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If you've ever given birth in a hospital, depending on where you live, you may have noticed that hospitals still put babies into a big plastic bins. Reaching your baby is hard, you can't keep a hand on them easily, and if you've had a c-section, it's almost impossible to even pick up your baby. And yet, year after year, it stays the same. But hopefully not for long. Joining me today is Dr. Kristin Tully who has taken ideas that started in her graduate work to develop a new bassinet that meets family needs in that critical post-birth period. Dr. Tully is a medical anthropologist and Research Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her expertise is engaging patients, family members, clinicians, and community members through mixed methods research to understand health priorities and co-generate solutions to meet their needs. Broadly, her program of work promotes quality care by addressing what people need to know, feel, and have happen to be safe and well. Dr. Tully founded Couplet Care, Inc to offer the Couplet Care Bassinet™ to hospitals and birth centers to enhance inpatient postpartum care. The overbed bassinet was designed with families and health care professionals to improve maternal-infant access, thereby improving safety, enabling responsive feeding, and increasing satisfaction. Dr. Tully is also Associate Faculty at Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Tully at the University of North Carolina Couplet Care - https://www.med.unc.edu/obgyn/people/kristin-tully/ Dr. Tully's publications (Research Gate) - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kristin-Tully Postnatal Patient Safety Learning Lab - https://www.postnatalsafety.com/our-work 4th Trimester Project website - https://newmomhealth.com/

We've all heard it said - sleep training helps moms, right? Moms are tired and overworked and need those babies to sleep so even if there is some risk associated with it, isn't it for the greater good? This is something we hear all the time, but does the research actually support this? Joining me today is Dr. Kathy Kendall-Tackett. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and the Director of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women's health. For the past 10 years, Dr. Kendall-Tackett has been Editor-in-Chief of Psychological Trauma. She is Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health and Trauma Psychology and Past President of the APA Division of Trauma Psychology. Dr. Kendall-Tackett specializes in women's-health research including breastfeeding, depression, trauma, and health psychology, and has won many awards for her work including the 2019 President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Trauma Psychology from the American Psychological Association, and is a member of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has authored more than 500 articles or chapters and is author or editor of 42 books, including the recent Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck. Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead: https://amzn.to/4y5mKTy Dr. Kathy Kendall-Tackett: https://kathleenkendall-tackett.com/ Dr. Kathy Kendall-Tackett at the Uppity Science Chick: http://www.uppitysciencechick.com/kktbio.html Breastfeeding Doesn't Have to Suck (Book): https://amzn.to/4vhBLPB Dr. Kathy Kendall-Tackett Books: https://amzn.to/3SN4gac Praecalus Press: https://www.praeclaruspress.com/

One of the most critical things we as parents aim to do for our kids is to help them develop a secure attachment. We want them to feel safe in the world - or as safe as we can make them feel. You might hear people say that sleep training has no effect on attachment. Or that sleep training inherently ruins attachment. Neither are true, but there is a relationship and here to discuss the complex one that exists between attachment and sleep is my dear friend, Dr. Levita D'Souza. Levita is a registered Counselling Psychologist and Lecturer within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. She has worked in public and private settings before commencing a career in academia. Her research interests are in the area of perinatal psychology, early childhood experiences and its impact on attachment and neurobiology, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), transgenerational trauma and attachment patterns and its subsequent effect on parenting styles. Her recent research projects are looking at psychological factors affecting first-time fathers as they transition to fatherhood. Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead - https://amzn.to/4vP77hw Dr. Levita D'Souza at Monash University - https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/levita-dsouza/ Dr. Levita D'Souza at the Centre for Perinatal Psychology - https://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/psychologists/levita-dsouza/

Today is episode three of the special series covering our new book, "Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead", published by Routledge and out in stores now. So we all now understand more about what normal infant sleep is like, but what about the context in which that takes place? We know it's not just sleep that defines childhood or how our children develop, but the entirety of the culture and context around them. And what shouldn't be surprising to many is that our current Western culture is very, very far away from where we started and we may just be getting to the beginning of understanding this impact. Joining me today to discuss this very important topic are Drs. Darcia Narvaez and Mary Tarsha. Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead - https://amzn.to/4vP77hw Dr. Darcia Narvaez at University of Notre Dame - https://psychology.nd.edu/people/darcia-narvaez/7%5C Dr. Darcia Narvaez - https://darcianarvaez.com/ Dr. Mary Tarsha at University of Notre Dame - https://iris.nd.edu/about-us/people/ The Evolved Nest Initiative - https://evolvednest.org/ Dr. Darcia Narvaez's Books - https://amzn.to/4p39D0Q Kindred Media (Videos, Books, Resources) - https://kindredmedia.org/ Dr. Darcia Narvaez at Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/darcia-f-narvaez-phd

Today is episode two of the special series covering our new book, "Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead". When talking about sleep training, we can't get very far without talking about what is it parents can and should expect of their babies. That is, what is normal when we think about infant sleep? Joining me today to discuss this in more depth is Dr. Elaine Barry, who holds the honour of being one of the two co-authors I have not had on this podcast before, but who is becoming a leading voice in the world of normal infant sleep. Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead - https://amzn.to/4vP77hw Dr. Elaine Barry at Penn State Fayette - https://fayette.psu.edu/person/elaine-barry Dr. Elaine Barry at PsychWire - https://psychwire.com/profiles/9xq69n/elaine-barry

What do you get when you put 7 academic women together who all want see an end to the sleep training era? A book, of course. I am thrilled to announce a mini-series for the Evolutionary Parenting podcast featuring interviews with all authors of the chapters in a new book out called 'Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What to Do Instead', published by Routleged and out now where you buy your favourite books. I was honoured to be involved in this book and have loved my conversations with all my co-authors. Over the next five episodes, I'll be sharing my conversations with each of the authors in this book about their chapters in the book, and really their areas of expertise in this. To kick things off, I am honoured to share my conversation with Dr. Jennie Rosier, a long-time collaborator of mine, former guest on this podcast, and the brainchild of this book, Dr. Jennie Rosier. Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What To Do Instead Dr. Jennie Rosier at James Madison University Relationships, Love, Happiness Project Love Matters Podcast

If you have listened to a lot of my podcasts, you know I like to talk about sleep. It's one of the biggest topics for parents today. And part of why we have to talk about it is because those of us is WEIRD countries - Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic countries - get a very specific sleep message when we have our kids and that message is: Do NOT sleep with your children or you risk killing them. I think every new parent has heard the fear-based messaging that tells us there is nothing we can do except avoid it. And if we don't? Well, then there's something wrong with us as parents, right? What if the problem isn't us, but instead lies with the messaging we're getting? Joining me today is one of my favourite people - Carly Grubb. Carly is a PhD student at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is the lead author of the research we'll be discussing, which looks at the safe sleep messages parents receive, how helpful these messages are, and what parents are actually looking for. She also comes to this research table from a place of advocacy. As the founder of the Beyond Sleep Training Project and Little Sparklers, Carly has heard from thousands of families around the world how hard navigating new parenting and sleep can be. Welcome back to the podcast as we dive into the touchy topic of abstinence-only sleep education. Here are the following links for anyone who is interested: Research Article - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1629678/pdf The Beyond Sleep Training Project - https://thebeyondsleeptrainingproject.com/ Little Sparklers - https://littlesparklers.org/ Carly Grubb's Research Page - https://research.usc.edu.au/esploro/profile/carly_grubb Carly's Previous Episode with Me - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-3-what-are-the-sleep-struggles-facing-families-today/id1177835448?i=1000501408655

When we think about raising our children, we often all have ideas of what is best and what we want to do. Not always are we able to achieve those goals – for better or worse. But the early years, especially 0 to 3, are crucial in our children’s neurological development and knowing what can benefit them and how we can overcome adversity in that time is something all parents should know. Returning to the show this week is Dr. Green Kirshenbaum, a neuroscientist, doula, and educator who is here to discuss her new book – The Nurture Revolution – and help families understand what’s going on in that crucial developmental period (and beyond) and how families can utilize the benefit of nurture to help facilitate this development. Not just for new parents, this episode is one for anyone who is raising a child of any age and wants to know how we can best serve those little people we call our kids. Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Her book, The Nurture Revolution: https://amzn.to/3CFLsC3

Normalizing breastfeeding is an ongoing battle in some Western cultures. Even when someone starts out breastfeeding, many report not being able to meet their goals or face various obstacles in trying to nurse their children. One part of the equation is how breastfeeding is represented in these cultures. Is it accessible through various media? How is it perceived? Joining me today to help answer this question - and discuss the implications of it - is Dr. BJ Woodstein, author of the book The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature. Hopefully by understanding the power of how breastfeeding is portrayed, we can move towards creating a culture where breastfeeding families feel supported and seen. Dr. BJ Woodstein: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/bj-epstein The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature*: https://amzn.to/3kaUVYQ We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent*: https://amzn.to/3YVhWhm *Amazon affiliate link

Our understanding and acceptance of Autism has evolved over the years towards a greater awareness of what we call neurodiversity - broadly, the idea that each brain is unique and what used to be considered "disorders" are not at all, but rather reflections of these uniquenesses with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we have also learned how valuable early intervention is for longer-term outcomes. But how can this be? If we aren't "fixing" anything, why the need for this intervention? Joining me is Dr. Lauren Franz, the Associate Director of Duke University's Center for Autism and Brain Development, for what I hope you will find to be an enlightening and important conversation. Dr. Franz: https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/franz-lauren Focus article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2794074 Programs and articles discussed in the interview: On Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513196/pdf/10803_2015_Article_2407.pdf On Early Start Denver Model: https://autismcenter.duke.edu/news/online-caregiver-coaching-modules-based-early-start-denver-model Lancet Commission report: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/autism Open Access Book "Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement": https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-8437-0 Meta-Analysis of interventions: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000215

As we know, sleep is one of the most talked-about topics for new parents. None of them are getting enough, and everyone is worried about it. In Western cultures, parents are often made to feel that the only way to get sleep is to leave their baby to cry to learn to sleep alone, something called 'crying it out'. This can be modified slightly where parents leave their child for intervals of time, often called 'controlled crying' or 'controlled comforting'. Importantly, the age at which we recommend this to families has gotten younger and younger over the years, and even who we recommend it to has changed. Whereas it was once recommended for families with severe problems, it's now recommended as a preemptive move parents should take to avoid problems. But what does the research say about these changes? Do they support the use of this type of sleep training? Joining me to discuss this is Macall Gordon, a researcher specializing in infant mental health who has reviewed the research in depth and is here to share these findings. Whether you're surprised or not, the findings are ones that should be more widely discussed for they have major implications for all families. Thank you so much for listening, that's it for this week. I hope if you're one of those families who has felt pressure to sleep train but it isn't for you or you don't even feel there's a problem, you can feel better about saying no. And if you are struggling, I would add that there are other methods you can use that do not require you to leave your baby to cry and I would strongly recommend starting there, especially as we discussed here - often there are underlying issues that should be examined. Until next time, stay safe and happy parenting. Macall Gordon, M.A.: https://www.antioch.edu/faculty/macall-gordon/ Relevant papers to the discussion: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721822000778 https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcl/13/2/65.abstract If you are struggling with your child's sleep and want to find out if something may be underlying the problem, you can try the Brief Infant and Toddler Sleep Screen, something I devised to help families determine what - if anything - is affecting their child's sleep: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/test/bitss/

Bedtime. It's one of the biggest struggles parents face. Everyone is tired, we just want our kids to calm and go to sleep. But how does our bedtime affect their sleep? Often we hear that we need our kids to be independent at bedtime, do things on their own, that that will lead to a good sleep. The problem is that there hasn't really been any research on how these actions affect bedtime... until now. This week I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lauren Philbrook who is with me to talk about her new research looking at the question of how parental presence and contact as well as calming activities at night influence children's stress levels and quality of sleep. If you've bought into the idea that parents need to separate themselves at bedtime, you might want to hear what Dr. Philbrook has to say. Dr. Lauren Philbrook: https://www.colgate.edu/about/directory/lphilbrook Research Articles of Interest https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22322: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001027 https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz078 https://doi.org/0.1002/dev.21442

Raising good humans is hard. We all worry about if we're doing best and we don't always know how to do it. This is especially true when we start touching on topics we may not have experience with, like racism. Many of us may think that we can just try to raise kids who aren't racist and that will be enough. But it's not. We need to actively work to change the ingrained racism in our society and our children can lead the way if we help them get there. This is where help is needed and I was thrilled to be able to speak to educator and author Britt Hawthorne about her new book, "Raising Anti-Racist Children". She's the help we need to change the world one child at a time. Britt Hawthorne: https://britthawthorne.com/ Speak Up from the Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/20150125/speak-responding-everyday-bigotry

External validity. It's a topic that many of us don't really talk about. It's the idea that certain research findings only apply to certain groups. In sleep training, most people assume the research is applicable to all families, but is this the case? This is the question that Dr. Levita D'Souza and I examine this week as we talk about the research that provides us information on who takes part and who doesn't, and what this means for our understanding of the research in broader terms. Dr. Levita D'Souza: https://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/psychologists/levita-dsouza/ Relevant Research: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/4/zsz268/5611128?login=false https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/130/4/643/30241/Five-Year-Follow-up-of-Harms-and-Benefits-of

When it comes to parenting, there are thousands of books with myriad bits of advice for soon-to-be-parents and those who are already parents and facing some kind of struggle. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when we think of all the bits of advice out there. One would think we don't need more, right? But what if you are a parent who just can't see yourself in any of these books or pieces of advice? What if you just aren't represented? This has been the reality for many LGBTQ+ parents and hopeful parents when they browse the books that are incredibly heteronormative. And as we all know, when you aren't represented, it's hard to know where to turn or to feel like you're even supposed to be a parent. Joining me this week is Dr. BJ Epstein Woodstein to discuss her new book "We're Here: A Practical Guide to Becoming a LGBTQ+ Parent" where she not only offers advice for those who have not be previously represented, but also advice for the rest of us on how we can support everyone in their parenting journey. Dr. Epstein Woodstein: https://www.bjwoodstein.com/ We're Here, the book: https://stores.praeclaruspress.com/were-here-a-practical-guide-to-becoming-an-lgbtq-parent-by-b-j-woodstein/ The Newman Goldfarb protocol: https://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/protocols4print.shtml A list of some LGBTQ+-relevant parenting books (some better than others): https://mombian.com/product-tag/parenting-guide/