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!

Kids & Family
Parenting
Health & Fitness
251
Can Babies Wear Sunscreen with Rebecca Hartman,...
Can babies wear sunscreen? You know that saying, “When in doubt…leave it out.” But is sunscreen harmful for babies under the age of 6 months? My guest in this episode is Rebecca Hartman, she’s a dermatologist and mom of 2. In this interview Dr. Hartman shares information about the difference between chemical sunscreens and mineral sunscreens, with her own personal mom insight on why she doesn’t use chemical sunscreens for her kids.
25 min
252
Working Parents: Weekend Routine for Trying New...
What if you don’t have time to try new foods with your baby during the week? In this episode I’m sharing a weekend routine for working parents who are doing baby-led weaning.
14 min
253
Is this Typical? Feeding Therapist FAQs with Da...
My baby gnaws on the wrong end of the spoon…and shoves fistfulls of food in her mouth…and has no interest in holding his own cup. Is this typical? Feeding Therapist Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP is here to answer speech and swallow questions related to starting solid foods in this rapid-fire Q&A interview.
25 min
254
Label Reading 101: What to Look for in Foods Yo...
What do you look for when you’re reading labels of foods you’re going to feed your baby? Reading food labels can be overwhelming, especially when there isn’t infant specific information on them! In this episode we’re exploring the very few key items to scan when deciding if you’re going to buy and offer a particular food to your baby.
18 min
255
Baby Brain Health: How Does the Weaning Diet Im...
Do you ever look at your baby and think, “I wonder what is going on inside of your brain right now?” Well my guest today knows a LOT about baby’s brains…and in particular how the maternal diet and infant weaning diet affects baby’s brain development.
30 min
256
Is it OK to Take a Break from Baby-Led Weaning?
What if you started solid foods but you’re thinking about taking a break. Maybe your baby is sick, or you’re planning to travel, or your baby is teething and you’re just not feeling up to the challenge. Is it ok to take a break from starting solid foods if you’re doing baby-led weaning? In this episode we’re exploring reasons why you would want to pause with trying out new foods as well as other scenarios where it’s best to keep going.
18 min
257
Constipation: What is Typical for Babies Transi...
So, you started solid foods and now your baby is constipated. Why? Dr. Rebecca Winderman is here tor help. She’s a pediatric gastroenterologist who knows EVERYTHING about your baby’s gut. In this interview Dr. Winderman is walking us through what constipation is, what’s normal for babies, when you should worry if your baby hasn’t pooped and which foods are more constipating than others.
38 min
258
Supplements You Can Skip if Your Baby Has Start...
Does my baby need supplements or can they get all of the nutrition they need from food? In this episode we’re looking at supplements you can skip if your baby has started solid foods.
8 min
259
Clutter-Free Kitchen Tips When You Have Kids wi...
Does the clutter situation in your house and your kitchen ever get to you? Having a baby means bringing a lot more STUFF home, and Katy Joy Wells is here to help you declutter. Katy is a clutter expert and mom of 2 and in this episode she’s sharing some practical, actionable tips for simplifying your life when there’s just too much baby stuff.
35 min
260
YouTube Behind the Scenes: Baby-Led Weaning Cha...
Seeing really is believing when it comes to baby-led weaning. Our baby-led weaning YouTube channel is one year old! In this episode I’m tearing back the curtain to show you how one year of YouTube has been, chat about what we’ve learned and why YouTube is now by FAR my favorite video sharing platform for visually teaching about starting solid foods.
20 min
261
When Feeding Hurts: How to Alleviate Infant Fee...
When you think of all of the responsibilities of keeping your baby alive, it can hurt your brain…but feeding your baby can also hurt your body. Deb Flashenberg wants to help you feel pain free and in this episode she’s talking about the importance of breath, posture and positioning to help alleviate the aches and pains that come with bottle or breastfeeding our babies.
31 min
262
Is 8 Months Too Late to Switch to Finger Foods?
What if your 8 month old hasn’t started on finger foods yet? Is it too late to switch? In this episode we’re exploring some practical reasons why you should prioritize finger foods with actionable steps for doing so…even if you feel like your baby is late to the finger food game.
9 min
263
BBQ Meats Your Baby Can Eat with Barbecue Pitma...
Does the thought of making meat for your baby to eat freak you out? Taylor Carroll is a barbecue pitmaster and baby-led weaning mom, who knows a LOT about meat. In this episode Taylor is teaching about what cuts of meat are safe for babies to eat (plus meats that babies should not eat), tips on making soft shreddable strips of meat and how she’s gotten her 7-month-old baby to try over 50 foods so far!
31 min
264
Morning Routine for Baby-Led Weaning
What does the morning look like when you start introducing solid foods? In this episode we’re exploring two different morning routine scenarios with how to layer solid food into your baby’s milk and nap schedule.
16 min
265
A Pediatrician's Perspective on Baby-Led Weanin...
What is your doctor’s take on starting solid foods? Do they like baby-led weaning, or prefer spoon-feeding of purees? In this episode I’m chatting with pediatrician and baby-led weaning mom Jessica Simkins, MD about her own perspective on starting solid foods. If you’re not sure how to talk to your doctor about baby-led weaning, Dr. Simkins has some great advice and recommendations in this episode.
21 min
266
Life After Baby-Led Weaning: Exploring Toddler ...
What changes when your baby turns 1 year old? Toddlers are tricky when it comes to eating, but knowing what to look out for can help. In this episode we explore transitioning to cow’s milk, how to deemphasize snacks and prioritize iron foods even as you’re dealing with the inevitable picky eating that usually sets in starting in the second year of life.
12 min
267
Breastmilk Popsicles? Try this Pre-Feeding Acti...
What’s the deal with breastmilk popsicles? …or formula popsicles? Or popsicles in general for a pre-feeding skill. In this episode Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP introduces the Tiny Pops she designed for ezpz. We talk about the developmental benefits of popsicles, which foods freeze well for babies and how to incorporate popsicles into your pre-feeding routine.
22 min
268
Top 5 BLW Questions Answered
If you’re feeling STUCK about starting solid foods, I’m answering some of the most common questions about baby-led weaning in this episode. From what to do if your baby breaks off a piece of food in their mouth to when they’re not eating and you feel like you’ve tried everything, this episode covers five frequently asked baby-led weaning questions I’m hearing right now from parents of babies who are just starting solid foods.
17 min
269
Baby Feeding Milestones, Floor Seats and Hip Dy...
Hip dysplasia requires 23 hours per day bracing and can interfere with safe seating in a high chair. In this episode KC Rickerd, PT, DPT from @milestones.and.motherhood is sharing tons of advice about baby milestones, safe high chair positioning as well as the signs of readiness to eat your baby should be exhibiting before you start solid foods.
33 min
270
Asparagus: How to Offer This Food Safely to You...
Has your baby tried asparagus yet? In this episode I’m teaching about a few ways to make asparagus safe for your baby to eat…including why the smaller, dantier stalks of asparagus actually aren’t the most tender, plus a tip for increasing tenderness before cooking asparagus.
9 min
271
Your Food Allergy Questions Answered with Ron S...
Introducing allergenic food to your baby early and often can help lower the risk of food allergy. In this episode pediatrician Dr. Ron Sunog is answering some common questions about allergenic foods. What causes an allergic reaction? What do allergic reactions look like? How much of an allergenic food “counts” and how often do we have to feed these foods?
22 min
272
Vitamin D Drops: Does My Baby Still Need Vitami...
If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your baby then you’re likely giving 400 IUs of vitamin D supplement drops each day. In this episode we explore when it’s ok to stop the vitamin D drops, whether you’re switching to formula or if your baby has started eating foods that are either natural sources of vitamin D or those foods that are vitamin D fortified.
13 min
273
Baby Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat with @dogm...
Dog people: do you let your dog clean up after your baby eats solid food? Dominika from @dogmeets_baby helps family dogs get integrated into growing families. She’s sharing four different categories of foods babies eat that dogs should not.
19 min
274
Interviewing my Mom: How She Didn’t Like BLW at...
Ever been told by your mom, “Well, you were spoon-fed and you turned out just fine?!” SAME. It took my mom a LONG time to come around to baby-led weaning. In this special Mother’s Day episode I’m interviewing my own mom, Mary Clark, RD - aka Granny. We’re chatting about how she introduced solids with me, how that changed for her next 5 kids and what she REALLY thinks about baby-led weaning 20 grandkids later.
19 min
275
Brain-Heart-Body Connections When Feeding Babie...
Do you feel like your brain has changed since you had your baby or started having kids? It has! Chelsea Conaboy is a journalist and author of the book Mother Brain: How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood. In this interview Chelsea explains what scientists know about how our brain changes when we have children, and how to handle feelings of anxiety and fear when you are starting solid foods with your baby.
35 min