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!
201
How Babies Use All 5 Senses When Learning to Eat
Eating is a FULL sensory experience for your baby! In this episode we'll discusses how babies use all five of their senses when learning how to eat.
14 min
202
Label Reading 102 for Babies: Saturated Fats, F...
Label Reading 102 for Babies: Saturated Fats, Fiber, and %DV
13 min
203
What's Wrong with Rice Cereal for Babies?
Rice cereal is not an ideal first food for your baby. In this episode we’re exploring the drawbacks of regular reliance on iron fortified white rice cereal in the weaning diet. Your baby can learn to eat foods that naturally contain iron. Learn why you do not need to rely on refined, fortified, processed baby foods that increase the risk of arsenic toxicity and feel empowered to skip baby cereals altogether when starting solid foods.
12 min
204
Beets: How to Safely Offer Beets to Your Baby
Beets are a fabulous vegetable for babies to eat…and there are so many ways to offer beets safely for early eaters. In this episode we’re looking at roasting vs. boiling vs. pressure cooking fresh beets as well as canned beets and ready-prepared beet options you can buy at the grocery store.
9 min
205
My Baby is Dropping Food: What Do I Do?
Babies dropping food on the floor is annoying…but how do we react? In this episode we’re exploring why babies drop food, how it’s different for earlier eaters vs. older babies and some suggestions for responding when babies drop food on the floor and make a mess.
16 min
206
How Long Should My Baby's Meal Be?
Is your baby sitting at the table for too long? Or not long enough? Is there even a “right length” of time for meals? In this episode we’re looking at recommendations for how long your baby should be spending eating meals at different ages and stages.
11 min
207
Open Cup Practice: 3 Tips for Simplifying Your ...
How can I help my baby learn to drink out of an open cup? In this episode we’re covering best practices for helping your baby learn to become an independent drinker. Your baby CAN go directly from the breast or bottle to an open cup, and these tips will help simplify your technique for making this milestone happen.
21 min
208
Pasta: How to Make Pasta Safe for Babies to Eat
Pasta lovers, rejoice: your baby CAN learn how to safely eat pasta. In this episode I’m covering how to make pasta safe for early eaters, including which types of pasta to choose (and which ones to steer clear of), thoughts on whole wheat and chickpea pastas, what type of sauce works for baby-led weaning and why pasta is my preferred way to safely introduce your baby to the potentially allergenic food wheat.
14 min
209
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
210
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
211
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
212
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
213
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
214
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
215
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
216
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
217
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
218
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
219
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
220
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
221
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
222
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
223
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
224
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
225
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