Evolutionary Parenting Podcast

We're all told that we need to be good parents, but what does this mean? Is it universal for all people of all walks of life? In this episode, I talk with my ongoing guest Dr. Levita D'Souza about a paper that piqued our interest looking at the relationship of parenting styles with emotion regulation in a predominantly lower-SES and African American sample. Through understanding the effects of parenting on emotion regulation, we can better understand the implications for child development in these marginalized communities. And yes, we need to consider the intersection of parenting and race and economics because these have profound impacts for what we might consider "a good parent". So let us take a look at this important work and what we can glean from it.

The Paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.21965

Dr. Joanna Wu: https://healthandhumansciences.fsu.edu/human-development-family-science/faculty-staff/wu/

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

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

When we explore our human evolutionary histories as they've been told so far, the central theme is often on the male experience. The hunter. The conqueror. How did male fertility traits impact relationships? And yet, what is most central to human survival? Procreation and raising the next generation which inherently should involve mothers and children. It is under this lens that Drs. Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson approach a new way of thinking about our collective evolution in their new book A Story of Us: A New Look At Human Evolution. I had the chance to have a wonderful conversation with them about this new story, what it involves, and what it means for us all moving forward. If nothing else, it should get you thinking.

Dr. Peter Richerson: http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/richerson/richerson.htm

Dr. Lesley Newson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lesleynewson?lang=en

'A Story of Us': https://amzn.to/3ehKYmE

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Despite a lot of talk about breastfeeding in our culture, very little discussion happens about the various ways that lactation and provision of breast milk is shared amongst nursing parents. We often think about lactation between one mother and one child and yet that is not how it presents for all families or for all children. From allomaternal nursing to breast milk banks, the world of cooperative lactation is diverse and reflects the needs of various communities and families, but many barriers remain. This week I had the utmost joy in talking about this with Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist, someone who I have admired for ages. I was so thrilled to be able to talk to her. I don't doubt you'll join me in that assessment of her work and her by the end of this interview. So without further ado... let's talk cooperative lactation!

Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist's Faculty Page: https://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/aunchalee-palmquist-phd-ibclc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AunPalmquist

Anthrolactology Podcast: https://anthrolactology.com/anthrolactology-podcast/podseason-1/

Some of Dr. Palmquist's articles on cooperative lactation:

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-27393-4_7

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.12221

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0890334419850820

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953614006893

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.12606

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27664771/

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315145129-3/consuming-immunities-aunchalee-palmquist

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

This week we delve into the world of breastfeeding advocacy with none other than the Badass Breastfeeder herself, Abby Theuring. It feels like no matter where you turn today, breastfeeding has become politicized beyond belief, and the voice of those whom breastfeeding directly impacts is left out. Whether it's women sharing stories of feeling shamed or bullied into breastfeeding or the polar opposite of the fed is best movement that moves us away from the support that individuals need to reach their breastfeeding goals, advocacy today is a landmine. Luckily it's one Abby is willing to enter and one that we explore in this hour. Join me as we get talking about breastfeeding advocacy.

The Badass Breastfeeder: https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.com/

The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast: https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.com/podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBadassBreastfeeder/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebadassbreastfeeder/

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Most people conceptualize dyslexia as an intellectual disorder, but that simply isn't the case. Although dyslexia is a struggle with reading, reading isn't all there is to our intelligence, just one component of our neurological profile. And as with most things in the brain, if one area is less reactive, chances are other areas are even more reactive. This week, we explore research into the emotional world of children with dyslexia with Drs. Virginia Sturm and Christa Watson, co-authors of a new paper examining how children with dyslexia process emotional stimuli and what this might mean socially for them. The findings might just surprise you.

The Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010945220304081

Dr. Virginia Sturm's Page: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/virginia.sturm

UCSF Clinical Affective Neuroscience Lab: https://canlab.ucsf.edu/

Dr. Christa Watson's Page: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/christa.watson

The UCSF Dyslexia Center: https://dyslexia.ucsf.edu/

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

For years we have assumed that babies were incapable of complex empathy. We thought they could react to others' distress through emotion contagion but that was it. It turns out, we were wrong. This week we explore the empathic life of infants through the amazing work of Dr. Maayan Davidov who has been showing the world exactly how capable of empathy infants are. Join us as we talk about these discoveries and what it means for us parents.

Papers Discussed:

https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjop.12402

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/desc.13016

Dr. Maayan Davidov's Lab: https://www.davidovlab.com/

Dr. Davidov's University Page: https://en.sw.huji.ac.il/people/maayan-davidov

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Most parents are led to believe that something is wrong with their babies (or toddlers) because they are waking at night, requiring assistance from parents to settle, or taking a while to fall asleep at night. The common solution is to "sleep train" to "fix" these problems. But what if these aren't actually problems? In this episode, Dr. Levita D'Souza and I discuss the reality of infant sleep and why parents need not be worried about many of these common infant behaviours. Knowing what is a sleep problem and what isn't - and why sleep training still isn't the answer to real problems - can help families make the right choices for everyone involved.

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Did you know that half of all babies born today will develop allergies? Up to a third will become asthmatic or suffer from eczema? Chronic disease is something most families are facing with their children and it shouldn't be this way. Join me as I talk to Michelle Henning co-author of Growing Healthy Babies - an evidence based guide to helping reduce our children's risk for chronic disease - about what is going on and what parents can do to lower the odds.

Growing Healthy Babies Website: https://www.growhealthybabies.com

Michelle Henning's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growhealthybabies/

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Does your child snore? Breathe through their mouth? Seem to stop breathing for parts of the night? These are all examples of sleep-disordered breathing, something that can have a large impact on our children's quality of life but is often misunderstood or ignored by parents and medical professionals alike. In this episode, I speak with Dr. David McIntosh, a pediatric ENT who specializes in sleep-disordered breathing. He goes over why we need to care about these issues and what can be done to help families who are struggling.

Dr. McIntosh's clinic: http://entspecialists.com.au/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/drdavidmcintosh

Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/dr_david_mcintosh_ent/

Snored to Death*: https://amzn.to/38Q3hMA

Don't Ignore the Snore*: https://amzn.to/3eS0jLm

(*Amazon Affiliate Link)

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/

Approximately 1 in 3 pregnancies will end in pregnancy loss and the risks are higher for women of colour. This is devastating for those who experience it and yet our culture and many of the people tasked with caring for us during pregnancy are not equipped to help families through these times. This episode I talk with Amy Wright Glenn, the founder of the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death and the creator of Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss, a course designed for professionals to help them learn to care for those struggling with this loss. Not only do we touch on pregnancy loss, but our cultural struggles to cope with grief and death more generally.

The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death: https://birthbreathanddeath.com/

The Institute on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthbreathanddeath

The Course: https://birthbreathanddeath.com/holding-space-for-pregnancy-loss/

Birth Breath and Death*: https://amzn.to/3lvByWN

Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go*: https://amzn.to/2QjhL13

*Amazon affiliate link

To learn more about the Evolutionary Parenting Podcast visit https://evolutionaryparenting.com/evolutionary-parenting-podcast-2/