Bess Kalb, a TV writer and author, shares her humorous insights on parenting while navigating anxiety. She discusses the best places to relocate for climate change, revealing her late-night Googling frenzies for reassurance. Bess explores the irony of childhood food experiences impacting parenting choices and introduces innovative techniques like 'designated worry time' for kids. She also entertains with her guilty pleasure of s'mores Pop Tarts, highlighting the absurd yet relatable nature of modern parenting.

Nutrition, along with sleep and screens, is one of the most contentious parenting topics there is. And questions about nutrition are particularly hard to answer with data, because disentangling correlation from causation is nearly impossible. What we eat is so wrapped up in everything else we do that it’s very challenging to point to a particular food or even a particular eating pattern and say that it’s healthy or unhealthy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we know nothing.Today on ParentData, Dr. Robert Davis is here to talk us through what we do know. Robert is a medical doctor and an award-winning health journalist, and, most importantly, he’s a voice of sanity who realistically explores the nuances of nutrition, the food industry, childhood obesity, and how challenging it is for individual parents to try to parse it all. We talk about diet versus eating habits and the importance of language around that issue, food fads in the recent past and what we keep not learning from them, what Robert calls “nutritionism” (like obsessing about omega-3s instead of thinking holistically about our diets), whether ultra-processed foods are really as bad as we’re led to believe, kids and Ozempic, and how heavy a hand parents are supposed to take when it comes to their kids’ nutrition.This is a tough topic. We need to eat, we need to feed our kids, and we don’t fully process how stressful it is to feel responsible for our kids’ health and, as they get older, their body image. Hopefully this conversation can help alleviate some of that stress.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.Listen to Emily's article on ultra-processed foods.

Tamar Avishai, producer of ParentData and creator of The Lonely Palette podcast, discusses the intersection of motherhood and art, focusing on feminist artist Mary Kelly's 'Postpartum Document.' She delves into the challenges of new motherhood, especially during the pandemic, highlighting feelings of isolation and the transformative power of artistic expression. The conversation celebrates the emotional journey of parenting, revealing how documenting maternal experiences serves as both a coping mechanism and a connection to past generations.

Dr. Karen Tang, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and author of "It's Not Hysteria," is on a mission to enhance women's health education. She discusses the urgent need for better communication with healthcare providers and how systemic biases affect women's pain perception. Karen also explains why reclaiming the term 'hysteria' is crucial and sheds light on the often-overlooked challenges of conditions like endometriosis. Her insights aim to empower women to advocate for their health with confidence and knowledge.

Pop quiz: what’s the only organ that you grow from nothing and then casually discard, that magically bosses around your hormones, and actually your entire body, and that is actually made up of two different people’s cells? Obviously it’s the placenta. Less obvious is how completely awesome it is. We're all wrapped up in this new baby on our chest, and since the placenta is so easy to deliver, relatively, and so gross to look at, we forget how incredible it is, and how absolutely crucial for the health of your baby.So today on ParentData, we’re going to finally give it its due. We've invited Dr. Gillian Goddard back for a mini episode to talk about all things placenta. We’re going to follow its journey through conception to pregnancy to delivery and - if you’re so inclined - beyond, and answer any of the questions you might have about this truly magical and sadly ephemeral organ. Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.

Molly Schnell, an assistant professor of economics at Northwestern University, dives into the alarming racial disparities in C-section rates, revealing that Black mothers are 25% more likely to undergo unscheduled C-sections than their white counterparts. She discusses the implications of implicit bias in healthcare and the potential financial incentives affecting medical decisions. Exploring big data, Molly emphasizes the need for policy changes, such as promoting doulas and increasing workforce diversity, to improve maternal outcomes and combat these disparities.

Ultra-processed foods have become a hot topic in nutrition, stirring confusion and concern. This discussion clarifies their health implications, linking them to serious issues like heart disease and dementia. The NOVA classification system is explained, helping listeners better understand what qualifies as ultra-processed. The episode offers smart tips for navigating food choices and decoding sensational headlines. This information empowers informed and balanced eating habits in a world of mixed messages.

Allie Richards, CEO of Let's Grow Kids, leads the charge for affordable childcare in Vermont. They discuss the transformative impact of grassroots mobilization and highlight a groundbreaking childcare bill passed in June 2023, which offers financial support to both families and providers. With a compelling argument for public investment, Allie explains how quality childcare can actually boost the economy. Listeners are encouraged to engage locally, demonstrating how community action can foster real change.

Join Professor Steve Levitt, a behavioral economist and co-author of Freakonomics, as he shares his parenting struggles and late-night Googling adventures. He recounts a harrowing tale of discovering a worm in his child's poop, leading to an anxiety-filled pediatric visit. Levitt discusses the inherent frustrations of medical misdiagnoses, the quirks of online health advice, and the vital role of self-advocacy in navigating parenting fears. His blend of humor and candidness makes for an engaging exploration of the parenting journey.

Midwives are having a bit of a moment. Of course, that moment is not at all new. For a very, very long time, — hundreds, possibly thousands, of years — midwives, or people who were effectively midwives, were delivering all babies. Even when “doctor” became a more formal job, births were still nearly always attended by midwives. At some point, though, especially in the U.S., that changed. Midwifery attendance went way, way down, although it's starting to see an uptick. And it's because the data supports that there are benefits to having a midwife rather than having a doctor at birth, that spontaneous vaginal birth — birth without a vacuum or forceps — increases in the care of a midwife. Cesarean sections decrease, and so do episiotomies.Today on ParentData, we're joined by Ann Ledbetter, a certified nurse-midwife, to help us understand why. We talk about differences and similarities between midwives and OBs and doulas, epidurals, home births, and the difference between health care in the U.S. and elsewhere. And we also take time to talk about the holistic process of birth and how cool it is. Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.ParentData is generously supported by: Honeycomb Skylight (Use code PARENTDATA for 15% off your Calendar purchase!) StrollerCoaster podcast Whole Foods Market