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Welcome to Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast where we dole out no-nonsense pregnancy and parenting tips and advice. Host, Nina Spears, is coming from a place where experience meets expertise. She has worked with hundreds of families and has condensed all that she has learned to bring you simple, practical, and immediate advice for preventing pregnancy and parenting conundrums.
Episodes
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Raising a toddler has its highs and lows. They are incredible little human beings, but they also have a lot of big emotions. Not all of these emotions are pleasant, especially during learning moments, which can be hard for both the child and the parent. As parents, we do our best to guide our children to grow to be their best versions of themselves. Understanding their emotions, behavior, and development can help us better understand and parent our children. That is why I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with expert Dr. Cathryn about everything we need to know about toddler behavior.
Dr. Cathryn is a pediatrician of over 30 years, a trained midwife, a mother of four, and a two-time author. It's evident after helping thousands of families and raising children of her own that she is a wealth of knowledge. She has devoted her life to helping parents raise happy, healthy, and successful children. If you don't follow her on Instagram already @healthiest_baby, you should. She is always sharing valuable tips and information with her audience. We are so inspired by her and her work, and we are grateful to have chatted with her. We know that you'll enjoy this episode about toddler behavior too!
Some Topics We Discussed:
- Realistic expectations that parents of toddlers can set for themselves.
- The best approach for parenting toddlers.
- The top wants and needs of toddlers.
- How to help parents survive and thrive during the toddler stage.
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
We love Amazon and shop on their site frequently, especially since we've become parents. However, we've learned that not everything listed for sale on Amazon is safe. This is very eye-opening and concerning for us as consumers, and we had to learn more. We're chatting with Rachel Johnson Greer about what we need to know to spot unsafe products on Amazon so that we can keep our families safe.
Rachel is the author of No Dead Babies: How Amazon Pursued Profit Above Safety and How to Protect Your Family. She worked in the compliance department at Amazon's headquarters for over a decade — that is, until she was deposed from her position for speaking up for consumers' safety. A mother herself, Rachel was sickened by the reports of children that lost their lives due to faulty products. She is on a mission to arm parents with the knowledge they need to keep their families safe.
"If you're a customer of a publicly-traded company, you are not their priority. You are their inputs so they can maximize shareholder value." - Rachel
We're grateful to chat with Rachel today. She's sharing how your Amazon cart may be putting you and your family at risk, strategies to quickly and easily identify if a household item or children's toy is dangerous, and ways for parents to find peace of mind in an often daunting marketplace.
Resources that Rachel Recommends:
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
We recently learned that there is a higher chance of postpartum depression for women with poor sleep quality. This doesn't come as much of a surprise because we know that sleep is vital to a person's mental and physical health. It's also not a secret that sleep deprivation is inevitable when welcoming home a newborn. So, how can new parents prepare for parenthood and combat this statistic? Because new parents need to care for their babies at all hours, how can they prioritize sleep to help avoid postpartum mood disorders? We're chatting with Dr. Harvey Karp to learn more.
Dr. Harvey Karp is one of America's most-trusted pediatricians and child development experts. He is on the USC School of Medicine faculty and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Karp practiced pediatrics in Los Angeles for over 25 years and is the best-selling author of The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. His landmark discoveries and unique ability to translate complex science into effective techniques to empower parents have revolutionized our understanding of the needs of young children. He is the founder and CEO of Happiest Baby, a smart-tech and parenting solutions company that invented the SNOO Smart Sleeper, a responsive bassinet that mimics the sounds and motions of the womb.
In this episode, Dr. Karp shares his experience as a parent and pediatrician. We discussed sleep's role in maternal and pediatric health, changing the mindset that mothers also need sleep, his advice for tired new moms, and more!
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Life can get busy, especially when you have little ones. And at the end of the day, the never-ending question is always, "What's for dinner?" Today's guest knows this all too well. She's been creating delicious meals over the years and sharing her amazing recipes on her popular blog and social media, Feel Good Foodie. That's right; today, we have the pleasure of chatting with Yumna Jawad from Feel Good Foodie about her tips to get you cooking for your family!
Yumna discovered her passion for cooking after years of working as a food industry marketer. In 2007, she learned to cook with the help of her mother, who worked wonders in the kitchen when Yumna was growing up. With over 3 million Instagram followers, Yumna has become a well-known wizard in the kitchen. I also had the pleasure of meeting her four years ago and enjoyed chatting about all things food with her. She is knowledgeable and so kind. We're big fans!
Today we are chatting with Yumna about the best tips and tricks to get you cooking in the kitchen for your family. Yumna knows firsthand that it can be hard to get a home-cooked meal on the table every night but believes anyone can do it! It can be healthy, delicious, easy, and fun! She's sharing some great advice for parents to feel inspired and excited to start cooking!
Links mentioned:
Monday May 23, 2022
Monday May 23, 2022
Infertility can feel so isolating but we know that many women experience these struggles. Thankfully more women are speaking up and sharing their stories. I think that talking about this sensitive topic is allowing more people to understand infertility and what their options are. That's why I'm so grateful to have fertility veteran and PhD Scientist, Amy Beckley, joining us today on our podcast. Amy is sharing common fertility struggles, her personal experience with fertility as well as her mission to empower and change the conversation around understanding infertility. We're happy to join her in this important conversation and spread the word.
Amy has been trying to break down barriers for those experiencing infertility for over a decade. She's been very vocal about her own struggles, experiencing 7 miscarriages and several rounds of IVF before inventing the first at-home progesterone test kit to help empower women with more information on why their bodies may be miscarrying.
We hope that today's discussion gives a lot of people hope and answers to what they were looking for.
Resources:
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Hearing your baby say their first word is such an exciting milestone. But if you're worrying that your baby isn't saying enough words or is slower to talk, you are not the only one. Many parents have these same concerns. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to get your baby to start talking!
We just had the pleasure of having Brooke and Bridget, the Speech Sisters, as our podcast guests! They are speech and language pathologists and are experts in their field. They have more than 20 years of combined experience, and they have diagnosed and treated hundreds of children with a variety of communication disorders and delays. They know how parents feel (they are moms too!) and are super passionate about helping parents and guiding them to get their children to talk.
In this episode, Bridget and Brooke share their best tips and tricks to get your baby talking. We discussed some practical tips to integrate speech and language techniques into your everyday routine as well as their favorite activities! They were a delight to chat with and we are thrilled to have them on to dive into this important subject.
Notes from this episode:
- Their thoughts on the CDC Developmental Milestones update
- Speech Sisters Webinars/Workshops
- You can go to their website and find a course that works for your little one!
Tuesday Apr 12, 2022
Tuesday Apr 12, 2022
With neverending to-do lists, parents sometimes just want their little ones to be entertained and content without always resorting to screentime. This is especially true when bringing home a new baby. You don’t want your older child to be left out, but it’s so helpful if there are some fun and easy activities that can keep them busy while you care for your newborn. This is actually what inspired our guest today!
Susie Allison, from Busy Toddler, is an early childhood education expert and advocate. She has a degree in Elementary Education, taught Kindergarten and First Grade, and was a math and reading curriculum specialist. Once Susie had children, she found her true passion for simple kids’ activities that didn’t involve screentime. And so, Busy Toddler was born! It has evolved into a million-follower Instagram account and a play-based internet haven.
Today we had the pleasure of chatting with Susie about the best tips for keeping your toddler busy and happy. Susie knows firsthand that being a parent is tough, and being a kid can be even tougher. She is answering our questions about hands-on learning and tips on how we can all make it to nap time a little easier!
Here are the great resources that Susie shared with us! All are on Instagram:
- @kids.eat.in.color
- @inclusivestorytime
- @theotbutterfly
- @pedsdoctalk
- @transformingtoddlerhood
- @busytoddler - Susie's account!
You can visit Susie on her website, busytoddler.com, and order her Playing Preschool Program or purchase her book for more!
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Did you know that statistics show a girl's self-esteem peaks at age nine and falls from there? This was a heartbreaking statistic that we recently discovered. We wanted to learn more about what we can do to prevent it from falling and empower our girls. That's when we found Melody Pourmoradi, an empowerment coach who is passionate about empowering women and girls across the globe.
Melody has supported thousands of women to live out their life's purpose, create careers that they love, and cultivate a life that lights them up from the inside out. She is an award-winning author who has written books on subjects that include teaching girls how to live a peaceful and happy life and teaching women that the clearest path to raising empowered girls is by first looking in the mirror and doing the inner work necessary to nourish themselves first and foremost.
In today's episode, Melody and I talk about how moms and caregivers can raise young girls' self-esteem. We cover body positivity, friendships, wellness, and more. As a mom of a little girl, I am so grateful to learn more about this topic and how we can impact young girls and empower them to be confident and happy.
Check out Melody's FREE 10-Day Challenge (it shares 10 unique ways to empower our daughters) as well as her book, Empowered Women Empower Girls.
Melody's website: getgirlpower.com or melodypourmoradi.com
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, but it's not always an enjoyable experience for everyone. Many different symptoms can happen; heartburn, morning sickness, back pain, stress, and more. But thankfully, there are some tips that can help you get through. We have Dr. Christine Sterling, board-certified ObGyn and mom of three, as our special guest, and she is sharing her tips on how to make your pregnancy easier and healthier.
Dr. Sterling is on a mission is to provide comprehensive support for the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy. With so much information about what you should and shouldn't do during pregnancy, it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure it all out. That's why Dr. Sterling is doing her part and started Sterling Parents and her courses.
Today, Dr. Sterling is answering all of our questions, including handling stress during pregnancy and sharing the importance of nourishing ourselves during pregnancy and beyond. We're honored to have her as our guest and hear her expert recommendations. We know you'll leave this episode feeling more prepared and empowered for your pregnancy!
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
It's a beautiful thing when a couple decides to grow their family and welcome a baby. It's a wonderful way to watch the love you have for one another blossom into something bigger and even more powerful. However, having a baby can bring out the best in people and sometimes the worst. This is why it's so important to prepare for this life-changing time in advance so that you both can be on the same page as partners and as parents. But if you're listening to this episode after you've welcomed home your baby, no worries. There are incredible pieces of relationship advice for us too!
Today's guest is Catherine O'Brien, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Happy With Baby. Catherine created Happy With Baby for expecting and new parents to discover the advice she wishes she could have had when managing expectation of parenthood and relationships. She is sharing her helpful tools parents can use to communicate better and thrive through this transition with us today. Her warm personality and knowledge will leave you feeling better and equipped to be effective caregivers and have a happy marriage.
We are so grateful to have had Catherine on our podcast to talk about this significant transition in relationships. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook @happywithbaby, as well as read her book!