Baby-led weaning has become super-trendy in recent years with a ton of websites, new books, and influencers all talking about it. And on Google, the term gets more than half a million searches every month. Despite its buzzworthy-ness, however, it’s not a new idea by any means, dating back more than 20 years. What is new, however, is the concept of adapted baby-led weaning for babies who have developmental delays and feeding challenges. In this episode, I sat down with Gill Rapley, PhD. who is considered the pioneer of baby-led weaning, and Jill Rabin, MS, CCC-SLP/L, a pediatric speech pathologist and an international board certified lactation consultant who developed the adapted baby-led weaning approach. Together, they authored the new book, “Your Baby Can Self-Feed, Too.” Gill and Jill talk about how to recognize feeding challenges and where to get help. They also describe what adapted baby-led weaning is, how it works, and why it’s so beneficial for kids with developmental delays and feeding challenges and their families. We also talk about tools that can help make feeding easier and how to get family members and caregivers on board with adapted baby-led weaning. Welcome 2:28 Let’s talk about your stories! 6:06 What is baby-led weaning? 9:26 How has it evolved through the years? 12:53 What are the feeding challenges that babies can have? 14:20 How common are feeding challenges? 16:24 What are the signs your child may have feeding difficulties? 17:08 What happens if they aren’t identified? 20:41 What is adapted baby-led weaning? 23:10 What does research show? 24:57 What are the core elements of it? 26:34 What are bridge devices? 27:48 Does adapted baby-led weaning require that caregivers get on board with it? 28:26 How do people get help with adapted baby-led weaning? 28:58 For parents who have started solids, how do they transition from purees to baby-led weaning? 31:52 How can grandparents and daycare providers get on board? LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW Gill mentions the World Health Organization’s feeding recommendations. Jill mentions Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett’s book, “Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide." Jill mentions the Instagram handle @ableappetites. Jill mentions her courses, “A Sensory Motor Approach to Modified Baby Led Weaning” and “Adapted Baby-Led Weaning for Babies with Feeding Challenges.” Purchase a copy of Jill and Gill’s book, “Your Baby Can Self-Feed, Too.” Learn more about Gill Rapley on her website and follow her on Twitter. Learn more about Jill Rabin on her website and follow her on Instagram. FROM OUR PARTNERS Kids Cook Real Food eCourse The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, created by a mom of 4 and a former elementary school teacher, is designed to build connection, confidence, and creativity in the kitchen. The course includes 30 basic cooking skills, 45 videos including several bonuses, printable supply and grocery shopping lists, and kid-friendly recipes. The course is designed for all kids ages 2 to teen and has three different skill levels. More than 18,000 families have taken the course and The Wall Street Journal named it the #1 cooking class for kids. Sign up now for the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse and get a free lesson for being a “Food Issues” listener. Thrive Market Thrive Market is an online membership-based market that has the highest quality, organic, non-GMO, healthy, and sustainable products. From groceries, clean beauty, safe supplements, and non-toxic home products to ethical meat, sustainable seafood, clean wine, and more, Thrive Market is where members save an average of $32 on every order! Through Thrive Gives, every paid membership sponsors a free one for a low-income family.