
ParentData with Emily Oster
Parenting is full of decisions — starting the moment you learn you’re pregnant (sometimes before) and continuing indefinitely. For the past decade, Emily Oster has been a guide through the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood using data. She translates the latest scientific research into answers to the questions people have in their day-to-day lives. ParentData brings Emily together with other experts in areas of pregnancy and parenting to talk about some of the most complicated of these issues, from labor induction to food allergies to parenting through a divorce. Each conversation brings us closer to Emily’s mission: to create the most informed generation of parents by providing high-quality data that they can trust, whenever they need it.
Latest episodes

Apr 14, 2023 • 31min
Race, Values-based Care, and Advocating for Yourself With Erica Chidi
I’m finishing out Black Maternal Health Week with an interview with Erica Chidi — writer, entrepreneur, doula, and more. We talk about issues around Black maternal health, maternal health in general, and possible solutions.
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Apr 5, 2023 • 23min
Parenting Through Challenges with Dr. Kelly Fradin
I’m excited to be joined today by Kelly Fradin, who wrote a new book called Advanced Parenting: Advice for Helping Kids Through Diagnoses, Differences, and Mental Health Challenges. I think this book is a must-read for any parent struggling with a complicated parenting problem. And as Kelly describes in this conversation, it’s also a book for every parent, since all of us face the challenges of advocating for our kids at one point or another. Her book is full of tools and resources that will help you manage the stress and navigate the business of care. And we’re going to cover some of her top tips in today’s conversation.
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Mar 22, 2023 • 23min
Ask Emily: Your Personal Questions on Parenting
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her journey with pregnancy and parenting — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster!
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Mar 15, 2023 • 44min
Bonus: Book Talk with Hillary Frank (The Longest Shortest Time)
Today’s episode is an audio recording from one of my recent appearances in Montclair, New Jersey. It was an amazing night. I was so lucky to be joined by Hillary, who asked me some really thoughtful, smart questions about my book The Family Firm and my work on parenting. If you don’t know her, Hillary is the creator of the podcasts The Longest Shortest Time and Here Lies Me and author of the book Weird Parenting Wins.
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Mar 6, 2023 • 27min
Telling the Truth About Marriage with Young Kids with Majka Burhardt
I am thrilled to feature an interview with Majka Burhardt, a professional ice climber (seriously) and the author of a new book called More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, which is a really raw, gripping book about the first years of parenthood. It’s a book that I had a hard time putting down, even when it pulled me back into the uncertainties and fears of the beginning of parenting.
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Jan 25, 2023 • 21min
Ask Emily: Your Personal Questions on Career
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her career and more — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster!
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Jan 9, 2023 • 34min
Puberty, Postpartum, and Adaptation with Lauren Fleshman and Molly Huddle
I am thrilled to feature an interview with two professional women runners, Lauren Fleshman and Molly Huddle. Lauren has a new book out tomorrow called Good for a Girl, which is the impetus for our interview, and we’ll also talk about Molly’s book How She Did It from last spring. We talk about running, but I promise this is really a conversation about postpartum and post-puberty and finding a way to excel in male-dominated spaces and tons of other stuff. It’s a good listen even if you do not love to run.
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Dec 20, 2022 • 18min
Ask Emily: Your Personal Questions on Marriage
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her marriage and more — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster!
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Dec 8, 2022 • 30min
Parenting in America with Jessica Grose and Yael Schonbrun
I am absolutely delighted to feature an interview with two amazing authors. Jessica Grose is the author of the just-released book “Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood,” and Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at Brown (my colleague!) and the author of the new book “Work, Parent, Thrive.”
ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast.
Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org.

Oct 24, 2022 • 29min
How to Get Kids to Eat Their Lunches with Marnie Hanel
Writer Marnie Hanel discusses her new book on packing lunch boxes for kids. Topics covered include bento boxes, combating picky eating, creative food presentations, and tips for making lunchtime enjoyable for kids.
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