Explore every episode of the podcast Spoil Your Baby
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond Mechanics: Feeding Your Baby with Love and Connection feat. Kelly Kendall | #72 | 05 Oct 2026 | 00:31:59 | |
How can treating breastfeeding as a relationship rather than a mechanical task transform your feeding journey? Kelly Kendall began her career as a hospital postpartum nurse and lactation consultant before moving into private practice. Throughout her years in the hospital, she watched countless parents feel completely overwhelmed after birth. Many prepared thoroughly for labor, yet found themselves caught off guard by the realities of breastfeeding in a world that lacks social modeling. She saw firsthand how modern isolation and digital age pressure leave families feeling defeated when feeding does not go smoothly. Kelly transformed her approach by viewing breastfeeding not as a mechanical chore, but as a relational practice centered on love and connection. She realized that feeding is about holding the relationship between parent and baby, no matter what path it takes. Today, through her practice and her online program, Boob School, Kelly teaches parents to trust their bodies and normalize the ups and downs. She empowers families with practical tools like prenatal hand expression, while removing the shame around using nipple shields or pumping. We believe her compassionate perspective offers a comforting reminder that we can love our babies with our bodies in so many meaningful ways. Key Takeaways
Becoming The Nurtured Motherhttps://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-motherNurture Neuroscience Professional Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources
Guests Bio: Kelly Kendall is a registered nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and the creator of Boob School. With experience in hospital postpartum care and private practice, she helps families navigate breastfeeding through a compassionate, relational lens. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| How Early Imprinting Shapes Our Nervous Systems and Parenting feat. APPPAH | #71 | 28 Sep 2026 | 00:27:46 | |
How do our earliest experiences in the womb and during birth shape our nervous systems and the way we parent? Ashley Makan and Wendy Bruns both began their careers as doulas, driven by a deep calling to support families during birth. Through their work with the Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH), they discovered how early experiences, starting in the womb and continuing through birth, leave lasting imprints on our nervous systems. They observed that modern culture often dismisses birth as just a single day, ignoring how a pregnant mother's stress and environment shape a baby's developing body. Ashley and Wendy faced the challenge of helping parents navigate inherited patterns without feeling overwhelmed or judged. They realized that breaking intergenerational cycles is not about achieving perfection, but about cultivating curiosity and self-awareness. By understanding where we come from and reconnecting with our bodies, parents can transform how they show up for their children. We believe their work shows us that when we replace judgment with compassion, we can heal past imprints and build deeper connections for generations to come. Key Takeaways
Becoming The Nurtured Motherhttps://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-motherNurture Neuroscience Professional Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources
Guests Bio: Ashley Makan is a Prenatal and Perinatal Educator, Birth Doula, Body Ready Method® Pro, Reiki Master Teacher, and Meditation Guide specializing in trauma-informed preconception and birth preparation. She is the founder of Bodhi Birth and Wellness in Upstate South Carolina and a student of midwifery in apprenticeship, advocating passionately for prenatal and perinatal psychology. Wendy Bruns holds a degree in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz and works as a birth doula and educator. Her role with the Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH) deepens her understanding of how early experiences shape mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution Mentioned in this episode: Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027 https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027 | |||
| Reclaiming Your Intuition in Motherhood feat. Sydney Blum | #70 | 21 Sep 2026 | 00:59:37 | |
How can tapping into your inner intuition transform the way you navigate motherhood and everyday life? Sydney Blum built her career bridging strategy and community impact with intuitive practice, helping people listen inwardly and lead from alignment. Early on, she noticed how much our society prioritizes left-brain efficiency, data, and endless doing over quiet inner wisdom. When she became a mother, she realized that this heavy focus on external proof leaves many parents feeling overwhelmed, disconnected from their bodies, and trapped in people-pleasing. Sydney faced the challenge of helping moms reconnect with their senses in a fast-paced world that lacks the traditional support of a village. Her key transformation came from treating intuition as a daily muscle that we can nurture through presence and intentional practice. She learned that even simple habits, like setting a gentle intention before getting out of bed, can shift our focus toward joy, playfulness, and unexpected gifts. Today, Sydney guides women to trust their inner authority, cultivate self-compassion, and embrace community support. Through her work, she shows us that we do not have to parent or live in isolation. By honoring our intuition, we can step out of fight-or-flight mode and make grounded, confident decisions for ourselves and our families. Key Takeaways
Becoming The Nurtured Motherhttps://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-motherNurture Neuroscience Professional Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027 Resources
Guests Bio: Sydney Blum helps people strengthen their ability to listen inwardly and lead from a deeper sense of alignment. She brings together her experience in community impact and strategy with intuitive practice to explore how inner knowledge shapes our relationships, leadership, and the future we create. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution Mentioned in this episode: Becoming The Nurtured Mother https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother | |||
| Transformed by Birth: Embracing the Unknown in Parenthood ft Dr Britta Bushnell | #69 | 14 Sep 2026 | 00:43:48 | |
How can embracing the unknown and trusting our wild instincts transform our journey into parenthood? Dr. Britta Bushnell began her path in childbirth education over twenty-five years ago, rooted in her lifelong passion for storytelling and mythology. After years as a co-owner of Birthing From Within, she earned a PhD in mythology and psychology to understand how narrative shapes our readiness for life transformations. Throughout her career, she observed how modern culture pushes parents to rely heavily on technology, schedules, and strict information - an energy represented by the sun god Apollo. However, this hyper-focus on control often leaves new parents feeling underprepared and isolated when facing the messy reality of birth. Dr. Bushnell faced the challenge of helping parents navigate this gap between rigid expectations and unpredictable outcomes. Her key transformation came through connecting birth to the goddess Artemis, who represents our untamed, animal nature and the wilderness. She learned that "not knowing" is not a problem to fix, but a necessary part of any true rite of passage. Through her book *Transformed by Birth* and her teachings, she guides parents to step away from excessive control, listen to their quiet inner intuition, and embrace the messy middle of transformation. We believe her work shows us that when we trust the wild journey, we gain deep confidence in ourselves. Key Takeaways
Becoming The Nurtured Motherhttps://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-motherNurture Neuroscience Professional Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027 Resources
Guests Bio: Dr. Britta Bushnell is a mother, veteran childbirth educator, celebrated speaker, podcast host, mythologist, and specialist in childbirth, couples, and parenting. For over 25 years, she has worked with individuals and couples as they prepare for birth, drawing from her doctoral work in mythology and psychology, her background as co-owner of Birthing From Within, and her study of brief therapy, storytelling, and relationship vibrancy. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution Mentioned in this episode: Becoming The Nurtured Mother https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Evolutionary Parenting: Beyond the Sleep Training Narrative feat. Tracy Cassel | #68 | 07 Sep 2026 | 00:17:02 | |
Why does our society place more value on controlled baby sleep than on maternal support, proper feeding, or comfort? Tracy Cassels began her influential work while pursuing her PhD in developmental psychology, coinciding with her pregnancy. She observed a profound contradiction between the widespread advice advocating for infant sleep training—even when pushed by some academics—and the robust findings found in developmental literature and her own research. This mismatch, which she initially felt was a foreign concept given her own background, became the critical momentum to start sharing her perspective publicly. This led to the launch of her extensive website, Evolutionary Parenting, roughly 15 years ago. This platform developed into an invaluable resource, providing detailed and thoroughly referenced information on nearly every topic related to infant brain development for parents. Tracy often interacts with families, some of whom bring along skeptical relatives or partners, seeking clarification on the evidence surrounding sleep practices. She approaches the topic by presenting an honest assessment of what the research confirms and what remains unknown, helping listeners discern the subtleties often missing from conventional advice. She argues that the findings against certain practices, such as sleep training, form an “incredibly strong circumstantial case” rather than a clear-cut legal link. Furthermore, Tracy contends that many sleep problems are misinterpreted as behavioral failures when they are actually symptoms of underlying issues like allergies, sleep apnea, or hormonal imbalances. Her most recent paper with Levita DeSousa advocates for researchers to adopt a much broader perspective, moving away from seeking a "one size fits all solution" and instead considering the full family dynamic, cultural influences, and health context when studying infant sleep. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 43 - Evolutionary Parenting: Beyond the Sleep Training Narrative feat. Tracy Cassel - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources
Guest Bio: Tracy Cassels holds a PhD in developmental psychology and is the founder of Evolutionary Parenting. She co-authored a paper with Levita DeSousa, an attachment theory specialist at Monash University in Australia, focusing on how sleep training ignores the larger family dynamic. She is also a contributor to an upcoming academic book on sleep, edited by Jenny (who Greer has also written with), which includes chapters from Darshan Arves and LaVita DeSousa. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Why Maternal Love is a Neurobiological Craving feat. Kelly McDaniel | #67 | 31 Aug 2026 | 00:17:08 | |
What happens when we spend our adult lives searching for a quality of maternal love we never received as a child?
Kelly McDaniel, a licensed professional counselor and author, introduced the concept of "Mother Hunger" in her first book, Ready to Heal. She identified Mother Hunger as an attachment injury stemming from maternal deprivation, noting that millions of women suffer a lifelong emotional burden that adversely affects self-worth, eating habits, and relational wellness. This profound attachment trauma, Kelly explains, is a neurobiological craving for unmet needs: nurturing, protection, and guidance. This "hunger" is often misunderstood and sought inappropriately from romantic partners, friends, or authority figures. Kelly's work illuminates how cultural forces, especially patriarchy, compromise a mother’s capacity to provide a consistent, safe caregiving environment, leading to generational trauma that impacts secure attachment. Kelly published her second book, Mother Hunger, in 2021, compiling research since 2008 to explore how adult daughters can understand and heal from these losses. She emphasizes that while we cannot go back in time, neuroscience shows that our brains can change throughout life, offering hope and opportunity for repair. Her clinical approach helps adult daughters identify this craving, understand the truth of their pain, and become "cycle breakers" in their own families. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 42 - Why Maternal Love is a Neurobiological Craving feat. Kelly McDaniel - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources
Guest Bio: Kelly McDaniel, LCMHC, is an author and licensed professional counselor who developed the term “Mother Hunger” to identify an attachment injury related to maternal deprivation. She specializes in nurturing insecure attachment and healing addictive relational patterns in adult women. She holds an MA in English Literature from Georgetown University (1991) and an MA in Counseling from St. Mary’s University (2004). Kelly is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT). She has devoted herself to this work since naming Mother Hunger in 2008. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Self-Mothering: Your Most Important Parenting Job feat. Dr. Gertrude Lyons | #66 | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:17:27 | |
What if the most crucial job we have in motherhood is learning to mother ourselves? Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a master coach and thought leader, developed the “Rewriting the Mother Code” framework after conducting an in-depth doctoral thesis. Her purpose is to help women rewrite outdated narratives surrounding motherhood, self-worth, and identity. Dr. Lyons was prompted to begin this work after realizing that even as an established coach, she had lost herself in motherhood, stopped mothering herself, and experienced deep regret and remorse. This experience motivated her to investigate what is possible when women put themselves in the picture. Her doctoral thesis centered on raising women's awareness of the possibility of personal growth and transformative experiences within motherhood. This included challenging personal norms. For example, when facing fertility issues, Dr. Lyons chose to listen to her intuition rather than immediately adopting the full medical model. By tuning in, she uncovered a deep, unconscious fear of being a mother and continuing generational trauma. Addressing this "unfinished business" proved to be a critical part of her healing journey. Dr. Lyons emphasizes that motherhood, despite being painful or chaotic—described as the “caterpillar to butterfly gelatinous mass period”—is the ripest time for transformation and rewiring. She champions the idea that we all mother (ideas, careers, relationships), and the most important person we need to mother is ourselves. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 41 - Self-Mothering: Your Most Important Parenting Job feat. Dr. Gertrude Lyons - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certificationhttps://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page ResourcesGuest Bio: Dr. Gertrude Lyons is a master coach, podcast host, and thought leader who helps women rewrite outdated narratives around motherhood and identity. She developed the "Rewriting the Mother Code" framework after completing an in-depth doctoral thesis. She offers retreats in Mexico and Ireland, and one-on-one immersive coaching experiences. References and Resources:
Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Beyond the Rules: Responsive Feeding and Support feat. Emma Pickett | #65 | 17 Aug 2026 | 00:34:51 | |
Why is breastfeeding often a learned skill that requires a "village" rather than just a natural instinct? Emma Pickett began her professional life as a teacher before the birth of her own children sparked a deep passion for lactation. She quickly realized that breastfeeding is a continuing line from teaching, as both roles involve helping people reach their goals and feel successful. Emma transitioned from a volunteer breastfeeding counselor to a certified International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011. She has dedicated her career to supporting families and even helping grandmothers who wish they had better support in their younger years. One of her biggest challenges is navigating a modern society that lacks the "drip-drip" of evolutionary knowledge once passed down through generations. She observes that industrialization has separated families into nuclear pockets, leaving many new mothers holding a baby for the first time without ever seeing someone breastfeed. Emma transformed her approach by viewing breastfeeding not just as a set of statistics, but as a deeply personal goal and a relationship that needs nurturing. She advocates for "responsive feeding" over strict schedules and helps mothers reclaim their intuition. Today, she is a leading voice in maternal support, writing books on toddler feeding and providing a library of resources to ensure every mother feels capable and empowered during her matrescence. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guests Bio: Emma Pickett is a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), author, and holistic sleep coach who has been supporting breastfeeding families since 2011. She was honored in 2022 with the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain award for outstanding contribution to breastfeeding. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development with Dr. Shereen Lim | #64 | 10 Aug 2026 | 00:16:28 | |
How does optimal breathing and jaw development impact your child's sleep, mood, and ability to thrive? Dr. Shereen Lim, originally a general dentist for 26 years, first delved into the world of sleep apnea due to her husband’s persistent snoring. Her initial focus was on dental devices for adults, but this quickly shifted when she wondered why children’s jaws weren't helped to grow properly from the start. She came across research indicating that palate expansion could reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in children. This led her to pursue early interceptive orthodontics. However, when she spoke to a pioneer in sleep medicine about palate expansion, she was told she was too late, which prompted a critical realization: form follows function. Her attention then shifted entirely to the earliest years of life, focusing on how to ensure a child's tongue and other oral muscles work well to promote optimal jaw development. Dr. Lim stresses that good airway health is defined by nasal breathing 24/7 and optimal jaw development, which serves as the foundation for thriving health and vitality across the ages. She emphasizes that sleep and breathing problems should be viewed as family health issues, often leading to attachment difficulties in infants and behavioral problems in older children, ultimately impacting the entire household. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 45 - Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development feat. Dr. Shereen Lim - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources
Guest Bio: Dr Lim is a Perth, Australia, based dentist with a postgraduate diploma in dental sleep medicine from the University of Western Australia. She has been involved in the team management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea for over a decade. Dr Lim is dedicated to promoting airway health from infancy as an alternative approach to minimize the development of these problems, and is author of the book “Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover How Airway Health Can Unlock Your Child’s Greater Health, Learning and Potential.” Her work in private practice is restricted to tongue tie management from infancy to adulthood, early interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Prenatal Bonding: Building a Lifelong Relationship in the Womb feat. Ivana Lombardo | #63 | 03 Aug 2026 | 00:25:58 | |
How can building a relationship with your baby during pregnancy transform your experience of birth and early parenthood? Ivana Lombardo’s journey began after moving from Serbia and raising her family without her original community nearby. She faced the isolation many modern parents feel, navigating her first grueling 40-hour labor. Everything changed during her second pregnancy when she discovered HypnoBirthing, which was a "complete 180" from her first experience. This transformation led her to realize that parents in our high-pressure society don't need more rules; they need customized support to reclaim their inner wisdom. She observed that while many prepare the nursery, they often forget to prepare the actual relationship with their child. Ivana now guides families through prenatal bonding to help them find a stable anchor in the unpredictability of new parenthood. Her work bridges the gap between anxiety and confidence by helping mothers connect with their bodies and their babies before birth. We believe her story shows that when a mother feels truly supported, her baby feels it too, setting a ground-level foundation for lifelong health. Key Takeaways
Resources
Anne Goertz-Schroth, Dr. Gerhard Schroth, Dr. Raylene Phillips https://birthpsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Z3sC25KO-1.pdf Guests Bio: Ivana Lombardo is a childbirth educator, HypnoBirthing instructor, women's mental health coach, and nurture neuroscience practitioner. With over 20 years of experience, she guides families through fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, helping them trust their own wisdom. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Matrescence: Healing Attachment Wounds and Finding Your New Self feat. Mariya Garnet | #62 | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:31:23 | |
How can we bridge the gap between knowing our patterns and actually feeling like ourselves again in early motherhood? Mariya Garnet brings over 18 years of experience in the wellness industry, blending traditionally trained indigenous practices from the Peruvian Amazon with Western psychotherapy and expressive art therapy. Her journey into somatic and creative work was fueled by a desire to help people bridge the difficult gap between cognitive understanding and the actual felt sense of self. She works extensively with young mothers who are navigating the profound identity shifts and brain structural changes that come with matrescence. One of the biggest challenges Mariya addresses is "primary maternal preoccupation," where a mother’s attention is rerouted entirely toward her baby, often leading to a sense of lost identity and deep grief. She guides mothers through the "messy" but transformative process of letting go of their old selves while resisting the modern pressure to instantly "get back to normal". Her key transformation involves using somatic practices like bilateral drawing and bilateral stimulation to help mothers reconnect with their bodies and their own physical needs. By reclaiming their senses, mothers can use this window of high neuroplasticity to heal early attachment wounds and break generational cycles. We believe that with the right support, mothers can emerge from this transition more confident and grounded than ever before. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guests Bio: Mariya Garnet is a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) and the founder of Silver Owl Therapy. She is a professional artist and a traditionally trained facilitator with experience in indigenous wellness practices and Western psychotherapy. Mariya specializes in creative and somatic work, helping clients fill the gap between knowing and feeling. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Beyond Milestones: Why the Movement Process Matters Most feat. Babies Project | #61 | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:31:17 | |
How can the way your baby learns to move today shape the way they learn about the world for the rest of their lives? Amy Matthews and Sarah Barnaby are the co-founders of Babies Project, but their path into this work didn't start with being parents themselves. Amy began her career in dance and theater, always curious about the "underpinnings" of how adults move and use their bodies. Sarah grew up in a very athletic family and spent years in gymnastics and yoga before looking for a deeper way to connect movement with the mind. They eventually met through their training in Body-Mind Centering and realized that working with infants offered the most satisfying way to explore the foundations of human development. They often see parents struggling with the "modern parenting" trap of keeping babies in containers like car seats or strollers for too long. They also noticed that many parents feel huge stress about hitting milestones on a strict timeline. Their key transformation was moving away from a "fixing" mindset to one of pure curiosity. They teach that we don't need to "teach" babies how to sit or walk. Instead, we should provide an environment where they can safely explore "horizontal life" and even practice falling to build resilience. By using gentle techniques like the "baby ball" hold, they help parents settle their babies and trust in their child's natural ability to navigate the world. We believe this perspective offers a beautiful way to slow down and truly see what our babies are capable of. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guests Bio: Amy Matthews, CMA, IDME, BMC Teacher, RSMT/RSME, has been teaching movement since 1994. She is a Body-Mind Centering® Teacher and an Infant Developmental Movement Educator. She co-authored the best-selling book Yoga Anatomy and serves as a Program Director for the School for Body-Mind Centering. Sarah Barnaby is a certified BMC Teacher and Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME). She is trained in the Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) system and is a post-partum doula. She teaches developmental movement to people of all ages, from infants to elders, in New York City. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Trust Your Instinct with Amanda Hadfield | #60 | 13 Jul 2026 | 00:08:12 | |
Are you feeling conflicted because your mothering instincts feel right, but everyone around you insists you are doing it wrong? Amanda Hadfield, who was previously working as a veterinary nurse, started maternity leave looking for self-discovery and a complete career change. While pregnant, she knew she was looking for something else. She faced a major challenge during this time: she felt deeply conflicted because everything she was doing felt right in her heart, yet she was under immense pressure from family, friends, and health visitors who told her she was mothering incorrectly. Her path changed when a mother at her breastfeeding group recommended The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum. The book changed everything for her. When she received a newsletter announcing the certification program, she knew 100% that this was the path for her, manifesting getting into the limited spaces. Amanda became the world's first Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner to certify. She launched her first circle in March 2025, initially expecting only two mothers but welcoming eight. The impact was profound, providing mothers with a space to be nurtured and find healing from issues like birth trauma or difficulty bonding with their baby. Amanda also experienced significant personal growth, moving from being "terrified" before her first class to gaining the confidence to lead circles and workshops. Her group fostered deep connections, with the first block of mothers continuing to meet up every week, forming a tight-knit group. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 38 - Boosting Confidence Through Nurtured Presence feat. Amanda Hadfield - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources Amanda Hadfield is the world's first Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner to certify in the certification program. Her business is North Star Nurture. She runs in-person circles every Wednesday at 9:30 AM in the Glencore Center in Scotland. Amanda also offers sleep consulting and is planning to team up with another practitioner, Gabrielle, for parental regulation support.
Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE - "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE - "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Trust Your Instinct with Gabrielle Ferrara | #59 | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:08:18 | |
Why is "normal" infant sleep so often labeled as a problem needing medical intervention? Gabrielle Ferrara began her professional life dedicated to mental health counseling and social work, holding a Master’s in Social Work and licensure as a clinical social worker in both New Jersey and Florida. She initially planned to return to her full-time therapy job after having her son, never anticipating motherhood would completely uproot her career path. When her son’s personal sleep journey began to get "a little hairy" at four months old, she discovered Greer's work. Listening to the resources gave her the language and the tools to quiet the intense pressure and noise she was receiving about sleep training, allowing her to trust her intuition about what her baby needed. This transformative personal experience motivated her to enroll in the first cohort of the Nurture Neuroscience practitioner program. She saw this as an opportunity for self-education and to be among other like-minded professionals and parents with similar values, with the hope of translating the knowledge into a professional career. In her consults, she found her primary job was offering education and reassurance to parents who constantly ask, "Is what my baby doing normal?". Her own path has been challenging, as her son has nearly every medical red flag or sleep disruptor, including reflux, oral ties, low ferritin, and snoring. She has faced significant pushback from the medical system, which often promotes a medicalized behaviorist approach, prescribing "self soothing" even when physical symptoms are present. Gabrielle emphasizes that for families facing complex sleep issues, responsive co-sleeping or bedsharing is often the only way to get enough sleep to function. She uses her combined therapeutic and personal experience to help parents navigate these complexities and balance their child's medical needs with their nurturing needs. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 47 - Trust Your Instinct: Quieting the Sleep Training Noise feat. Gabrielle Ferrara - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Resources Gabrielle Ferrara is a Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner and Consultant. She holds a Master's in Social Work (MSW) and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New Jersey and Florida.
Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE - "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE - "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Beyond Perfection with Talia Shapero | #58 | 29 Jun 2026 | 00:12:25 | |
Is it possible to improve our sleep and reduce anxiety, even when navigating the exhaustion of new parenthood? Talia Shapero's journey to becoming an adult sleep coach began with her own years-long battle with insomnia. This sleep struggle became significantly worse after the birth of her son. Even when her baby started sleeping through the night, Talia found she was unable to. This chronic lack of quality sleep severely impacted her cognitive, physical, and emotional health, leading to intense anxiety and a dysregulated mood. Fortunately, her medical practitioners were insightful, suggesting that addressing her sleep issues might alleviate her anxiety, recognizing the crucial bi-directional relationship between mood and sleep. Talia was diagnosed with true insomnia and underwent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), which she describes as truly transformative. The treatment improved her overall well-being—she was feeling better, eating better, and became a more engaged partner and parent, gaining resilience, patience, and love to give to her family. Through this experience, she realized that many people lack knowledge about sleep and struggle silently. Motivated by her personal success and the universal need for solutions, Talia earned her certification to help others as an adult sleep coach. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 40 - Beyond Perfection: Getting "Good Enough" Sleep feat. Talia Shapero - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Resources Talia Shapero is an Adult Sleep Coach. She can be found through her website, TaliaShapero.com, and on Instagram and Facebook at @TaliaShaperoSleep. Talia regularly posts tips and information, and she offers a free 20-minute, no-obligation call for those struggling with their sleep.
Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE - "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE - "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Conscious Connections with Tracy Gillett | #57 | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:12:16 | |
What if "spoiling" your baby with affection, attention, and protection is actually the best path to their long-term mental health and success? Tracy Gillett, a natural parent, felt alone in her early parenting choices like full term breastfeeding and bed-sharing. This led her to create the Raised Good summit, offering a community where parents find confidence, education, and support. The summit highlights research and experts, empowering parents to trust their intuition and parent consciously. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 33 - Conscious Connections: Holistic Baby Care & Family Bonds, with Tracy Gillett - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Resources
Guest Bio: Tracy Gillett is the founder of Raised Good and hosts its sixth annual online summit. As a natural parent, she started the summit to build a community for parents seeking confidence, education, and support in their alternative parenting choices. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| TAKEAWAYS from Discipline and Development with Dr Vanessa Lapointe | #56 | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:12:28 | |
Why is traditional discipline actually causing anxiety and behavioral problems in our children? Dr. Vanessa Lapointe began her career as a practicing psychologist and mother, having been trained in a behaviorist approach that taught her to squash any unwanted behavior to make it stop. She quickly noticed a profound mismatch between this training and the reality of the children coming into her clinic. Dr. Lapointe observed that many referrals were anxiety-based, and it seemed that the very discipline methods being employed by parents were actually causing the anxiety and leading to challenging behaviors. This realization prompted her to conduct a deep dive into child development, including studying the work of Gordon Neufeld. Her key transformation involved moving away from punishment-focused methods, recognizing that the "downstream fallout" from harsh discipline creates more disruption in children's lives than a compassionate approach. Dr. Lapointe now operates from the developmentalist perspective, focusing on the antecedent—what happens in the environment before a behavior occurs—rather than the consequence. She explains that because babies' brains are immature and lack the necessary wiring for self-regulation and impulse control, their "bad behaviors" are actually developmentally appropriate expressions of overwhelm or excitement. Dr. Lapointe emphasizes that we must approach parenting with compassion, humanity, and heart, ensuring our children can grow up in the way nature intended, without having to recover from their childhood. Key Takeaways
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 46 - Discipline and Development: The Zero to Three Guide feat. Dr. Vanessa Lapointe - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more. Resources
Guest Bio: Dr. Vanessa Lapointe is a mom, parenting educator, best-selling author, international speaker, and a regularly invited media guest. She holds a doctoral degree in psychology, and practiced as a psychologist for nearly 20 years, before devoting her full-time energy to connecting with parents and other “big people” around the globe in 2023. Founder of The North Star Developmental Clinic, Dr. Vanessa has long been supporting families and children in her developmental clinic alongside her team, and has previous experience in community mental health and the school system. Dr. Vanessa is known for bringing a sense of nurturing understanding and humanity to all of her work. Her passion is in walking alongside parents, teachers, care providers, and other big people to really see the world through the child’s eyes. She believes that if we can do this, we are beautifully positioned to grow up our children in the best possible way. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| The Roots of Resilience: Healing Birth Trauma feat. Annie Brook | #55 | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:29:40 | |
How do the first impressions of birth and early infancy shape our nervous systems and relationships for a lifetime? Annie Brook is a somatic psychotherapist and educator who helps families understand the profound impact that birth and early caregiving have on lifelong wellbeing. Growing up as a premature baby herself, Annie spent time in an incubator and later navigated infant depression and sensory-motor difficulties. Her personal journey of healing led her to discover that the body holds memories of birth trauma long after they are "forgotten" by the conscious mind. In this episode, Annie explains that babies have no context for medical interventions or difficult births, which can leave deep impressions on the primitive brain, showing up as fears of abandonment or invasion. Through her work, she helps children and adults tell their "birth story" using somatic tools, play therapy, and movement. By unwinding these early impacts, parents can move from guilt to understanding, allowing for a fresh approach to behavior and deep relational healing. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Annie Brook, Ph.D, LPC, MSME (ISMETA), is a therapist, author, and educator in the somatic community. She founded the Brook Institute for Somatic Studies and Psychotherapy in 2001 and specializes in helping adults and children get to the roots of difficult behaviors by unwinding the impacts of birth on the nervous system. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| The Healing Power of Nurturing Touch and Infant Massage feat. Sylvie Hetu | #54 | 01 Jun 2026 | 00:35:52 | |
How can the simple act of infant massage transform your baby's health and your bond forever? Sylvie Hétu has spent over 30 years leading the way for infant massage around the world. Her journey is tied to the story of Vimala McClure, who saw the power of touch in an orphanage in India. Sylvie realized that this old tradition could solve a big problem today: many babies aren't touched enough and spend too much time in car seats or strollers. She helps parents who feel lost or shy when they bring a new baby home. She uses a gentle, five-session plan to help parents move from feeling worried to feeling sure of themselves. Her work changed how we think about baby care by focusing on love and talking through touch rather than just worrying about sleep or food. She builds a safe place where parents can find a "village" of support again. This allows them to listen to their own gut feelings and see their babies as real people from day one. We think her story shows how simple touch can build a foundation for a healthy life. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Sylvie Hétu is an international trainer and certified infant massage instructor with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) for over 30 years. She pioneered infant massage in Canada and has taught in countries all over the world, including South Africa, Japan, and Hungary. She also served as the president of the IAIM for 12 years. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| The Womb as the First Home: Shaping Lifelong Mental Health feat. Dr Catherine Monk | #53 | 25 May 2026 | 00:36:37 | |
How does a mother’s internal world during pregnancy shape a child’s lifelong mental health? Dr. Catherine Monk began her career as a clinical psychologist driven by a deep interest in development. She wanted to understand how our early backgrounds shape who we become as adults. This curiosity led her to the epigenetics revolution, where she discovered that experiences actually get embedded into our biology. Her personal journey was also shaped by seeing her own mother struggle with significant postpartum depression. This experience fueled her passion to become a pioneer in the field of maternal mental health. She faced the challenge of a medical system that traditionally focused only on a baby’s anatomy rather than their brain development. Dr. Monk worked hard to bridge the gap between psychology and obstetrics to show that the fetus is not passive. Her key transformation involved proving that the womb is truly the first influential home. She emphasizes that maternal well-being is the foundation for a baby’s stress and emotional regulation systems. Today, she helps parents find their own agency through simple buffering tools. Her goal is to ensure that the next generation gets the best start possible through science and compassion. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Catherine Monk, PhD, is the inaugural Diana Vagelos Professor of Women’s Mental Health in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Research Scientist VI at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Monk is also the founding director of Women’s Mental Health @Ob/Gyn. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Pregnancy After Loss: Finding Connection in the Midst of Fear feat. Kristin Mundy | #52 | 18 May 2026 | 00:39:20 | |
How can we continue to mother our children and find deep connection even after experiencing profound loss? Kristin Mundy was born to be a doula. She started as a "mother's helper" when she was just a kid and spent years working in education and as a nanny. About eight years ago, she felt a "light bulb moment" and decided to become a full-time doula. Her life and career changed forever when she went through her own heartbreaking journey of loss. After a miscarriage and the stillbirth of her daughter, Vienna, Kristen realized that our society really drops the ball when it comes to supporting grieving parents. She faced the massive challenge of navigating a medical system that didn't always listen and a world that is often afraid of grief. She then went through another loss with her son, William, before eventually welcoming her rainbow baby daughter. These experiences led to a major transformation in her work. She shifted her focus to bereavement and pregnancy after loss, helping other moms navigate the "gap in care" she experienced herself. Kristen learned that even when a baby isn't here physically, you never stop being their mother. She chose to bond deeply with her babies despite the fear, and she now helps others find that same connection. She teaches us that grief is just love with nowhere to go. By sharing her story, she gives mothers permission to take up space and honor their unique paths to healing. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Kristin Mundy is a doula who specializes in bereavement and pregnancy after loss. She is also a childbirth educator, a loss mom, and a mother of a rainbow baby. She has been a full-time doula for over eight years and is dedicated to bridging the gaps in care for mothers navigating loss and the journey thereafter. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| The Doula’s Guide to Nurturing Birth Instincts and Connection feat. Stefanie Antunes | #51 | 11 May 2026 | 00:37:51 | |
Why is the way we connect with our babies at birth so vital for our long-term relationship? Stefanie Antunes began her journey as a doula and educator over twenty years ago after the birth of her second son taught her the true value of preparation and support. She is now a visionary in the field, training thousands of doulas and helping families navigate the intense transition into parenthood. Stefanie believes that birth is an embodied experience that acts as a gateway to our emotional world. She has seen how modern hospital practices often disturb the natural hormonal flow that nature designed for safety and bonding. A major challenge she addresses is the pressure for parents to follow "head-based" information instead of trusting their own inner landscape and instincts. She transformed her practice by focusing on helping people connect with their heart and gut before the "noise" of the world takes over. Stefanie advocates for a return to our mammalian roots, emphasizing that we aren't meant to parent in isolation. She encourages us to reject the myth that we should know everything automatically and instead surrender to the community support we deserve. By prioritizing skin-to-skin contact and planning for postpartum care, she helps families create a foundation of connection that lasts a lifetime. We believe this conversation is a beautiful reminder to look inward and trust the wisdom of our bodies. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Stefanie Antunes has been a Lamaze® Educator and doula since 2002, after the birth of her second son showed her just how valuable it is to be prepared for birth and to have good support around you. Stefanie is a visionary in the childbirth field. Her commitment to the profession has been exemplary. She founded Ontario’s first doula agency, helping to obtain insurance for the doula industry, creating the Birth Doula Program, Ontario’s first and only hospital doula program, and more! Stefanie is the director of public relations for the Association of Ontario Doulas, former Public Relations Director and Treasurer for DONA International and sits on many local boards and coalitions to improve our communities. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| _Motherhood Expanded: Coming Home to Yourself Through Storytelling feat. Kim Marshall | #50 | 04 May 2026 | 00:25:59 | |
How can we use the challenges of motherhood as a powerful medicine for our own healing and growth? Kim Marshall spent nearly 25 years working with children and families as a teacher before realizing the best way to support kids was to help the people raising them. Six years ago, she left her corporate teaching career to become an online parenting coach and reorganized her life to focus on her own motherhood journey. This shift allowed her to move away from a fast-paced "doing" mindset and embrace a slower, inward-looking way of "being". Her biggest challenge was navigating the "noise" of a world designed to keep us busy and distracted. She realized that if we aren't intentional, we can lose our true selves in the expectations of others. Her transformation came through accepting "matrescence"—the threshold of becoming a mother—and viewing motherhood as a sacred "portal" for growth. Kim's journey inspired her to curate an anthology called Motherhood Expanded, featuring 15 authentic stories of mothers and grandmothers. She believes that our children act as mirrors, holding up invitations for us to heal our deepest wounds and unlearn old patterns. By sharing these vulnerable stories, we find the strength to come home to our humanity and break generational cycles. We believe this episode offers a beautiful reminder that we are never alone in the messy, painful, and glorious process of raising children while raising ourselves. Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Kim Marshall is a mother of 2 and founder of Roots and Wings Childhood. As a parenting coach, she works online to serve an international audience, helping mothers unlearn and relearn what it takes to mother themselves and their children with connection instead of control. Her holistic approach to understanding behavior and relationships guides families toward emotional safety. Kim provides personalized private and group coaching that integrates mindset, strategy, and somatic work to help parents break generational cycles. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting | |||
| Generational Love and the Power of Poetry feat. Hannah Rosenberg | #49 | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:30:51 | |
How can writing and community help us navigate the beautiful, scary, and opposing feelings of motherhood? Hannah Rosenberg is a poet and mother who uses writing as a vital tool to process the intense emotions of parenthood. Her journey into public writing began as a way to capture the duality of grief and joy that often defines the mothering experience. During the episode, she reflects on the "overpowering and scary" realization of her own mortality that came with having children, leading her to write about generational love and the legacy of care we leave behind. A major challenge Hannah addresses is the modern pressure to be independent and parent in seclusion. She admits to feeling guilty about needing help with her first child but underwent a transformation with her second, learning to surrender to the support of her village. She now advocates for rejecting the "modern lie" that we can handle everything on our own. By sharing her poems, Hannah helps us see that even our strangest fears are shared by others. She encourages us to prioritize deep friendships and community, reminding us that being a good mother includes taking care of our own well-being and staying connected to the world.
Key Takeaways
Resources
Guest Bio: Hannah Rosenberg is a poet whose writing touches on womanhood, marriage, friendship, and motherhood. She started sharing her writing regularly online in 2020 and has since developed a special community of readers. Hannah is the author of the book of poems, Same. Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Raising Anti-Doomers: Hope and Grounding in a Heavy World feat. Ariella Cook-Shonkoff | #48 | 24 Dec 2025 | 00:26:38 | |
How can we stay emotionally grounded and raise hopeful children when the world around us feels so heavy? Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a psychotherapist and writer who has spent her life finding healing and refuge through the creative process. Her journey toward writing her book, Raising Anti-Doomers, was sparked by her own "mother bear" worries about raising kids in a California region increasingly threatened by intense wildfires. In her therapy practice, she also noticed a deep need to resource parents and young people who were struggling with climate anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. She wanted to find a way to counter the "doomer" narrative that often dominates our news and social media feeds. Her transformation involved developing the concept of the "anti-doomer"—a way to live a fulfilling life while acknowledging difficult realities. She encourages us to find a "sweet spot of engagement," where we keep one foot in the muck of reality and the other foot firmly in a place of grounding. Ariella emphasizes that we don't have to choose between denial and panic; instead, we can use social connection, creativity, and time in nature to stay resilient. By modeling curiosity about the natural world for our children, we can help them feel a sense of belonging and stewardship. She teaches us that parenting with hope is a form of activism that starts at home and ripples out to the rest of the world.
Key Takeaways ● Finding the "sweet spot of engagement" helps us balance an awareness of difficult truths with the grounding needed to stay calm. ● Building a "parent club" or women's group provides essential social connection and validation, helping us feel less isolated in our concerns. ● Spending time in nature allows us to experience "interbeing," where our personal problems feel smaller in connection to the vast natural world. ● Modeling curiosity about nature, like watching insects or sunsets, helps children develop a lifelong habit of gratitude and environmental stewardship. ● Small, daily acts of giving back to nature serve as a powerful form of family activism that seeds important values in younger generations. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Ariella's Book Raising Anti-Doomers https://anti-doomer.com ● Ariella's Website: https://www.ariellacookshonkoff.com ● Ariella's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariella-cook-shonkoff-09a7922a ● Ariella's Instagram: @ariellacookshonkoff https://www.instagram.com/ariellacookshonkoff Guest Bio: Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a psychotherapist, writer, and the author of Raising Anti-Doomers. She is affiliated with the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America and holds a deep belief that both art and therapy are transformative. She uses the creative process as a backbone for healing and invites her clients to express themselves authentically with self-compassion. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Trust Your Instinct: Quieting the Sleep Training Noise feat. Gabrielle Ferrara | #47 | 17 Dec 2025 | 00:31:27 | |
Why is "normal" infant sleep so often labeled as a problem needing medical intervention?
Gabrielle Ferrara began her professional life dedicated to mental health counseling and social work, holding a Master's in Social Work and licensure as a clinical social worker in both New Jersey and Florida. She initially planned to return to her full-time therapy job after having her son, never anticipating motherhood would completely uproot her career path. When her son's personal sleep journey began to get "a little hairy" at four months old, she discovered Greer's work. Listening to the resources gave her the language and the tools to quiet the intense pressure and noise she was receiving about sleep training, allowing her to trust her intuition about what her baby needed. This transformative personal experience motivated her to enroll in the first cohort of the Nurture Neuroscience practitioner program. She saw this as an opportunity for self-education and to be among other like-minded professionals and parents with similar values, with the hope of translating the knowledge into a professional career. In her consults, she found her primary job was offering education and reassurance to parents who constantly ask, "Is what my baby doing normal?". Her own path has been challenging, as her son has nearly every medical red flag or sleep disruptor, including reflux, oral ties, low ferritin, and snoring. She has faced significant pushback from the medical system, which often promotes a medicalized behaviorist approach, prescribing "self soothing" even when physical symptoms are present. Gabrielle emphasizes that for families facing complex sleep issues, responsive co-sleeping or bedsharing is often the only way to get enough sleep to function. She uses her combined therapeutic and personal experience to help parents navigate these complexities and balance their child's medical needs with their nurturing needs.
Key Takeaways ● The majority of consult work involves reassuring parents that their baby's needs and behaviors are developmentally normal. ● We must reject the overwhelming mainstream messaging that sleep training is the only viable solution for infants. ● It is crucial to normalize the grief parents feel when the reality of infant sleep doesn't match cultural expectations. ● Some families rely on responsive co-sleeping or bedsharing as the only practical solution while addressing underlying health issues. ● Parents need support to stand confidently in their attachment-based choices against external pressure and medical pushback. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Website: https://www.gabrielle-ferrara.com ● Instagram: @nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby https://www.instagram.com/nurtured.mom.nurtured.baby Guest Bio: Gabrielle Ferrara is a Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner and Consultant. She holds a Master's in Social Work (MSW) and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New Jersey and Florida. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Discipline and Development: The Zero to Three Guide feat. Dr. Vanessa Lapointe | #46 | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:34:53 | |
Why is traditional discipline actually causing anxiety and behavioral problems in our children?
Dr. Vanessa Lapointe began her career as a practicing psychologist and mother, having been trained in a behaviorist approach that taught her to squash any unwanted behavior to make it stop. She quickly noticed a profound mismatch between this training and the reality of the children coming into her clinic. Dr. Lapointe observed that many referrals were anxiety-based, and it seemed that the very discipline methods being employed by parents were actually causing the anxiety and leading to challenging behaviors. This realization prompted her to conduct a deep dive into child development, including studying the work of Gordon Neufeld. Her key transformation involved moving away from punishment-focused methods, recognizing that the "downstream fallout" from harsh discipline creates more disruption in children's lives than a compassionate approach. Dr. Lapointe now operates from the developmentalist perspective, focusing on the antecedent—what happens in the environment before a behavior occurs—rather than the consequence. She explains that because babies' brains are immature and lack the necessary wiring for self-regulation and impulse control, their "bad behaviors" are actually developmentally appropriate expressions of overwhelm or excitement. Dr. Lapointe emphasizes that we must approach parenting with compassion, humanity, and heart, ensuring our children can grow up in the way nature intended, without having to recover from their childhood.
Key Takeaways ● Traditional behaviorist discipline, which focuses on stopping behavior, often leads to negative outcomes like anxiety and continued disruption later in life. ● Focus on the antecedent (the environment and stressors before the behavior) rather than the consequence (punishment) to nurture healthy development. ● Misbehavior does not exist; all challenging behavior is simply communication of a child's needs or an underlying stress response. ● Boundaries for babies should define how we hold ourselves within, not how we keep the baby out or make them wait. ● Compassionate parenting gives us the opportunity to heal our inner child by retemplating our own childhood experiences and emotional reactions. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Books: ○ Discipline Without Damage ○ Parenting Right From the Start ○ https://drvanessalapointe.com/child-discipline-books ● Website: https://drvanessalapointe.com ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drvanessalapointe ● Instagram: @dr.vanessalapointe https://www.instagram.com/dr.vanessalapointe ● X (Twitter) https://x.com/DrVlapointe Guest Bio: Dr. Vanessa Lapointe is a mom, parenting educator, best-selling author, international speaker, and a regularly invited media guest. She holds a doctoral degree in psychology, and practiced as a psychologist for nearly 20 years, before devoting her full-time energy to connecting with parents and other "big people" around the globe in 2023. Founder of The North Star Developmental Clinic, Dr. Vanessa has long been supporting families and children in her developmental clinic alongside her team, and has previous experience in community mental health and the school system.
Dr. Vanessa is known for bringing a sense of nurturing understanding and humanity to all of her work. Her passion is in walking alongside parents, teachers, care providers, and other big people to really see the world through the child's eyes. She believes that if we can do this, we are beautifully positioned to grow up our children in the best possible way. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development feat. Dr. Shereen Lim | #45 | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:33:48 | |
How does optimal breathing and jaw development impact your child's sleep, mood, and ability to thrive?
Dr. Shereen Lim, originally a general dentist for 26 years, first delved into the world of sleep apnea due to her husband's persistent snoring. Her initial focus was on dental devices for adults, but this quickly shifted when she wondered why children's jaws weren't helped to grow properly from the start. She came across research indicating that palate expansion could reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in children. This led her to pursue early interceptive orthodontics. However, when she spoke to a pioneer in sleep medicine about palate expansion, she was told she was too late, which prompted a critical realization: form follows function. Her attention then shifted entirely to the earliest years of life, focusing on how to ensure a child's tongue and other oral muscles work well to promote optimal jaw development. Dr. Lim stresses that good airway health is defined by nasal breathing 24/7 and optimal jaw development, which serves as the foundation for thriving health and vitality across the ages. She emphasizes that sleep and breathing problems should be viewed as family health issues, often leading to attachment difficulties in infants and behavioral problems in older children, ultimately impacting the entire household.
Key Takeaways ● Airway health is defined as promoting nasal breathing 24/7 and optimal jaw development through effective oral function. ● Snoring, mouth breathing, and a lack of silence during sleep are signals that airflow difficulties may be present, leading to unrestorative sleep. ● Breastfeeding, with optimal latch mechanics, is crucial because it acts as nature's palate expander, helping develop the jaws forward and wide. ● We must consider the outer borders of the airway—the jaw structures—not just tissue removal, to increase airflow and space for the tongue. ● Poor breathing quality during sleep can increase the risk of behavioral, learning problems, anxiety, and separation anxiety in children. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Book Breathe, Sleep, Thrive. https://breathesleepthrivebook.com ● Website: https://www.drshereenlim.com.au ● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drshereenlim ● Instagram: @dr.shereenlim https://www.instagram.com/dr.shereenlim Guest Bio: Dr Lim is a Perth, Australia, based dentist with a postgraduate diploma in dental sleep medicine from the University of Western Australia. She has been involved in the team management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea for over a decade. Dr Lim is dedicated to promoting airway health from infancy as an alternative approach to minimize the development of these problems, and is author of the book "Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover How Airway Health Can Unlock Your Child's Greater Health, Learning and Potential." Her work in private practice is restricted to tongue tie management from infancy to adulthood, early interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| I'm Right, You're Stupid: Healing Adult Sibling Wounds feat. Jessica Marriot and Dr. Bluma Sapir | #44 | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:50:24 | |
Why is healing the complex relationships between adult siblings a universally overlooked area in mental health?
Jessica Marriot and Dr. Bluma Sapir, who are sisters, were estranged and hated each other for their entire lives until the pandemic prompted a change. Their relationship healing began slowly on Zoom. This unusual process led to a realization: adult sibling healing is a universally overlooked population in the mental health field, with everything else seeming to exist except for it. This observation reinforced their decision to document their journey and write their book, I'm Right, You're Stupid: Growing up your sibling relationship. Dr. Bluma Sapir, a clinical psychologist, provided valuable background, enabling them to dive deep into existing research, reinforcing their path to help others. They discovered that their deep pain stemmed from origin stories where family legacy burdens, such as the generational pattern of one sibling being the "black sheep" and the other the "favorite," played a defining role. Both sisters came to understand that they had played dual roles, acting as both the victim and the abuser for each other. The healing process involved using neuroscientific tools, like deep breathing and grounding exercises derived in part from Polyvagal Theory, to co-regulate themselves. Through this hard work, they stress the importance of teaching repair and perspective-taking, emphasizing that true healing focuses on authenticity (what was felt) rather than accuracy (what was precisely remembered). Ultimately, this repair offered a "wider lens" on their purpose, provided clarity in other relationships, and helped rewire their nervous systems toward calm and security.
Key Takeaways ● Adult sibling healing is recognized as a universally overlooked population in the mental health field. ● The relationship with a sibling is often the first relationship where we learn how to get along or not get along with others. ● The roots of sibling conflict often stem from family legacy burdens, where generational roles like "black sheep" or "favorite" are passed down. ● When managing sibling conflict, parents should serve as regulators and co-regulators, avoiding the urge to choose sides or let children "figure it out". ● Healing requires focusing on authenticity—hearing what the other person experienced—rather than arguing over the factual accuracy of past events. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Book I'm Right, You're Stupid: Growing up your sibling relationship. ● Websites Your Sib Hub: https://yoursibhub.com (for more information and their fun quiz). Guest Bios: Jessica Marriot is the founder of Forward Thinkers and innovative entrepreneur who partners with global brands to disrupt industries and drive revenue growth. Dr. Bluma Sapir is a distinguished clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience providing transformative psychotherapy to individuals and pairs. #Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Evolutionary Parenting: Beyond the Sleep Training Narrative feat. Tracy Cassels | #43 | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:45:40 | |
Why does our society place more value on controlled baby sleep than on maternal support, proper feeding, or comfort?
Tracy Cassels began her influential work while pursuing her PhD in developmental psychology, coinciding with her pregnancy. She observed a profound contradiction between the widespread advice advocating for infant sleep training—even when pushed by some academics—and the robust findings found in developmental literature and her own research. This mismatch, which she initially felt was a foreign concept given her own background, became the critical momentum to start sharing her perspective publicly. This led to the launch of her extensive website, Evolutionary Parenting, roughly 15 years ago. This platform developed into an invaluable resource, providing detailed and thoroughly referenced information on nearly every topic related to infant brain development for parents. Tracy often interacts with families, some of whom bring along skeptical relatives or partners, seeking clarification on the evidence surrounding sleep practices. She approaches the topic by presenting an honest assessment of what the research confirms and what remains unknown, helping listeners discern the subtleties often missing from conventional advice. She argues that the findings against certain practices, such as sleep training, form an "incredibly strong circumstantial case" rather than a clear-cut legal link. Furthermore, Tracy contends that many sleep problems are misinterpreted as behavioral failures when they are actually symptoms of underlying issues like allergies, sleep apnea, or hormonal imbalances. Her most recent paper with Levita DeSousa advocates for researchers to adopt a much broader perspective, moving away from seeking a "one size fits all solution" and instead considering the full family dynamic, cultural influences, and health context when studying infant sleep.
Key Takeaways ● Sleep problems are often symptoms of underlying physical or psychological issues, not always primary behavioral faults of the baby or parent. ● The research focusing specifically on mothers and babies, particularly concerning clinical interventions and emotional connection, is significantly lacking. ● An overemphasis on controlled sleep in modern society leads parents to prioritize it over other critical nurturing components like love, comfort, and proper feeding. ● Some research proposes methods to help mothers suppress the natural anxiety they feel when hearing their distressed baby cry, counteracting an essential evolutionary response. ● Infant sleep should be viewed as a family dynamic influenced by culture, general family preferences, health issues, and the need for connection. #Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Tracy's Instagram: @tracycasselsphd https://www.instagram.com/tracycasselsphd ● Books by Tracy Cassels: ○ Finding Daycare: Navigating the Murky World of Child Care in Today's Society ○ https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Daycare-Navigating-Todays-Society-ebook/dp/B07PGDR6TC ● Evolutionary Parenting's website: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/ (Note: Some parts are currently missing due to a crash, but it will be restored soon). Guest Bio: Tracy Cassels holds a PhD in developmental psychology and is the founder of Evolutionary Parenting. She co-authored a paper with Levita DeSousa, an attachment theory specialist at Monash University in Australia, focusing on how sleep training ignores the larger family dynamic. She is also a contributor to an upcoming academic book on sleep, edited by Jenny (who Greer has also written with), which includes chapters from Darshan Arves and LaVita DeSousa. #Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Why Maternal Love is a Neurobiological Craving feat. Kelly McDaniel | #42 | 12 Nov 2025 | 00:28:54 | |
What happens when we spend our adult lives searching for a quality of maternal love we never received as a child?
Kelly McDaniel, a licensed professional counselor and author, introduced the concept of "Mother Hunger" in her first book, Ready to Heal. She identified Mother Hunger as an attachment injury stemming from maternal deprivation, noting that millions of women suffer a lifelong emotional burden that adversely affects self-worth, eating habits, and relational wellness. This profound attachment trauma, Kelly explains, is a neurobiological craving for unmet needs: nurturing, protection, and guidance. This "hunger" is often misunderstood and sought inappropriately from romantic partners, friends, or authority figures. Kelly's work illuminates how cultural forces, especially patriarchy, compromise a mother's capacity to provide a consistent, safe caregiving environment, leading to generational trauma that impacts secure attachment. Kelly published her second book, Mother Hunger, in 2021, compiling research since 2008 to explore how adult daughters can understand and heal from these losses. She emphasizes that while we cannot go back in time, neuroscience shows that our brains can change throughout life, offering hope and opportunity for repair. Her clinical approach helps adult daughters identify this craving, understand the truth of their pain, and become "cycle breakers" in their own families.
Key Takeaways ● Mother Hunger is a profound neurobiological craving for three essential elements of maternal care: nurturing, protection, and guidance. ● Unmet needs often arise from ancestral inheritance, cultural environments, and unhealed trauma, not necessarily a lack of maternal love. ● A mother can be physically present but emotionally absent due to unhealed trauma, leading to chronic, automatic dissociation. ● Healing Mother Hunger enables adult daughters to break epigenetic cycles of trauma, improving their self-worth and relational wellness outcomes. ● The spiritual component of mothering involves stretching our own capacity for love, loving unconditionally, and embracing personal growth. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner CertificationJoin our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources ● Kelly's website: https://kellymcdanieltherapy.com/ ● Books by Kelly McDaniel: ○ Ready to Heal: Helping Women Heal from Addictive Relationships. ○ Mother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, and Guidance (Hay House, 2021). ○ https://kellymcdanieltherapy.com/books/ ● Contribution: Making Advances; A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts. https://www.amazon.com/Making-Advances-Comprehensive-Treating-Addicts/dp/098574720X ● Mentioned in conversation: Mark Wolynn's book, It Didn't Start With You. https://a.co/d/3yJpvKw Guest Bio: Kelly McDaniel, LCMHC, is an author and licensed professional counselor who developed the term "Mother Hunger" to identify an attachment injury related to maternal deprivation. She specializes in nurturing insecure attachment and healing addictive relational patterns in adult women. She holds an MA in English Literature from Georgetown University (1991) and an MA in Counseling from St. Mary's University (2004). Kelly is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT). She has devoted herself to this work since naming Mother Hunger in 2008. Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Self-Mothering: Your Most Important Parenting Job feat. Dr. Gertrude Lyons | #41 | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:44:18 | |
What if the most crucial job we have in motherhood is learning to mother ourselves? Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a master coach and thought leader, developed the "Rewriting the Mother Code" framework after conducting an in-depth doctoral thesis. Her purpose is to help women rewrite outdated narratives surrounding motherhood, self-worth, and identity. Dr. Lyons was prompted to begin this work after realizing that even as an established coach, she had lost herself in motherhood, stopped mothering herself, and experienced deep regret and remorse. This experience motivated her to investigate what is possible when women put themselves in the picture. Her doctoral thesis centered on raising women's awareness of the possibility of personal growth and transformative experiences within motherhood. This included challenging personal norms. For example, when facing fertility issues, Dr. Lyons chose to listen to her intuition rather than immediately adopting the full medical model. By tuning in, she uncovered a deep, unconscious fear of being a mother and continuing generational trauma. Addressing this "unfinished business" proved to be a critical part of her healing journey. Dr. Lyons emphasizes that motherhood, despite being painful or chaotic—described as the "caterpillar to butterfly gelatinous mass period"—is the ripest time for transformation and rewiring. She champions the idea that we all mother (ideas, careers, relationships), and the most important person we need to mother is ourselves. #Key Takeaways ● Recognize that the challenging, chaotic early phase of new motherhood is the ripest time for profound personal transformation and rewiring. ● Challenge the traditional view of motherhood as pure sacrifice and duty, and instead embrace it as an opportunity for self-realization. ● The deepest form of self-mothering is self-actualization and awareness, requiring ongoing internal work to truly know yourself. ● We all express "mother energy" by nurturing careers, relationships, ideas, and dreams, not just children. ● Approach pain as informative and a natural vehicle for wisdom and transformation, rather than something to numb or simply avoid. #Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner CertificationJoin our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page #Resources Guest Bio: Dr. Gertrude Lyons is a master coach, podcast host, and thought leader who helps women rewrite outdated narratives around motherhood and identity. She developed the "Rewriting the Mother Code" framework after completing an in-depth doctoral thesis. She offers retreats in Mexico and Ireland, and one-on-one immersive coaching experiences. References and Resources: ● Book: Rewrite the Mother Code: From Sacrifice to Stardust, a Cosmic Approach to Motherhood https://a.co/d/b4MU6hl ● Website: https://www.drgertrudelyons.com (includes her TEDx talk) ● Podcast: Rewrite the Mother Code with Dr. Gertrude Lyons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rewrite-the-mother-code-with-dr-gertrude-lyons/id1534581166 ● Instagram: @drgertrudelions https://www.instagram.com/drgertrudelyons/?hl=en #Ready to Connect with Greer?"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Beyond Perfection: Getting "Good Enough" Sleep feat. Talia Shapero | #40 | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:36:46 | |
Is it possible to improve our sleep and reduce anxiety, even when navigating the exhaustion of new parenthood? Talia Shapero's journey to becoming an adult sleep coach began with her own years-long battle with insomnia. This sleep struggle became significantly worse after the birth of her son. Even when her baby started sleeping through the night, Talia found she was unable to. This chronic lack of quality sleep severely impacted her cognitive, physical, and emotional health, leading to intense anxiety and a dysregulated mood. Fortunately, her medical practitioners were insightful, suggesting that addressing her sleep issues might alleviate her anxiety, recognizing the crucial bi-directional relationship between mood and sleep. Talia was diagnosed with true insomnia and underwent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), which she describes as truly transformative. The treatment improved her overall well-being—she was feeling better, eating better, and became a more engaged partner and parent, gaining resilience, patience, and love to give to her family. Through this experience, she realized that many people lack knowledge about sleep and struggle silently. Motivated by her personal success and the universal need for solutions, Talia earned her certification to help others as an adult sleep coach. #Key Takeaways
#Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification · Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page #Resources Talia Shapero is an Adult Sleep Coach. She can be found through her website, TaliaShapero.com, and on Instagram and Facebook at @TaliaShaperoSleep. Talia regularly posts tips and information, and she offers a free 20-minute, no-obligation call for those struggling with their sleep. ● Website: https://www.taliashapero.com/https://www.taliashapero.com/ ● Instagram: @taliashaperosleep https://www.instagram.com/taliashaperosleep/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talia-shapero-7a5688a1/https://www.linkedin.com/in/talia-shapero-7a5688a1/ ● Facebook: Talia Shapero Adult Sleep Coaching Services https://www.facebook.com/taliashaperosleep/ #Ready to Connect with Greer? "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ FREE GUIDE - "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress FREE GUIDE - "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| From Low Nurture to Nurture Revolution feat. The Nurture Duo | #39 | 22 Oct 2025 | 00:28:18 | |
How do you turn a childhood of "low nurture" into a passion for helping other parents find confidence and joy in responsive motherhood? Erin and Hayley are twins and the co-founders of The Nurture Duo. They shared their challenging upbringing, having grown up in a single-parent household with two older brothers. Due to circumstances including poverty, mental illness, and addiction, they experienced a "low nurture" background, though they are grateful their parents did the best they could. They always nurtured each other from the womb, leading to a strong bond. Their shared love of children led them to work in early childhood education for ten years. During their bachelor's degree studies, they took a course on infant mental health, which was eye-opening. They realized that many educational settings had high expectations for children's self-regulation, largely because professionals lacked sufficient knowledge about infant mental health. This realization was a driving force, making them passionate about helping parents because they recognized that the change needed to start there. Their personal journey intensified when they both became pregnant with their first babies, whose due dates were two weeks apart. Motherhood, especially concerning sleep, was initially a shock. They were confused by the pervasive sleep training culture until they found a holistic sleep consultant (TikTok handle: raised to flourish). This consultant helped them trust themselves and their babies more, leading them to embrace responsive parenting practices like contact naps, feeding to sleep, and nighttime parenting. Feeling the transformative and healing power of this knowledge, they enrolled in the Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner course while pregnant with their second children. They launched The Nurture Duo by offering free workshops to build their community. They are now successfully running back-to-back, unique, in-person support circles where mothers feel safe and receive non-judgmental support, allowing them to connect with their own intuitive nurturing abilities and proudly bring the nurture revolution to their town. #Key Takeaways
#Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page #Resources ● Instagram: @thenurtureduo https://www.instagram.com/thenurtureduo ● Facebook: The Nurture Duo https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572289780969 ● Website: https://thenurtureduo.my.canva.site/ ● Email: thenurtureduo@gmail.com Guest Bio: Erin and Hayley are twin sisters and certified Nurture Neuroscience Practitioners who co-founded The Nurture Duo. They both previously worked for 10 years in early childhood education, holding a BA in Early Childhood Studies. Their path was motivated by their own "low nurture" upbringing and a challenging start to motherhood, which led them to realize the importance of understanding infant mental health. After discovering responsive care practices that they found to be "very healing", they dedicated themselves to supporting families. As practitioners, they focus on educating caregivers about nervous system care and biologically normal infant sleep to help them feel more confident and capable of providing responsive care. They currently run unique, in-person support circles for mothers that are described as non-judgmental and safe spaces.
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| Boosting Confidence Through Nurtured Presence feat. Amanda Hadfield | #38 | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:18:58 | |
Are you feeling conflicted because your mothering instincts feel right, but everyone around you insists you are doing it wrong? Amanda Hadfield, who was previously working as a veterinary nurse, started maternity leave looking for self-discovery and a complete career change. While pregnant, she knew she was looking for something else. She faced a major challenge during this time: she felt deeply conflicted because everything she was doing felt right in her heart, yet she was under immense pressure from family, friends, and health visitors who told her she was mothering incorrectly. Her path changed when a mother at her breastfeeding group recommended The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum. The book changed everything for her. When she received a newsletter announcing the certification program, she knew 100% that this was the path for her, manifesting getting into the limited spaces. Amanda became the world's first Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner to certify. She launched her first circle in March 2025, initially expecting only two mothers but welcoming eight. The impact was profound, providing mothers with a space to be nurtured and find healing from issues like birth trauma or difficulty bonding with their baby. Amanda also experienced significant personal growth, moving from being "terrified" before her first class to gaining the confidence to lead circles and workshops. Her group fostered deep connections, with the first block of mothers continuing to meet up every week, forming a tight-knit group. #Key Takeaways● Up until the age of three, your primary role is to spoil your baby with affection, attention, and protection. ● When women gather in person, magic happens, creating a supportive sisterhood and community that lasts a lifetime. ● The Nurtured Presence practice is highly emotive, centering on four questions that affirm to your baby, "I see you, you are enough". ● Inner child work involves holding your baby but answering the four natural questions as if you were addressing baby-you. ● Ambivalence can be practiced by holding two rocks to help you really feel two conflicting emotions at the same time. Join The Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification Join our February 2026 Program: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page Resources● Amanda Hadfield´s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandabennison ● Amanda Hadfield´s website: https://northstarnurture.com/ ● Amanda Hadfield's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/north.star.nurture Guest Bio: Amanda Hadfield is the world's first Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner to certify in the certification program. Her business is North Star Nurture. She runs in-person circles every Wednesday at 9:30 AM in the Glencore Center in Scotland. Amanda also offers sleep consulting and is planning to team up with another practitioner, Gabrielle, for parental regulation support. Ready to Connect with Greer?: ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting ● Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Finding Hope and Light in Evidence-Based Sleep feat. Linda Fitzgerald | #37 | 08 Oct 2025 | 00:20:00 | |
How does embracing neuroscience and genuine community support transform the challenges of early motherhood, especially when navigating conflicting advice on infant sleep? We sit down with Linda, a Nurture Neuroscience practitioner, to discuss her incredible journey into supporting mothers. Originally from the Czech Republic, Linda moved to the United States and found that becoming a mother completely transformed her life. She experienced significant challenges early on, particularly facing conflicting advice regarding infant sleep. She was told she had to sleep train her son before he turned four months to avoid sleep regression, a suggestion that left her deeply conflicted so she searched everywhere for answers. Her transformation began when she found a holistic sleep expert, which eventually led her to discover Greer's work. She was drawn to the professional training because it was grounded in neuroscience and research, which made the information digestible and true. Linda's initial goal was clear: to support families with sleep and ultimately prevent sleep training by working with newborn and pregnant families. The course offered the direction, hope, and light she needed to launch her practice. She fought hard to build her circles, getting creative with marketing—including recording videos and drawing with chalk in front of playgrounds, grocery stores, and schools—to ensure everyone knew about the neuroscience circle. Now, Linda leads successful, intimate circles and one-on-one consultations, providing mothers with a vulnerable and safe space where they receive vital community support and knowledge based on science, ultimately changing lives. #Key Takeaways ● Preventing sleep training is best approached by working with newborn or pregnant families, as sleep training is often initiated very early on. ● When seeking parenting guidance, prioritize information and knowledge that is backed by credible research and neuroscience over popular myths. ● Community circles offer a safe and intimate space, allowing mothers to be vulnerable and receive deep emotional support and connection in real life. ● The work of a sleep consultant, focusing on finding alternatives to sleep training, can be a flexible job that allows prioritizing time with young children. ● Societal pressures often hide what mothers are missing; community circles help mothers realize they need to be surrounded by other supportive moms. #Resources ●Join the next Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner Certification: https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-page ● Linda´s Instagram: @nurturewithlinda ● Guest Bio: Linda is a Nurture Neuroscience practitioner who leads in-person circles in Fairfax, Marin County, California. She never offers sleep training but finds different options to maximize family sleep and help with problems like frequent waking or night weaning. Ready to Connect with Greer? ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting ● Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
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| Brain benefits of Skin-to-Skin and how to do it at any age feat. Hayley Mullins | #36 | 01 Oct 2025 | 00:22:47 | |
What if the key to maximizing bonding time with your newborn was created out of a moment of terrifying crisis? Hayley Mullins, the founder of the Joey Band, shares the deeply personal and frightening experience that led to the development of her innovative product. When her newborn daughter, just two weeks old, startled and fell from her chest onto a hardwood floor, Hayley was devastated. After rushing to the emergency room, she learned that infant falls during skin-to-skin time happen often, even in hospital settings, occurring at an estimated rate of one in 165 births. Frustrated that existing baby-wearing products like wraps and carriers didn't offer the simple, soft support she needed while resting, she and her husband developed the Joey Band. This stretchy, yoga pant-material device wraps around the parent, securing the baby in a proper skin-to-skin position. This simple change transformed the practice, enabling comfortable, hands-free bonding time and mimicking the snug comfort of the womb. The Joey Band has become a game-changer in hospitals, particularly for C-section mothers, allowing uninterrupted kangaroo care right on the operating table, with one nurse noting it turns "a surgery to a birth". It has also been instrumental in NICU settings, helping vulnerable babies get home sooner by encouraging consistent kangaroo care. #Key Takeaways● Skin-to-skin contact is crucial for brain development, temperature regulation, and nutrient absorption, which helps babies gain weight faster. ● Babies held skin-to-skin have been found in studies to cry 12 times less, offering enormous relief and increased confidence for new parents. ● The Joey Band is non-ambulatory and is meant to be used while sitting or reclining, helping parents slow down, recover, and focus on bonding time. ● The simplicity of the Joey Band makes skin-to-skin easier for non-birthing and adoptive parents, giving them confidence and growing the bond. ● For C-section moms, the use of the Joey Band reduces maternal anxiety and decreases the need for pain medication post-operation. #Resources● Joey Band Website: https://joeyband.com/ ● Hayley Mullins's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com ● Guest Bio: Hayley Mullins Inventor of the Joeyband Device & Infant Falls SME. Passionate about revolutionizing newborn care practices worldwide, she´s the visionary behind JoeyBand™, a globally patented medical device designed to elevate the crucial practice of skin-to-skin care. As the driving force behind this groundbreaking initiative, her responsibilities and achievements include spearheading a mission to redefine the standard of newborn care. Ready to Connect with Greer?: ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting ● Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| A Successful Daycare Transition Story feat. Kelly Yefet | #35 | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:39:42 | |
What happens when the thought of transitioning your baby to daycare brings anxiety and tears, but the reality turns out to be a surprising success story? We sit down with Kelly as she shares her candid journey through the daunting process of transitioning her 10-month-old baby, Noa, into daycare. Kelly faced a non-negotiable deadline: returning to work in November. Because her chosen daycare was highly sought after and had firm start dates, she began the transition in September, two months before she needed to be back at work. This forced early start actually became the best option, allowing for the slow, flexible transition Kelly desired, where she could spend time in the room or drop off Noa for short periods. Kelly details her initial fears, which centered on disrupting her hyper-focused, high-attachment "Greer's method" of parenting, including concerns about Noa crying alone, eating (as she was predominantly breastfed and had never taken a bottle), and sleeping (as she only napped on Kelly). Despite these major worries, the transition moved much faster and smoother than Kelly anticipated. The daycare staff embraced the learning curve, successfully introducing a bottle and helping Noa transition from sleeping on a person to sleeping in a crib over the course of a week, without tears during the process. This unexpected success led Kelly to pivot her original plan, shifting from a part-time/nanny hybrid approach to confidently choosing full-time daycare, a decision she made by listening to her gut and observing how well Noa was thriving. Kelly's story offers reassurance that a successful and smooth transition is common when anchored by flexibility, trust, and a focus on building a strong relationship with the care provider. #Key Takeaways● Trust your gut throughout the process and hold plans loosely; you can change your decisions and reassess as you go, based on your baby's experience. ● Prioritize finding a childcare setting or implementing a strategy that allows for forming a trusted, loving relationship between your baby and at least one caregiver. ● Encourage social referencing by spending time with the baby and caregiver, showing the baby through your calm nervous system that the caregiver is trustworthy. ● You do not need to change feeding or sleep routines at home (like breastfeeding or co-sleeping) before daycare; babies will typically adapt to new sleep methods in the new environment. ● Seek consistency of care in the schedule, as a baby better understands an every-day pattern (even short days) than inconsistent schedules like Monday, Wednesday, Friday. #Resources● Lillio App: https://www.lillio.com/ ● Guest Bio: Kelly Yefet is a strategic brand and growth marketer who specializes in identifying key business challenges to uncover innovative and data-driven solutions. Kelly is also a devoted parent to her baby, Noa and shares her personal journey of successfully transitioning Noa into daycare. Ready to Connect with Greer? ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting ● Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
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| Navigating Sleep with a Newborn & Toddler feat. Rachael Shepard-Ohta | #34 | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:27:49 | |
Feeling overwhelmed by the thought of adding another baby to your family and wondering how everyone will ever sleep? We've got you covered! In this episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, we connect with Rachel Shepard-Ota, the founder of Hey Sleepy Baby. Rachel shares her personal journey into the world of baby sleep, which began after a "horribly traumatic experience" with sleep training her first child. This pivotal moment led her to extensively research and discover attachment-focused sleep certifications, initially for her own benefit as she was on maternity leave with her second baby during COVID. What started as a personal quest and a potential "side hustle" quickly blossomed into Hey Sleepy Baby, a platform that took off, allowing her to leave her decade-long career as a special education teacher. Rachel is now dedicated to changing the narrative around infant sleep, moving away from sleep training as the default, especially in the US where lack of parental support adds extra pressure. Through her work, she aims to normalize sleep and support parents, offering alternatives and guidance to families seeking gentle, attachment-focused approaches. Key Takeaways ● Remove the pressure to space children closely: Allow breathing room between babies to recover from tough sleep or deprivation ● Prepare for toddler regression: Have a flexible plan for how you'll tackle sleep in the night, as toddlers may regress with a new baby ● A two-year-old is still a baby: Avoid putting too much pressure on older children; they are still tiny and need support ● Implement a "divide and conquer" strategy: If two parents are present, one can take the toddler and the other the newborn for nighttime support ● Embrace flexibility: There's no single "right" solution in parenting, and acknowledging that everything is a phase helps manage expectations Resources ● Guest's Instagram: @heysleepybaby ● Guest's Website: https://heysleepybaby.com/ ● Guest Bio: Rachel Shepard-Ota is the founder of Hey Sleepy Baby, established in 2020. She was a special education teacher for about a decade before dedicating herself to attachment-focused baby sleep after a challenging experience with sleep training her first child. Ready to Connect with Greer? ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution | |||
| Conscious Connections: Holistic Baby Care & Family Bonds, with Tracy Gillett | #33 | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:35:08 | |
What if "spoiling" your baby with affection, attention, and protection is actually the best path to their long-term mental health and success? Tracy Gillett, a natural parent, felt alone in her early parenting choices like full term breastfeeding and bed-sharing. This led her to create the Raised Good summit, offering a community where parents find confidence, education, and support. The summit highlights research and experts, empowering parents to trust their intuition and parent consciously. Key Takeaways
Resources
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| Beyond 6 Weeks: The Real Postpartum Journey, with Maranda Bower | #32 | 03 Sep 2025 | 00:31:22 | |
Are we truly supporting mothers postpartum, or are we perpetuating a cycle of misunderstanding and neglect? Maranda Bower, a biological researcher, bestselling author, and the visionary behind Postpartum University, embarked on her journey into postpartum health driven by her own profound and unprepared experience as a new mother. Sixteen years ago, with her first child, she found herself amidst extreme postpartum depression and anxiety, experiencing panic attacks and fearing for her son, all while the topic of postpartum mental health was largely taboo and unsupported by research or public conversation. This personal crisis fueled her determination to understand why this was happening, pushing her beyond conventional science into anthropological studies of ancient cultures. She discovered universal "postpartum truths" from cultures worldwide, traditions that had specific, often unscientific-sounding yet physiologically accurate, methods for caring for new mothers. These ancient practices, which focused on needs like digestion and overall body care, revealed a stark contrast to modern North American norms. Maranda transformed her personal quest into a professional mission, becoming a postpartum doula and childbirth educator. She developed the "postpartum restorative method," a framework for healing that blends traditional wisdom with modern scientific understanding. Through Postpartum University, she now educates and certifies providers, empowering them with the crucial knowledge often missing from their formal training, ultimately changing the world by healing mothers. Key Takeaways ● Postpartum care extends far beyond the traditional six-week mark, with physiological and psychological changes lasting up to six years. ● Many common postpartum practices in modern society, like drinking smoothies, can actually hinder a mother's recovery, especially regarding digestion. ● Societal pressures often lead to the medication of natural female life stages (menstruation, birth, postpartum, menopause), preventing natural transformations. ● "Postpartum depression" is often a misdiagnosis, masking deep mourning for a previous life or a biological warning from isolation. ● Comprehensive postpartum support encompasses physiological restoration, proper nutrition and absorption, neurological regulation, rhythmic recovery, and identity integration. Resources ● Manranda's Podcast: Postpartum University podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/postpartum-university-podcast/id1562727360 ● Guest's Website: https://postpartumu.com/ ● Guest Bio: Maranda Bower is a biological researcher, and the CEO and Founder of Postpartum University®, supporting both mothers and professionals in health and whole body healing. She is a renowned expert and top educator in the fields of functional nutrition and coaching in relation to postpartum and nicknamed the "Womb Whisperer". Named as a best-selling author, international speaker, and has appeared in over 50+ publications. Ready to Connect with Greer?: ● "Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/ ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/ ● FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress ● FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting ● Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
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| Dance Movement Therapy for Moms: A New Language of Connection | #31 | 27 Aug 2025 | 00:40:08 | |
Your baby speaks in movement—do you? In this episode of Spoil Your Baby, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined by Erica Hornthal, a licensed movement therapist, professional counselor, and author of Body Aware and Body Talk. Known as "the therapist who moves you," Erica offers a powerful reframe on how we understand mental health—not through words alone, but through the body. Together, Greer and Erica unpack the core truth that movement is not optional—it's the first language between parent and child. From the rhythms in the womb to the moment-to-moment physical attunement with our children, movement holds the key to co-regulation, healing, and reconnection with the self. This isn't about "getting your body back" or squeezing in a workout. It's about learning how your own posture, breath, gestures, and tension patterns reveal what's happening inside of you—and how that awareness can help you connect more deeply with your child, especially in moments of overwhelm. Whether you're a mother navigating early postpartum anxiety or simply trying to survive toddler tantrums, Erica shares tiny but transformative tools—like noticing your grip on the steering wheel or how you walk into a room—that help you ground, regulate, and reconnect to your body, so you can be present for theirs. If you've ever felt lost in the mental fog of early parenting, this conversation is your invitation to redefine movement as self-care, communication, and healing. Key Takeaways
More on Erica Hornthal:
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| Physical & Emotional Connection through Baby Carrying: with Busi Musiiwa | #30 | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:38:48 | |
Carrying your baby is about more than comfort… It's about fostering a deep connection through proximity. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum sits down with Busi Musiiwa: an Occupational Therapist, mom, and founder of BabueBaby, whose baby carriers are transforming the baby-wearing industry. Busi moved to Canada from Zimbabwe at a young age, yet she has always honored her home country and culture. In much of Africa, baby wearing is a way of life, shaping how babies experience their first years. When Busi arrived in Canada, she set out to design a carrier that honored those traditions while also meeting the comfort and safety expectations of Western parents. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is clear: by listening to this podcast, you are choosing to grow, to make space, and to care with intention. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend. To learn more about Busi's company, visit babuebabycarriers.com Key Takeaways:
More on Busi Musiiwa:
Ready to Connect with Greer?:
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| Trusting Your Own Intuition (feat. Kelly Yefet) | #29 | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:28:35 | |
Your intuition as a mother is to care for your child… and it's OK to trust it. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum sits down with Kelly Yefet, a mother, keynote speaker, brand and growth advisor, entrepreneur, and Greer's sister-in-law. Greer and Kelly have known each other for many years, and even while personally knowing and understanding the science behind co-sleeping, many people in Kelly's circle were encouraging her to follow a more modern sleep training approach with her newborn daughter, Noah. It wasn't until Noah was actually born that Kelly's intuition fully kicked in. She realized she absolutely did not want to be apart from her child while they slept. This is a powerful, real-life example of how society often pushes us to parent in ways that go against our natural instincts. Most importantly, it is a reminder that it's OK to trust yourself when it comes to co-sleeping and connection. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is clear: by listening to this podcast, you are choosing to grow, to make space, and to care with intention. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend. To learn more about the Badass Affirmation Cards for Women, visit: amazon.com/Nurture-Neuroscience-Affirmation-Cards-Badass/dp/B0F5P5TQDT Key Takeaways:
More on Kelly Yefet:
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| Herbs Aren't Scary, They're a Lifeline with Sara Chana Silverstein | #28 | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:31:04 | |
On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined by master herbalist, certified lactation consultant, doula, and mother of seven, Sara Chana Silverstein. With over 45,000 mothers and babies supported through lactation, Sara Chana brings a wealth of clinical wisdom and heart-centered, holistic care to the table. Together, they explore the benefits of mixing conventional medicine with herbs, and unravel one of the biggest misconceptions in modern motherhood: that herbs are "unregulated" or unsafe. In truth, when used accurately, these ancient plant allies can be powerful tools to support physical recovery, emotional wellbeing, and postpartum healing. From calming tinctures like skullcap and motherwort to nourishing teas like nettle and lemon balm, this conversation will shift the way you think about postpartum care. Sara Chana also breaks down why most breastfeeding issues are about baby training, not milk supply—and why modern medicine often misses the mark on long-term maternal health. This is the episode for every parent who has ever felt dropped after giving birth… and wants to reclaim simple, effective tools for lifelong care. Key Takeaways:
More from Sara Chana: Website + Free Resources: www.sarachana.com Moodtopia (for moms) + Moodtopia for Kids (coming soon!) Instagram @sarachanas: 1-min plant tutorials for busy moms | |||
| Feeding Your Baby's Brain (feat. Dr. Marion Van Horn) | #27 | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:32:12 | |
Brain health matters… and it's worth prioritizing with your children. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum sits down with Marion Van Horn, PhD. Marion is a neuroscientist and a mom whose work took on a whole new meaning when it started to overlap with her everyday life. As she began to understand more about how babies' minds grow and develop, it reshaped the way she thought about parenting. That journey led Marion to team up with an illustrator to create something special: a series of coloring books about the brain, designed to bring children and parents together. They are playful, meaningful, and full of simple ways to spark connection. And the truth is, it is never too early to help kids start understanding what is going on inside their own minds. No matter where you are in your own parenting journey, one thing is clear. By listening to this podcast, you are choosing to grow, to make space, and to care with intention. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend. To learn more about the Brain Coloring Book, visit Marion's website: https://www.thebraincolouringbook.com/ Key Takeaways:
More on Marion Van Horn:
Ready to Connect with Greer?:
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| Your Baby's Growth through Stress: w/ Dr. Rocio Zunini | #26 | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:14:25 | |
The world will be stressful for your child. That's why they need you as a safe haven. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined once again by co-host Rocio Zunini, Ph.D., a neuroscientist, parental brain educator, and expert on the connection between your body and your baby. There's a common piece of advice in the parenting world that can be so harmful, we felt it needed an entire episode: Some people will tell you that because the world is harsh, we need to be harsh with our babies to prepare them for what's to come. This advice is not just misguided, it goes against decades of research. Yes, the world can be challenging. But what your child truly needs is a safe haven to return to. A place where they feel loved, seen, and supported. Today's conversation is all about stress. How much is helpful for growth? When does it become too much? Where do we draw the line? And who can we trust for guidance? These questions aren't easy, but they're essential for any parent. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is already true. By listening to this podcast, you're making space to grow, to be more intentional, and to show up with care. If this episode resonates, share it with a friend! And if you'd like to join our free five-day event for mothers this July, visit instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum and comment "BLOOM" on any post to receive a personal invitation via DM. Key Takeaways:
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| Sleep Training: Strength or Disconnection? w/ Dr. Rocio Zunini | #25 | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:14:26 | |
There's a common message you'll hear in parenting circles. It sounds empowering on the surface, but actually? It reinforces deep disconnection to your child. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined for another great conversation with co-host Rocio Zunini, PhD. Together, they take a deep dive into a common (yet infuriating!) sentiment floating around social media that questions whether moms who resist sleep training are simply too "lazy" to do the hard work. This is not JUST a bad take. It is a harmful myth rooted in outdated science and cultural pressure. When we take a look at where these concepts come from, they are never from mothers. They come from male doctors who have never raised a baby on their own. This episode dives into the science of the parental brain, the real roots of sleep training advice, and the generational voices that have tried to sever the sacred connection between mother and baby. You will learn how empathy, intuition, and attunement are not signs of weakness. They are the foundation of lifelong resilience. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is already true. By listening to this podcast, you're making space to grow, to be more intentional, and to show up with care. If this episode resonates, share it with a friend! And if you'd like to join our free five-day event for mothers this July, visit instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum and comment "BLOOM" on any post to receive a personal invitation via DM. Key Takeaways
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| Your Breathing is Your Baby's Breathing w/ Dr. Rocio Zunini | #24 | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:17:35 | |
You might think you know how to breathe. But if you're not doing it intentionally, there's a good chance you don't. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined by Rocio Zunini, Ph.D, a neuroscientist, parental brain educator, and expert on the connection between your breath, your body, and your baby. This is one of our most practical episodes yet. Dr. Rocio walks us through a simple breathing exercise you can use anywhere to reduce stress and regulate your nervous system. As a parent, your stress level affects everything. It shapes your brain, it impacts your emotions, and it directly influences your baby's experience. Your nervous system is in constant conversation with your baby's. Learning to breathe with intention is one of the most powerful and accessible ways to support both of you at the same time. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is true. By listening to this podcast, you're already making space to grow, to care more intentionally, and to be present. If this episode resonates, share it with a friend. Register for our FREE 5 day event Raising Resilience : https://nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-neuro-free-event-registration-page Key Takeaways:
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| How to Spoil Your Baby in the Bath with Sue-Rose Reed | #23 | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:24:33 | |
The transition from bath to sleep matters more than you think… but it doesn't have to be hard. On today's episode of the Spoil Your Baby podcast, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is joined by Sue-Rose Reed, founder of Oneberrie, a company that has reimagined bath towels to simplify the transition into and out of your baby's bath. Spoiling your baby is about creating opportunities for closeness in ways that draw you together. Paying deep attention to the bathtime routine isn't just about hygiene. It's about improving the entire bedtime and sleep experience. When you prioritize the process, you help your baby fall into a deeper, more natural sleep… which often means more rest for you, too. Like many aspects of parenting, the bathing process is surprisingly underdiscussed. This conversation between Greer and Sue-Rose sheds new light on the role of the bath, beyond just getting clean, in a way you've likely never heard before. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, one thing is absolutely true: by listening to the Spoil Your Baby podcast, you're already choosing to grow, to create space, and to care more intentionally. If you found value in this episode, share it with a friend. And to explore Bath Swaddles, Lotions, and more, visit oneberrie.com. Key Takeaways:
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