Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#92: Ever wonder why some high chairs seem to “work” for starting solid foods while others leave your baby slumped, feet dangling, and frustrated? In this episode, I’m joined by physiotherapist and ergonomist Kirsti Vandraas to break down what a safe, supportive baby seat should actually do.

We cover the key features that matter most for independent eating—like a stable base, an adjustable footrest, and a setup that lets your baby move their arms freely. Kirsti also explains why high chair designs and safety standards can vary between countries, and what parents can do to create a safer, more comfortable eating setup at home.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why high chair expectations differ in the U.S. vs. Europe, and how that shapes designs that bring your baby right up to the table for family meals (often without a tray).

2. How straps and restrictive setups can get in the way of functional movement at meals—and when kids are developmentally ready for more freedom in their seat.

3. Why a truly adjustable footrest matters for stability and torso control, supporting an upright “ready-to-eat” posture from your baby’s first bites.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/92

Links from This Episode:

• Get a free $80 tray for the Stokke Nomi High Chair or the Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair (or free $70 Tripp Trapp cushion) when you purchase either high chair using the code BLWTEAM here

• 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 7 - Why Your Baby’s High Chair Needs a Footrest

• Episode 488 - Best High Chairs for Baby-Led Weaning

• Episode 490 - Tripp Trapp vs. Nomi High Chair: Which One is Better?

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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.

💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

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

#91: Starting solid foods doesn’t mean buying special baby food, or adding weird ingredients to your shopping list.

In this episode, I’m showing you how to use pantry staples you already have to support baby-led weaning. You’ll learn what to look for on labels, which shelf-stable foods actually work for babies, and how pantry planning can make offering new foods feel less overwhelming and more realistic.

If starting solid foods feels expensive, confusing, or stressful, this episode will help you simplify and feel confident moving forward.

Listen to this episode to learn:

• Why you don’t need a separate “baby pantry” to start solid foods…and how to use shelf-stable foods you already have to support baby-led weaning

• What to look for on food labels so you can quickly choose pantry foods that are low in sodium, free from added sugar, and appropriate for your baby

• How pantry planning makes starting solid foods less overwhelming and helps you consistently offer a wider variety of foods with confidence

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/91

Links from This Episode:

• Grab your free copy of the Baby-Led Weaning Pantry Planning guide by clicking here.

• 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 5 - The Purees for a Few Days™ Approach to Starting Solid Foods with Baby-Led Weaning: a Feeding Guide

• Episode 75 - 10 Safe Canned Foods for Baby-Led Weaning: What to Buy (and What to Avoid) 

• Episode 89 - Freezer Aisle Finds 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

#90: If you’re starting solid foods with your baby and feeding an older child who’s more selective, this episode is for you.

In this throwback conversation, I’m joined by my oldest daughter Molly, who was six years old at the time of this recording (and is now eleven). As the big sister to six younger siblings who learned to eat using baby-led weaning, Molly had a front-row seat to what it looks like when babies are allowed to feed themselves, while older kids are still figuring out their own relationship with food.

We talk about why baby-led weaning doesn’t promise to prevent picky eating (but can help make it less intense) and share practical ways to involve older siblings in the kitchen and at the table when your baby is learning how to eat.

This episode is especially helpful if you’re worried about “messing it up again” with your baby or wondering how to manage different eating stages under the same roof.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why baby-led weaning doesn’t prevent picky eating—but can make it less intense and easier to manage

2. How to involve older siblings in the kitchen and at the table when your baby is starting solid foods

3. Practical ways to support a more selective eater without pressure while your baby learns to self-feed

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/90

Links from This Episode:

• Little Partners Learning Tower - we have 2 of these that you pull up to the counter so your toddlers and bigger kids can safely help you cook. Linking to this tower on Amazon here (this is an affiliate link).

• Check out Dani Lebovitz’s books about fruits and vegetables… she has tons of resources for getting kids more aware about produce, teaching them in age appropriate ways & her site with all of her resources is here and she’s on Instagram @kids.food.explorers 

• Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program 
and get $50 off 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

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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

#89 The freezer aisle isn’t off-limits when you’re starting solid foods…you just need to know what to look for. In this episode, I’m breaking down 5 freezer aisle finds that actually work for baby-led weaning, including what to check on labels and how to serve these foods safely to your baby. If you’ve been avoiding the middle of the store because you thought frozen foods were packed with junk your baby shouldn’t eat, this episode just might change how you shop!

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Which frozen foods are actually safe for baby-led weaning…and how to spot low-sodium, no–added sugar options without overthinking labels

2. How to save time and mental energy while starting solid foods, using freezer aisle staples that work for real life, not just Pinterest boards

3. What it’s like to feel more confident at the grocery store, knowing what to buy, what to skip, and how frozen foods can fit into feeding your baby safely

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/89

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 get $50 off 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 33 - Salt: 3 Easy Ways to Minimize Sodium for Your Baby

• Episode 75 - 10 Safe Canned Foods for Baby-Led Weaning: What to Buy (and What to Avoid)

• Episode 111 - Grocery Shopping for BLW: Stocking Up Smart & What to Skip

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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

#88: Many parents come into starting solid foods carrying their own food baggage harboring worries about picky eating, pressure at the table, or repeating patterns from their own childhood. It’s easy to fear projecting those concerns onto your baby before they’ve even taken their first bites.

In this episode, pediatrician and trained chef Dr. Julia Nordgren shares how to write your family’s food story from a blank slate. We talk about reducing pressure, focusing on exposure over perfection, involving kids with food at every age, and building a positive, confident relationship with eating from the very beginning.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Learn how to start solid foods with a blank slate, even if you’re worried about picky eating or repeating unhealthy food patterns from your own childhood.

2. Get practical, pressure-free strategies for building a positive relationship with food from your baby’s first bites through the toddler years.

3. Feel reassured and supported by a pediatrician who understands real family life — and shows you how small, intentional choices around food can make a big difference.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/88

Links from This Episode:

• Dr. Julia Cooks website is here: https://www.drjuliacooks.com/ 

• The New Family Table: Cooking More, Eating Together, and Staying (Relatively) Sane is available on Amazon (this is an affiliate link) here https://amzn.to/3gOipwB 

• The Great Courses’ How Superfoods Work audiobook with Dr. Julia Nordgren https://www.audible.com/pd/How-Superfoods-Work-Audiobook/B08B46DVWW  

• 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

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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