’s written for the Washington Post and has authored 7 award winning cookbooks...and Ellie’s latest book “WHOLE in One: Complete Healthy Meals in a Single Pot, Sheet Pan, or Skillet” is great for cooking wholesome meals but not needing all day (or to dirty all the dishes!) while doing so.In this episode Ellie is sharing how you can help your baby learn to taste the flavors and seasoning of food (...and not the salt) and make complete meals for your family and your baby using just one sheet pan, pot or skillet.This episode is part of our National Nutrition Month series highlighting the work of Registered Dietitians in the field of food, nutrition and feeding.Listen to this episode to learn: Some of her favorite convenience foods that will save you time in the kitchen...it’s ok to cut corners with these wholesome ingredients! Why she values family meals - and how you can make them a reality even if you’re a working parent or don’t consider yourself that great of a cook. How being a Registered Dietitian has shaped her unique position and career in the culinary world and why that credential sets her apart from other cookbook authors or food journalists  Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/106Links from This Episode: To read more about Ellie Krieger HERE Follow on IG HERE, FB HERE, Twitter HERE, Pinterest HERE Link to a list of all books HERE Link to “Ellie’s Real Good Food”’s, EPISODE RECIPES Link to articles HERE Join Ellie’s online Crafty cooking classes HERE Purchase Ellie Krieger’s book: Whole In One: on Amazon 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

#105: In this episode I’m sharing 5 survival skills for MANAGING the BLW mess! We’re chatting about bibs (including the types you DON’T want to use with your baby that are dangerous or interfere with their development), splash mats (what works and what falls apart in the washing machine), best baby plates and bowls for keeping things clean-ish, as well as my kitchen sink soak method for quick cleanup. Listen to this episode to learn: Use a full coverage bib (but not the restrictive tent-type contraptions that limit baby’s range of motion as he or she is learning how to eat) Use a splash mat under the baby’s high chair or table Use a silicone suction mat or bowl when feeding baby and refrain from feeding off the high chair tray or the table Try the kitchen sink quick soak method I mention in the episode Get to the BLW mess when it’s wet (before it dries!) using a non-toxic household cleaner that ACTUALLY gets food mess out!  Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/105Links from This Episode: Bapron Baby bapron bibs are here. The “toddler” size says it’s for 6 months to 3 years; I’ve never had babies be able to wear this size after 2 but this is the size you get for infants starting solids The “preschool” sizes says it’s for age 3+ but again, my kids and families usually transition to this seize around age 2 The code KATIE10 gets you 10% off everything at bapronbaby.com  Bapron Baby splash mats are here. These are pricier than other splash mats, but definitely worth it. The material is really durable, non-plastic, can rinse in your kitchen sink & reuse and they’re huge, can put under 2 high chairs at a time or use as a picnic blanket. Code KATIE10 works for 10% off at bapronbaby.com for these too. The silicone suction mats and bowls I use are from ezpz. The products I like most for BLw are: The ezpz First Foods Set: everything you need to get a safe start to solid food, includes a Tiny Bowl, 2-pack of Tiny Spoons and the Tiny Cup The Mini Bowl & Mini Mat. Everything at ezpzfun.com is 10% off with code KATIE10 The best non-toxic household cleaners I have used are from Branch Basics. I love that they use the same concentrate to make every product in their lineup. You can get 15% off their starter kits with the code KATIE15 (spend a little more for the premium starter kit with the oxygen boost, it’s AMAZING for getting food stains out of clothes!) Blog Post: 5 Benefits of Using a Suction Mat or Bowl is 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

BONUS: In 2016 I created the 100 FIRST FOODS approach to starting solid foods with baby-led weaning. I did the 100 FIRST FOODS approach with my baby quadruplets, creating a 5-step feeding framework that helps you introduce 5 new foods per week, 20 foods per month and 100 foods in the first 5 months of your baby eating solid foods. The 100 FIRST FOODS program has grown immensely and is now a formalized digital program that I co-teach with my friend, colleague & fellow BLW expert Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP. In this episode I interviewed the parents of 7 different 100 FIRST FOODS graduates to inspire YOU to start pushing your baby’s palate today by challenging yourself to try 100 NEW FOODS with baby-led weaning!SAVE YOUR SPOT FOR KATIE & DAWN'S FREE ONLINE BABY-FEEDING WORKSHOP: WHAT DO I FEED MY BABY AFTER AVOCADO, BANANA & SWEET POTATO?!: https://www.100firstfoods.comGet your copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free one-hour BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS video workshop: https://babyledweaning.co/workshop?utm_source=Shownotes&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Episode%20LinkFOLLOW @BABYLEDWEANTEAM ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/babyledweanteam/ SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:https://www.blwpodcast.com/bonus/100firstfoods  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#104: The Lucky Iron Fish is a unique kitchen tool, a piece of iron carved in the shape of a fish that you cook with for 10 minutes to release a significant amount of iron. This product is safe for babies aged 7 months+ to use and in this episode I’m interviewing the founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Fish Gavin Armstrong, PhD to learn more!If you’ve ever worried about your baby getting enough iron, or if babies who do baby-led weaning can meet their iron needs, you’re going to love what Gavin has to say. The Lucky Iron Fish is easy to use, it’s proven safe and effective and this company and product are working to reverse the devastating effects and global impact of iron deficiency.Listen to this episode to learn:  How the concept of the Lucky Iron Fish evolved out of Armstrong’s research time spent in Cambodia and how it’s helping communities around the world alleviate the impact of iron deficiency. How to use the Lucky Iron Fish when cooking foods and recipes for your baby to help increase the amount of iron in their weaning diets. The impact of iron deficiency and how a few dietary tweaks can help increase the amount of iron release from foods and iron absorption in your baby’s body. Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/104Links from This Episode: Learn more about Founder & CEO Gavin Armstrong on his Webpage and Linkedin here Additional information about the clinical research related to the Lucky Iron Fish is here Check out the Lucky Iron Fish on their website - they ship to over 88 countries! Follow Lucky Iron Fish on IG and Twitter  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

#103: If you’re not a liver lover, then you need to listen to this episode! Liver is one of the most nutrient rich foods you can feed your baby. It’s packed with iron and fat-soluble vitamins, not to mention a really unique taste and texture experience for your baby.But how do you make liver safe for babies to eat? And how much and what type of liver is best for babies? In this episode we’re talking all about liver: what type of liver, how to prepare it, when it’s safe to feed babies and how much they can have.Listen to this episode to learn: Why even if you don’t personally love liver, it’s still a great food to feed to your baby How to choose what liver to serve...and why you might want to give chicken livers a second look When it’s safe to feed your baby and how much is ok to serve each week Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/103Links 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 21: 3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Baby's Iron Absorption is available 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

#102 Gill Rapley is the co-author of the original baby-led weaning book and the founder of the BLW movement. In this second part of our 2-part interview series, Dr. Rapley is looking ahead at where she sees the BLW movement going in the future. (In episode 100 Gill Rapley discussed the earlier stages and the history of baby-led weaning.)In this interview we’re talking about the future of baby-led weaning, including the research being done on BLW, the role of social media and how it has helped but also hindered the BLW philosophy. Dr. Rapley shares her thoughts on BLW Facebook communities and other forums, including tips on how parents can relinquish control and begin to respect their baby’s ability to safely self-feed from 6 months on.Listen to this episode to learn:  How parents can relinquish control in feeding and begin to trust their baby’s inborn abilities to self-feed from 6 months on Why GIll Rapley disagrees with the idea of repeatedly trying foods to get the baby to “accept” the new food...and why it’s not our job to make feeding fun, but to simply make it “less miserable” Why she doesn’t intervene in Facebook groups and other forums that are misrepresenting her original intent of the philosophy of BLW and the role she sees social media playing in the future of baby-led weaning Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/102Links from This Episode: Episode 101 “The History of BLW with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 2)” is here The original BLW book “Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide” that Gill Rapley co-authored has been completely overhauled and updated for its 10th anniversary edition and is available 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

Dawn Winkelmann, a pediatric swallowing expert and speech-language pathologist, shares her insights on the developmental journey of teaching babies to drink from cups. She discusses the importance of both straw and open cups, emphasizing their role in feeding and speech milestones. Dawn reveals the innovative design of her ezpz Mini Cup + Straw Training System, which features beginner and advanced straw options. She also introduces her 3-Phase Developmental Drinking System, ensuring children have the tools to transition safely and independently in their drinking skills.

#100: Gill Rapley will be the first to tell you she didn’t “invent” baby-led weaning. But if you’ve read Rapley’s original baby-led weaning book, you’ll agree that she did a lot more than, as she so modestly claims, “...just gave it a name and a theoretical base”. As the founder of the baby-led weaning philosophy, GIll Rapley opened our eyes to the reality that when it comes to feeding: babies can do so much more than we give them credit for. To celebrate the 100th episode of the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast, I’m thrilled to bring you a two-part interview series with the lady who started it all: Gill Rapley, PhD. Listen to this episode to learn:  How Gill came to realize that during her time as a practicing Health Visitor in the UK, when she saw babies refusing food she realized it wasn’t the FOOD they were refusing but the way that they were BEING FED When Gill Rapley started promoting baby-led weaning and sharing her message with parents how it was met with skepticism by many in the infant feeding and child development worlds. She also shares how the perception of baby-led weaning has changed with the advent of the internet & social media in the 23 years since the original publication of her BLW book Why she collaborated with Tracey Murkett and how they came to write the original baby-led weaning book together despite the fact that they had never met in person prior to commencing the project. This interview is part of a 2-part series with Gill Rapley, PhD. In this episode (100) we cover the history of baby-led weaning with its founding philosopher. In the next interview with Gill (102) we will talk about her ideas for the future of BLW and where she sees the movement going and what she would like to see more of (and less of) when it comes to promoting self-feeding from baby’s first bites.Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/100Links from This Episode: Rapley’s book “Baby-Led Weaning: Completely Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary” edition available on Amazon here (this is an affiliate link). Gill Rapley’s website is rapleyweaning.com. Rapley spoke at length about the importance of Amy Brown’s research on baby-led weaning. My podcast interview with her “The Evidence Behind Baby-Led Weaning with Amy Brown, PhD” is available here. Listen to part 2 of this interview with Gill Rapley in episode 102, “The Future of BLW with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 2)” 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