Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro
Is your baby ready to start solid foods but you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused about baby-led weaning? Babies can eat so many more foods than we give them credit for and you don’t have to force-feed or spoon-feed to get them to eat real food!
I’m Katie Ferraro, Registered Dietitian specializing in infant feeding and baby-led weaning. I’m a college nutrition professor and mom of 7, and my goal is to help you start solid foods safely using baby-led weaning.
On this podcast I share practical tips on safe food preparation and starting solid foods, as well as in-depth interviews with other feeding experts. Listen to learn how you can get your baby to safely enjoy real food so that you can start enjoying mealtimes again too!
1
Dog Training Tips When Your Baby Starts Solid F...
Is it safe for your dog to eat food your baby drops on the floor? Should the dog even be around your baby in a high chair? In this episode certified dog trainer Jake Schneider from @ondogtrainingacademy shares tips on establishing boundaries and rules for your dog when your baby starts eating solid food.
29 min
2
Gagging vs. Choking: What is the Difference?
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.
14 min
3
Breastfeeding & Starting Solid Foods: When Will...
How often should you breastfeed once your baby starts solid foods? And what if your milk supply drops off once your baby starts eating? Jessica Smith, MSN, RN, IBCLC joins me to explain how you can succeed at continued and extended breastfeeding after 6 months of age and even past age 1.
27 min
4
How to Prepare for Baby-Led Weaning: A Guide fo...
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.
17 min
5
Unpacking the Invisible Load of Feeding the Hou...
What if you don’t love cooking new foods, prepping food for your baby or your other kids…or even just being in charge of food in general? So much of what moms are tasked with falls under this banner of the “invisible load” that you’re probably hearing more mental health people in the parenting space talk about, including Erica Djossa from Momwell.
35 min
6
5 Baby Milestones to Begin Baby-Led Weaning Saf...
Is your baby developmentally ready to safely start solids? Learn why the 6-month mark is pivotal, the significance of independent sitting, and why the disappearance of the tongue thrust reflex isn't the only readiness to eat signal to begin the weaning process.
12 min
7
Why am I So Stressed Out About Starting Solid F...
Do you feel anxious about your baby starting solid foods? Nervous that your baby will choke on food? Raising babies is stressful…and we don’t always get the support we need as new moms. Clinical psychologist Andrea Niles is here to help you stop stressing about starting solid foods.
26 min
8
What is Baby-Led Weaning?
Discover the ins and outs of baby-led weaning versus traditional spoon feeding, how it differs from parent-led feeding, and expert tips (pioneered by Gill Rapley, PhD) on safely introducing solid foods to your baby in this episode. Join me as I demystify baby-led weaning as a more developmentally appropriate introduction to solid foods and empower parents to make informed choices for your baby's nutrition journey.
21 min
9
Everything You Need to Know About FOOD ALLERGIE...
What causes food allergies and can introducing certain foods early to your baby help prevent food allergy? In this episode dietitian Bob Earl from Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) at foodallergy.org updates us on everything new and notable in food allergies including allergen labeling for the newest allergen on the Top 9 which is sesame.
24 min
10
Is Bone Broth Before Food Good for My Baby?
Is bone broth safe for babies? Can I give my baby bone broth before they start solid foods? Bone broth is having a moment…but it’s not a magical superfood that your baby needs. In this episode we’re looking at how to offer bone broth responsibly but why it should not be given to babies under 6 months of age.
11 min
11
Is My Baby Developmentally Ready to Start Solid...
What are the signs that your baby is ready to start solid foods? What if your baby isn’t sitting up at 6 months, is it ok to do purees? Or what if you think your baby is ready EARLY even though they’re not 6 months yet? Amy Manojlovski is here to tell us if your baby is developmentally ready to start solid foods.
22 min
12
Waking Up at Night Again: Is My Baby Too Hungry...
Is your baby waking up in the middle of the night again since you started solid foods? Does this mean the baby is hungry or not getting enough? In this episode we’re looking at solid food and sleep schedules to help you and your baby get a good night’s sleep after you start solid foods.
17 min
13
Infant Food Refusal: Is it Reflux or EoE (Eosin...
It’s not uncommon for infants or toddlers to refuse food. Food refusal can be due to illness, tiredness, your baby’s temperament on that day…but, there is a disease that results in food refusal called Eosinophilic esophagitis or EOE.
22 min
14
Food Before One is Just for Fun: True or False?
Are foods before one just for fun…or does it really matter which foods we offer our baby? Saying food before one is just for fun is catchy…but confusing. In this episode we break down the idea about just having fun vs. intentionally picking foods for a reason before babies turn one.
10 min
15
What To Do if Your Baby Plays with Food with @...
How do you stop your baby from playing with food or throwing food on the floor? Dietitian Dani Lebovitz from @kid.food.explorers joins me to discuss raising adventurous eaters…and why letting your baby drop food on the floor is actually a good thing!
20 min
16
Condiments And Baby-Led Weaning: Do They Mix?
Can your baby eat ketchup? What about barbeque sauce? In this episode we’re exploring common condiments and whether or not they work for baby-led weaning. Listen to learn how to make no sugar, low salt swaps that will add flavor and make swallowing safer for your baby…all with condiments you already have in your kitchen.
18 min
17
Empowering Black and African American Breastfee...
Breastfeeding is hard. And racial and ethnic disparities don’t make breastfeeding any easier for Black and African American mothers. Dr. Toncé Jackson co-founded Cinnamoms to offer support and sisterhood in her WIC agency…but her mission has expanded much further in the parenting space.
25 min
18
Does My Baby Need a Multivitamin?
Are multivitamins safe for babies? And do babies even need to be taking supplements like multivitamins? In this episode we’re going to look specifically at multivitamins, talking about what they are, whether or not they’re safe, which babies might benefit from these and then what could potentially go wrong if we start relying on supplements to meet baby’s nutrition needs.
15 min
19
Is My Baby Neurodivergent? with @on.the.hard.da...
Have you ever looked at your baby’s behavior or activity and thought, “Hmmm…is that normal?” If it’s not typical, what do we call it? In this episode Megan Champion from Mothers Together and @on.the.hard.days shares her experience raising Neurodivergent children and how her community supports moms who are doing the same.
33 min
20
Airplane Snacks: Portable travel food ideas tha...
17 min
21
Baby Tooth Brushing and Oral Care with @firstgr...
How healthy are your baby’s gums and teeth? And why does it even matter if they’re just baby teeth and are eventually going to fall out anyway?! Ashley Lerman, DDS is a pediatric dentist and a new mom and she’s here to answer all of your questions about baby tooth brushing and oral care.
31 min
22
Are Produce Washes Helpful or Hogwash for Food ...
Nobody wants to give their baby a foodborne illness…but do you need to be buying produce washes to prevent disease? In this episode we’ll look at some produce washes including what they do, what they claim to do, and whether or not they’re any better than good old fashioned friction and running water when it comes to making fruits and vegetables safe for your baby to eat.
10 min
23
Storing Breastmilk Safely with Lara Vu, MPH, CL...
If you’re a pumping mom, where do you store your expressed milk? If you’re a working pumping mom and you go to an office or worksite, this is a major issue. The lunchroom refrigerator next to Bob’s bologna sandwich? Laura Vu, MPH, CLES started her company Mila’s Keeper to create an attractive, effective, easy-to-use solution for longer, safe breastmilk storage. In this episode she’s sharing basic tips about safe breastmilk storage for pumping moms.
23 min
24
Tree nuts: do I have to offer all of them or is...
Unsure about how to introduce the potentially allergenic food tree nuts to your baby? Confused about WHICH tree nut to start with, HOW to prepare it, and how OFTEN to incorporate it? Listen in as I simplify the research on tree nut allergies & provide you with the confidence and knowledge you need to safely introduce this potentially allergenic food.
14 min
25
How This Tube Fed Baby Also Safely Started Soli...
What if your baby was silently aspirating on milk? Wouldn’t take a bottle…squired and refused milk at every feed. This was Brooke Tibbett’s experience with her second baby who eventually ended up requiring a tube feeding for nutrition at 6 months of age. In this interview Brooke shares her family’s experience transitioning their tube fed child to solid foods and how they helped wean her off of the tube and into independent eating using baby-led weaning.
47 min