Part 1 is the beginning.
Not the fears, not the allergens, not the lists of what to avoid — those come next week. This half is about the part that comes first: working out whether your baby is ready, what you actually put in front of them, and why the broccoli comes before the banana. Charlotte Stirling-Reed is the nutritionist who put vegetables first on the map for a generation of parents, and she is clear that the whole thing rests on one word — confidence.
In this episode:
✔️ Why confidence matters more than getting it right
✔️ The three signs of readiness — and why the calendar isn’t one of them
✔️ What to do when the guidance where you live says four months, not six
✔️ The first meal, step by step: one meal a day, one single vegetable
✔️ Why babies are pre-programmed for sweet — and what that means for apple purée
✔️ Veg-led weaning, and the research behind starting with the hard flavours
✔️ The face they pull at broccoli, and why it isn’t a no
✔️ Why a food can take 10, 15, 20 goes before it’s accepted
✔️ Already started with fruit? Why the window hasn’t closed
✔️ Purées or baby-led — and why the NHS has recommended both for years
✔️ Finger foods: the size of an adult finger, soft enough to squash
✔️ Why purée should be a short stage, not the whole first year
✔️ What to do when most of it ends up on the floor
✔️ The step most parents miss: eat with them
✔️ Letting your baby eat off your plate
No fear, no pressure. Options to consider, not the way you have to do it.
About our guest: Charlotte Stirling-Reed is a Registered Nutritionist and the author of the Sunday Times bestseller How to Wean Your Baby, the UK’s number one weaning book. She began her career in the NHS after degrees in nutrition and human biology and in nutrition and public health, and has since supported thousands of families through her books, her online weaning course and her Instagram community of 370,000 parents. She is mum to Raffy and Ada.
Part 2 is next: gagging and choking, allergens, salt, sugar and honey, iron and supplements, portion sizes, and the practical side of feeding a family. Follow the show so you don’t miss it.
The Tiny Big Joys: Pregnancy & Birth — Questions from Parents Like You is out now on Amazon. Created by founder Paula, it brings together real experiences, expert guidance and some of the most loved conversations from the original podcast series — honest support without pressure, fear or overwhelming advice.
Join our newsletter community for a direct line to our team: share comments, suggest topics, and send questions for future guests. https://thetinybigjoys.kit.com/profile
If you found value in today's episode, the greatest compliment you can give us is a share. Send it to a friend who needs it, or post about it — your word-of-mouth is what allows us to keep creating content like this. Thank you!
www.thetinybigjoys.com | Instagram @thetinybigjoys
","author_name":"Paula Jurvanen"}