Register for NEW Live Online Starting Solids Workshops + Greek Yogurt Snowball Recipe for BLW *VIDEO

I’m very excited to announce that I’ve listened to your requests and added a LIVE Online Starting Solids Workshop to my offerings. Check out all of the upcoming dates on my calendar and grab your spot now! Just like my in-person classes, these online sessions will have very limited spaces available. So you’ll still be able to engage with the class content, enjoy live food demos, and ask all of your questions.

Speaking of questions, I get tons about how to feed soft liquid textures like greek yogurt when focusing on self-feeding (vs spoon-feeding). Watch this video to get one of my all time favourite healthy recipes for self-feeding greek yogurt, Snowballs! My little guy Fred has been scarfing these down on the regular. The best part is that the recipe only takes minutes to make, uses 4-5 simple healthy ingredients, and can be switched up to work with what you have at home. You don’t want to miss this one! Watch this video and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to see more of our adventures in starting solids.

Enjoy!

- Care

In This Video:

ezpz Tiny Spoon from Hip Mommies | Bumkins sleeved bib | Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair

*Please note: The information in this video is meant to help you learn about starting solids. All babies are different and this is just one example of safe feeding. The information provided does not constitute individual advice or consultation and should not be used as such. The information provided is not intended to override your health care providers recommendations for your individual baby.

*If you need more help please register for one of my upcoming Starting Solids Workshops or contact me if you want to arrange a private session. If your needs go beyond what I can help you with, I am more than happy to provide you with a referral to an excellent paediatric dietician

*Health Canada Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Six to 24 Months (includes recommendation for self feeding)

How to Feed Banana: Baby-Led Weaning - 6 Months Old *VIDEO

I’m so excited to post my first video in a long series of starting solids resources that I will be sharing in the coming months. Over the last 6 years teaching parents about Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) I have realized that more online support is needed. I can’t wait to offer more of my favourite tips and tricks, so you can feel confident feeding your baby safely.

In this quick video you’ll learn how to prepare banana for baby. Including tips for dealing with slippery textures, how to make sure our baby is safe during meal time, and my favourite product for BLW food scraps. You don’t want to miss this one. Watch this video and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to see more of our adventures in starting solids.

If you need more help please register for one of my upcoming Starting Solids Workshops or contact me if you want to arrange a private session. If your needs go beyond what I can help you with, I am more than happy to provide you with a referral to an excellent paediatric dietician.

- Care

*Please note: The information in this video is meant to help you learn about starting solids. All babies are different and this is just one example of safe feeding. The information provided does not constitute individual advice or consultation and should not be used as such. The information provided is not intended to override your health care providers recommendations for your individual baby.

*Health Canada Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Six to 24 Months (includes recommendation for self feeding)

5 Essential Food Hacks for Baby-Led Weaning at The Bump To Baby Show 2019 - Register Now!

I’m so excited to be taking part in The Bump To Baby Show again this June 2nd at the Wychwood barns. This show is always jam packed with an amazing line up of vendors, entertainment, food, and fun for the whole family. Plus the best playground ever for kids! It’s hands down my favourite show to take part in every year.

Once again I will be offering a special live demo with amazing team from  The Big Carrot. This year I’m talking about “5 Essential Food Hacks for Baby Led Weaning.” Register Now to learn how to make your life as a parent a whole lot easier, keep your baby safe, get tons of amazing Baby-led weaning recipes, and ask any questions you have. Plus you can Enter for a chance to WIN a pass to one of my upcoming Starting Solids Workshops + More! This FREE session is perfect for any parents with babies age 0-12 months.

To plan your visit to the show check out the Play + Learn page to find out more and Register for all of the amazing sessions being offered, including my live demo at 2pm. Plus check out the Marketplace to learn more about the incredible line up of vendors you’ll get to see.

If you make it to the show, please pop by and say “Hi” at my table, or register for a spot at my session. Space is limited, so don’t wait! “5 Essential Food Hacks for Baby Led Weaning”

- Care

Starting Solids & Baby Led Weaning Basics with Motherhood Uncorked

A few weeks ago (during the most epic snowstorm of the season!) I sat down with Cortney, mother and creator of Motherhood Uncorked, to talk all things Starting Solids. We had such a great time covering all the basics including: when to start, how to start, what baby led weaning/feeding really is, food allergies, and how to feed your baby safely. This is a must watch for all of the parents out there who aren’t feeling confident about starting solids. I know how scary this transition can be, and always love to be able to offer some support and advice for parents. Watch Video

Starting Solids: The 1st Year (BLW + Purees) *Virtual Workshop

Quantity:

Register

If you’re needing more help and support please Register for one of my upcoming Starting Solids Workshops, or reach out (care@with-care.ca). My 2 hour workshop is jam packed and always leaves parents feeling so much more confident in their approach to starting solids and progressing through textures with their baby. Workshop covers:

• Purpose of Mealtimes

• Signs of Readiness

• 1st Foods & Foods to Avoid

• Updated Allergy Evidence & Guidelines

• Spoon Feeding & Baby Led Feeding

• Choking vs Gagging *How & when to safely intervene

• Food Progression & Motor Development in the 1st Year

• Meeting Nutritional Requirements & Healthy Recipes for Baby

• Cooking & Preparing Food for Your Baby

• Real Food Demos, so you can feel confident preparing and serving food at home

Space is extremely limited in each session to allow for individual questions, so don’t wait to Register!

You can also check out my Starting Solids videos on YouTube. More to come very soon!

Feel free to ask any questions below and don’t forget to check out this video.

- Care

*Please note: The information in this video is meant to help you learn about starting solids. The information provided does not constitute individual advice or consultation and should not be used as such. The information provided is not intended to override your health care providers recommendations for your individual baby.

Family Friendly Homemade Meatballs - Perfect Iron Rich Recipe for Starting Solids

Meatballs are a great option for a healthy family dinner and a perfect way to start incorporating iron rich meats into your baby's diet. They can be paired with a whole grain pasta, tomato sauce and veggies, or some roasted or steamed veggies for a quick dinner. I usually make a double batch with fresh ground beef, and freeze a bunch for future evenings when we need a fast healthy meal. 

Meatballs are great because they can be made out of a variety of types of ground meats, plus you can add finely chopped herbs and greens without most kids being bothered by them. The one thing my kids always complained about was the diced onion, so I recently started grating the onion and it has worked wonders. They never know it's in there, but the meatballs still get the onion flavour and moisture. #momwin

Family Friendly Meatball Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cooktime: 17-20 mins          Makes about 20 meatballs

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (or alternative ground meat)

• 1 whole egg (or flax egg)

• 1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs soaked in 3 tbs milk (I make them with the end of a loaf of bread in the vitamix)

• 1-2 garlic cloves mashed (depending on preference)

• 1/4 cup onion grated (small onion or ~1/3 large red onion)

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

• handful of spinach finely chopped *optional

• salt & pepper to taste

• 2 drops of tabasco sauce *optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat Oven to 400°F

• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until combined. Do not overwork meat.

• Scoop out 1 generous Tbsp at a time and roll into meatballs (you can always change the shape or size of these meatballs to suit your needs, just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly)

• *If your ground beef is fresh you can freeze raw meatballs for future use

• Bake meatballs on a rack over a baking pan for 17-20 mins. Turn once while baking.

• Remove from oven and serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate or freeze

I absolutely love paring these iron rich meatballs with homemade vitamin C rich tomato sauce. I'll be sure to share my favourite sauce recipe soon. 

Don't hesitate to ask any questions below. Hope your family enjoys these as much as ours does. 

Care

Starting Solids Favourite Products GIVEAWAY!

Every month when I teach Starting Solids I get asked about my favourite products for feeding baby. So I thought it would be fun to host a little GIVEAWAY for a few of my favourite feeding products. These are products that I use every day in my home with Penny, and some that have been favourites since I started solids with Ben over 5 years ago! 

This amazing prize pack includes:

An ezpz Mini Mat - I love all of the amazing ezpz mats, so I knew I had to include them in my favourites giveaway. We have pretty much every size they make, and use them daily now that Penny is a solids champ. I love that they suction to the table so she doesn't throw them, plus they can be tossed in the dishwasher, and stand up to daily use with no fading or signs of aging. When you're first starting solids (especially if you're doing baby led feeding) I usually suggest placing the piece of food directly on the table, as it can be hard for your baby to reach into the mat when they are first starting out. Once they have their grasp down, and are confident picking up food and eating well, then you can add your ezpz mat. 

2 Bumkins Sleeved Bibs - I've been using sleeved bibs since I started solids with Ben and honestly don't know why you would use any other bib. These long sleeve bibs save your babes precious clothes and your time doing stain removal. We still use sleeved bibs on our big kids if they're dressed for an event and need a snack. I especially love that these Bumkins ones have a tie back versus a piece of velcro, as my kiddos love to rip velcro open and smear food all over their clothes ;) 

A Kizingo Spoon - Penny has been loving this curved handle spoon that's easy for little ones to grip. The Kizingo has a shallow tipped bowl and a shorter handle making it perfect for little hands. I have definitely added this to my list of favs for little feeders

A set of NumNum Gootensils - These were one of my favourites at the very start with Penny. She loved to dip the blue spoon into food and then gnaw on the bumpy surface of the spoon. Ideal for little teethers! The orange spoon with the openings was the first spoon that she successfully fed herself greek yogurt with. The thick yogurt gets trapped in the holes making it easy for a small baby who doesn't always keep the spoon upright. 

Set of Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags - I love ensuring that our meals are as eco friendly as possible so these snack bags are a great addition to this giveaway. I haven't personally tried the bumpkins ones, but they look amazing! I love that their Nixi line is made from recycled fabrics and have these awesome prints. 

Enter NOW by simply commenting below with your name and email address, or alternatively you may comment below and submit your email address to care@with-care.ca for entry. Plus make sure to check out our Facebook page & Instagram feed for 2 more ways to enter! 

Contest is open to all Canadian and Continental US residents 18+ and closes Thursday May 18th at 11pm EST. A winner will be chosen at random and messaged within 24 hours. Good Luck!

As a special gift use code withcare for 10% off these amazing feeding products locally and online at Diaper-eez. 

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have questions about my Starting Solids Workshops and feel free to check out my YouTube for a few Starting Solids Videos. More to come!

Care

*Please note that Num Num spoons will be shipped directly from the manufacturer to winner, while other products will be shipped from With Care. 

*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Everything You Need to Know About When to Start Solids With Baby

I get a ton of questions from parents in my community and online about when to start solids with baby. Starting Solids can be a very daunting task for parents and can be accompanied by a lot of self doubt and worry. Parents often fear they might not be doing what is nutritionally best, or safest, for their baby. In my Starting Solids Workshops I always like to remind parents that babies around the world start complimentary foods in many different ways, and that there is no one perfect way. In my classes I focus on encouraging parents to start solids when their baby is developmentally ready, to choose safe healthy foods, and to provide opportunities for their baby to feed themselves (aka baby led feeding/weaning). 

In recent years Health Canada and The Canadian Pediatric Society have changed their position on when it's best to start solids. The recommendation currently focusses on breastmilk or formula as the best food for baby for the first 6 months, and to start solids for healthy low risk babies around 6 months old. Of course there is no exact perfect time for every baby, so some babies will be a little before and some a little after 6 months, depending on their development. In babies who are at high risk of allergies (those with a diagnosed egg allergy or severe eczema) research is indicating it might be beneficial to start high allergen foods (eggs, nut butters, soy etc) sometime between 4-6 months (Learn More about the Newest Allergy Guidelines). The research is always changing, so don't feel guilty if you did it differently with your baby. 

I always remind parents that rather than focusing on your baby's exact age, it's essential to ensure that they are developmentally ready for solids, so we don't increase their risk of choking. Here are some of the things that we always look for when considering if a baby is ready for solids.

• Has baby lost their tongue thrust?

• Does baby have strong head and neck control?

• Can baby turn their head to the side to decline unwanted food?

• Can baby sit upright in a high chair or booster keeping their airway and food passage open, without slumping?

• Can baby bring objects to their mouth? e.g. toys

• Does Baby show an interest in your food and eating?

If the answer is yes to all of these, and your baby is approximately 6 months old, than it's probably time to start thinking about starting solids. 

A common question I get asked is "Should we start solids early to help baby sleep longer stretches at night?" Although this sounds like a good idea as it would keep baby fuller longer, it can actually backfire and cause more night time wakings if baby's digestive system isn't ready. It's also important to remember that night time wakings in infants are normal, and are tied to their rapidly developing brain. Parents are always free to make a decision to start solids earlier or later if that is what works for their baby and their family, but being informed is essential. Remember, you know your baby best.

Now that you know what signs to look for you can keep an eye on your babe and start solids when they're good and ready. Stay tuned for my next post in this series focusing on How to Safely Start Solids with Your Baby. I'll discuss both Baby Led Feeding (Baby Led Weaning) & Spoon Feeding, so you can do what works best for you and your baby. 

Please feel free to send along any questions or comments you have, and don't hesitate to ask for topics you would like me to cover in the future. 

- Care 

*Please speak to your physician if your baby was preterm or has special health concerns. This post is not intended to override any advice or recommendations provided by your health care team.

5 Favourite Signs for Mealtime with Baby

Baby sign language is a great way to increase communication with your baby before oral language skills are developed. I love using sign language with our babies and have found it hugely helpful in reducing frustration in their non-verbal days. 

I often get asked when we started signing, and how we developed and added to our repertoire over time. I'll be sharing more about our journey with Baby Sign Language over the next few months, but for now I thought I would share a few of our favourite signs for mealtime. 

One of the ways that we naturally increased our sign language vocabulary was adding signs as we encountered new situations or started new routines for our babies. Starting Solids is a great time to introduce basic signs like food and drink, as well as signs that help baby tell us that they want more, or have had enough. These signs are especially important so we can ensure that we are always listening to our baby, and giving them full control over what, and how much, they eat. 

Watch this video of Penny to see one of our favourite Baby Led Feeding Breakfasts. Plus learn 5 of our Favourite Signs for Mealtime with Baby.

To learn more Subscribe to my YouTube Channel (more videos to come soon!) and check out my Starting Solids Workshops. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help registering, or have questions about group or private sessions. Have fun signing!

Care 

*This post is not sponsored.