The introduction to solid can be daunting for some. My guest today explains the child lead concept of Baby-Led Weaning. It made so much sense to me and was very aligned with the child-led approach of Montessori parenting.
What We Talked About
- How she discovered Baby Led Weaning out of necessity.
- The Origins of Baby-Led Weaning
- Some of the biggest myths concerning Baby-Led Weaning
- The pre-loaded spoon approach to self-feeding
- The importance of practicing using an open cup and skipping the sippy cup
- Readiness cues are needed before introducing solids
- The concept of the division of responsibility and saying no to the empty plate club
- The potential BLW has to avoid picking eating in children
Things to Remember
“Learning how to eat is a full sensory experience.”
“The fun and the joy that you see in your babies’ independence and learning how to handle and eat food is totally worth the trade-off of the mess that it makes.”
“Infants don’t need anything except breast milk or formula prior to six months.”
“We use the weaning period to help them learn how to get nutrition from food.”
“We as parents or caregivers have three jobs. We are responsible for what the child eats and when they eat and where they eat.”
“The child inherently knows when they are full or when they are hungry.”
“How much your baby eats early on in the weaning process does not matter.”
– Katie Ferraro
Additional Resources
Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide How to Introduce Solid Foods and Help Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy Confident Eater, by Gill Rapley, Ph.D. and Tracey Murkett
Dawn Winkelmann, Speech-Language Pathologist, and Pediatric Feeding Therapist (I’ll be interviewing her soon, stay tuned).
Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility
Jeanne-Marie’s interview on Katie’s podcast: Montessori Weaning Table Explained
All the Baby-Led Weaning Items mentioned can be found here
Let’s Continue the conversation…
Now, Katie and I want to hear from you!
Are you intrigued about what baby-led weaning is all about? Listen in to find out the best approach to introducing solids safely.
Leave a comment below and let us know; you’ll also be helping others to know what is possible.
Remember, The Art of Parenting was created for you. If you have any suggestions for experts I should have on the show or parenting questions you want to be answered, please let me know here.
More About My Guest
Katie Ferraro, MPH, RDN, CDE is a Registered Dietitian specializing in baby-led weaning (BLW) and a mom of 7. She teaches nutrition at San Diego State University and hosts the top-rated parenting podcast BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY.
Katie runs the largest digital community dedicated to BLW and she helps parents, caregivers and healthcare providers give their babies a safe start to solid foods using baby-led weaning.
- Website: Baby-led Weaning
- Instagram: @babyledweanteam
- YouTube: Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro
Show Sponsor
This episode of The Art of Parenting is sponsored by The Parenting School, supporting you to raise curious, resilient children while minimizing the overwhelm. Click here to get on the waitlist today.
