Evolutionary Parenting Podcast

Normalizing breastfeeding is an ongoing battle in some Western cultures. Even when someone starts out breastfeeding, many report not being able to meet their goals or face various obstacles in trying to nurse their children. One part of the equation is how breastfeeding is represented in these cultures. Is it accessible through various media? How is it perceived? Joining me today to help answer this question - and discuss the implications of it - is Dr. BJ Woodstein, author of the book The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature. Hopefully by understanding the power of how breastfeeding is portrayed, we can move towards creating a culture where breastfeeding families feel supported and seen.

Dr. BJ Woodstein: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/bj-epstein

The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature*: https://amzn.to/3kaUVYQ

We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent*: https://amzn.to/3YVhWhm

*Amazon affiliate link

Our understanding and acceptance of Autism has evolved over the years towards a greater awareness of what we call neurodiversity - broadly, the idea that each brain is unique and what used to be considered "disorders" are not at all, but rather reflections of these uniquenesses with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we have also learned how valuable early intervention is for longer-term outcomes. But how can this be? If we aren't "fixing" anything, why the need for this intervention? Joining me is Dr. Lauren Franz, the Associate Director of Duke University's Center for Autism and Brain Development, for what I hope you will find to be an enlightening and important conversation.

Dr. Franz: https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/franz-lauren

Focus article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2794074

Programs and articles discussed in the interview:

On Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513196/pdf/10803_2015_Article_2407.pdf

On Early Start Denver Model:

https://autismcenter.duke.edu/news/online-caregiver-coaching-modules-based-early-start-denver-model

Lancet Commission report: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/autism

Open Access Book "Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement": https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-8437-0

Meta-Analysis of interventions: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000215

As we know, sleep is one of the most talked-about topics for new parents. None of them are getting enough, and everyone is worried about it. In Western cultures, parents are often made to feel that the only way to get sleep is to leave their baby to cry to learn to sleep alone, something called 'crying it out'. This can be modified slightly where parents leave their child for intervals of time, often called 'controlled crying' or 'controlled comforting'. Importantly, the age at which we recommend this to families has gotten younger and younger over the years, and even who we recommend it to has changed. Whereas it was once recommended for families with severe problems, it's now recommended as a preemptive move parents should take to avoid problems. But what does the research say about these changes? Do they support the use of this type of sleep training? Joining me to discuss this is Macall Gordon, a researcher specializing in infant mental health who has reviewed the research in depth and is here to share these findings. Whether you're surprised or not, the findings are ones that should be more widely discussed for they have major implications for all families.

Thank you so much for listening, that's it for this week. I hope if you're one of those families who has felt pressure to sleep train but it isn't for you or you don't even feel there's a problem, you can feel better about saying no. And if you are struggling, I would add that there are other methods you can use that do not require you to leave your baby to cry and I would strongly recommend starting there, especially as we discussed here - often there are underlying issues that should be examined. Until next time, stay safe and happy parenting.

Macall Gordon, M.A.: https://www.antioch.edu/faculty/macall-gordon/

Relevant papers to the discussion:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721822000778

https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcl/13/2/65.abstract

If you are struggling with your child's sleep and want to find out if something may be underlying the problem, you can try the Brief Infant and Toddler Sleep Screen, something I devised to help families determine what - if anything - is affecting their child's sleep: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/test/bitss/

Bedtime. It's one of the biggest struggles parents face. Everyone is tired, we just want our kids to calm and go to sleep. But how does our bedtime affect their sleep? Often we hear that we need our kids to be independent at bedtime, do things on their own, that that will lead to a good sleep. The problem is that there hasn't really been any research on how these actions affect bedtime... until now. This week I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lauren Philbrook who is with me to talk about her new research looking at the question of how parental presence and contact as well as calming activities at night influence children's stress levels and quality of sleep. If you've bought into the idea that parents need to separate themselves at bedtime, you might want to hear what Dr. Philbrook has to say.

Dr. Lauren Philbrook: https://www.colgate.edu/about/directory/lphilbrook

Research Articles of Interest

https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22322:

https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001027

https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz078

https://doi.org/0.1002/dev.21442

Raising good humans is hard. We all worry about if we're doing best and we don't always know how to do it. This is especially true when we start touching on topics we may not have experience with, like racism. Many of us may think that we can just try to raise kids who aren't racist and that will be enough. But it's not. We need to actively work to change the ingrained racism in our society and our children can lead the way if we help them get there. This is where help is needed and I was thrilled to be able to speak to educator and author Britt Hawthorne about her new book, "Raising Anti-Racist Children". She's the help we need to change the world one child at a time.

Britt Hawthorne: https://britthawthorne.com/

Speak Up from the Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/20150125/speak-responding-everyday-bigotry

External validity. It's a topic that many of us don't really talk about. It's the idea that certain research findings only apply to certain groups. In sleep training, most people assume the research is applicable to all families, but is this the case? This is the question that Dr. Levita D'Souza and I examine this week as we talk about the research that provides us information on who takes part and who doesn't, and what this means for our understanding of the research in broader terms.

Dr. Levita D'Souza: https://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/psychologists/levita-dsouza/

Relevant Research:

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/4/zsz268/5611128?login=false

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/130/4/643/30241/Five-Year-Follow-up-of-Harms-and-Benefits-of

When it comes to parenting, there are thousands of books with myriad bits of advice for soon-to-be-parents and those who are already parents and facing some kind of struggle. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when we think of all the bits of advice out there. One would think we don't need more, right? But what if you are a parent who just can't see yourself in any of these books or pieces of advice? What if you just aren't represented? This has been the reality for many LGBTQ+ parents and hopeful parents when they browse the books that are incredibly heteronormative. And as we all know, when you aren't represented, it's hard to know where to turn or to feel like you're even supposed to be a parent. Joining me this week is Dr. BJ Epstein Woodstein to discuss her new book "We're Here: A Practical Guide to Becoming a LGBTQ+ Parent" where she not only offers advice for those who have not be previously represented, but also advice for the rest of us on how we can support everyone in their parenting journey.

Dr. Epstein Woodstein: https://www.bjwoodstein.com/

We're Here, the book: https://stores.praeclaruspress.com/were-here-a-practical-guide-to-becoming-an-lgbtq-parent-by-b-j-woodstein/

The Newman Goldfarb protocol: https://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/protocols4print.shtml

A list of some LGBTQ+-relevant parenting books (some better than others): https://mombian.com/product-tag/parenting-guide/

Welcome back after our break and I hope you enjoyed the last few weeks and maybe even used that time to check out some of our older episodes that always stay relevant for families! This week, we're back and talking about the transition to parenthood.

In the transition to parenthood, many of us realize that who we are is going to fundamentally change. We don't know how, we don't know how we're going to cope with it, but we expect a change. What we don't often think about is the effect on our relationship if we happen to be entering parenthood as a team. How we relate to our partner can shift fundamentally and often the first few years post-parenthood is a tumultuous time for couples and results in a higher than usual rate of separation. Why does this happen? What can couples do to help prevent this and stay together? Joining me this week is Nora Wright, couples therapist and founder of The Family Hive where she teaches Gottman's Bringing Baby Home program to help parents adapt to the transition to parenthood without wanting to kill each other. If you feel that your relationship has suffered or you're anticipating a new arrival and worried about how that will change the dynamic of your relationship, don't fret - things can always change.

About Nora and The Family Hive (in person and virtual courses): https://www.familyhivewc.com/

Emotionally Focused Therapy certified couples therapists can be found through ICEEFT: https://iceeft.com/

A complete listing for the Bringing Baby Home workshop internationally: https://www.gottman.com/parents/new-parents-workshop/

For ages, policy makers have been pushing earlier education for children. In many previous studies, these have been found to be very helpful for families that are disadvantaged, but yet the research on them has been short-lived since states of taken on the role of overseeing these programs. Of course, if a program can help a family or child, it should be available, but what if it doesn't? Joining me today is Dr. Kelley Durkin whose career focuses on children's education and how we can help children's learning. Working in the State of Tennessee, she is able to assess their state-wide pre-K program to see how these children fare in the long-term, and most recently published the findings of her most recent analysis. With a focus on what is happening, but also what might be done in the future, her insights are much-needed for all who care about the education of children.

Dr. Kelley Durkin: https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/bio/kelley-durkin

Articles of Interest:

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-18712-001

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200618300279

https://my.vanderbilt.edu/tnprekevaluation/files/2021/09/SREE-TVPK-presentation-2021.pdf

Orchid or dandelion? Highly sensitive or relatively robust? These are some of the ways that we have conceptualized the concept of how sensitive a child is to the environment in which they are raised. Through a combination of nature and nurture, some of our kids are just that much more sensitive. But are they sensitive their whole lives? What genetics make this happen? What environments are good or bad? None of it is quite as simple as it may sound which is why I'm so excited to have one of the pioneers in this field joining me to talk about his decades of work on this sensitivity to the environment, or differential susceptibility as he has called it. Dr. Jay Belsky is one of the first to have identified this differential susceptibility and has helped lead all of us - parents, educators, and researchers alike - towards a better understanding of how nuanced this issue is. And why so much more is still left to be done.

Dr. Jay Belsky: https://humandevelopment.ucdavis.edu/people/jay-belsky

Articles of Interest:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/beyond-orchids-and-dandelions-susceptibility-to-environmental-influences-is-not-bimodal/4ADAF88C7F63FF2C2CDE99880943C3B7

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-29903-001

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-022-01574-9

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/differential-susceptibility-20-are-the-same-children-affected-by-different-experiences-and-exposures/277792E67173ED12678A0180A5FD6892

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/abs/distinguishing-differential-susceptibility-diathesisstress-and-vantage-sensitivity-beyond-the-single-gene-and-environment-model/C2CFEBE39AFEA4C2FC29BA3F37895A41

'The Origins of You: How Childhood Shapes Later Life': https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674983458