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!
76
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
77
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
78
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
79
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
80
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
81
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
82
Will Offering Fruit Before Vegetables Make Your...
18 min
83
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
84
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
85
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
86
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
87
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
88
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
89
10 Easy Starter Foods for Baby-Led Weaning
What are the best starter foods for baby-led weaning?
24 min
90
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
91
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
92
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
93
Why You Don’t Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between Off...
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 baby learn to safely eat and like real food.
14 min
94
How to Introduce Allergenic Foods to Your Baby
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 risk of food allergy.
14 min
95
5 Feeding Mistakes Most Parents Make...and How ...
We all make mistakes when we are learning something new! In this episode I’m covering 5 feeding mistakes most parents make and how you can avoid them. I’ve made many of these baby feeding mistakes myself; but, luckily there are a few simple...
17 min
96
Can My Baby Start Solid Foods Before 6 Months?
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.
14 min
97
15 Foods Never to Feed Your Baby
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.
17 min
98
Why Your Baby’s High Chair Needs a Footrest
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.
16 min
99
Safe Food Sizes for Baby-Led Weaning
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.
12 min
100
The Purees for a Few Days™ Approach to Starting...
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.
18 min