Hi Reader, Question: What do babies drink after they turn one? Answer: ….water, breastmilk or cow’s milk, right? Yes…but…what if we are wrong about the cow’s milk stuff? Sophie Egan is the author of How to Be a Conscious Eater and she joined me on today’s new episode of the baby-led weaning podcast to talk about the role of cow’s milk for toddlers: why do we do it and what if we didn’t? This is episode 42 of the podcast “Is Cow’s Milk a Must for Toddlers? With Sophie Eagan” and you can listen...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I remember the first time one of my quadruplets had a shellfish reaction… We were at a Super Bowl party and he helped himself to some ceviche - which resulted in hives on his face and neck about an hour later. Offering your baby potentially allergenic foods like shellfish can be scary… …but avoiding shellfish entirely may actually increase the risk of allergy later on. In today’s new episode of the baby-led weaning podcast I’m covering Shellfish: How to Introduce Your Baby to this...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve been working with a wonderful assistant named Jedi in the baby-led weaning world for a few years now, and she just had her first baby. Jedi helps us with tons of content and she probably knows more than most people about starting solid foods safely… …but like most new moms - Jedi was worried when her baby wasn’t sitting on his own RIGHT at the 6 month mark - does that mean he can’t eat yet? 😱 If you’re stressing about your baby not sitting by 6 months of age, I just did a new...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I always thought babies drink out of the breast or bottle then go to a sippy cup and someday just figure out how to drink out of an open cup… …all of that changed when my friend Dawn Winkelmann, who is an SLP, introduced me to the benefits of open-cup drinking (and the drawbacks of sippy cups). In today’s new episode of the podcast Dawn is running down a list of 6 Reasons to Skip the Sippy Cup.This is episode 40 of the Baby-Led Weaning podcast called 6 Reasons to Skip the Sippy Cup...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Did you know that as recently as 20 years ago, the US Committee on Nutrition advised parents to withhold dairy foods until babies turned 1, no eggs until 2 and no peanuts, tree nuts and fish until age 3? (…and all of those recommendations were not evidence-based!) Today we know the exact opposite is true… Current research and updated guidance now advocates for early introduction of potentially allergenic foods to help prevent food allergy. …so no waiting until 3 to try out tree...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader,In many parts of Nigeria, babies are traditionally weaned with pap - a cornmeal-based cereal that provides calories but lacks many of the essential nutrients needed for healthy growth. Public health nutritionist and researcher Latifat Okara is working to change that.Latifat joined me on the baby-led weaning podcast to share how her work with NomNom Babies is helping families replace nutrient-poor staples with culturally familiar, nutrient-rich foods like crayfish, brown beans, eggs...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Soy is one of the most misunderstood allergenic foods - and some parents avoid it entirely out of fear. But the truth is, soy allergy is incredibly rare…and making soy foods safe for early eaters is easier than you may think. In today’s new episode of the Baby-Led Weaning podcast I’m sharing my favorite ways to make soy finger foods for baby-led weaning (...along with 2 popular approaches that are not safe and should be avoided). This is episode 37 of the podcast and the title is...
21 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, You’re not a bad parent if your formerly adventurous eater turns into a picky toddler. Picky eating is typical in toddlers - and picky eating is not a problem to be fixed. …but what about severe picky eating - and how do you know if what you’re seeing is run-of-the-mill picky eating vs. severe picky eating? In today’s new episode of the baby-led weaning podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Katja Rowell a family physician turned feeding specialist and author of the book “Helping Your Child...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Ever heard that babies should have 3 meals and 3 snacks per day? …if so, it’s not true. Your baby does not need snacks - especially early on when they are just learning how to eat. In today’s new episode of the baby-led weaning podcast we’re diving deep into snacks - looking at how these seemingly harmless foods can actually do some serious damage when your baby is learning how to eat. This is episode 35 of the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro podcast and the title is Babies...
28 days ago • 2 min read