What to Know Before You Start Baby-Led Weaning

On-Demand Class · Feeding & Nutrition

In this course, we’ll go over everything you need to know before starting your baby on solid foods, including when to begin, signs of developmental readiness, which essential items you’ll need, and the do's & don't of food safety.

Class Description

In this course, we’ll go over everything you need to know before starting your baby on solid foods, including when to begin, signs of developmental readiness, which essential items you’ll need, and the do's & don't of food safety.

Sessions Overview

  1. What is Baby-Led Weaning?: In Lesson 1, we'll get straight on what the term 'baby-led weaning' even means! Because there can sometimes be a little confusion at the beginning.
  2. Is Baby-Led Weaning Right for Your Baby?: Is baby-led weaning a good fit for your baby? In Lesson 2, we'll talk about baby-led feeding as an option for starting solids, and situations in which finger foods may not be the best fit as a way to begin.
  3. Combo Feeding: Purées & Finger Foods: What if you want to start your baby on solids using a combined approach of both purees and finger foods? In Lesson 3, we'll talk about all your options for starting solids, and why (when you're feeding responsively) there's really no need to choose one or the other.
  4. Why Baby-Led Weaning: Why are so many nutrition experts big fans of baby-led weaning? I’n Lesson 4, I'll go into some of the incredible short- and long-term benefits of this approach.
  5. When Should Your Baby Start Solids?: Guidelines have changed a lot over the past several decades on when to start babies on solid foods. In Lesson 5, we'll explore the latest research on when it's best to begin, and what to look for in your baby in terms of signs of readiness for solid foods.
  6. What You Really Need to Feed: An Essential Baby-Led Weaning Feeding Checklist: What items do you need to get started? The truth is, you really don’t need much at all...get the lowdown here in Lesson 6 on the top things that will make your life easier during this fun stage.
  7. Food Safety 101: Foodborne illness happens more often than you might think. If you’re not someone who is familiar with food safety guidelines, Lesson 7 is meant to educate you on the basics and help you make food safety a consistent part of your routine as you prepare foods for yourself and your family.

Your Instructor

Malina Malkani

Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN, is the pediatric registered dietitian, best-selling author, speaker, and single mom of three behind the Instagram and TikTok handle @healthy.mom.healthy.kids. A top nutrition influencer dedicated to educating her combined audience of over 140,000 followers about infant and childhood nutrition, Malina is a trusted expert in local and national media outlets and owns a nutrition consulting company and private practice that helps caregivers feed their babies and kids with confidence. She is the author of Simple and Safe Baby-Led Weaning: How to Integrate Foods, Manage Portion Sizes, and Identify Allergies and the creator of two online courses: Safe & Simple Baby-Led Feeding and Solve Picky Eating. A 2022 and 2023 Forbes Health Advisory Board Member, member of the Advisory Council for the RWJF Reframing Child Health and Obesity project, and former national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Malina completed her undergraduate degrees at Northwestern University and master's degree in clinical nutrition at New York University.

Degrees and Certifications

Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, New York University Clinical Dietetic Internship, Bronx VA Hospital Commission on Dietetic Registration’s two certificates of training in adult weight management Undergraduate degrees (BM, BA) in literature and music from Northwestern University

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