Starting Solids Workshop in Knoxville, TN

A workshop for parents of babies 4–6 months

First Bites

Starting solids, fully informed.

Starting solids is one of the most exciting milestones of your baby's first year — and one of the most confusing. Advice from family, social media, and even well-meaning professionals often conflicts: when to start, purées or baby-led weaning, how much to offer, and what to do about allergens. First Bites is a physician-led workshop designed to cut through the noise. Built for parents of babies around 4–6 months who haven't started solids yet, it walks you through readiness, the different ways to feed, safe allergen introduction, and how solids fit alongside breastmilk or formula — so your baby's first bites start informed, prepared, and confident.

Workshop overview

What we cover

Is my baby ready?

Age is only part of the answer. We walk through the developmental signs of readiness — sitting with support, steady head control, loss of the tongue-thrust reflex, and real interest in food — and why those signs matter more than a date on the calendar.

Purées, baby-led weaning, or both

Spoon-fed purées and baby-led weaning aren't either/or. We compare textures, food shapes and sizes, portions, and meals per day for each approach, so you can choose one path or blend the two with confidence.

Introducing allergens

Early, regular exposure is what the evidence supports. We cover the nine major allergens, the different ways to introduce them — from everyday foods to powder mix-ins — which babies should check with their doctor first, and why consistency matters more than anything else.

Nutrition from 4 months to 2 years

Breastmilk or formula remains your baby's main source of nutrition through the first year. We cover iron-rich first foods, how textures advance with your baby's skills, typical portions by age, and what changes at the table as your baby becomes a toddler.

Practical skills

Leave with a plan you'll actually use

Knowledge matters. So does knowing what to do when your baby gags on their first piece of avocado. You'll leave this workshop with practical safety skills that apply no matter which feeding approach you choose.

A safe feeding setup

Upright seating, an adult within arm's reach, and foods cut to the right shape and size. You'll learn how to modify high-risk foods, which foods to hold off on in the first year, and how to set up every meal for success.

Gagging vs. choking

Gagging is noisy, protective, and a normal part of learning to eat — choking is not. You'll learn how to tell the difference, how to respond calmly, and why everyone who feeds your baby should know infant CPR.

Recognizing a reaction

Know what a mild reaction looks like, when to call your doctor, and which signs mean calling 911 — so you can introduce allergens at home with a clear, confident plan.

Tennessee's first physician board-certified in breastfeeding and lactation medicine

Founder & sole provider of Tennessee's first medical breastfeeding clinic

Your instructor

Physician-led. Evidence-based.

FLOW | Tennessee's Center for Breastfeeding Medicine is the state's first — and only — dedicated medical breastfeeding clinic, founded on the belief that families deserve physician-level expertise when navigating infant feeding. We specialize in breastfeeding medicine, and we also live in clinical reality: we see every day how anatomy, development, history, and circumstance shape what feeding looks like for each family.

First Bites was built because families deserve better than conflicting advice. Most parents approach starting solids with a patchwork of opinions and outdated rules — and the allergen guidance alone has changed dramatically in the last decade. This workshop gives you what no Instagram reel does: current evidence, honest tradeoffs, and a practical plan that protects both your baby's safety and your breastfeeding relationship.

Board-certified pediatrics

Board-certified breastfeeding medicine

FLOW | Knoxville, TN

This workshop is for you if...

Your baby is 4–6 months old

Your baby hasn't started solids yet, and you want to know when and how to begin. This workshop is timed for exactly this window — before the first spoonful.

You're deciding how to start

You've heard about purées and baby-led weaning and aren't sure which is right for your family. We lay out both approaches side by side — and how to combine them.

You have allergy questions

Whether there's a family history of food allergies, your baby has eczema, or you just want to get allergen introduction right, you'll leave knowing the plan — and when to check with your doctor first.

You're a partner or caregiver

Partners, grandparents, nannies, and childcare providers feed babies too. Come together — everyone who feeds your baby should be on the same page.

Start solids with confidence.

Led by Tennessee's board-certified breastfeeding medicine physician

Live · Virtual · Zoom

Join from anywhere for a live session covering everything in the First Bites curriculum. Questions welcome throughout.