Ep 325: Introducing Solid Foods with Pediatric Feeding Experts: Cinthia Scott & Catherine Callahan

Hi and welcome to episode 325 of the Untethered Podcast. Today we have Catherine Callahan and Cynthia Scott joining us. Katherine is a speech language pathologist, pediatric feeding therapist, certified lactation counselor and mother based in Chicago. Her Instagram Chai Kids feeding has over 102,000 followers. Cynthia Scott is a pediatric registered Dietitian and International Board certified lactation consultant with over seven years of experience as the founder of the Baby Dietitian. She specializes in guiding parents of children age 0 to 5 to establish healthy eating patterns from the start. Cynthia Co authored 101 Before One Starting Solids and created the Starting Solids 101 program offering personalized support for optimal early nutrition. Her Instagram the Baby Dietitian has over 531,000 followers. Go give both of them a follow. Welcome to the Untethered Podcast. I am your host, Holly Balkan. I'm a certified myofunctional therapist, feeding specialist, podcaster business owner and mentor. This podcast is all about getting your questions answered and collaborating with colleagues to bring you the most up to date information in the orofacial myofunctional therapy, airway, tetradural tissue and pediatric feeding therapy space. If you're new here, I challenge you to keep an open mind and join my mission to spread this message far and wide. If you've been around since June 2019, thanks for being a loyal listener. As we jump into today's episode, remember to listen with correct oral rest posture, tongue up, lips closed, teeth apart, breathe through your nose. Let's get started. Quick Disclaimer all information, content and material of this podcast are the opinions of the speakers and is for the informational purpose only and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis and or medical treatment of a qualified healthcare provider. Cynthia Catherine, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you for having us.

Thanks for having us. It's great.

I'm excited to have you all here because I know that you guys just released a brand new book which we're going to talk about today. But before we jump into that, will you both just tell us a little bit about you? They heard your bio, but in your own words, just tell us a little bit about who you are and what you specialize in.

Yeah, so I'll go first. My name is Katherine Callahan. I am a speech language pathologist, pediatric feeding therapist, certified lactation counselor, and then a mom of three. And I have been working in the field for about 17 years, working in primarily a pediatric hospital setting, seeing infants and children with feeding and swallowing disorders and then I've also started my own business where I help local families with their feeding challenges. I support people online through Instagram and TikTok. And then I've also been working with this amazing team at 101 before 1 and just released this book, Baby Leads the Way.

Amazing. Cynthia, tell us a little bit about you.

So I'm a pediatric registered dietitian and an international board certified lactation consultant. And I'm a mom of two and I've been a dietitian for a little over 10 years now, but really got into the focus of pediatrics pediatric nutrition when I had my first son and I realized how much conflicting information there was out there, especially when I went to my 4 month old pediatrician appointment and they were telling me a lot of things that I was questioning and I was like, you know what, let's dig into this a little bit deeper. I really wanted to make sure that everything I was doing was evidence based. So I started sharing all this information I was learning on social media. And then we create kind of the posts were going viral and people loved the information and I was like, wow, this is definitely an area that moms need more information on. So that's when I focused to solely pediatric nutrition. And we created the team at 101 before 1. And since then we've created tons of resources to help parents and practitioners help feed their kids a little bit easier.

I love that because as you're, as you both were talking, I was like, yeah, I remember almost, almost 10 years ago now because my daughter will be 10 August 21st. We were kind of, she was brand new and we were struggling with feeding and all the things and transition to solids actually went pretty well. But I remember just being like deer in the headlights, like, what do I do? Where do I start? There's all this conflicting advice. Baby led weaning. And some people say do solids and some people say you should feed them, but they should feed themselves. And some people say do a combination of the two. And I'm like, I'm a pediatric feeding therapist, but I work with like 12 plus months. I don't usually work with like the infants who are just new to starting. I work with the ones who have struggled to start or the ones, you know what I mean? And I was like, and here I am with my own child and I have no idea what to do with her. So yeah, so I mean that's, I think the work you're obviously doing is incredibly needed.

Yeah, we're excited because when the, the American Academy of Pediatrics reached out to us. They have actually never released like a starting solids evidence based guide. And so when they asked us to partner with them, we were like, we've been waiting. Like, this is what we wanted. We want more parents to have information like this and we want practitioners to have something easy to read. So yeah, we were really excited to team up with them.

That's amazing. So can you share with our listeners? We obviously not obvious, but we have a lot of pediatric feeding therapists that listen to the podcast. Not all of them work with infants, but I will say a lot of them do get, you know, children who may be struggling to introduce new foods still, even though they may be older, but just for those who are still in an infancy age. And we do have a lot of parents who listen to the podcast too, and you know, allied health professionals and related providers. So just some signs, like what are some signs that people can look for? Whether it's a provider or a parent that will basically say, hey, your kid is ready, or this child is ready to start solids. Yeah.

So I think the most important is that baby should be around six months of age. And this is developmental age. So if the baby's born prematurely, that's going to be a little bit different. But developmental age, able to sit upright independently and able to hold their head upright independently and then also bringing things to their mouth. So they're mouthing their hands, they're mouthing, picking up teething toys, rattles, things like that, and mouthing them on their own. So those are the main signs of readiness.

Awesome. And what about this whole discussion over baby led weaning? And you know, listen, I come from a MYO background, so we're like, the harder the thing is that they're chewing on, the better it is for their jaw development. Right. People are like, what do you mean? You give the baby a chicken bone. Like, what do you mean? You give them a big raw carrot. Obviously it's under supervision, but you know, I know in the whole baby led weaning movement too, you know, we get questions from parents all the time like, is it safe to give children foods in this form? Do you have some thoughts on that?

Yes. So definitely it is safe. And our whole philosophy is baby leads the way. We are introducing solid foods to baby but also purees. So we really believe that, you know, adult diet, if you look at an adult diet, there we, we're eating purees, we're eating, I ate yogurt for breakfast. Right. So babies can eat that from the beginning, but it's all about baby leading the way, feeding themselves. So it, you know, we call it baby led feeding it. It's very similar baby led weaning, but really primarily solid foods. And it's all about serving foods that match the baby's developmental age. So you're going to look at what are those developmental skills that they are doing right now and match the textures that you're serving them to meet their skills.

I love that because that was one of my biggest confusion points. When I was looking at baby led weaning. I was like, what do you mean, no purees? And I know that comes up a ton. People are like, well, as adults, we eat thickly soups, we eat applesauce, we eat yogurt. I mean, you just, you know, mashed avocado on top of something else. Like, it might be a mixed consistency to that point, but I'm like, we eat purees and softer solids, so why are we not giving these to babies? Like, it made absolutely no sense in my brain. So I, I love that you highlighted that.

I feel like people like to make up rules with baby led weaning or baby or feeding your baby that we actually have, like, no research to support. There's a. There's a big group of people that are like, if you're doing baby led weaning, you cannot do purees.

Right.

I'm like, tell me, why is there research? Is there science that shows this? No, there's not. And I mean, we just highly encourage that whatever type of food you're providing, you're offering lots of variety so that we're helping shape taste preferences, that we're helping them learn how to manage all these different foods in like a really. In a period where it may be easier for them to learn. Yeah.

And babies really need exposure to those wet puree textures and to practicing using utensils. So if you're skipping out on purees, you're skipping out on a lot of, like, sensory exposure and utensil skill building.

100%. I love that. Okay, what about parents who are like, what if my baby chokes? Is my baby going to choke? And I know I do a lot of education around choking versus gagging and how this can also be beneficial in some ways as we're learning things and our body's protecting us. But I'd love to know, you know, how you respond to parents or even other professionals who are like, what if they choke?

Yeah. So there actually is research that says that there's no higher risk of choking with introducing solid foods through baby Lead feeding versus purees. And it's all about exposure to baby to those textures. They learn how to build their chewing skills early on. Introducing if you babies have higher risk of choking, if you are introducing purees only for a long period of time, and then introducing a solid food later where baby hasn't developed those oral motor skills to handle the solid texture.

That makes sense. I mean, I feel like we see this a lot and you know, not necessarily babies are choking, but we get a lot of kids who kind of get stuck in one type of consistency and that's all they're really getting. And yeah, maybe mom's changing the flavor profile or the color, but it's all purees and all this, you know, then they want to know why they won't move past that. And it's like the gag reflex is too far forward in the mouth. And so anything that goes in that's not something they're using to, you know, elicits a gag. And a lot of the families think the child is choking. So there's that. But yeah, it's. I feel like we get a lot of kiddos who are stuck.

Yeah. And those purees are easier in the beginning, like feel easier, I think, to parents because they can control it a little bit more, maybe a little bit less messy. But then what happens is then the challenge becomes later when you haven't introduced any solid foods, and then all of a sudden baby doesn't know what to do with when you, you know, put an avocado on their tray. So starting really early in that window when baby's open to trying new foods and new textures and they're ready to learn is super important.

Yeah. So would that be like your big tip for combining traditional purees in with the baby lead feeding kind of modality with other more solid foods? Just earlier introduction, more variety. Yeah.

So our program is really all about diet diversity. So introducing a diverse diet in terms of flavor and texture early on. So, you know, feeding baby a little bit of puree preloaded on a spoon along with a piece of solid food from the beginning so that they are, you know, when they're open and ready to try things, they're learning and practicing that right away.

I love that.

I'd also like to add that I think people think that baby led weaning, there's like a strict definition that it can only be solid food. And that's actually not true. Baby led feeding or baby led weaning is really just letting babies self feed. So you can say that you're Doing baby led feeding and still give your baby purees if your baby is self feeding. So I think that that's a common misconception that it has to be all solid food and it can't have any purees to be baby led feeding.

Right. And that's, that's totally what I saw like 10 years ago. Right. It was like there was this, and that's probably just what I stumbled across online. But it was like this one camp that was like, oh no, no, you don't get babies purees. And I was like, I'm a feeding therapist. Like everything in my gut is telling me like, I can't skip that step. So I will take some of information you're giving me and follow it. But also, I'm gonna also give her pra's. And I'm so glad I, I did. But I feel like I had some background to know that that was important. Like you talked about Catherine with just the sensory, oral, motor skills and needing to have that experience and also wider variety of foods and, you know, all of the above.

So yeah, I think at least when I, when my babies were around six months, when I went to the pediatrician, they gave me like one very small handout and they were like, here you go, start solids now. Had the background, so I knew a little bit more. But I think families get that and then they go online and they start searching and if you stumble upon the wrong profile or information from somebody who doesn't have any experience or professional knowledge, then you might get the wrong information that can cause problems later on.

Absolutely. So let's talk about allergies, because I know that with earlier introduction there is a lot of like research that says if you introduce things earlier, it tends to decrease the likelihood of allergies. Now I know that's not maybe always the case for every child, but I always find it fascinating that in like third world countries they use like a peanut powder for malnourished children. And I'm like, what about the kids with peanut allergies? And I realized that doesn't exist there. So I know that has a lot to do with, you know, how all the toxins in our foods, we don't necessarily have to go there, but. But yeah, I'm curious to know just your thoughts around like earlier introduction and how that contributes or prevents allergies. Potentially.

Yes. So we know that it's important to introduce those top nine allergens early and often. So if your child is at higher risk of food allergy, so that would be a baby with eczema or a prior existing food allergy. You should start to introduce them at four months with, I think, support from your pediatrician. And it's obviously going to be a little bit different texture. We're not going to introduce the solid form yet, but it might be like a, you know, mixed into a breast milk or formula or water so that it's runny puree type of texture. So those would be only those kids with higher risk of food allergies. If your baby does not have that higher risk, then you should introduce them at six months. You can introduce one at a time. We wanna do that so that we just. We don't miss out if they do have a reaction. But they can be one every day. It doesn't need to be three days in between. Family is going to, you know, introduce that food, wait a few minutes. If baby's not happy having any reaction, then they'll continue to introduce a full portion. It should be a portion size, not just like a little bit on their fingers or a tiny lick. And then once the baby has exposure and is okay with it, then you're going to continue to introduce it like three times a week. And those are those top nine allergens. All of the other foods, we encourage families to introduce a variety all at once. You don't need to introduce one new food a day.

I think that's very interesting too, because you mentioned, like, you don't have to do it for three days straight. Where I remember being like, okay, day one, now it's day two, now we can move to the next one. I was like, this is going to take forever. So that's fascinating that I didn't even know that about the top nine allergens, that you don't actually have to wait.

Yeah. So if a baby's going to have a reaction, it's going to be immediate, typically within the first hour. So you don't need to wait for three days. And that is something that's changed. I think that was, you know, in the past. That really was what. What the allergy world was telling us. But things have changed.

So. Fascinating. So what, what signs should parents look for? I know, obviously hives, breathing issues, you know, are there other things that you're recommending they look for if there is an allergic reaction?

Our pediatric allergist, Manisha, is amazing. And in the book, she gives, like a full chart of all the different possible reactions and kind of what to do in each case. There can be, like you said, the anaphylactic response, where it is more like swelling, hives, breathing issues, the more serious response. But then there's also different types of allergic reactions where they could be more GI related. So that could be nausea, vomiting, things like that. And so being able to know the difference and see the different signs and know that, you know, just because your baby has tummy, maybe your child gets constipated or has diarrhea around one certain food that could potentially be an allergy, if we're noticing that it's when we introduce that same food has a connection with it. So I think knowing that it could be like a different response is really important when going into introducing those top nine allergens.

Amazing. I think that's so important for parents to pay attention to because a lot of our kids that I think that have these GI issues often get ignored.

Same for me.

Yes.

Yeah. So I think it's funny, I've been on all these podcasts, like, saying exactly what you should do. But I think it's really important to know that like, like with food allergies especially, we can do all the right things. We can do everything that's evidence based and has the research to support it. And your kid may still have a food allergy because there are so many factors that go into it. And early introduction of food is just one prevention. But there's environmental factors, there's hereditary factors, there's all these different things that go into your child having a food allergy. So even if you do all the things right and they still have a food allergy, it's not your fault. And I think that's really important to know.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for highlighting that because I feel like I spent a lot of time coaching, mentoring. Not mentoring, but counseling. Right. Families and saying like, you didn't cause this, like you did all the things. And now we just have to kind of navigate next steps. Right. But I think there's a lot of parental guilt around or a caregiver guilt around some of these things. So talk to me about responsive feeding and like, playing. Because I wanted. I think I was reviewing, you know, a while ago, I was reviewing your outline in the book and everything, and I know that you take that responsive feeding approach, which I think has become really popular these days. And I love it because I feel like that's what I've always done, but we never really put a term to it. But yeah, I think that it's a really big topic that I want our listeners to hear about and really understand what it means.

Yeah. So responsive feeding is one of the pillars we talk about in our book, we have a whole chapter all centered around that, and our pediatrician wrote that chapter. So it really is responding to baby's cues for hunger and fullness. And, you know, as the caregiver or the parent, you are. If they are showing you they want more, you're feeding them more. If they're showing you they are done, you are stopping the meal or you're changing or changing what you're offering or how you're presenting it. It really is like letting baby communicate with you and tell you what they want and when they want more or when they want to be done. And it's, you know, it's all about kind of letting. Yeah. Letting baby take the lead and being able to understand their own hunger and fullness cues and being able to share that with you.

Really want to raise kids that are intuitive eaters. We want to prevent, you know, disordered relationships with foods. We want kids to eat based on their hunger cues and not from parental pressure or rewarding or bribing. So helping them do that right from the start and letting them learn to trust their body is really something we highly prioritize.

I love that. I love the intuitive eater side of things, too. So are there. So from the beginning, right? Like, how are you guiding families to do this? I know through baby LED feeding, we're obviously allowing them to engage with the food. They're kind of driving the boat here. Right. And parents are then responding based on what baby does. Are there other things, like, my parents, like, well, how do I. How do I create an intuitive eater? Are there any tips that you can give parents?

I think parents really want, especially when starting solids, they really want an exact amount of food they should provide baby. I think that's, like, huge. And I think we have lots of charts and stuff flying around the Internet. Like, they need half a cup of this and one tablespoon of this. But I think learning to ignore those expectations because every child is so different and just as adults, we eat a different amount per meal and per day. Like, our kids will also eat a different amount depending on their age and their height and their weight and. And are they sick? Have they had a lot of exercise? And so I think trying to start small with portions. We really recommend, like, really small portions to start with, and as they eat it, continue to add more. And we really don't want to make comments around the food like, oh, you. Anything that is kind of pressuring them to eat more, we just want to prevent. We. Katherine goes into this A lot, especially when we get into toddler years. But avoiding language around meals, that makes them feel like they need to eat more, they need to eat less.

Yeah. And what about language around like good foods versus bad foods or healthy and not healthy? Do you try to avoid that too?

Yes, we're super big on that because food is not bad or good. Like we don't want to associate our worth or our value around the foods we eat. And kids are really black and white thinkers. So I mean, they can go as far as to think. Like Imami said, this cookie is bad. So if I eat it, I'm bad and I should have shame around that. And I think it's hard for adults to understand that because that seems kind of silly. Like, obviously, no, we're not saying that you're. That a cookie is. You're bad if you eat a cookie. But that's kind of how kids take it. So we really want to use very neutral language around food.

And will you. So parents understand too. Will you talk about foods like, oh, this is a protein, this gives us energy versus like, this is sugar. You know, we're going to get some energy, but then we might feel really sleepy afterwards, you know. So it's just to understand like the difference between the types of energy that a food might give us.

Yeah, that we, that kind of comes with age. When we're just like when starting solids and toddlers, we're really trying to focus on the positives of all the foods. So picking out something that can be positive about food. So let's say like, okay, we're eating a hamburger. This is going to keep us full if we pair it with our fruit. So we have our carbohydrates to give us the quick energy. And then our protein is going to help that energy last a really long time. We're really thinking about positive things about the foods and we're not throwing in negative. So yes, we can talk about macronutrients a little bit as they get older, but we really want to make sure we're not saying this macronutrient is better than these macronutrients. We want them to see that all of them work together to make our bodies feel really good.

I love that reframe.

That's so good. And also if they do have a lot of candy or something for Halloween or something, we want them to learn that didn't make your body feel that great, but in a non shaming way. So we're letting them have the experience and being like, oh, how do you feel you don't feel so great. Well, maybe next time we can eat some cheese or something with it and maybe we only eat a couple pieces instead of all of this. And when our babies learn it on their own, our toddlers and children learn it on our own, it kind of sticks better than mommy telling them what to do without them experiencing it.

Right. And I feel like then in turn you get those intuitive eaters, right, who know how to listen to their body. I feel like it took me of a while to kind of get to that in childhood. I did because I had issues with dairy and all kinds of things. And I could tell very early on, like, what made me feel good and what didn't make me feel good. And I think kids are pretty smart and like, they, they can tell you for sure. My kids know for sure what, what makes them feel great and what doesn't. So, yeah, I love that you're really highlighting that. So when it comes to some of these new foods, right, are there certain foods we've really talked about, like foods that you recommend parents start with? Like, I feel like there is all these stories around. I won't even. Some of them are, but like some, you know, some people say, oh, you got to start with these foods. And other people say, no, start with these foods. And so what do you all recommend?

We're really not super picky. We, like Catherine says, we're really about diversity. We obviously want to focus on really iron rich foods because that's the one of the main reasons why we're starting to introduce solids at six months is to help meet their really, really high iron needs and to prevent iron deficiency. So those can be things that are plant based, like sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, tofu, things like that, quinoa, lentils, or they could be animal based products. So eggs, chicken, beef, fish, things like that. So whatever the family culturally enjoys and usually serves, we recommend them focusing on those foods. So we're not making two separate meals, but we're still helping meet the nutrients they need in their diet.

Do you have any tips for how parents can modify that family meal to be more appropriate for their baby? If they're like, how do I make this so it's safe? Or how do I basically change what I'm doing so I'm not making two separate meals.

So I think taking the food that you've made for the family and then pulling things out that are the right texture for baby at their developmental age. So I always remind family to look at your baby, look at where they are are with their skills. If they're six months, they're sitting upright, they're picking food up with that whole hand grasp. You're gonna, you're gonna take part of your meal, let's say you've served chicken, and you're gonna slice it in that stick shape. You're gonna make sure it's pretty soft and not too dry for baby or, you know, if you had made a sweet potato or potatoes for the family, you're gonna just pull a couple out and slice them in that way that baby meets baby's developmental skills at six months. If they're closer to eight or nine months and they've started crawling, they are picking things up with the pincer grafts. Then you're gonna pull out pieces of, in little cube shapes that are easy for baby to pick up. You're also going to kind of make sure that you can squish them so they're soft enough that baby can chew with their, you know, with their jaw strength and their chewing skills at that age. And then I think Cindy could probably also talk about like, you know, you're going to make sure that you're not serving things that are unsafe for them that are, you know, like something like honey or foods that are too, you.

Know, high in sodium. Yeah, too high in sodium or a lot of added sugar. So I think I just did a post about this, actually, which is probably why Catherine thought about it is because I feel like we hear with baby led weaning that you can feed baby whatever you're having. And yes, to an extent, we do want to include baby and family meal, of course, but a lot of adults aren't eating a very nutritious diet to begin with. And so, yes, we will have to make some modifications and we can't just serve them anything. So, yeah, there is some nuance to that.

Yeah, no, that makes total sense. So I'm glad you highlighted that. And then here's a big one. Right. So talking about mealtimes, we get a lot of families that have a lot of anxiety around letting their children get messy. And I know as a feeding therapist how important it is for the sensory system to have that experience. Do you have any tips for our listeners, even therapists who are working with families who might be experiencing this, but those who want to, you know, cover their children wrist to wrist in a bib and who anytime somebody gets, you know, messy, they wipe their face or their hands. Any, any thoughts, tips on that topic?

I think I, you know, coach families about this all the time. Is there's a little bit, you have to try to let go a little bit of kind of what your expectation is or what you want things to look like.

And.

But you have to do what you can do means you can do yourself, right? You do your best. Do a little. Let your baby get a little bit more messy every day. I think preparing the room. So if you're worried about your floors, put a mat down, you know, have a bib that's going to catch some of the food, you know, and just kind of like constantly remind yourself to try not to keep wiping their face or their hands and just remember that it's not going to last for a long time. This, this, you know, messy period doesn't last forever. So if you just can kind of like take a deep breath, you know, let some of it go, it'll have a lot of benefits for baby.

Yeah, totally. Regulate your own nervous system as an adult so that you can like.

I really tell families to focus on what you're eating. Try your best. Like you sit with the baby and you eat and enjoy your food. Baby is watching you. That's something we really talk to families about. All the times they're learning from imitating you, from following your cues. So you take a deep breath, focus on your eating and try to kind of enjoy it yourself so you are less focused on baby's mess.

Yes.

I love that. I love that. Any tips for parents who are worried about children becoming picky eaters?

Right.

I think, I know you guys talk about the diversity and really. And I think that's a great tip. I know with my own child, all of a sudden at 15 months, she went from eating everything under the sun to not eating a lot of things, became extremely picky. She also had sensory role, motor feeding challenges going on that we had to dive deeper into and a whole host of things. But any other tips? I mean, I know you guys have shared some great ones already.

Yeah. So we know that toddlers have a neophobia fear of new foods. So our goal is to really introduce, like we've mentioned, like a diverse diet from the start so that by the time your baby comes to those toddler years, the food doesn't feel as new. They've already experienced and tasted a variety of flavors. They've experienced different textures in their mouth and on their hands. So that's our goal. That said, like, some kids are going to become picky eaters anyway. It's very normal for toddlers to be pickier. And some kids, you know, there's lots of different factors that play a role in that. So it's not just what you expose them to. Unfortunately, you can help set them up for success by offering all this variety from the start. But, you know, some things we can't control.

Yeah.

There is a genetic component to picky eating, which is relatively. I feel like we didn't know. Used to know that, but now that we know that, while it does take pressure off of us, if that does happen, there's also lots of things to do when you start to experience the food preferences. And, you know, like you had mentioned, if the child does have, like, feeding disorders and stuff going on, you may need additional support too. And it might not just be something you can handle on your own as a parent. But Catherine has so many great ideas about, like, how to get your kid involved in meal prep and grocery shopping and food exploration and like, food activities outside of meal times that help encourage our child to become more comfortable with food without it just being at mealtime. And I think that's really, really important. And research shows that that is what's the most helpful in encouraging more variety and less fussy eating habits.

Awesome. I love that. So if parents are like, okay, I hear you. I want to do this. I want to help my child and I want to learn more about these family meals and kind of maybe even. And maybe they're. Maybe it's parents who are not quite sure what to feed their child and they're like, I. I admit that maybe my, my way of eating is not the healthiest. Right. Do you have tips on where they can find ideas for cooking family meals that they could then adapt for their child? Is that something you guys cover in in your bulk?

So we have so many different resources. Our Baby Leads the Way book really focuses on prep, preparing for starting solids and then best foods to introduce. We do have some recipes in that. We also have an additional resource called 101 Before 1, which is essentially a detailed cookbook and guide on how to prepare meals for babies and how to make them safely. So we have that. And then we also have a toddler resources as well. So we have kind of a different resource for depending on what age your child is at.

Awesome. And our 101 Before One program goes through 101 different foods you can introduce your baby to before age 1 and how to prepare those meals in a family meal. So there's recipes for the whole family and then how do you adapt them? And there's pictures of the shape and the. And how to prepare them for baby at different stages of development. So it's a great resource. Absolutely. That and we've got little samples of it in our Baby Leads the Way book.

Amazing. Okay, perfect. All right, well, we're obviously going to link the book and everything to the show. Notes for everybody. Before I have you guys tell everyone where to find you and how to, you know, access all these amazing resources. Is there anything else that we haven't covered today that you want to share with our listeners?

I think we just really want to highlight the Baby Leads the Way book. It is an evidence based guide. It's written by all professionals. Pediatric allergist, pediatrician, registered dietitian, speech language pathologist, a chef. And we really, you know, each highlight our areas of expertise and how, how do you feed your baby from the start? Everything you need to know. We've got recipes in there. It's just like an excellent resource. All in color. There's checklists. So it's definitely something for families and professionals to seek out and to use if they need some more information.

Amazing. Awesome. Well, thank you both for joining me. Before we wrap up, go ahead and tell everybody, Catherine, where they can find you online and if there's, you know, we'll link to, we have got the Amazon link for the book and everything here. But yeah, tell us where we can find you online and anything else you want to share.

Sure. So I, you can find me online at Shy Chi like Chicago Shy kids feeding. I am on Instagram and TikTok. You can find me on my website too, shykidsfeeding.com and then you can find both Cynthia and I@101before1 on Instagram, on TikTok and our website, 10141.com and then baby Leads the Way and all bookstores everywhere.

Awesome.

And Cindy, how about you?

You can find me on all social media at the Baby Dietitian and on my website, thebabydietitian.com thank you so much for having us. Thank you so much for joining me.

This was awesome and I think it was, I know it was a action packed episode, I feel like with a lot of really helpful tips. It's so wonderful to bring this forward because I think, you know, it's. We get a lot of like I was saying, we get a lot of parents but we also get a lot of of therapists who are newer to feeding and a lot of them sometimes work with older children. Not as many work with like the birth to one crowd. So it's always really nice to focus in on this and give everybody this information because I think a lot of what's happening in that first year impacts.

Right?

It impacts where we're headed in year one, two and beyond. So so thank you very, very helpful information and I'm so glad we were able to to chat and and and share your book, your resources.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for listening to this podcast. If you found value in this episode and want to hear more of these Myotots, Airway and Feeding related episodes, be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode on your social media platforms. You can access free resources and all I offer@halbalkin.com or pop over to hollybulcin on Instagram to get all the latest updates.