The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

We talk a lot about maternal mental health postpartum. But we do not talk enough about dads.

In this episode, my husband joins me for an honest conversation about paternal mental health, birth trauma, pressure, and what it felt like to become a father while navigating medical complications and the early days of the pandemic.

We discuss the silent expectations placed on fathers to be “the strong one,” to go back to work quickly, to provide, and to hold everything together — often without anyone asking how they are actually doing.

This episode is about normalizing the fact that postpartum mental health affects both parents.

We talk about:

• Why paternal mental health is often overlooked

• The impact of traumatic birth experiences on dads

• The pressure to return to work quickly, especially in medicine

• Sleep deprivation, financial stress, and identity shifts

• How the pandemic intensified anxiety for healthcare workers

• Why therapy is not just for crisis, but for maintenance

• Reparenting yourself while parenting your children

• How prioritizing mental health makes you a more present partner and parent

Want more? Listen to the full, ⁠⁠⁠original episode⁠⁠⁠.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and⁠ ⁠⁠⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the⁠ ⁠⁠⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠⁠⁠⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on The PedsDocTalk Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Lucky Sekhon, board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, OB-GYN, and author of The Lucky Egg, for a conversation about the fertility basics so many adults were never actually taught. We talk about the fertility knowledge gap, what ovulation really means, how to time intercourse more effectively, and when it may be time to stop waiting and get support.

We also get into one of the biggest misconceptions people hear all the time, that every fertility treatment is IVF. Dr. Sekhon breaks down the difference between cycle tracking, medicated IUI, and IVF, and explains what the fertility workup is actually looking at, from ovulation and uterine structure to sperm factors and age-related egg quality.

We discuss:

• Why so many adults reach the point of trying to conceive without really understanding fertility

• Signs in your cycle that may be worth paying attention to earlier • Why the fertile window is smaller than many people realize

• Why temperature tracking alone may miss the best timing

• What ovulation predictor kits are actually picking up

• What lifestyle habits may help support fertility

• The difference between prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and fertility supplements

• When to see a fertility specialist based on age, cycle regularity, and how long you’ve been trying

• How IVF differs from IUI and other treatment options

• The emotional reality of infertility and secondary infertility

To connect with Dr. Lucky Sekhon follow her on Instagram @lucky.sekhon check out all her resources at https://theluckyegg.com and buy her new book: https://linkly.link/2TYtU

00:00 IVF myths and the truth about IVF babies
00:00:56 Welcome and why this fertility conversation matters
00:04:31 The fertility knowledge gap nobody teaches
00:06:37 Ovulation basics and the small fertile window
00:09:20 Who Dr. Lucky’s book is really for
00:11:34 Why fertility advice online can make people more anxious
00:14:42 How to actually track ovulation
00:17:53 Why temperature tracking can miss the moment
00:19:19 Lifestyle habits that support fertility
00:23:32 Supplements, prenatal vitamins, and what may actually help
00:25:38 Does stress really cause infertility?
00:26:52 When to stop waiting and see a fertility specialist
00:30:15 Dr. Mona’s secondary infertility story
00:32:42 What IVF is, and how it differs from IUI
00:39:35 The emotional reality of IVF and fertility preservation
00:42:22 Why sharing infertility stories helps, and hurts
00:45:43 What happens at the first fertility specialist visit
00:49:55 IVF stigma, false guarantees, and harmful myths
00:56:42 Are IVF babies different? What the data actually says
01:00:11 Final takeaways and where to find Dr. Lucky

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bringing home a new baby can feel equal parts joyful and overwhelming. In this Follow Up episode, I revisit a favorite past conversation, I Just Had a Baby, Now What?, and share practical newborn guidance through the lens of both a pediatrician and a mom.

We talk about what newborns really need in the early weeks, how to recognize common cues for hunger, sleep, and interaction, and why simple routines like feeding, diaper changes, tummy time, and cuddles matter more than perfection. I also share insights from a recent parent survey in partnership with Angelcare and Diaper Genie about the products and routines families say helped them most in those early months.

I discuss:


What the fourth trimester means


The core needs of a newborn


Reading hunger, sleep, and play cues


Why babies cry, and it is not always hunger


Feeding on demand in the early weeks


Simple routines that support connection


Easy ways to engage your newborn


Why holding your baby does not spoil them


How to ease stress in the newborn stage

To learn more about Angelcare and Diaper Genie products visit https://diapergenie.com

and https://angelcarebaby.com. And don’t forget to follow @angelcare and @diapergenieofficial

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parents carry their past into their parenting, often without realizing it. In this episode, I sit down with relationship therapist and author Eli Harwood to talk about how emotional baggage forms, how it quietly shows up in the way we respond to our kids, and what it actually looks like to break those patterns in real time. We get honest about triggers, shame, defensiveness, and the parts of ourselves we learned to tuck away long before we ever had children.

Eli breaks down how emotional inheritance works, why our bodies react before our brains catch up, and how to shift from reactive parenting to connected parenting. This isn’t about perfection or never getting activated. It’s about noticing, pausing, and choosing something different so our kids don’t have to carry what we never had support for. If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I passing this on?”, this conversation will help you see the patterns with compassion and give you tools to change the story.

What we talk about:


Why emotional baggage forms and how it shows up in parenting


How your childhood coping strategies become adult triggers


The difference between reacting and responding


Why kids activate the parts of us we haven’t healed


How shame keeps patterns going


Practical steps to interrupt the cycle


Why slowing down is the most powerful parenting tool


How to repair with your child when you slip into old patterns

To connect with Eli Harwood follow her on Instagram @attachmentnerd, check out all her resources at https://www.attachmentnerd.com/ and buy her book “How to Deal with Your ___ So Your Kids Don’t Have To: https://www.amazon.com/Deal-Your-____-Kids-Dont/dp/1632175967 

00:00 – The Core Idea: Kids Feel What We Don’t Heal

05:23 – From Secure Kids to Secure Parents

09:18 – The Five Gifts of a Secure Parent14:06 – Showing Up Without Making Kids the Burden23:14 – When Your Stuff Spills Out

25:58 – Hidden Baggage: Denial, Over-Apologizing, and Self-Doubt

27:28 – Bias, Blind Spots, and Long-Term Connection

36:40 – Emotional Maturity in Real Life

41:17 – “I Want Mommy”: Rejection and Attachment Preferences

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sleep training can feel like a lightning rod topic, especially when it comes to the cry it out method.

In this episode, I talk with a mom who used extinction sleep training with both of her sons at different ages. She shares what it actually looked like night by night, why other methods did not work for her family, and how sleep training ultimately changed their home for the better.

In this conversation, we cover:

• What the extinction method actually looks like
• How long crying lasted and what progress looked like
• Why Ferber did not work for her baby
• The role of timing and developmental readiness
• When night feeds may be appropriate to drop
• Why sleep quality affects mood, tantrums, and regulation
• How to handle judgment around sleep choices

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode called Momma Needs Some Sleep! How different moms approached sleep-training where we discuss various approaches to sleep-training.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices