On the Couch with Carly

To sleep train or not to sleep train, that is the question? Meg and I unpack the thorny topic of infant sleep. Can babies learn to self soothe? Does this impact attachment to the caregiver? What should you do as a parent to help your baby sleep better so that everyone in the family benefits? Or should we accept to be sleep deprived throughout the period of infancy?

In this episode I reflect on what I have learnt through having a second baby that I wish I had known as a first time mom. I also share what others have offered as advice for first-time moms now that they have a second baby.

In this very short episode (that i've recorded as a video as well) I discuss socialising as a new mom. Extroverts or introverts, neurotypical or atypical - not everyone feels energized and comforted by mom groups. I unpack some of the reasons for this and how to choose who to keep in your orbit.

I have launched two new online products which are live on my website now! Listen to this episode to understand what motivated me to create these, who they're most suitable for and get a discount code to receive 10% off your first order. Happy shopping #onthecouchwithcarly

We are sold so many competing narratives about what makes a good mom. But really we just need to be seen. This role entails wading through much complexity and finding one's true north amidst a barrage of messages from the culture in a capitalist society can be near impossible. Your job is hard momma, and you're doing your best!

I briefly go into some of the tools we have at our disposal when we have a baby. I unpack the difference between help and support. And I share my experience of being in weekly therapy.

For many new parents, the newborn phase can be challenging because of how unpredictable and chaotic life can feel when you are learning your new baby. If you're looking for things to be 100% predictable and controllable then you might feel like you're failing when things don't go according to "plan".

In this episode I unpack this desire for predictability and how the process of coming to terms with this is the greatest early lesson of parenthood.

Breastfeeding (or chestfeeding) is hard AF. For most, it's a journey that does not come easy. We know it's good for our babies but it is a complex skill that needs to be learned, like learning a new dance, and there WILL be mis-steps along the way. When things don't go well it can feel like a personal failure and that is because of the way we are communicating about breastfeeding as a society.

In this episode I unpack all the reasons I understand breastfeeding to be hard and how we should be thinking about this journey or learning experience instead.

Beyond the bump. In my first episode since giving birth, I talk to the themes around birth and postpartum that seem most universal. In this episode I share quotes from Dee Marco who documented her first 40 days postpartum on Tiny Letter.

In this episode I speak to the psychological experience of being in the final stages of pregnancy. I also look at how people respond to you at this stage and how to navigate this.