Show Notes
#141: Is your baby really ready to start solid foods? If you’re getting conflicting advice about starting at 4 months, waiting until 6 months, sitting independently or showing interest in food, it can be hard to know when it’s actually safe to begin. In this episode, I’m breaking down the signs of readiness that matter, what you don’t need to stress about, and how to know when your baby is developmentally ready to start learning how to eat.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1. How to tell when your baby is developmentally ready to start solid foods
2. Which signs of readiness actually matter for safe baby-led weaning
3. Why showing interest in food does not necessarily mean your baby is ready to eat
Shownotes for this episode can be found here:
https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/141
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 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 421 - 5 Baby Milestones to Begin Baby-Led Weaning Safely | What Your Baby Should Be Able to Do Before Starting Solids
• Episode 113 - 4 & 5-Month Olds: Your Baby-Led Weaning Pre-Feeding Plan
• Episode 290- Pre-Feeding Skills: What Can My Baby Do Before Beginning Solid Foods? with Marsha Dunn Klein OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA
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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.
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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 save $50 when you sign up using the code BLWPOD50
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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.
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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
More from Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro
#144: What did babies eat before baby food was invented? Food historian Amy Bentley, PhD, author of Inventing Baby Food, joins me to unpack how commercial baby food, changing medical advice and clever marketing transformed the way we feed babies. If you’ve ever stood in the baby food aisle wondering whether your baby actually needs all of those jars, pouches and products, this episode will help you understand how we got here—and why babies are capable of eating real food from the start.
#143: How is your baby supposed to eat tiny foods like quinoa, rice or finely chopped vegetables if they can’t pick them up yet? Fritters are one of my favorite ways to transform hard-to-grasp foods into soft, manageable pieces your baby can self-feed. In this episode, I’m sharing my simple baby-led weaning fritter formula, how to combine grains, vegetables and protein, what to use if your baby can’t have egg, and how to keep fritters soft and moist for easier swallowing.
#142: Do you really need to wait 3 days between new foods? Does baby-led weaning mean no purees or spoons? And does your baby need to sit completely unsupported before starting solid foods?
#140: Why does starting solid foods make you feel like a brand-new mom all over again? Even parents who work in the baby space can feel nervous and unsure when it’s time to introduce real food. In this episode, I’m talking with Moms Interrupted hosts Natasha and Taylor about Taylor’s experience starting solid foods with her second baby, .especially after severe food allergy reactions with her first. Listen to hear what she was worried about before starting, what has surprised her so far, and why you don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing to confidently help your baby learn how to eat.
#139: Your baby is almost ready to start solid foods…so what should you actually do the day before that first bite? In this episode, I’m walking you through the simple pre-feeding steps that can make starting solid foods safer and less stressful. You’ll learn how to confirm your baby is ready, set up the high chair for safe feeding, choose and prepare that first food, understand gagging vs. choking, and set realistic expectations for day one—so you can stop second-guessing every decision and start feeding with confidence.