How to Fix the Most Common Baby-Led Weaning Challenges

On-Demand Class · Feeding & Nutrition

In this course, we'll cover the most frequently asked questions and concerns about starting solids that come up among my clients and followers.

Class Description

In this course, we'll cover the most frequently asked questions and concerns about starting solids that come up among my clients and followers.

Sessions Overview

  1. How and Why We Need to Embrace the Mess!: In this lesson, we'll talk about why allowing food play, mess and exploration is such a helpful long-term investment in a baby's feeding journey, and I'll share my tips and favorite tools for both embracing and containing the mess.
  2. Why More Flavor is Better!: A common misconception about starting solids is that foods offered to babies should be bland. In Lesson 2, we'll talk about the importance of flavor and ways to season your baby's food safely and appropriately.
  3. How to Soothe and Manage Bouts of Teething: One of the biggest drivers behind a baby’s temporary loss of interest in eating or drinking is teething! In this lesson, we'll talk about safe ways to provide relief during teething phases.
  4. What to Do When Your Baby Is Uninterested in Food: In this lesson, we'll talk about some of the many potential reasons why a baby might not be interested in food, and what you can do to help.
  5. A Parent's Guide to Baby Constipation and Gassiness: In this lesson, we'll go over what to do about baby constipation and other common tummy troubles that often crop up after babies start eating complementary foods.⁠
  6. What You Need to Know About Food Intolerances & Sensitivities: Food intolerances and sensitivities are often confused with food allergies because the symptoms can look and feel similar. In this lesson, we'll dive in on the differences between them and what to do if you suspect your little one has one.
  7. What You Need to Know About Rice Cereal: In Lesson 7, we'll talk about rice cereal and why it's actually not a great choice as a first food (or even as a food in general during infancy). We'll also discuss some healthier iron-rich infant cereal options that work well as alternatives to rice cereal.
  8. Wait, What? There are Toxic Metals in Baby Food?: If you have questions or concerns about the periodic news reports regarding toxic heavy metals in some brands of commercial baby food, this lesson is for you. We'll discuss the recent reports, as well as steps that you can take to reduce the levels of contaminants in your family's food.
  9. Top Tips for Eating Out with Babies: Hitting the road and eating out with your littlest eater can feel challenging at first, but with a little practice, it does get easier. In this lesson, I'll provide you with some tips that make the process of eating out with your baby simple and fun.
  10. Handling Relatives & Daycares Who Don't Support Your Feeding Style: In this lesson, we'll cover some strategies for navigating relatives, friends, and/or other folks around you who may disagree with how you've decided to feed your baby.
  11. What to do About Excessive Gagging: Gagging is generally helpful during the process of learning how to eat, but you may wonder if there is a point at which excessive gagging becomes a concern. The answer is yes, and in this lesson, we'll talk about when it's time to get proactive, how to get proactive, and what and who can help.
  12. How to Handle Mouth Stuffing, Giant Bites, & Food Pocketing: In this lesson, we'll talk about what to do when babies overstuff the mouth, take huge bites, and/or pocket food in the mouth.
  13. What is Feeding Therapy and When Should You Consider It?: In this lesson, we'll talk all about what feeding therapy is, what ages it’s appropriate for, how it can help, how to tell if your baby might need it, and both where to find it and how to access it, if the answer is yes.
  14. Approaching 12 Months: How to Manage the Changes in Appetite: In this lesson, we'll explore changes in appetite (that are common as babies transition from infancy to toddlerhood) and how to handle them.

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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