Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#200: Is it possible to “combine” baby-led weaning with traditional spoon-feeding? This approach is sometimes called “combination” or “combo feeding”. To celebrate episode 200 of the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast I am honored to be joined by GIll Rapley, PhD, co-author of the original BLW book and founding philosopher of the baby-led weaning movement for this discussion. In this interview Gil...

#199: What things do I need to know or get before starting baby-led weaning? How do you minimize the mess and which bibs are best? In this episode I’m walking you through some of the basic tips and tools you’ll need as you learn to navigate baby-led weaning and start solid foods safely.   Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/199 Links from this Episod...

#198: Is baby-led weaning unsafe for babies with feeding difficulties? Is it even attainable to successfully transition babies with special needs into solids by using the BLW approach? In this episode pediatric speech pathologist and international board certified lactation consultant Jill Rabin joins me to talk about the adapted baby-led weaning approach that she developed to safely help babies wi...

#197: Do I stop trying new foods when my baby is sick? Is it safe to offer my baby food if they are sick? In this episode we’re exploring some techniques for managing sick days when you’re also transitioning to solid foods. Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/197   🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱 Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my o...

#196: How can you make your baby’s mealtime memorable? Day Schildkret is an internationally renowned artist who has inspired many people around the world to reconnect with nature and creativity through the practice of earth art, ritual, and mindfulness.    In this episode, artist, author, and teacher Day Schildkret talks about the importance of  enjoying and honoring a baby’s transition from milk...

#195: How do you get your baby to eat new textures? What texture of foods can babies safely eat? In this episode baby-led weaning expert Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP and I are discussing tips for trying out trickier textures for your baby and why we don’t want to get stuck on purees! Shownotes for this episode can be found here: https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/195 About the Guest: • Dawn & I...

#194: What size do you cut food for baby-led weaning? When is it safe to cut foods smaller for babies? In this episode BLW expert Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP is teaching why we make BLW foods bigger at first and how you can help your baby succeed in self-feeding by cutting foods the right size early on in self-feeding. About the Guest: • Dawn & I are teaching a series of free live workshops calle...

#193: Why does protein hold so much POWER over parents?! Most adults eat too much protein and are obsessed with protein for all the wrong reasons…and we do NOT want to project this protein pressure onto our babies! In this episode we are exploring how much protein does your baby REALLY need to be getting from solid foods, what are the good sources of protein foods for babies and how do you know if...

#192: When is my baby ready to start baby-led weaning? What does an allergic reaction to food look like? Why are pouches bad for babies? …in this episode I’m including some of the best baby-led weaning advice from the leading feeding experts who were featured on the podcast in the last year. Listen in to learn about the best first foods for babies to eat, why you don’t need to wait 3-5 days betwee...

#191 How much food should a 1-year-old baby eat? Much of baby-led weaning is “practicing” for where we want baby to be when he or she turns 12 months, but what feeding milestones and accomplishments do we want to achieve by the time baby turns 1? In this episode we’re exploring sample BLW feeding schedules for babies at 12 months of age.    Listen to this episode to learn: 1. What feeding mileston...

#190 - Can you imagine an 8 ½ year gap between your 3rd and 4th babies? My friend Arlene Peck did just that…and as soon as she found out she was pregnant, Arlene 100% on board wanting to do baby-led weaning. Now Jacob is 6 months old, sitting on his own and she’s about to start his 100 FIRST FOODS with baby-led weaning journey. Listen in as we learn from a mom who did not do BLW with her first 3,...

#189: How often should babies who are 10-11 months old eat solid foods? Should they be allowed to feel some “casual hunger”, do we drop another milk feed? What about transitioning off of the bottle and onto the open cup. In this episode I am joined by TWENTY moms of babies 10-11 months old who are graciously sharing their schedule and what’s going on with their older babies…this is a little bit of...

#188: Is your breastmilk the same as my breastmilk? What if my breastmilk is lacking in nutrients that are compromising my baby’s growth? And can I measure the quality of my breastmilk? These are questions that Dr. Stephanie Canale wondered as a new mom and is now working to answer through her work as the founder of Lactation Lab. In this episode Dr. Canale is explaining her breastmilk testing tec...

#187: How often should babies who are 8-9 months old eat? And what foods should they be eating? Is it time to drop a milk feed yet? Inside of this episode I’m joined by 5 moms of babies who are 8-9 months old and they’re sharing their current baby-led weaning feeding schedules. Some are struggling, some are succeeding, but all are doing a great job leaning into their baby’s ability to self-feed......

#186: How bad is it if you don’t eat the same food your baby eats? Are you doing irreparable baby-led weaning damage if you don’t want to or can’t model eating BLW foods with your baby? Registered Dietitian Katelynn Sasaki is joining me on the podcast to break down a few scenarios where you might not want to or can’t eat the same foods as your baby, and what that means (and doesn’t mean) for your...

#185: What feeding schedule should my 6-7 month old baby be on if we just started solid foods? How many times a day should I try food...am I doing it too much? Or too little? In this episode we’re looking at some baby-led weaning scheduling ideas for babies who are 6-7 months old. I’m being joined by 4 moms of babies who are 6 and 7 months old and are sharing their current feeding schedule to hope...

#184: Ever have any clouds of doubt hanging over your head with regard to feeding your baby? Like maybe you were all gung-ho about baby-led weaning at the beginning, but pushback from family and friends or fears about feeding are getting in the way of your success. It’s one thing to say “be positive”, but it’s another to learn the skills that will really help you do so! In this episode I’m intervi...

#183: Is bread the best food for early eaters to eat? When can babies safely eat bread? In this episode we’re diving into bread for baby-led weaning, looking at sodium levels, swallowing safety and some simple ideas for non-bread carbohydrate foods your baby can more safely eat early on in BLW. Listen to this episode to learn: The nutrition benefits of bread....basically it boils down to carbohydr...

#182: What do babies with reflux or GERD need to do differently when it comes to starting solid foods? In this episode pediatric gastroenterologist Peter Lu, MD is joining me to run through how having GERD affects a baby's ability to do baby-led weaning. Dr. Lu specializes in motility disorders and is a real life first time dad of baby Emma. They’re doing baby-led weaning with her, so he knows exa...

#181: Bring that baby up to the table for Thanksgiving! In this episode we’re digging through the Thanksgiving menu to find foods that babies can safely eat for baby-led weaning. From turkey to mashed potatoes and roasted veggies on the side, I’m sharing my favorite Thanksgiving foods for babies (plus advice on which holiday meal foods to pass on too). Listen to this episode to learn:  Turkey - an...

#180: Does feeding allergenic foods to your baby freak you out? In this episode we are joined by leading food allergy researcher and author Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH for a food allergy question and answer session. From timing of introduction of allergenic foods for babies, to the amounts of protein to be feeding and whether foods are better than supplements for preventing food allergy, Dr. Gupta is ans...

#179: Babies can eat MOST foods if they’re prepared safely...but there are a few baby-led weaning foods I prefer to wait to feed. Inside of this episode I’m breaking down 5 foods that I wait on when teaching babies how to eat...and why! Listen to this episode to learn: Meat on the bone for baby-led weaning Corn on the cob for baby-led weaning Watermelon (and why babies don’t need extra water early...

#178: What is white meat and is it safe for babies to eat? In this episode we are exploring various types of white meat: poultry and fish, including ideal cuts and preparation methods of each that are safest for baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn:  How red meat and white meat differ because of the amount of myoglobin, a protein in blood that carries oxygen to the cells of the body W...

#177: Red meat vs. white meat: what’s the difference when it comes to feeding your baby? In this episode we’re looking at some ideal cuts of red meat for baby-led weaning. From classification to nutrition and fat content, this episode explores your best bets when it comes to red meat and feeding babies. Listen to this episode to learn: How red meat and white meat differ because of the amount of my...

#176: Can babies safely eat meat? You bet! In this episode Cara Nicoletti, a 4th generation butcher is helping to identify some ideal cuts of meat for baby-led weaning.  Not all meat cuts are safe for babies, and not all meat preparation methods are either...but once you know the few key cuts, your baby can certainly safely self-feed a variety of meats! Listen to this episode to learn: How to sele...