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!
26
Soy: How to Introduce Your Baby to This Potenti...
Soy is one of the Top 9 allergenic foods, but it often causes confusion for parents when their baby is starting solid foods: can my baby eat soy and if so, what’s the safest way to prepare it? In this episode, you’ll learn how to safely introduce soy to your baby for 2 different ages and stages, plus a look at soy milk and why it’s not ideal for babies. We’ll cover soy allergy stats, debunk some common myths, and walk through the best practices for offering this food early and often. If you’ve heard conflicting things about soy, this episode will give you the facts you need to move forward confidently.
17 min
27
Preventing Severe Picky Eating from Your Baby's...
How does typical picky eating differ from severe picky eating and are both or either preventable?In this episode family doctor turned child feeding specialist Katja Rowell, MD walks us through steps to helping babies develop a foundational love of food from their first bites, along with tips on differentiating between typical and extreme picky eating, and what to do and where to go if you do think your baby’s feeding behavior is not typical.
40 min
28
Babies Don't Need Snacks: Why Your Early Eater ...
Think your baby needs snacks? Think again. In this episode, we’re diving into why milk—breastmilk or formula—is your baby’s perfect “snack” between meals and why skipping snacks during the weaning phase can set your baby up for better eating habits in toddlerhood. You’ll learn how early snacking sabotages appetite and meals, and how to build a solid feeding routine without the snack trap.
16 min
29
Baby-Led Bottle Feeding: Paced Bottle Feeding T...
Is it possible you’ve been bottle-feeding your baby wrong all this time? In today’s episode Amy Peterson, IBCLC is here to teach about paced bottle feeding, a baby-led technique. Amy shares how baby-led bottle feeding works, how to recognize your baby’s feeding cues and simple ways to teach other caregivers this important skill so you’re all on board with your baby leading the way. If you’re offering bottles - or plan to - this conversation will help you feel confident in letting your baby lead the way.
37 min
30
Salt: 3 Easy Ways to Minimize Sodium for Your Baby
Worried about salt in your baby’s food? In this episode, I’m sharing 3 easy, practical ways to minimize sodium for your baby without overhauling your entire meal plan. You’ll learn how to spot high-sodium foods on labels, why it’s totally fine to salt your own food after setting aside a safe portion for your baby, and how to add flavor with herbs and spices instead of salt. Minimizing salt doesn’t mean making bland food—it means making smart swaps so your baby can safely enjoy more real foods.
10 min
31
Post-Partum Depression: How a Solid Food Feedin...
Postpartum depression affects 1 in 10 mothers—but not all moms feel comfortable talking about it. In this episode, mom of two Carissa Rose shares how her struggle with postpartum depression after the birth of her first baby left her feeling like a failure—until starting solid foods with baby-led weaning gave her a new sense of purpose. Carissa explains how feeding her babies 100 different foods helped her reconnect with motherhood and find success on her own terms.
30 min
32
Fish: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potent...
How can I safely feed my baby fish? Fish is one of the Big 8 allergenic foods (...the 8 foods that account for 90% of food allergy) and there’s no evidence that waiting to feed fish helps prevent allergy. So it is a food you can feed to your...
13 min
33
Baby-Led Weaning and Breastfeeding: How to Succ...
Starting solid foods doesn’t mean breastfeeding has to end — but many parents worry about how to balance both. In this episode, IBCLC Robin Kaplan shares practical tips to support continued breastfeeding while starting baby-led weaning, how to manage feeding schedules, and what to expect as your baby transitions to solid foods. Plus, she offers reassurance for parents feeling overwhelmed by this exciting new stage.
26 min
34
Wheat: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Poten...
How do you feed your baby wheat? Wheat is one of the Big 8 allergenic foods...the 8 foods that account for about 90% of food allergy. And it’s one of the easier foods to introduce early and often for your baby. In this episode you will learn...
19 min
35
Constipation and Starting Solid Foods: Simple R...
Starting solid foods is exciting… but what happens when your baby gets backed up? In this episode, I’m breaking down why constipation happens when babies start eating solid foods, which foods might be making it worse, and — most importantly — safe, simple remedies to help get things moving again.
22 min
36
How Honey Can Harm Your Baby and Why to Avoid it
Honey might seem like a natural, harmless food—but it can actually be dangerous for babies under age 1. In this episode, we’re breaking down why honey can cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness, and why it’s also considered an added sugar that babies don’t need. Learn what makes honey risky, how to spot hidden sources of it, and what to offer your baby instead.
13 min
37
10 Game-Changing Kitchen Tools to Simplify Baby...
Starting solid foods does not mean spending a lot of money. You don’t need fancy gizmos or gadgets to make safe finger foods for your baby…but a few affordable kitchen tools can make life a whole lot easier. In this episode I”m sharing 10 game-changing tools that will simplify food prep for your baby (...including one surprise item that I swore I would never buy but now love and 5 popular but dangerous or dumb feeding things you should NOT waste your money on.)
20 min
38
Your Baby's First 5 Days of Baby-Led Weaning: ...
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.
19 min
39
Water: When to Offer Your Baby Water and How Much
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...
10 min
40
Will Offering Fruit Before Vegetables Make Your...
18 min
41
Grandparents, Spouses & Partners: Getting Other...
Are you the only one who believes in baby-led weaning? What if someone else feeds your baby and doesn’t want to do BLW? In this episode I share 2 mom’s stories of how they are dealing with getting grandmothers on board with BLW. ...
23 min
42
3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Baby's Iron Absorption
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....
27 min
43
Vomit: What if My Baby Vomits when Eating?
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...
10 min
44
Meat: How to Prepare Meat Safely for Baby-Led W...
How do I feed my baby meat for baby-led weaning? Many parents and caregivers struggle with serving meat and doing so safely...but it can be done! And in this episode I am giving you lots of tips and tricks to make meat a regular part of your...
14 min
45
Daycare: How Can I Get Caregivers on Board with...
How do I do baby-led weaning if my baby goes to daycare? Or what if grandma helps watch the baby but does not understand how to do baby-led weaning? In this episode I explain some effective strategies for helping to bring your caregivers on board...
15 min
46
Feeding Schedules: How Often Should I Feed My B...
How often should I feed my baby? How much should my baby eat? How do I schedule bottles or breastfeeding when my baby starts solid food? There are a LOT of questions about schedules when it comes to starting solid foods, and I’m answering ALL...
15 min
47
10 Easy Starter Foods for Baby-Led Weaning
What are the best starter foods for baby-led weaning?
24 min
48
Egg: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potenti...
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.
13 min
49
Peanut: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Pote...
Feeding peanut protein to your baby early and often can help prevent peanut allergy. But it can be hard to figure out a safe way to feed peanuts to your baby. Intact peanuts and globs of peanut butter are choking hazards for babies. In...
20 min
50
Cow's Milk Protein: How to Introduce Your Baby ...
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.
16 min