#103: Not sure what to feed your baby in the very first week of starting solid foods? In this episode, I’m walking you through a simple 7-day syllabus featuring 5 easy baby-led weaning foods every baby can easily eat. I call it a syllabus because, just like any good course, this week gives you a clear structure, a logical starting point, and a step-by-step roadmap so you can begin with less overwhelm and more confidence.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. How to take the guesswork out of the first week of starting solid foods so that you can just sit down and enjoy this special time with your baby

2. Which 5 foods to offer during that first week from this structured syllabus that will make you feel more confident

3. How offering 1 new food a day + reintroducing familiar foods from previous days builds your baby’s diet diversity 

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/103

Links from This Episode:

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: ⁠https://babyledweaning.co/program⁠ 

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: ⁠https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#102 In Part 2 of this conversation with Gill Rapley, PhD, the founding philosopher of the baby-led weaning approach, we look ahead at the future of baby-led weaning. Gill shares where she hopes the research will go, how social media has both helped and complicated the conversation around baby-led weaning, and why trust, respect, and shared family meals remain at the heart of the philosophy. We also explore how healthcare providers, therapists, and parents can better support your baby’s ability to self-feed, while rethinking outdated ideas about spoon-feeding, oral skill development, and how babies learn to eat.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1.  How parents can step back from controlling feeding and start trusting your baby’s natural ability to self-feed from 6 months on

2. Why Gill Rapley challenges the idea of repeatedly pushing foods until a baby “accepts” them, and how that changes the way we think about starting solid foods

3. What role social media has played in shaping the future of baby-led weaning, for better and for worse, and why Gill chooses not to police online baby-led weaning conversations

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/102

Links from This Episode:

• Listen to part 1 of this interview with Gill Rapley in episode 100 “The History of Baby-Led Weaning with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD” (Part 1) here

• The original BLW book “Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide” that Gill Rapley co-authored has been completely overhauled and updated for its 10th anniversary edition and is available here 

• Her website is rapleyweaning.com.

• She spoke at length about the importance of Amy Brown’s research on baby-led weaning. My podcast interview with her “The Evidence Behind Baby-Led Weaning with Amy Brown, PhD” is available here.

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#101: Should your baby learn to drink from an open cup or a straw cup first? In this episode, pediatric swallowing specialist Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP, explains why open cup drinking comes first, how it supports feeding and speech development, and when to introduce a straw cup. You’ll learn the developmental reasons behind both skills and how to help your baby build confidence with drinking at mealtimes.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. What feeding and speech milestones are tied to open cup and straw cup drinking, and why open cup practice comes first

2. Why Dawn’s straw cup design includes a beginner side and an advanced side, and how both support safer, more independent drinking

3. How Dawn’s 3-phase developmental drinking approach helps your baby build age-appropriate cup drinking skills step by step.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/101

Links from This Episode:

• Check out Dawn’s website at msdawnslp.com and follow her on Instagram @msdawnslp

• Ezpz Mini Cup + Straw System use code BABYLED for 15% off at ezpzfun.com 

• This is the ezpz Developmental Cup Set that parents love and get 15% off with the code BABYLED here (this is an affiliate link)

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

• Episode 24 - Water: When to Offer Your Baby Water and How Much

• Episode 40 - 6 Reasons to Skip the Sippy Cup with Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#100: Gill Rapley, PhD helped give baby-led weaning its name, and more importantly, its philosophy: feeding led by your baby, not done to your baby. In Part 1 of our interview, Gill shares how baby-led weaning took shape, why waiting until babies are truly ready matters, and what she says to the skeptics who still doubt a baby’s ability to self-feed.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1.  How Gill’s work as a UK health visitor led her to a simple insight: many babies aren’t refusing food, they’re resisting being fed

2. Why baby-led weaning challenged the “normal” approach to starting solid foods, and what Gill says to the skeptics

3. How she and Tracey Murkett turned parent questions and real-life feeding observations into Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

⁠https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/100

Links from This Episode:

• Gill Rapley’s book “Baby-Led Weaning: Completely Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary” edition available on Amazon here (this is an affiliate link).

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called ⁠BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS⁠.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. ⁠CLICK HERE TO JOIN⁠ and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow ⁠@babyledweanteam⁠ on Instagram and our ⁠Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel⁠ for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. ⁠Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts⁠ or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#99: Organic foods can feel like the “best” choice for your baby…until you’re staring at the price tag and wondering if you’re cutting corners if you buy conventional. In this episode, I break down what the word organic actually means, what it changes (and what it doesn’t), and how to shop confidently on any budget, so that your baby can eat more fruits, veggies, and real foods without you feeling guilty or breaking the bank.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1.  What “organic” really means on food labels (and what it doesn’t).

2. Why organic foods aren’t automatically more nutritious than conventional options.

3. How to shop for fruits and vegetables with confidence, on any budget, without the guilt.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/99

Links from This Episode:

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#97 Mushrooms are one of the trickiest textured foods to offer safely to your baby…because that rubbery, spongy texture can make it hard for early eaters to manage. In this episode, I’m breaking down why sautéed mushrooms don’t reliably pass the squish test for 6–7 month olds, when your baby can try mushrooms, and why they’re worth working in early and often. Then I’ll walk you through two of my favorite ways to make mushrooms safe for baby-led weaning.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why mushrooms are one of the trickiest textured foods for early eaters…and why sautéed mushrooms don’t reliably pass the squish test for 6–7 month olds

2. When your baby can try mushrooms (and how to think about frequency and “how much” without stressing about exact intake)

3. How to offer mushrooms safely as a finger food so your baby can actually self-feed this fabulous food

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/97

Links from This Episode:

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

• Episode 33 - Salt: 3 Easy Ways to Minimize Sodium for Your Baby 

• Episode 75 - Canned Foods that CAN Work for Baby-Led Weaning

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#96: If you want to do baby-led weaning but you’re worried your pediatrician won’t support it, this episode will help you walk into that conversation with more confidence. You’ll learn what to say when a doctor raises concerns about choking, gagging, allergenic foods, or “what to feed,” plus how to tell the difference between a true medical red flag and a provider who just isn’t up to date. Pediatrician and mom of two Mona Amin, DO (@pedsdoctalk) also shares what starting solid foods looked like with her first baby—and what changed (a lot!) with her second—so you can feel more prepared no matter what your feeding journey looks like.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. How to talk to your pediatrician about baby-led weaning when they’re skeptical, without getting defensive or backing down

2. What to say when the concerns are choking, gagging, allergenic foods, or iron (and how to separate real medical issues from outdated advice)

3. Why starting solid foods looked different from baby to baby and how Dr. Mona handled baby-led weaning differently with her second baby

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/96

Links from This Episode:

• Follow Dr. Mona Amin on Instagram @pedsdoctalk

• Check out Dr. Mona’s podcast The Peds Doc Talk podcast here

• Her website is here & her YouTube Channel is here

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 

•  Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

• Episode 58 “What do I do if My Baby Has an Allergic Reaction? with Ron Sunog, MD” here

• Episode 84 “Why You DON'T Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between New Foods with Carina Venter, PhD, RD” here

• Episode 380 - Why Doctors STILL Aren't Talking About Introducing Allergenic Foods with Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#95 Slippery foods like avocado, ripe pear, banana, and cooked apples can be frustrating for your baby to pick up…especially early on before that pincer grasp kicks in. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 quick “roll it in this” ingredient hacks that add traction and help you sneak in a little extra iron while your baby practices self-feeding.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. How to make slippery foods (like avocado, banana, pears, and cooked apples) easier for your baby to pick up…without taking over the feeding.

2. Why adding an iron “coating” is a simple way to boost iron intake when your baby is starting solid foods.

3. What 5 quick pantry ingredients you can use to add traction + iron in seconds, so meals feel less frustrating.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/95

Links from This Episode:

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 

•  Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

• Episode 21 - 3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Iron Absorption is here

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#94 Around 8 months, many babies start eating more confidently, drinking a little less milk, and transitioning from 3 naps to 2…so it can feel like your whole routine suddenly stops working.

In this interview, pediatric sleep specialist Alejandra Zúñiga explains what’s happening during this “8-month reset,” how sleep impacts your baby’s attention at the table and family mealtimes, and what to tweak so sleep and starting solid foods can work together.

1. How to recognize the signs your baby is ready to move from 3 naps to 2 around 8 months

2. Why solid foods, milk intake changes, and sleep shifts can affect each other.

3. How to improve mealtime attention and family dynamics by understanding the role sleep plays at the table.

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/94

• Visit Alejandra’s website for sleep help at https://www.easynightsgsc.com/ 

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program and save $50 when you sign up using the code BLWPOD50

• Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

• Episode 17 - Feeding Schedules: How Often Should I Feed My Baby?

• Episode 146 - Setting Your Baby's Sleep Schedule when Starting Solids with @sleepfullbaby Aubrie DeBear, PsyD

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called ⁠BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS⁠.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. ⁠CLICK HERE TO JOIN⁠ and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow ⁠@babyledweanteam⁠ on Instagram and our ⁠Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel⁠ for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. ⁠Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts⁠ or ⁠rate this show on Spotify podcasts⁠ and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#93 If you offered a new food once and your baby wasn’t into it, that doesn’t mean it’s a “no”...it just means it needs to come back around in your rotation. In this mini training episode, I’ll show you a simple, realistic system for reintroducing familiar foods while you keep moving forward with one new food a day, including my easy plate formula and rotation routine. You’ll leave with a concrete action step you can use at your very next meal to build diet diversity into your feeding plan without overthinking it.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. How to keep moving forward with one new food a day while still reintroducing familiar foods so they actually stick

2. Why “one-and-done” food exposures don’t build diet diversity…and what to do instead (even if your baby spits the first food out!)

3. What a simple, not-overwhelming plate and rotation routine looks like for your baby at different ages (6–7, 8–9, and 10+ months)

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/93

Links from This Episode:

• Get 15% off all ezpz feeding gear with the code BABYLED when you shop here

• My favorite ezpz bowl for introducing new finger foods is the ezpz Mini Bowl

Other Episodes Related to This Topic:

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN and use the code BLWPOD50 to save $50 when you sign up.

👀 👀 👀 👀 👀

Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices