Getting a big fat positive pregnancy test (your BFP!) is just the beginning of a wild, emotional and often funny ride into parenthood, and "Big Fat Positive" is here for you through it all. On this weekly podcast, hosts Shanna and Laura share their pregnancies and parenthood in real time, starting at just eight weeks pregnant.
They tell hilarious true stories, tackle tough parenting topics, share favorite tips and products, explore the wild and wacky corners of parenthood, and bring in expert guests for trustworthy insight on pregnancy, babies, mental health and more.
Whether you’re newly pregnant, navigating life with a newborn or deep into the parenting years, "Big Fat Positive" offers a smart, supportive mix of laughter, honesty and evidence-based information, plus the feeling of having two best mom friends in your corner, reminding you you’re not doing this alone.
New episodes are released every Monday.
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Données mises à jour le 10/11/2026
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The Smoothie Incident and Other Mom Confessions - Ep. 436
Épisode 436
lundi 9 novembre 2026 • Durée 55:07
In this week’s “Mom Confessions” segment, Shanna and Laura confess to their recent acts of coercion, deception and vice, one of which involves... a smoothie. Also, Laura gets an email from her son’s teacher that she was not expecting, and Shanna feels conflicted about evening activities that cut into her daughter's sleep. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• How much sleep kids actually need
• How a short night's sleep affects a kid’s mood and focus the next day
• When a school actively tells parents how much sleep kids need
• Deciding whether to skip a late practice, and how it feels
• Getting an unexpectedly good report from a teacher
• What it’s like when school emails are usually bad news
• Why kids with ADHD hear their names in negative contexts
• Knowing you made the right call switching schools
• Using games to get kids dressed in the morning
• Creative ways to motivate your kids to finish their homework
• Turning chores into a game
• A surprising tactic for getting kids to bed
• Celebrating an anniversary away from the kids
• Going to Universal Studios with kids
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
Perimenopause Symptoms, Boob Math and Diary Locks - Ep. 435
Épisode 435
lundi 2 novembre 2026 • Durée 57:06
In this week’s “What I Googled This Week” segment, Shanna shares what she’s learned about perimenopause after a round of hormone replacement left her feeling awful, and Laura sets out to answer how much boobs actually weigh. Also, Laura attempts to get a decent family photo, and Shanna attempts to take a trip without her kids. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• Why hormone replacement can make you feel bloated
• Perimenopause and HRT as trial and error
• Why cup size doesn’t tell you what your breasts weigh
• Sister bra sizing and breast density
• Infected bursitis
• Changing your plans when your partner gets sick
• Family photo sessions, and whether they’re worth it
• Getting kids to stand still for one picture
• Picking the lock on a kid’s journal
• When a parent reads a kid’s diary
• Presbyopia and the options for treating it
• Overnight contact lenses for kids with myopia
• Towel warmers
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
Spooky Birth Lore and a Terrible PMS Cure - Ep. 434
Épisode 434
lundi 26 octobre 2026 • Durée 50:14
In this week’s “Today I Learned” segment, Laura explains what an en caul birth is and the centuries of strange folklore that grew around it, and Shanna digs up an 1890s doctor whose cure for period cramps involved an entirely unrelated body part. Also, Shanna attempts her first low-key Halloween in years, while Laura takes two kids who claim to love horror into two different Halloween stores. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• What an en caul birth is, and how rare they are
• The difference between an en caul birth and a caul birth
• Caul folklore around the world
• How doctors treated menstrual symptoms in the 1800s
• Cocaine in 19th-century medicine
• Freud’s closest friend and his strangest theory
• Halloween burnout and scaling back the holiday
• Taking scared kids to a Halloween store
• Letting kids pick their own costumes
• Keeping a kid-free outing a secret
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
Man Eyes, Emoji Fails and School Volunteering - Ep. 433
Épisode 433
lundi 19 octobre 2026 • Durée 52:18
In this week's "Out of Context" segment, Shanna and Laura trade screenshots of text messages that need some explaining, including an emoji mix-up from an unexpected sender and a running joke about husbands who can’t see what’s right in front of them. Also, Laura finds out what it takes to get approved as a school volunteer these days, and a lottery win at school takes a real bite out of homework stress at Shanna’s house. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• What it takes to become a school volunteer now
• Live scan fingerprinting and background checks for parents
• Completing mandated reporter training
• Background checks for youth sports volunteers
• After-school enrichment lotteries
• Getting homework done before you get home
• Working with a teacher to get assignments early
• When an emoji goes wrong
• How different generations read emojis
• Why your husband can’t find the thing that’s right there
• Reading aloud in your kid’s classroom
• Taking a solo hike to feel like yourself again
• Hiking spots in Los Angeles
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
Sleep Anxiety and Bedtime Routines: Ask-Us-Anything Minisode #13
vendredi 16 octobre 2026 • Durée 22:58
Shanna and Laura answer listener questions about lying down with kids at bedtime, how to handle a child’s sleep anxiety, and the systems they use to keep track of every story they want to tell on the show. Shanna describes her bedtime routine now that her kids are older, Laura makes peace with the kid who lands in her bed at 2 a.m. every night, and both share the apps and docs holding this podcast together.
Kids’ ages: Shanna’s kids are 7 and 10 years old, and Laura’s kids are 5 and 7 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• Lying down with kids at bedtime, and when to stop
• Co-regulation at bedtime and why some kids need it
• When a kid leaves their room over and over
• Bedtime when siblings share a room
• Separation anxiety at bedtime
• Severe sleep anxiety in kids
• When your kid gets in your bed every night
• Whether middle-of-the-night waking is fear or habit
• Parenting decisions at 2 a.m.
• Teaching kids acceptance instead of fighting sleep
• Lucid dreaming and reality checks for kids with nightmares
• How a podcast keeps track of story ideas
• Using Todoist and Airtable to organize creative work
• Using your camera roll and calendar to remember your own week
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
In this week’s “Internet Insanity” segment, Shanna breaks down the NeeDoh squishy toy craze that’s led to store fights, police involvement and a 243% spike in poison control calls, and Laura finally solves a months-long mystery about the bot-like comments appearing on the show's Spotify episodes. Also, fall activities ramp up for Shanna’s family, while Laura rides an unexpected wave of productivity around the house. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• The NeeDoh squishy toy craze, explained
• Why fidget toys took off the way they did
• How to repair a split squishy toy
• Why podcast comment sections are full of strange messages
• Volunteering for your kid’s sports team
• Getting a dimmer switch and warmer bulbs for a calmer bedtime
• When to DIY and when to hire it out
• Earning a toy with a points system
• Buying secondhand instead of new
• Getting kids to clean up by turning it into a contest
• Mosquitoes in Los Angeles and Skeeter syndrome
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
Homework Battles and Life After a Screen-Time Ban - Ep. 431
Épisode 431
lundi 5 octobre 2026 • Durée 54:41
Homework season starts and goes about as badly as Laura feared, leaving her looking for a way to get it done somewhere other than the kitchen table. Shanna's brutal mornings turn around after an unexpected discovery at urgent care. In this week's "Loose Ends" segment, Shanna and Laura revisit the stories they left dangling: whether a months-long screen time ban is still holding up, where a nine-month-overdue front tooth finally landed, and whether a head wound is going to leave a scar. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• When homework becomes a nightly fight
• Homework and ADHD: when easy work is still painful
• Why kids do homework for other adults but not their parents
• How a hidden ear infection can lower a kid's frustration threshold
• Choosing a pediatric urgent care over a general clinic
• Getting a medication-anxious kid to take ear drops
• When a permanent tooth takes nine months to come in
• Scar care and silicone scar gel for kids
• Starting over on an occupational therapy waitlist
• Talking about your child's struggles with your child in the room
• Life after a screen time ban: what the kids actually do instead
• Why movies work better than episodes for sensitive kids
• Rage cleaning as a household strategy
• Keeping a drip irrigation system alive while you travel
Morning Routines Made Easier - Ep. 430
Épisode 430
lundi 28 septembre 2026 • Durée 42:46
Shanna's drop-off struggles with her youngest escalate, so she lands on an unconventional solution to improve her family's morning routines. Laura scrambles to find last-minute babysitter coverage so she can attend an all-day music festival without the kids. In this week's "Throwback" segment, Shanna confesses to a split-second decision in fifth-grade band class that hurt a friendship, and shares what she hopes for her own fifth grader, who's navigating similar terrain. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• When school drop-off meltdowns keep escalating
• Disclosing an ADHD diagnosis to your child's school
Choosing a School and ADHD Medication: Ask-Us-Anything Minisode #12
Épisode 429
jeudi 24 septembre 2026 • Durée 23:58
Choosing between charter, magnet, public and private schools is overwhelming, and so is the trial-and-error process of finding the right ADHD medication for your kid. In this Ask-Us-Anything minisode, Shanna and Laura answer listener questions about how to narrow down school options when you don't know where to begin, and what their families' ADHD medication journeys have actually looked like, including what didn't work and why. Laura also shares an ADHD update of her own.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• How to choose a school: charter, magnet, public and private
• How to evaluate schools in your area
• School waitlists and application deadlines: when to start
• The LAUSD eChoices system and why people hire consultants for it
• Finding the right ADHD medication through trial and error
• Stimulants vs. non-stimulants for kids
• Why immediate release and extended release can work completely differently
• How to monitor whether a medication is helping or hurting your child
• Adult ADHD diagnosis: what finally prompted it
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
• The ADHD Parenting Podcast - co-hosted by Mike McLeod, referenced on adults staying in charge of medication decisions
• SpeakPipe - send us your questions for a future episode!
School Drop-Off Meltdowns and How to Cope - Ep. 429
Épisode 429
lundi 21 septembre 2026 • Durée 53:29
Shanna navigates two school drop-off meltdowns in one week and finds an unexpected way to regulate herself afterward. Laura reports on her boys' first week of school and a surprisingly successful shopping trip, and in this week's "Throwback" segment, she takes us back to the summer of 1995, when she gave herself a disastrous 4th-of-July dye job that her mom has never let her forget. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 years old and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• What to do when your kid melts down at school drop-off
• Regulating yourself after your child's big emotions
• Using singing and music to complete the stress cycle
• When a teacher goes on leave at the start of the school year
• Getting intel on your kid's new teacher
• Kindergarten buddy programs for siblings at the same school
• Helping kids who feel unsure about friendships in a new class
• Kids who love shopping in person
• Teaching kids to apply temporary tattoos themselves
• How to remove temporary tattoos
• Letting kids dye their hair bright colors
• Why "temporary" hair dye sometimes isn't
• Beating the heat with a backyard pool setup
• Solo theme park trips for parents
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:
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