Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#002: Not all babies are ready to start solid foods right at 6 months of age. Listen to learn about 5 key milestones your baby should have down pat before you start solid foods. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why so many doctors recommend starting solid foods too early…and what to do if your doctor is pressuring you to spoon-feed now too 2. What the most important reliable sign of readiness to eat is after turning 6 months old…and why it has nothing to do with the extrusion reflex 3. How to assess whether or not your baby has the head and neck control and the trunk strength to support a safe swallow. Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/2Links from This Episode: • Episode 119 - Premature Babies: How to Estimate & Adjust Age for Starting Solids • Episode 158 - How Premature Babies Can Succeed with BLW with @doctorterrimd Terri Major-Kincade, MD • Episode 110 - Catch-Up Weight: Why Starting Solids Early Will Not Help Your Baby Gain Weight with Rosan Meyer, PhD, RD  • Episode 144 - What Did Babies Eat Before Baby Food was Invented? with Amy Bentley, PhD • 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 109 - I Started Purees Too Early: Should I Stop Before Switching to BLW?Episode 141 - BLW Basics: Is My Baby Ready to Start Solid Foods?Episode 147 - BLW Basics: Help! Nobody Around Me Understands Baby-Led WeaningEpisode 199 - Beginner's Guide to Baby-Led Weaning: Starting Solid Foods Safely with BLW 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#001: Welcome to the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro podcast! In this kickoff episode we’re diving into all things baby-led weaning. Learn how baby-led weaning differs from adult spoon-feeding and what research supports it. Discover the origins of baby-led weaning including insights from Gill Rapley, the co-author of the original baby-led weaning book. We’ll explore the benefits - and the challenges - of this natural approach to starting to solid foods so you can determine whether or not baby-led weaning will work for your family.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How baby-led weaning is different from spoon-feeding and what research supports it 2. Who started baby-led weaning and why you should read the original book by Gill Rapley 3. What benefits your baby (and you!) get from this natural approach to starting solid foods Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/1Links from This Episode: • Gill Rapley’s Baby-Led Weaning book: Baby-Led Weaning The Essential Guide (get the 2019 revised 10th anniversary edition - linking on amazon here, this is an affiliate link). • 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 If you want to learn more about Gill Rapley, take a listen to these interview episodes I have done with her: • Episode 100 - The History of BLW with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 1) • Episode 102 - The Future of BLW with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 2) • Episode 140 - National Baby-Led Weaning Day: It's a Thing with Gill Rapley, PhD • Episode 142 - Debunking the Biggest BLW Myths with Gill Rapley, PhD • Episode 200 - Combo Feeding: Can I Do BLW + Traditional Spoon-Feeding Together? with Gill Rapley, PhD • Episode 241 - How did Baby-Led Weaning Get its Name? with Gill Rapley, PhD • Episode 260 - Adapted Baby-Led Weaning for Children with Developmental Delays with Gill Rapley, PhD and Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLP/L, IBCLC • Episode 500 - From Niche to Norm: The Evolution of Baby-Led Weaning with Gill Rapley, PhD Other Episodes Related to This Topic • Episode 201 - Order of BLW Foods to Feed: Does it Matter? • Episode 211 - How to Schedule Milk Feeds with Solid Food for Baby-Led Weaning • Episode 249 - BLW Feeding Schedule: First 10 Days of Baby-Led Weaning  • Episode 255 - 5 Things I Would Do Differently if I Started BLW All Over Again 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#500: Baby-Led Weaning is not a made up thing on the internet…it’s a revolutionary approach that has transformed how we think about feeding babies. Once a fringe idea, baby-led weaning has entered the mainstream, backed by research and embraced by parents and professionals worldwide. In this special final episode, Gill Rapley, the founding philosopher of the baby-led weaning movement and co-author of the original baby-led weaning book reflects on its incredible evolution, its impact on families and child development, and why trusting your baby’s instincts is more important than ever. Join us as we celebrate this remarkable journey and look ahead to the future of infant feeding.Listen to this episode to learn: How baby-led weaning went from being a fringe parenting fad to a mainstream feeding philosophy Why healthcare professionals and researchers are increasingly aligned with baby-led weaning What Gill Rapley thinks about influencers promoting the feeding philosophy she started Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/500Links 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 Episode Related to this TopicEpisode 260 - Adapted Baby-Led Weaning for Children with Developmental Delays with Gill Rapley, PhD and 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 and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the importance of transitioning from purees to exciting new food textures for your baby. Learn about safe finger foods like hard-boiled eggs and tofu that can enhance their eating experience. Get practical tips for preparing a variety of textures, even if cooking isn't your forte. Understand how healthy fats play a key role in development and explore ways to encourage independent eating, reducing the chances of picky eating in the future.

#498 - Taste training can help familiarize your baby with the diverse tastes, textures and smells of food - even before they start solid food. Marsha Dunn Klein from the Get Permission Institute explains how to safely initiate taste training.Listen to this episode to learn: What taste training is and how it helps set the foundation for independent eating later on How taste training supports sensory development and whether or not it increases choking risk Why offering new flavors, tastes, textures and aromas in the pre-feeding phase is beneficial  Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/498Links from this episode: The Get Permission Institute Founded by Marsha Dunn Klein: https://getpermissioninstitute.com/  Buy Marsha’s Heart Teether and get 20% off with the affiliate discount code MARSHA20 https://specialsupplies.com/teether-heart-spoon-3-pack-pink-blue-green 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 428 - Mouthing Objects: What does this mean about my baby’s ability to start solid foods? with Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA Episode 320 - Supporting Your Baby: Empathy, Readiness and Connection with Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd Episode 290 - Pre-Feeding Skills: What Can My Baby Do Before Beginning Solid Foods? with Marsha Dunn Klein OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#497: What if your baby isn’t eating that much early on? Or they’re spitting everything out or crying in their high chair. What finger foods do I even offer? In this episode I’m walking you through the first few days of baby-led weaning and starting solid foods so you know what to expect when you and your baby get going.Listen to this episode to learn: How long most early eaters can be expected to sit in their high chair and participate at mealtimes What to do if your baby isn’t eating that much the first few days and weeks and why that’s ok Why offering finger foods early on is ideal…even if you’re convinced purees “feel” safer Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/497Links 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 185 - 6-7 Months Old Babies: Sample BLW Feeding Schedule Episode 199 - Beginner's Guide to Baby-Led Weaning: Starting Solid Foods Safely with 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 and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#496 - The gag reflex is a natural and necessary part of your baby’s feeding development, but it can be a source of anxiety for parents starting solid foods. In this episode, Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist and pediatric feeding expert, breaks down what the gag reflex is, why babies gag on food, and how to distinguish between gagging and choking. Learn practical strategies to support your baby through this phase and build confidence in their ability to learn to safely eat real food.Listen to this episode to learn: Why babies gag on food and what’s happening inside their mouth when they are gagging How to react when your baby gags on food so that you don’t increase the risk of choking When gagging starts to subside in both frequency and intensity…and why gagging is a good thing! Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/496Links from this episode: Choking Prevention and Response Course co-taught by Katie, Dawn and CPR Instructor Brandon Doerksen (use code KATIE10 for an additional $10 off): https://courses.thrivetraininginstitute.com/pages/babyledweanteam  ezpz Oral Development Tools (use affiliate code KATIE10 for 10% off) - shop Oral Development Tools 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 Other Episodes Related to this Topic Episode 4 - Gagging vs. Choking: What is the Difference? Episode 238 - 5 Choking Prevention Tips with Brandon Doerksen 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#495: I feel like 500 episodes is a good place to wrap it up with this podcast. Here’s how I’m winding down the podcast at the end of the year…and how I’m keeping the baby-led weaning content flowing for you.Listen to this episode to learn: Why I’m stopping the podcast at episode 500 at the end of the year (...with a big final guest!) Where to go for more free information about starting solid foods safely What the reboot of the podcast will look like in the New Year when it starts over at episode 1 Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/495Links 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 400 - A Few Surprising Things About this Podcast...Looking Back at 400 Episodes Episode 225 - Behind the Scenes: Making the Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy Podcast Episode 100 - Behind the Scenes: Making the Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy Podcast 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

#494: Baby-led weaning is all about introducing your baby to real food…but not all foods are safe for early eaters. In this episode, we’re breaking down five common foods that could pose a choking hazard or aren’t ideal for babies in the first phase of baby-led weaning…and then I explain how to safely swap and prepare versions of each food so you are confident your baby CAN safely eat these 5 new foods.Listen to this episode to learn: Why a food that sounds like a choking hazard can actually be safe…if you prepare it properly Which 5 foods I don’t offer to early eaters…but how you can modify the so they are safe The exact cuts of beef to use instead of offering your baby steak (which is a choking hazard) Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/494Links 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 469 - Breaking Off a Small Bite: Is This a Choking Risk? Episode 383 - Beef: How to Safely Offer Beef to Babies Episode 41 - Shellfish: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potentially Allergenic Food 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱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

Plant-based families can successfully navigate baby-led weaning while ensuring their infants get essential nutrition. Discover key nutrients like iron, protein, and omega-3s vital for vegetarian diets. Learn practical tips for preparing safe finger foods and the importance of introducing diverse foods to promote healthy eating habits. Get insights into how some vegan families handle allergenic foods and strategies for safely introducing new flavors. This guide helps raise confident eaters, even without meat in their meals.