Spoil Your Baby

Why is safe bed sharing and responsive parenting the foundation for a thriving family, even when modern culture tells us otherwise?

Tracy Gillett started her journey as a new mother feeling confused by the overwhelming and conflicting advice around infant sleep. When she first considered bed sharing, she realized she had no idea what it was supposed to look like because modern culture has severed the generational wisdom once passed down from grandmothers to mothers. She noticed that so many parents were secretly bed sharing or feeling isolated and guilty for not sleep training their infants.

She faced the challenge of confronting widespread cultural myths, like the idea that sleep training is completely safe or that babies can somehow self-soothe on their own. Her key transformation came when she realized that standing up for misunderstood babies and exhausted mothers is a vital form of activism. This inspired her to launch Raised Good and host the annual Raised Good Sleep Summit to flood the internet with compassionate, evidence-based information. Today, Tracy gathers leading experts to reassure parents that wanting to hold their babies close is natural and healthy. She helps us rebuild our lost parenting village, guiding us to replace separation and fear with confidence, co-regulation, and deep relational connection. We believe her work empowers us to trust our intuition and embrace the beauty of responsive parenting.

Key Takeaways

• Intentional bed sharing with safe setup guidelines is very different from accidental sleep on an unsafe couch.
• Infants lack the brain structures to self-soothe, making co-regulation from a caring parent essential for emotional regulation.
• Current cultural claims that sleep training is entirely harmless are not backed by solid scientific evidence.
• Rebuilding an online and local parenting village helps us feel supported and confident in our responsive choices.
• Parenting through connection instead of separation creates a calmer long-term environment for our children as they grow.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother

https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother

Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification

https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page

Resources

• Raised Good Sleep Summit: https://greer--raisedgood.thrivecart.com/rgss-2026-rv1
• Tracy Gillett's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedgood
• Raised Good Website: https://raisedgood.com
• Sensory Symptoms Checklist: Babies and Toddlers: https://sensationalbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SB-Sensory-Checklist-Birth-to-3_20180619.pdf

Guests Bio:

Tracy Gillett is the founder of Raised Good and the host of the Raised Good Sleep Summit. She is dedicated to supporting parents with evidence-based, compassionate resources on responsive parenting, safe bed sharing, and infant sleep.

"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 can nurturing your baby's gut microbiome protect them from allergies, eczema, and asthma later in life?

Dr. Stephanie Culler became a scientist after losing both of her grandmothers to cancer during her teenage years. This loss sparked a deep passion in her to develop medicines that prevent and treat disease, leading her to earn a PhD at Caltech and launch a microbiome company focused on oncology. After having her daughter Elizabeth, a pediatric physician scientist encouraged her to look into the infant gut microbiome.

She faced the heartbreaking challenge of discovering that modern birth practices, antibiotics, and formulas have left 90 percent of infants in the United States missing key beneficial gut bacteria. Her research revealed that when babies lack essential species like *Bifidobacterium infantis*, they face a much higher risk of developing eczema, food allergies, and asthma.

Dr. Culler transformed her career by pivoting her oncology research to create the My Baby Biome study, analyzing infant stool samples using advanced technology. She then developed a targeted synbiotic powder combining key *Bifidobacterium* strains with prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides to restore balance to infant guts. Her work offers a simple way for parents to protect their children's immune and brain development. We believe her passion shows how early gut health can pave the way for lifelong wellness.

Key Takeaways

• Nine out of ten babies in the United States are missing one or more key species of beneficial gut bacteria needed for healthy development.
• Lacking essential *Bifidobacterium* bacteria by age two increases a child's risk of developing eczema, food allergies, and asthma by three to four times.
• Antibiotics, C-sections, and infant formula can disrupt the natural transfer and nourishment of critical gut microbes during early infancy.
• Combining specific probiotic *Bifidobacterium* strains with prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides helps colonize and restore balance in the infant gut.
• We can support our baby's immune system and digestion by paying attention to subtle digestive signs and promoting healthy gut flora early.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother

https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother

Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification

https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page

Resources

• Persephone Biosciences' Website: https://persephone.bio

• Persephone Biosciences' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persephone.bio

• Dr. Stephanie Culler's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-culler

• Discount code for 30% off: Spoil30

Guests Bio:

Dr. Stephanie Culler is the Co-Founder and CEO at Persephone Biosciences. She holds a PhD from Caltech and is a scientist dedicated to understanding and restoring the infant gut microbiome.

"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

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.

• 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.

THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 37 - Finding Hope and Light in Evidence-Based Sleep feat. Linda Fitzgerald - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother

https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother

Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification

https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-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

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

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

● Recognizing previous challenges, like coming from a low nurturing background, can provide the drive needed to implement change for your own children and community.

● Trusting yourself and your baby allows you to lean into responsive parenting practices, transforming sleep from a managed problem into a source of joy and precious memories.

● Understanding infant mental health and brain development is critical for all professionals working with children, enabling the setting of appropriate expectations.

● Responsive parenting includes embracing contact naps, feeding to sleep, and nighttime parenting, offering a healing alternative to sleep training culture.

● In-person support circles create essential safe and non-judgmental spaces, allowing mothers to be vulnerable and connect deeply with their babies and peers.

THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 39 - From Low Nurture to Nurture Revolution feat. The Nurture Duo - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother

https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother

Nurture Neuroscience Professional 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/people/The-Nurture-Duo/61572289780969

● Website: https://www.thenurtureduo.com

● Email: [email protected]

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.

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

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.

THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 48 - Raising Anti-Doomers feat. Ariella Cook Shonkoff - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

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.

"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

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

• Breastfeeding is a relational practice centered on emotional connection and love between parent and baby rather than just a mechanical delivery of milk.
• Learning hand expression during the final weeks of pregnancy builds muscle memory and provides valuable colostrum to support your baby after birth.
• Tools like nipple shields and pumps are helpful instruments that can bridge temporary challenges without ending your overall feeding journey.
• Taking a short break for skin-to-skin contact helps lower stress and allows both parent and baby to reset their nervous systems.
• We need to rebuild community support and remember that nurturing our children with our bodies extends far beyond the act of breastfeeding.

Resources

• Kelly Kendall's Website: https://www.thebalancedboob.com
• Kelly Kendall's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebalancedboob

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.

"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

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

• Our earliest experiences in the womb leave lasting imprints on our nervous systems that influence how we manage stress as adults.
• Babies in the womb are constantly sensing and responding to their mother's emotions, heartbeat, and stress levels to regulate their own nervous system.
• Breaking generational birth patterns is not about being a perfect parent, but about practicing connection, curiosity, and self-compassion without judgment.
• Reconnecting with your body through quiet evening practices helps lower stress and creates a deeper bond with your baby before birth.
• Learning your own birth story and history can help you understand your emotional triggers and make conscious choices for your family.

Resources

• Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH) Website: https://birthpsychology.com
• APPPAH's Public Education Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@apppah
• APPPAH Podcast: Demystifying Birth Psychology https://birthpsychology.com/podcast
• Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH Journal Archives) https://birthpsychology.com/journal

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.

"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

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

• Intuition is information constantly flowing through our senses and nervous system, helping us make grounded and confident decisions every day.
• Modern society overemphasizes left-brain efficiency and data, often causing parents to ignore their own bodies and deep inner wisdom.
• Setting an intention before opening your eyes each morning helps focus your mind on playfulness, delight, and unexpected gifts throughout the day.
• Overcoming people-pleasing and setting healthy boundaries becomes much easier when you trust your inner authority as a parent.
• We were never meant to navigate growth alone, and seeking community guides helps us reconnect with our intuition and true self.

Resources

• ILI website: https://ili.sydneyblum.com
• One on One consultations: https://sydneyblum.com/workwithme
• Sydney Blum's email: [email protected]
• Sydney Blum's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneyrebecc
• Sydney Blum's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyblum

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.

"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

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

• Facing the unknown is an inherent and essential part of any true rite of passage, not something that needs to be fixed.
• Over-relying on strict control, technology, and schedules can leave new parents feeling unsupported when real labor and parenthood begin.
• Birth brings us deeply into our untamed animal nature, requiring us to move beyond rigid society rules into intuitive territory.
• Transformation is a gradual process that requires us to slow down and accept the uncomfortable, messy middle stage of growth.
• Developing discernment alongside intuition helps us filter out rigid parenting advice and honor our own quiet inner voice.

Resources

• Dr. Britta Bushnell's Website: https://brittabushnell.com
• Dr. Britta Bushnell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britta-bushnell-phd-3062634
• Dr. Britta Bushnell's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittabushnellphd

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.

"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

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.

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.

https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page

Resources

• Tracy’s Instagram: @tracycasselsphdhttps://www.instagram.com/tracycasselsphd
• Book 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

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.

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