The History of Baby-Led Weaning with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 1)
- How Gill came to realize that during her time as a practicing Health Visitor in the UK, when she saw babies refusing food she realized it wasn't the FOOD they were refusing but the way that they were BEING FED
- When Gill Rapley started promoting baby-led weaning and sharing her message with parents how it was met with skepticism by many in the infant feeding and child development worlds. She also shares how the perception of baby-led weaning has changed with the advent of the internet & social media in the 19 years since she first started talking about BLW
- Why she collaborated with Tracey Murkett and how they came to write the original baby-led weaning book together despite the fact that they had never met in person prior to commencing the project.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE
Episode Description
Gill Rapley will be the first to tell you she didn’t “invent” baby-led weaning. But if you’ve read Rapley’s original baby-led weaning book, you’ll agree that she did a lot more than, as she so modestly claims, “...just gave it a name and a theoretical base”. As the founder of the baby-led weaning philosophy, GIll Rapley opened our eyes to the reality that when it comes to feeding: babies can do so much more than we give them credit for.
To celebrate the 100th episode of the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast, I’m thrilled to bring you a two-part interview series with the lady who started it all: Gill Rapley, PhD.
In this first episode we’ll be looking at the history of baby-led weaning: did she set out to spawn a baby-feeding movement? How did Rapley come to co-author Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide book with Tracey Murkett? And then how did she deal with doubters and skeptics when the baby-led weaning philosophy and practice really began to take off?
I’ve sat in my fair share of infant feeding seminars and heated BLW moms groups where I’ve often wondered, “...What Gill Rapley would have to say about this?” Well, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity in this interview to ask her all about the early days of baby-led weaning and to hear the answer straight from its biggest champion and founding philosopher!
About the Guest
- Gill Rapley is the founding philosopher of the baby-led weaning movement and co-author of the original baby-led weaning book
- She is a former UK Health Visitor who observed that babies do not dislike food, they dislike the feeding being done to them
- Gill Rapley champions the trusting of your baby’s inborn ability and desire to self-feed
Links from this Episode
- Rapley’s book “Baby-Led Weaning: Completely Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary” edition available on Amazon here (this is an affiliate link).
- Gill Rapley’s website is rapleyweaning.com.
- Rapley spoke at length about the importance of Amy Brown’s research on baby-led weaning. My podcast interview with her “The Evidence Behind Baby-Led Weaning with Amy Brown, PhD” is available here.
- Listen to part 2 of this interview with Gill Rapley in episode 102, “The Future of BLW with its Founding Philosopher Gill Rapley, PhD (Part 2)” here.
- Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program and save $50 when you sign up using the code BLWPOD50
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- Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners
Resources & Research
- Baby-Led Weaning: The Evidence to Date abstract here Brown, A., Jones, S. W., & Rowan, H. (2017). Baby-led weaning: the evidence to date. Current nutrition reports, 6(2), 148-156.
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