No One Told Us

Episode 28: Grandparents: Boundaries, Parenting Differences and Advice with John & Diane, Rachael’s Parents!This week Rachael has two very special people in her life as guests- her mom and dad, John and Diane! Hear their real thoughts on Rachael’s viral "Boomer Advice" Tiktok, stroll down memory lane as they recount sleep and parenting in the late 80s and early 90s, and find out how they used to get their parenting advice.John and Diane share their personal experiences around things like sleep training and cosleeping and the stigma it had 30 years ago. They talk about how the culture around parenting and sleep has changed over the years, give their honest thoughts on "gentle parenting", and answer questions from YOU, the listeners about how to set boundaries with parents and in-laws! John and Diane also share their biggest regret as parents- which Rachael heard for the first time during the interview- and let you know their biggest piece of advice as you navigate the early years of parenting.John and Diane are Rachael’s Parents and parents to 2 other daughters. They are the loving grandparents of Rachael's 3 kids and live in Connecticut.Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 27: Understanding Your Fertility with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack @fertilityfridayKnowledge is power, especially when it comes to your body, your period, and your fertility. This week, Rachael and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, fertility educator and author of a new book,  Real Food For Fertility, chat all about fertility awareness, birth control, using your cycle as your fifth “vital sign”, and how to know if your period is “normal.” In this empowering episode, you’ll find out what a normal, healthy menstrual cycle looks like, if hormonal contraceptives impact fertility, and what is the pill actually doing in the body. They also discuss fertility awareness, how it can help improve a woman's chances of conceiving for the first time or after already giving birth, plus lots more valuable information!Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.Mentioned in this episode:Lisa’s website, Fertility Friday: fertilityfriday.comNEW BOOK! Real Food For Fertility: realfoodforfertility.comLisa's book, The Fifth Vital Sign: thefifthvitalsignbook.comLisa’s Instagram: @FertilityFridayFertility Friday PodcastRachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website (transcripts are available here!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 26: "I Thought I'd Be Sleeping By Now" with Lauren Paley @lauren_paleyThis week Rachael speaks with toddler mom, musician and content creator Lauren Paley. Rachael and Lauren dive into all things motherhood in this candid conversation, specifically sleep challenges. Lauren shares special glimpses into her experience as a first time mom including sleep (or lack thereof) and cosleeping, her best tips for exclusively pumping, and how she and her husband divide and share the load of parenthood. Lauren discusses having a "high needs" baby, her journey with postpartum anxiety and how it still shows up for her over a year postpartum. Hear how Lauren is navigating sharing her personal life on social media as a content creator with over 12 million followers across platforms.Lauren Paley, otherwise known as “The Stairwell Siren”, is a music and lifestyle content creator best known for her beautiful and haunting covers recorded in her garage stairwell. This Titanic Hymn to the Sea cover was the video that went viral and “started it all” for her! Lauren lives in Nashville, TN, with her daughter Piper, 18 months, and husband Dan. When she isn’t posting music, she’s sharing glimpses of her personal life as a new mom to adorable 18-month-old Piper. Lauren's newest goal is to work on a Lullaby album for little ones- so stay tuned!Lauren’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_paley/ Lauren’s TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenpaley?lang=enRachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website (includes transcripts!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 25: Friendships: Finding Mom Friends, Friendship Breakups, and Modeling Healthy Friendships for Kids with Dr. Miriam KirmayerWe’ve all heard how important it is to have your “mom circle” but has anyone else ever thought that this is actually really hard to find? If you’ve felt this, you’re not alone. Adult friendships can be really hard especially as new moms. This week Rachael speaks with Dr. Miriam Kirmayer to talk all about adult friendships. Find out why it is so hard to make new friends as an adult, how to navigate friendships when parenting styles conflict, and how attachment style can impact friendships. They chat all about the importance of friendships for moms and having a “circle” of other moms and some of the potential effects on people who don’t have connections. Find out some tips on ways to make and meet new connections, plus so much more!Dr. Miriam Kirmayer is a clinical psychologist, leading friendship expert, and influential speaker on human connection and social support. With over a decade of research on the science of friendship, Dr. Miriam is revolutionizing the way we show up for, mentor, and connect with each other. She is one of the first and only clinical psychologists to specialize in adult friendship and shares guidance on navigating friendship and relationship challenges with tens of thousands of people through her popular online community. She is also a mom of two.Instagram (@miriamkirmayer): https://www.instagram.com/miriamkirmayer/Facebook (@miriamkirmayer): https://www.facebook.com/MiriamKirmayerLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-kirmayerLearn more about her NEW course, Confidently Connected: Building Meaningful Friendships here!Register now until Sunday, February 11th at 9:00 pm EST! Registering for the course gives you access to…. The Friendship Forum! The live workshop that kicks off the course the evening of February 13th at 8:00 pm EST.Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 24: Healing Birth Trauma with Illiyin Morrison of @mixing.up.motherhoodThis week Rachael and special guest Illiyin Morrison discuss birth trauma and some ways in which pregnancy and birth trauma can manifest. Find out how birth trauma can impact early experiences of parenting and what kinds of support partners, family members and friends can provide to best support someone who has experienced birth trauma. Illiyin even gives us an inside look at her personal journey and experiences with each of her pregnancies, births and postpartum recovery period. Rachael and Illiyin also discuss if a birth plan is really necessary, if a doula is truly worth it, why people who experience birth trauma may have PTSD, and so much more!Illiyin is a midwife, birth debrief facilitator, author and mom of 2. After working as a midwife in a busy hospital in south London, she left to embark on this journey to support those in perinatal trauma. Informed by her own birth experience, Illiyin is dedicated to supporting women and their families to overcome difficult perinatal experiences. On Instagram at Mixing Up Motherhood, Illiyin discusses all things motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth and maternal mental health, and empowers women through education.To learn more:Illiyin’s InstagramIlliyin’s Book: The Birth DebriefRachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 23: Car Seat Safety with Jamie Grayson of @thejamiegraysonHave you ever been so overwhelmed by the amount of gear and products out there for your baby? Join Rachael and guest, Jamie Grayson, as they discuss all things baby gear safety. Find out key considerations parents should keep in mind when selecting a car seat, when to switch from an infant seat to a convertible car seat, tips for ensuring a secure installation, as well as some misconceptions about the "best" car seats, extended rear-facing and more. Get advice for when you need to travel with car seats and some general guidelines or recommendations for reusing and cleaning a car seat for a second or third child, plus so much more! In the last half of the episode, we take your questions and Rachael shares one of the scariest moments she's had as a parent.Jamie Grayson started as a product demonstrator and personal shopper at buybuyBaby in Manhattan, as well as at NYC's top birth education center, and quickly became one of the most well-respected experts in the baby gear and child safety space. Jamie is dual certified in Child Passenger Safety in both the US and Canada. Now based in Denver, Colorado, Jamie is passionate about helping parents make decisions on the best baby gear for your family through honest and entertaining product testing, reviews, and parenting events both virtual and in-person.We start the episode with a little Taylor/ Travis talk.. skip ahead to 5:30 if you're not a Swiftie (but how dare you!?).Jamie’s Instagram and TiktokRachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website  (find transcripts here!)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 22: Nurturing the Infant Brain with Neuroscientist Dr. Greer KirshenbaumJoin Rachael and Neuroscientist, Doula, Infant Sleep Educator, Author and Parent Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum, whose mission is to teach the science and support the art of nurturing infants. In Dr. Greer's new book The Nurture Revolution, she discusses the act of "nurture" for our children as a revolutionary act, and discusses how nurture is a preventative medicine against mental health issues. She challenges the idea that the way to cultivate independence is through letting babies cry it out or sleep alone; instead, the way to raise a confident, securely attached child is to lean in to nurture, to hold your infant as much as you want, support their emotions, engage in back-and-forth conversations, be present and compassionate when your baby is stressed, and share sleep. Research has proven that nurturing experiences transform lives. Nurturing is a gift of resilience and health parents can give the next generation simply by following their instincts to care for their young. Rachael and Dr. Greer discuss how to nurture the infant brain and foster healthy attachment, sleep and sleep training, repairing with our children and so much more in this powerful episode.Nurture Neuroscience Parenting IG page: https://www.instagram.com/nurture_neuroscience_parenting/Grab the Book: “The Nurture Revolution: Grow your baby’s brain and transform their mental health through the art of nurtured parenting”Check out “Nurture Stories” series on her IG page, members of her community submit their nurture stories and talk about the value of nurture in parenting.Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast. Join me & our guests each week for new episodes and follow along:Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show WebsiteFor more on biologically normal infant sleep and a holistic approach to getting more sleep, visit heysleepybaby.com and follow on instagram.Please follow & subscribe to No One Told Us and if you enjoyed this episode- leave us a review! This podcast does not contain medical advice and is for entertainment purposes only.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 21: How Culture Affects Our Parenting with Melina Gac Levin of @parentpuebloJoin Rachael and guest Melina Gac Levin, as they have important conversations around culture and how it shapes the way we view our kids and parent. They discuss what conversations parents should have with each other before they have kids about how each culture may impact their parenting and hear some advice Melina would offer to parents who come from different cultural backgrounds who are navigating potential conflicts or differences in parenting approaches. They chat about some strategies for parents who want to blend different cultural parenting approaches and traditions and how cultural values and beliefs influence the way parents make decisions about their children’s sleep, language, behavior, plus so much more!Melina is an early childhood development specialist, graduate professor, writer, and mother. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, Mike, and their two daughters. Melina’s professional background is as an educator and she spent over 10 years in the classroom. She holds dual masters in Infant and Family Development, Early Intervention & Early Childhood General and Special Education from Bank Street, where she now teaches graduate students in education and social work all about infant development. She is also the founder of PUEBLO which equips multicultural parents with the skills and knowledge to parent confidently together.Freebie on discovering Your Parenting Values: designed to help couples understand themselves and each other, so they can have more nuanced and productive conversations moving forwardPueblo Website: https://www.parentpueblo.comMelina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parentpueblo/ Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 20: Potty Learning and Supporting Your Child’s Pelvic Floor Health with Quiara Smith, Pediatric Occupational Therapist of @alohaintegrativetherapyJoin Rachael and guest Quiara Smith as they dive into this much-requested topic and discuss common issues parents face when potty learning- like constipation, poop withholding, bed wetting and more! They also cover Pediatric Pelvic Health Occupational Therapy and how it differs from other forms of OT for children. Learn what parents can expect from the therapy process and some common pediatric pelvic floor issues that parents might not be aware of and how can OT help address them!Find out if there really is a "perfect age" for potty learning and how to approach potty learning with neurodivergent children. Learn all the signs for readiness for potty learning, the best foods and hydrational supports for your child’s digestion- plus so much more!Quiara Smith has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist for over 13 years in both California and Hawaii, working in various settings and with infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents with various medical conditions and diagnoses. Realizing the social, emotional, and psychological challenges that pelvic floor dysfunction and toileting difference places on children and families, Quiara decided to narrow her private practice to exclusively treating children and adolescents with pelvic floor dysfunction and toileting challenges. In 2017, Quiara opened the very first boutique private Pediatric Pelvic Health Occupational Therapy practice of its kind in the United States. She is an expert and pioneer in the field of Pediatric Pelvic Health Occupational Therapy. Quiara has created potty training courses for parents and caregivers, and has also created courses for healthcare providers focused on her holistic and integrative approach to pediatric pelvic floor dysfunction and toileting differences. Quiara is a national and international presenter and speaker on this specialty area of pediatric pelvic health OT practice. Quiara’s online self-paced potty learning course offered through Tinyhood linked here.Quiara’s 1:1 pediatric pelvic health parent coaching virtually and in person at her Santa Rosa, CA clinic website here. Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account)Show WebsiteFor more on biologically normal infant sleep and a holistic approach to getting more sleep, visit heysleepybaby.com and follow on instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 19: Teaching Kids to Love Reading with Beth Gaskill of @bigcityreaders Join Rachael and Miss Beth as they talk all about our children learning to read! Hear some strategies and techniques for fostering literacy skills in kids and the importance of infusing fun into learning to read. You’ll learn about The science of reading (did you know it was a science!?), the evolving understanding of how children best learn to read, and how you can help be an advocate for your child. Rachael even shares about her experience as a public school teacher teaching reading for over 10 years as well as her oldest child's recent entry into the public school system.They also chat about Kindergarten "Redshirting," how to instill early literacy skills and a love for reading in our children, how to talk to our kids after school, plus so much more!Beth Gaskill, known by her community as Miss Beth, is trained in the science of reading, the Orton Gillingham approach and is a multi sensory literacy instructor and a former early childhood and elementary school teacher. She founded Big City Readers to create a space for families to come together, understand how to teach their kids in the unique ways they are wired to learn, not just how to teach reading, build community AND have fun. Big City Readers On Demand Video Courses for babies, toddlers + kidsBeth’s Podcast: Play on Words Podcast we mentioned: Sold a StoryRachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast.Instagram (Show page)Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account) Show Website (Transcripts available!)For more on biologically normal infant sleep and a holistic approach to getting more sleep, visit heysleepybaby.com and follow on instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices