Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro

#126: You spent years studying nutrition…so why can starting solid foods with your own baby still feel so overwhelming?

If you’re a dietitian who is also a new mom, this episode is for you. I’m sharing why so many RDs feel underprepared to counsel families on baby-led weaning, even though we are the nutrition experts. We’ll talk about the education gap around readiness, choking-risk reduction, allergens, texture progression, responsive feeding, and the practical skills families are already asking us about.

I’ll also share why baby-led weaning can be more than something you want to learn for your own baby. It may also be the specialized career niche you’ve been looking for. Plus, I’ll tell you about our new Baby-Led Weaning Certification Course for Dietitians and how to join the founding members cohort before enrollment closes July 17 using code BLWDAY for 40% off at blwpro.org.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why so many dietitians feel underprepared to counsel families on baby-led weaning—even though we’re the food and nutrition experts—and where the biggest education gaps still exist.

2. How to confidently answer the questions parents are already asking about readiness to eat, gagging versus choking, allergen introduction, texture progression, and responsive feeding using an evidence-based approach.

3. What it takes to specialize in baby-led weaning as a dietitian, who the new Baby-Led Weaning Certification Course is designed for, and how it can help you build confidence in your practice while creating new career opportunities.

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/126

Links from This Episode:

• Join the Founding Members summer cohort of the Baby-Led Weaning Certification Course for Dietitians that starts July 20, 2026. Use code BLWDAY for 40% off registration at https://blwpro.org/ - Registration closes July 17, 2026

• 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 (this program is approved for 30 CPEUs for Registered Dietitians)

• 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 108- Do Babies Need Probiotics? with James Marin, RD, EN and Dahlia Marin, RDN, LD

• Episode 370 - Why Do Some Feeding Therapists Disagree with Baby-Led Weaning? with Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLP, IBCLC

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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

#125: Worried your baby might be allergic to a food you haven’t even offered yet? You’re not alone. Many parents feel anxious about introducing allergenic foods, and food allergy testing can seem like the safest first step…but unnecessary testing can actually create more confusion and fear.

In this episode, pediatric allergist Dr. David Stukus explains why false positive food allergy test results are so common, why most babies do not need allergy testing before trying allergenic foods, and what parents should actually watch for when offering new foods. You’ll learn why feeding your baby allergenic foods early and often is one of the best ways to help lower food allergy risk — and how to feel more confident doing it.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why false positive food allergy test results are so common and how unnecessary testing can make starting solid foods feel scarier than it needs to be

2. What to do if your baby reacts to one food and your pediatrician recommends a large panel of allergy tests

3. How to introduce allergenic foods to your baby in a way that helps you watch for real reactions without relying on unnecessary testing

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/125

Links from This Episode:

• Follow Dr. Stukus on Instagram and Twitter @allergykidsdoc

• Dr. Stukus is the Director of Nationwide Children’s Food Allergy Treatment Center

• He’s also the host of AAAAI’s podcast “Conversations from the World of Allergy”

• 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 11 - How to Introduce Allergenic Foods to Your Baby

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

• Episode 468 - Oral Food Challenges: Try Allergenic Foods at Home vs. the Doctor's Office? with @allergykidsdoc David Stukus, MD

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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

#124: What if your baby reacted to egg…does that mean eggs are off the table forever?

Not necessarily. In this episode, food allergy researcher and dietitian Carina Venter, PhD, RD, explains what an egg ladder is, how it may help some babies with egg allergy work toward tolerating egg again, and why this approach is used more often outside of the United States.

Carina also shares why egg white matters, why “egg intolerance” is usually not the right term, and what to ask your pediatrician or allergist before trying an egg ladder.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. What an egg ladder is and how it may help some babies with egg allergy work toward tolerating egg again

2. Why egg allergy is different from “egg intolerance” and why egg white is the part that matters most

3. How to talk to your pediatrician or allergist about egg ladders if your baby has reacted to egg and you are wondering what comes next

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/124

Links from This Episode:

• Carina was previously on the podcast in Episode 84: Why You Don’t Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between Trying New Foods

• International Milk Allergy in Primary Care (iMAP) Guideline

• Irish Egg ladder

• British Egg Ladder

• Link to course from FARE she teaches with Marion - dietitian “celebrity” allergists

• Eat Paper (this was the one Carina was discussing that had reported “poor compliance” because of boiled egg)

• Follow Carina Venter, PhD, RD on twitter: https://twitter.com/ventercarina

• Instagram (stalk her and find this) - one she doesn’t know how to access Carina Venter PhD RD (@VenterCarina) / X

• View Dr. Venter’s allergy-related research publications here: Carina Venter | Colorado PROFILES 
• Dietitians earn your FARE Certificate of Training in Pediatric Food Allergy in this 9-month (32 CPE) course Carina co-teaches for FARE 

• Dietitians join IDANA: International Network for Diet and Nutrition in Allergy 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 274 - Baby Has Skin Reactions to Milk, Egg and Peanut: What Should I Do Next? with Carina Venter, PhD, RDN

• Episode 368 - Using a Milk Ladder for Babies with Dairy Allergy with Carina Venter, PhD, RD

• Episode 468 - Oral Food Challenges: Try Allergenic Foods at Home vs. the Doctor's Office? with @allergykidsdoc David Stukus, MD

🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱

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

#123 What should you do if your baby gets a rash around their mouth after trying a new food? Before you panic and assume it’s a food allergy, listen to this episode.

I’m joined by pediatrician Dr. Ron Sunog to explain the difference between a harmless contact rash and a true allergic reaction. You’ll learn why certain foods can irritate your baby’s sensitive skin, what signs actually matter, and when it’s safe to offer that food again.

If you’re just starting solid foods and feeling nervous about introducing new foods…especially the Top 9 allergenic foods, this episode will help you feel calmer, more confident, and prepared.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. Why a rash around your baby’s mouth after eating is often not a food allergy…and how to tell the difference between a contact rash and a true allergic reaction

2. What to do if your baby gets redness, bumps, or irritation around their mouth after trying a new food

3. How drool, teething, and sensitive skin can make food-related rashes look scary…even when they are usually not dangerous

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/123

Links from This Episode:

• Dr. Sunog’s book: Eat the Eight: Preventing Food Allergies with Food and the Imperfect Art of Medicine

• Sign up for Katie & Dr. Sunog’s free online workshop WHAT DO I DO IF MY BABY HAS AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO FOOD: How to Identify, Respond to and Manage Reactions to Foods in Babies Without Freaking Out or Becoming Fearful of Trying New Allergenic Foods. Everyone in the workshop gets a copy of our free Food Allergy Emergency Reaction Map....hang this one on your fridge and you’ll never have to wonder if you’re taking the right steps in the event your baby has a reaction to food. Click here to sign up. 

• 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

#122: Starting solid foods can feel messy fast: food on the floor, sauce on the high chair, stains on your baby’s clothes, and sticky hands touching everything. In this episode, I’m interviewing Allison Evans, co-founder of Branch Basics, about how to clean up baby-led weaning food mess without relying on harsh household cleaners. You’ll learn simple ways to manage mealtime cleanup, what to look for in non-toxic cleaning products, and how Branch Basics can help with high chairs, counters, floors, dishes, and stubborn food stains. Use code KATIE15 for 15% off Branch Basics starter kits.

Listen to this episode to learn:

1. How Allison co-founded Branch Basics and why some “natural” cleaners may not be as clean as they claim

2. What to look for on household cleaner labels before using them around your baby

3. How to use Branch Basics Concentrate and Oxygen Boost to clean high chairs, counters, dishes, and food-stained clothes

Shownotes for this episode can be found here:

https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/122

Links from This Episode:

• Check out Branch Basics on their website at branchbasics.com (and see their About page for sure for a wild backstory on all of the founders!)

• If you want to try out the BRANCH BASICS non-toxic household cleaners in your house, get 15% off the starter kits with code KATIE15 by shopping here

• Pro tip: if you’re getting a BRANCH BASICS starter kit: spend the extra $10 for the premium kit, it contains that Oxygen Boost we were talking about for cleaning the food stains out of clothes & you can even use it on your dishes too

• 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