Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#25: Not sure what to feed your baby in the first week of baby-led weaning? In this episode, I’m walking you through a simple 5-day schedule to kick off solids with confidence. You’ll learn how to safely introduce real foods, why variety matters from day one, and how to avoid common first-week mistakes. Ready to plan out week 2? Download my free guide, “10 Easy Starter Foods for Baby-Led Weaning,”...

#24: How much water should my baby drink? Do babies even need water? And if they do need water, when and how is the best way to give babies water? In this episode we’re diving deep into your baby’s fluid needs. Breastmilk and/or formula meets the majority of baby’s water needs, plus the foods your baby is learning to eat contribute fluid too. Adding extra water to your baby’s diet can be a problem...

#23: Ever wonder if feeding your baby fruit is going to give your baby a sweet tooth? Does offering fruit before vegetables cause babies to crave sweet foods? Fruit is an important food group for your baby to tackle...but too much of a good thing is not a good thing! In this episode we explore why fruit is your friend (...albeit in moderation), why your baby does not need juice and tips on how to...

#22: Are you the only one who believes in baby-led weaning? What if someone else feeds your baby and doesn’t want to do baby-led weaning? In this episode I share 2 mom’s stories of how they are dealing with getting grandmothers on board with baby-led weaning. There’s no script to follow to get your tribe on board with BLW. Every situation is different...yet, you can use these real-life moms’ stori...

#21: Iron is helpful for your baby’s growing body. Knowing how much iron your baby needs and what foods have iron are important; but there are a few simple tweaks you can make that will help your baby absorb more of the iron your baby is eating. In this episode you will learn why babies need iron, how much iron babies need and good sources of iron from both animal and plant foods. I also share 3 e...

#020: What if my baby vomits when doing baby-led weaning? Is vomiting normal when you start solid foods? It can be scary when your baby vomits, but it is not always a sign of a huge problem. In this episode I cover what you can expect as far as vomiting when your baby starts eating. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why a little bit of vomit is to be expected when your baby starts solid foods 2....

#19: Are you scared to offer your baby meat? Meat offers a variety of taste, texture and nutrition experiences, but it can be hard to make meat safe for your baby to eat. In this episode I’m sharing my favorite cuts of meat for baby-led weaning, how to make them safe and the best gateway meat to start with if you’re freaked out to feed your baby meat. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which cuts...

 #18: How do you do baby-led weaning if your baby goes to daycare? Daycare might say they only do purees, or they won’t offer finger foods. In this episode I share effective strategies for helping your daycare or childcare provider understand baby-led weaning and how and why your baby can safely self-feed even when they are away from home. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How to talk to your da...

#17: How often should babies eat solid food? And do they eat before they have milk or after breastfeeding? Finding a schedule for starting solid foods can be tricky but in this episode I’m sharing my exact feeding schedule for babies in 3 different ages and phases of baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How to schedule solid foods so most of your baby’s nutrition will come from fo...

#016: What is the best baby-led weaning food to start solid foods with? Are some starter foods safer for babies than others? In this episode I’ll share 10 of my favorite easy starter foods for baby-led weaning that your baby can start eating at or around 6 months of age. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How to move on the from the simple starter foods of avocado, banana and sweet potato 2. Whic...

#15: What if your baby is allergic to eggs? The only way to know if your baby has an egg allergy is to offer them egg. In this episode I’ll share some easy ways to make eggs safe for babies so your baby can start learning how to safely eat eggs. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which part of the egg contains the potentially allergenic protein: the egg white or the egg yolk? 2. How to safely pre...

#014: How do you know if your baby is allergic to peanuts? The only way to know is to offer your baby peanut. In this episode I’m sharing 3 easy ways to safely offer your baby peanut with tips on how to reintroduce peanut early and often to help lower the risk of peanut allergy. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Whether or not your baby is at high risk for peanut allergy 2. When to start offerin...

#013: What if my baby has a milk allergy or can’t eat dairy foods? The only way to know if your baby is allergic to cow’s milk protein is to offer them that food. In this episode we look at milk allergy and how to prevent it, including the easiest way to offer your baby this potentially allergenic food and why it’s particularly important for exclusively breastfed babies. Listen to this episode to...

#12: You do not need to wait 3-5 days between offering new foods to your baby. In fact, waiting that long can actually slow down your baby’s progress and prevent diet diversity. In this episode we look at the research that supports quicker introduction of new foods; it is safe to offer 1 (or more) new food(s) per day and this approach can help reduce the risk of severe picky eating and help your b...

#11: What if your baby has an allergic reaction to a food? The only way to know if your baby is allergic is to offer them that food…but there are some safety guidelines you want to know about. In this episode we’ll look at the recent research and updated guidelines that support early introduction of potentially allergenic foods and then how to safely prepare those foods to help lower your baby’s r...

#010: We all make mistakes when we start learning something new - and the same goes for starting solid foods. In this episode I’m sharing 5 common feeding mistakes (full disclosure: I’ve made ALL of these)...and how you can avoid them! Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why bringing a hungry baby to the table doesn’t work and how to schedule solid food with infant milk 2. Why waiting 3-5 days bet...

#009: Is it ever safe for babies to start solid foods before 6 months of age? In one instance: yes…but for the remainder of babies, there is no upside - and only potential harm - in starting solid foods too early. In this episode we look at reasons why parents are pressured to start solid foods early as well as the data supporting the one instance when it might be appropriate to begin prior to 6 m...

#008: Which foods should babies avoid? Babies can eat so many more foods than we give them credit for - but certain foods are choking risk foods or are harmful to developing babies for other reasons. This episode contains 15 foods to not feed your baby in order to preserve their health. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which foods are choking foods…and how to modify them so they are safe for yo...

#007: How does an adjustable footrest on your baby’s high chair help reduce the risk of choking? In this episode we’ll look at how your baby’s feet resting flat helps stabilize their core and support a safe swallow…and how to fix your high chair if it doesn’t have a footrest or if your baby’s feet don’t reach the footrest yet. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why your baby’s feet resting flat o...

#6: Contrary to common belief, cutting food into tiny pieces can actually heighten choking risk for early eaters. In this episode, learn why longer, spear-like shapes of soft foods (pinky finger size) are safer for self-feeding and other safe food cuts that reduce choking risk during the introduction of starting solid foods using baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why small piec...

#005: Baby-led weaning does not mean skipping purees. In this episode I’ll help you bridge your baby’s transition from an infant milk liquid diet to soft solid strips of food using my unique Purees for a Few Days™ approach to starting solid foods with baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why combo feeding finger foods + adult-led spoon feeding is not baby-led weaning 2. How you ca...

#004: What if my baby gags on food? And how is gagging different than choking? In this episode we cover why gagging is a good thing when your baby is learning to eat and what to do if your baby chokes on food. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which foods are choking risks and how to modify them to make them safe for your baby 2. Why it is important not to intervene during a gag…and how to react...

#003: What can you do to help your baby get ready to start solid foods safely? From picking out the best high chair to knowing how to introduce allergenic foods like peanut, here are 5 things parents and caregivers can do to get prepared for baby-led weaning. Listen to this episode to learn: 1. What the most important safety feature on your high chair should be…and why most high chairs don’t have...

#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...

#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 chal...