Advertise on podcast: Surviving Tiny Humans: 10 Minute Triage for Newborns & New Parents

This is the Season 1 finale of Surviving Tiny Humans — and we're going out with one of the most googled topics in parenting: fevers. Because at 2am with a sick baby, you don't want to read a medical textbook. You want someone to tell you clearly — does this need the ER or not? In this episode I'm walking you through everything you actually need to know: what counts as a real fever, what to do about it, when to go in, and when you can manage safely at home. Including a few things that might surprise you. In this episode: What actually counts as a fever vs. a low-grade temperature — and why the distinction matters more than the numberWhy the height of the fever is less important than how your child looksAcetaminophen vs. ibuprofen — how they're different, how to use them together, and why ibuprofen before bed might be the moveThe fever rules by age — including why any fever in a baby under 30 days is an automatic ER visit no matter how well they lookWhen to go to the ER vs. when an urgent appointment is enoughThe five-day fever rule and Kawasaki's disease — what it is and why every medical student on the planet knows about itEar infections, delayed fevers, and how to recognize when a cold has turned into something elseMy favourite gut-check for telling a virus from a bacterial infection — and why the grosser it is, the more likely it's viral🔗 Free fever flowchart linked below — print it, save it to your phone, and have it ready for the next 2am moment. https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/infant-er-flowchart Season 2 returns in September. See you then.

Sleep deprivation doesn't just make you tired — it functionally gives you ADHD. The same executive function deficits, the same working memory gaps, the same inability to start a task you know you need to do. If you've ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why, congratulations: you're a new parent. Jessica Lewis — ADHD coach, host of Quick Wins for ADHD Moms, and mom of three — is back for part two of our conversation, and this time we're getting into the practical stuff. The small shifts that actually make the newborn phase more manageable when your brain has basically stopped cooperating. In this episode: Simplifying ruthlessly — the three-step everything rule and why most of what you think you have to do, you don'tSquirreling supplies everywhere — why having diapers, wipes, and a spare onesie in every corner of your life is actually a strategyThe minimum standard concept — how to stop cleaning and doing laundry on someone else's timeline and find your ownWhy the moms who look like they have it together are doing the exact same thing you are — just better at hiding itSit-down showers, laundry that stays in the basket, and other permissions you didn't know you neededThe fear-based marketing that's filling your house with things you don't need — and how letting go of it opens up mental spacePostpartum depression, ADHD, and why sometimes you don't have the words — and what to do when you don't This one is part of the Life With a Newborn series — and it's for every parent whose brain feels like it's running forty tabs with no way to close any of them. 🔗 Find Jessica at theadhdmom.com and Quick Wins for ADHD Moms wherever you listen to podcasts. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/quick-wins-for-adhd-moms-short-episodes-real-solutions/id992947956 🔗 Free postpartum scripts and guides linked below — including tools to help you talk to your doctor or partner when you can't find the words https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/postpartum-scripts

Turns out, having a newborn gives you ADHD. Not metaphorically. For real. So for this episode I brought in someone who knows exactly how to work with a brain that isn't cooperating. Jessica Lewis is an ADHD coach, host of the Quick Wins for ADHD Moms podcast, and a mom of three who was diagnosed with ADHD at 43 after recognizing herself in her son's symptoms. She joined me to talk practical, low-lift strategies that work specifically for the newborn phase — whether you have ADHD or not. In this episode: Why new parenthood is functionally identical to ADHD — and why that actually matters for how you copeProtecting your sleep — why it's the highest-leverage thing you can do and how to actually make it happenThe postpartum registry idea — asking for the specific help you actually need instead of hoping people figure it outPump parts in the fridge — the tip that will save you from washing them after every single sessionFreezer meals, frozen vegetables, and why your toaster oven is about to become your best friendHow to delegate the tasks that are draining you without feeling like you have to ask awkwardlyThis one is part of the Life With a Newborn series — practical support for the phase that nobody fully prepares you for. 🔗 Find Jessica at theadhdmom.com and Quick Wins for ADHD Moms wherever you listen to podcasts.

Infertility affects one in five couples — and yet almost nobody talks about what the process actually looks like, what the testing involves, or what it does to you emotionally while you're in it. This episode is a little off-brand for Surviving Tiny Humans — and also exactly on brand, because everyone's path to parenthood looks different, and that deserves to be acknowledged. I'm sharing my own experience with secondary infertility — the particular whiplash of conceiving easily the first time and then not being able to get pregnant again — alongside the clinical side of what investigation and treatment actually look like. In this episode: Primary vs. secondary infertility — what they are and how common they actually areWhat testing looks like for both partners — and why, as usual, the burden falls disproportionately on womenWhat the IVF process actually involves step by step — the hormones, the egg retrieval, the embryo grading, the implantation, and the waitingThe emotional reality nobody prepares you for — including what it feels like when the test is positive one day and negative the nextThe only fertility supplements that actually have evidence behind them — and what to skipPractical ways to genuinely improve your chances, including timing of sex and lifestyle factors that move the needle This one is for anyone who is trying, anyone who has tried, and anyone who just wants to understand what this journey actually looks like from the inside. 🔗 Free fertility supplement guide: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/fertility-supplement-guide

Recommended Resource: Surviving Tiny Humans - https://a.co/d/07faXLvV - This is the third and final episode of the Life With a Newborn series. After 30 days they're technically an infant — and the rest of this podcast is the continuation anyway. This episode fills in the gaps. The things that don't have their own dedicated episode yet — the neurological reality of the fourth trimester, the practical daily care stuff nobody explains in detail, and the emotional transition that happens around week two when the help quietly disappears. What we cover: The fourth trimester — why your baby's nervous system is still organizing outside the womb and what that means for how you parent in these first weeksWhat your baby can actually see and why your face is the most important thing in their world right nowTummy time — when to start, what counts, how to make it more tolerable, and why it's the single most important developmental activity in the first 30 daysBath time — how to do it before the umbilical cord falls off, how often, and what you actually needUmbilical cord care — what normal looks like, what healing looks like, and what needs medical attentionNewborn skincare — vernix, peeling, fragrance-free everything, and what not to stress aboutThe emotional reality of week two when the adrenaline wears off, the visitors leave, and you're suddenly alone in a quiet house with a baby who isn't giving anything back yetThe first real smile — what it means, when it comes, and why it changes everythingSurviving Tiny Humans covers everything from the first days home through the end of the first year — the honest, practical guide your discharge papers should have been. 🔗 https://a.co/d/07faXLvV

Recommended: Surviving Tiny Humans https://a.co/d/07faXLvV A quick one this week, but still just as practical. This week, we're talking about baby butts! Okay, not really. But we're talking about diaper rash so... close enough. We also break down the similarities and differences between the two most common rashes -- diaper rash and eczema -- so yo know how to manage both at home without needing to see your doctor any more than is necessary.

Everything you didn't think you needed to know about diapers (and the fun surprises held within!) ... Recommended Tools: Surviving Tiny Humans, The Book https://a.co/d/02plwjbP In this episode we talk all about: baby poops -- colour, consistency, and when to worryblood -- when it's normal, when it's notconstipation -- how to know and what to do tips & tricksdiaper sizes! -- how to tell when it's actually time to size up Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a triage!

Guides & Tools: Safe Sleep Without Shame: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/safe-sleep The Nightshift Playbook: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/nightshift-playbook You’re home. The nurses are gone. The visitors haven’t arrived yet. Or they have, and somehow that’s also exhausting. And nobody gave you an instruction manual. The first two weeks are survival mode, and that’s not a failure — that’s just the reality of bringing a brand new human into the world while your body, your hormones, and your sleep are all doing completely different things at the same time. This episode is the honest guide to what’s actually happening, what actually matters, and what you can safely ignore. What we cover: What the first few days actually look like — day by day, from the sleepy first 24 hours through the Day 3 hormone crash and out the other sideThe only three questions that tell you if things are going okay — and why everything else is noiseWhat doesn’t matter as much as the internet makes it sound — the schedule, the bassinet, the bonding timeline, the laundryWhat activities are actually appropriate for a newborn — and why you don’t need a curriculum, classes, or anything that takes more energy than you haveHow to manage the house, the help, and the mental load when you’re running on nothingHow to split nights with a partner so both of you get a real stretch of sleep This is Part 2 of the Life With a Newborn series — a stage-by-stage guide through the first year. The real version, not the highlight reel. For more support, whenever you need it, check out my guides and tools: Safe Sleep Without Shame: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/safe-sleep The Nightshift Playbook: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/nightshift-playbook

This is the last myth in the series — and it’s the most comforting one. Which is exactly what makes it the most dangerous. 🔗 Recommended Guide: Surviving Tiny Humans https://a.co/d/00s230an Some babies do grow out of bad sleep on their own. Sleep naturally improves as babies develop, stomachs get bigger, and circadian rhythms mature. So this one isn’t a flat-out myth. It’s a half-truth. And half-truths are harder to push back on than outright lies — because there’s just enough truth in them to keep you waiting. The problem is that biology creates better conditions for sleep. It doesn’t teach sleep skills. And there are long-term studies showing that babies who never learn to sleep independently are more likely to struggle with sleep as children AND as adults. In this episode I’m breaking down the milestone goalposts trap — the loop where there’s always a developmental reason to wait just a little longer — and being honest about what months of waiting actually costs a family. I’m also giving you three specific signs that tell you whether you’re genuinely in “this might resolve” territory, or whether waiting is just making things harder. In this episode: ∙ Why this lie is so easy to believe — and why survivorship bias plays a huge role ∙ What the evidence actually says about infant sleep and long-term outcomes ∙ The milestone goalposts loop — and how to recognize when you’re in it ∙ When waiting genuinely makes sense vs. when it’s just hope with a due date ∙ Three signs it’s time to stop waiting and do something 🔗 Recommended Guide: Surviving Tiny Humans https://a.co/d/00s230an This is Episode 7 of 7 in the Sleep Training Lies series. If you’re new here, start at Episode 4.

The first few moments to hours after having a baby can be a real whirlwind. And we don't do a very good job of giving anyone a heads up about what to expect. In this episode, we cover the real first 24 hours -- the things that happen before anyone has a chance to give you any instructions. Resources Discussed: Surviving Tiny Humans: The Messy Truth About Parenthood and Your Guide to Baby's First Year Available here: https://a.co/d/0hmLNIwS What we cover: - what's actually going to happen in those first few moments after birth - the decisions that get made about Vitamin K, erythromycin, and newborn vaccines - what to expect in terms of bleeding, pain and function - the emotional reality: shaking, bonding, or lack of it - what to ask and take before you walk out that door And, at the end, we discuss the sad but real truth about where our village has gone -- and what to do about it.

🔗 Free download: 7 Sleep Training Lies guide https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/sleep7 We’re on Lie #6 of the 7 Sleep Training Lies series — and this one hits differently. The earlier lies were about fear of damage. This one is more personal: what if I lose the moments I actually love? The contact nap. The nurse-to-sleep snuggle. The one quiet part of the day where it’s just the two of you. In this episode I’m breaking down why sleep teaching doesn’t take connection away — it takes obligation away. There’s a big difference between choosing a contact nap because you want it, and holding your baby because there’s simply no other option. I also want to talk about something nobody really addresses: the difference between a baby who stops crying at night because they’ve learned to self-soothe, and a baby who stops crying because they’ve given up. Those are not the same thing — and knowing the difference matters. And at the end, I’m sharing two real moments from my own life where I threw the sleep plan out the window — and exactly what I did to get back on track without starting from scratch. In this episode: ∙ Why sleep teaching adds a skill without taking anything away ∙ Contact naps — when they’re a joy vs. when they’re a trap ∙ The shutdown response vs. genuine self-soothing ∙ Why your bedtime routine is actually your reset button ∙ The two things I did after travel and illness to get back on track fast 🔗 Free download: 7 Sleep Training Lies guide

Nobody really teaches you about formula. You get a crash course in breastfeeding and then if formula enters the picture — whether it’s day two while you’re waiting for your milk, or month two because breastfeeding just isn’t working — you’re standing in the grocery store staring at a wall of cans with absolutely no idea what you’re looking at. So let’s fix that. In this episode, I break down everything you actually need to know about formula: which one to choose (spoiler: almost any of them are fine) what the different types of preparation mean and when they matterhow to store it safelyhow to clean bottles without losing your mindand how to know when it’s time to size up the nipple. And at the end, we’re talking about paced feeding — a simple bottle feeding technique that reduces gas, cuts down on spit up, and helps your baby start to learn their own hunger and fullness cues. You can use it with formula or expressed breast milk. No shame. No pressure. Just the information you needed someone to give you a long time ago. Grab a copy of Surviving Tiny Humans to get all of this (and way more!) to help you survive that first year with your baby. You can find it here: https://a.co/d/06q6EWNG Or check out the Formula Flowchart Quick Tool linked below — it walks you through choosing the right formula for your baby in about 30 seconds. https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/formula-flowchart

Breastfeeding can be beautiful, frustrating, painful, confusing, time-consuming—or all of the above in the same 24 hours. In this episode, we walk through the basics of breastfeeding in a practical, no-shame way, covering:     •    what a good latch actually looks like     •    why a shallow latch is painful and often ineffective     •    how to know if baby is getting enough milk     •    when sleepy feeding, short feeds, or weight concerns might matter     •    what to do if you’re worried about low supply     •    breastfeeding more often vs pumping vs power pumping     •    galactagogues, supplements, and when to ask about medication     •    what to know about mastitis and common troubleshooting     •    whether breastfeeding really helps with postpartum weight loss This episode is designed to help you understand the mechanics of breastfeeding without spiralling over every feed, every ounce, or every wet diaper. Free guide here: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/low-milk-supply-read-this-before-you-panic Key takeaway: A painful latch is not something you just have to push through. Low supply has solutions worth trying. And breastfeeding does not have to be all intuition and guesswork. We also talk honestly about the reality that breastfeeding and weight loss are not nearly as predictable as people claim—and why your worth has absolutely nothing to do with what your body looks like postpartum. If you want an easy-reference tool for supply concerns, check out the free breastmilk supply guide here: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/low-milk-supply-read-this-before-you-panic Follow the show so you don’t miss the next triage! Supplements: - leafy greens, oats, barley, and nuts - Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle - potentially beer (some non alcoholic options include Guiness 0.0, Erdinger Alkoholfrei and Bravus Oatmeal Dark)

If you’re breastfeeding and even considering sleep training, this fear can feel overwhelming: What if sleep training harms my milk supply? What if my baby stops nursing? What if I ruin something that was already hard enough? In this episode of Surviving Tiny Humans, Dr. Kailey Buller carefully separates fact from fear. She breaks down: The difference between sleep training and night weaning (they are not the same thing) How you can teach sleep skills without removing feeds What healthy sleep fundamentals look like at different stages of development How supply is established—and when longer stretches overnight are safe Why reducing unnecessary overnight feeds doesn’t mean harming breastfeeding What changes once baby is established on solids We also talk about how chronic sleep deprivation affects stress—and how better sleep can improve your breastfeeding relationship. And at the end, Dr. Buller shares a fascinating fact about breastfeeding moms and overnight wake-ups that explains why this fear feels so intense in the first place. Key takeaway: Sleep training does not automatically mean fewer feeds. Night weaning is a separate decision. And once breastfeeding is established, healthy sleep and breastfeeding can absolutely coexist. You don’t have to choose between your baby’s sleep and your breastfeeding journey. If this episode helped, you’ll find a more comprehensive sleep roadmap linked below—so you can decide what works for your baby, your body, and your sanity. And be sure to follow the show so you don’t miss the next triage!

Postpartum recovery is messy. And before we talk about anything else, let’s normalize something important: adult diapers are elite-level postpartum gear. In this episode of Surviving Tiny Humans: 10-Minute Triage for Postpartum and Newborn Care, Dr. Kailey Buller—ER and Labour & Delivery physician, mom of two, and author of Surviving Tiny Humans—walks you through what actually matters in those first weeks after birth. We’re talking about the real basics of recovery: What normal postpartum bleeding looks like—and when to seek care How long bleeding should last (and when it’s no longer “normal”) Passing clots: what’s expected vs. what’s concerning Urinary leakage: common but not something you have to live with When to involve pelvic floor physiotherapy How to survive your first postpartum bowel movement And at the end, Dr. Buller shares her top 3 postpartum recovery hacks—simple, practical changes that make those early weeks significantly easier (including a surprisingly effective bed-sheet trick). Key takeaway: Recovery is not glamorous. It is physical, hormonal, uncomfortable—and completely normal. You are not failing if it feels messy. It is messy. If this episode helped, check out Surviving Tiny Humans. It's jam PACKED with tips from friends and colleagues to help make the first year postpartum just a liiiiittle bit easier. 12 months. 12 topics. Zero judgement. https://a.co/d/0dS2OSOo