Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#175: If your family eats animal products, pork can be a great first food for baby-led weaning. In this episode I’m walking you through the meat counter at your store identifying cuts of pork that are easy to make safe for baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: Benefits of offering baby pork from nutrition, taste, texture and iron standpoint too What cuts of pork are ideal for baby-led...

#174: Do you ever catch yourself saying negative things about food at mealtime even when you don’t realize you’re doing it? Our babies and kids are watching and listening and our words are shaping their relationship with food even from their first bites. In this episode I’m interviewing dietitian and body positive coach Riley Peterson from @raisingbodypositive kids about how we can create a more f...

#173: In this part two episode, I’m answering your called-in baby-feeding questions that you just can’t find the answer to anywhere. We will cover exposure to allergens, what “counts” as a food exposure and how to expand baby’s palate. Listen to this episode to learn: Exposure to allergens: how many times does a baby need to be introduced to the top allergens before it counts as “safe”? Counting i...

#172: Positioning your baby properly in a high chair is easier than you think! In this episode we’re joined by Jeff Durkee from Nomi High Chair who is sharing some simple tips for helping your baby get seated safely in the high chair. One trick in particular can drastically reduce your baby’s risk of choking too! Listen to this episode to learn: Why most high chairs do not come with an adjustable...

#171: Ever had one of those burning baby-feeding questions and you just can’t find the answer anywhere? In this episode I’m tackling a few of your called-in questions about baby-led weaning...the ones that are really stumping you or that you’re just plain stuck on.  Listen to this episode to learn: Restaurant management of baby-led weaning: what do you do to allow your baby to self-feed at a resta...

#170: If “learning to eat is a sensory experience,” ...what does that really mean? In today’s episode renowned pediatric feeding expert Marsha Dunn Klein is teaching us all about Sensory 101 and what motivates babies to eat. Marsha Dunn Klein wrote the first book on pediatric feeding. She is known for her “Get Permission Approach” which teaches us how to offer and not demand performance at mealtim...

#169: Does your baby need to be eating 11 mg iron per day? If you look quickly at the recommendations for infants you’ll see 11 mg per day for babies 6-12 months. So do you need to be counting mg of iron for your baby? And can babies even get enough iron from the foods they eat? Inside of this episode we’ll be looking at iron needs for babies and how you can easily help your baby meet iron needs b...

#168: What’s holding you back from going FULL ON with baby-led weaning? Maybe you’re on the fence about whether you can truly skip traditional spoon-feeding...or you’re nervous about gagging and choking, or you’re worried your baby will have an allergic reaction when you try allergenic foods. Today I’m interviewing 5 feeding experts about overcoming feeding fears. They’re talking you down from all...

#167: How do I know if my baby’s tongue thrust reflex is gone before starting solid foods? What if I have a preemie or smaller-sized baby, should I really offer food early for catch-up weight? And what’s so bad about white rice cereal anyway?? These are just a few of the baby-led weaning frequently asked questions that I’m bringing some other feeding experts on in this episode to answer for you. ...

#166: Can you become addicted to processed foods? Dr. Ifland is the world’s leading expert in processed food addiction & the co-Author of the textbook Processed Food Addiction: Foundations, Assessment & Recovery. Today’s guest, Dr. Joan Ifland speaks to us about processed food addiction while sharing her own experience.  Listen to this episode to learn: Why processed food addiction occurs and what...

#165: Your baby can safely eat lamb. Lamb is one of my favorite baby-led weaning foods and in this episode I’m sharing how you can safely prepare lamb so that your baby can self-feed this important food from 6 months of age on. If you’re intimidated by cooking meat - especially roasts - or if you’re not entirely convinced your baby can eat lamb, take a listen and learn how. I promise lamb is going...

#164: Did you know babies can potty from birth? I had no idea until my guest Andrea Olson from @godiaperfree came on the podcast to educate us about Elimination Communication (EC). EC is a gentle, non-coercive way to respond to a baby’s natural hygiene needs...and Andrea is the diaper free GURU here to teach us how and why! Just like babies have the desire and ability to feed themselves solid food...

#163: I love a good look at somebody’s else’s schedule...and in this episode I’m sharing a behind the scenes look into my typical daily routine. This is definitely out of my comfort zone because I would way rather be talking about feeding YOUR babies or interviewing other feeding experts...but in case you’ve ever wondered what raising 7 kids and running an online baby feeding business looks like o...

#162: Curious about communicating with your baby… especially during meal time? Today’s guest Mary Smith shares how sign language can be a fun and educational learning experience for both parent and baby! Mary Smith @signngrow is a Licensed Educational American Sign Language Interpreter in Colorado with a degree in Deaf Studies. She is the founder and instructor at Sign ‘n Grow where she teaches pa...

#161: Babies should be offered peanut protein early and often to help reduce the risk of peanut allergy later in life. But if thick globs of peanut butter are a choking hazard for early eaters, how do we safely feed babies peanuts? In this episode we’re going to look at a variety of preparation methods for making peanut foods safe for babies to eat.    If you’re ready to raise an independent eater...

#160: Did your doctor tell you to start solid foods with iron-fortified white rice cereal? Today’s guest Dr. Alan Greene is working hard to change the way physicians talk to parents and caregivers about starting solid foods...and he wants everyone to stop recommending white rice cereal as a first food for babies! Dr. Alan Greene founded the White Out movement in 2010 to educate pediatricians and p...

#159: Could you raise your baby on a boat? Genieva and Jeremy Davidson are doing just that with their Baby Skylar. Skylar is 6 months + 2 weeks and she just started baby-led weaning. In this episode mom Genieva is sharing her thoughts after 1 week of baby-led weaning on a boat. If you don’t have a big kitchen or many kitchen appliances, you can still offer your baby a variety of BLW foods. Genieva...

#158: Calling all preemie parents. Have you been told that premature babies can’t do baby-led weaning? Well it’s not true and premature babies CAN successfully start solid foods using the baby-led weaning approach. In this episode I’m joined by neonatologist and pediatrician Dr. Terri Major-Kincade. She provides critical care services to preterm and term infants in the NICU. Dr. Kincade runs a NIC...

#157: Can babies eat yogurt? And why is yogurt ok if babies should not have fluid cow’s milk until they turn 1? In this episode we’re exploring the yogurt aisle, with tips on what to look for - and what to leave out - when you’re looking for a yogurt to offer your baby for baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: WHAT type of yogurt babies can eat...and spoiler alert: you don’t have to b...

#156: What if you didn’t do BLW with your oldest baby or babies but now you want to try it out with this baby? Baby-led weaning is one of the VERY FEW things that appeals to a second-time mom...because oftentimes you’re working with a picky eater toddlers and you’d like to avoid that with your current baby. Desiree Fortin was in the exact same boat: she did not do BLW with her triplets...heck, she...

#155: Can babies eat bitter vegetables? Or is it dangerous to offer bitter foods to your baby? Babies benefit from a variety of taste and flavor exposures, including bitter vegetables. And a baby may need to see a food 10-15 times before he or she likes or accepts it...so don’t turn your back on bitter vegetables just because your baby has rejected these foods a few times! In this episode we’re ex...

#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 t...

#153: Zinc is kind of like iron’s lesser known micronutrient sibling. It’s not as talked about, but it’s role in growth and development for babies is really important. And while breastmilk and/or formula will meet your baby’s zinc needs for the first 6 months or so of life...it is important to start including zinc containing foods when you start baby-led weaning. In this episode we’re looking at z...

#152: When does a baby need feeding therapy? And how do I know if my baby needs feeding therapy? Even the phrase “feeding therapy” strikes fear into the hearts of parents and caregivers…but feeding therapy is not a bad thing! In this episode I’m interviewing baby-led weaning expert and feeding therapist Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP to explore feeding therapy for infants. Dawn and I co-teach a numb...

#151: Can babies eat whole grains? Can they digest whole grains? Is it safe to offer whole grains? Yes, yes and yes! In this episode we’re looking at why whole grains are why they are an ideal alternative to refined grains for babies who are just starting solid foods with baby-led weaning. If you are curious about how to make whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet and kamut safe for babies to...