Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD
A staggering amount of health and wellness news and information is bombarding us everywhere we look – and who’s got time to parse it out, to verify it, and then to actually do the work of improving our health? We do! We are Emily Oster, best-selling author and data expert, and Perry Wilson, a medical doctor. And unlike the influencers, we actually know how to read a medical paper. This podcast separates fact from fiction, causality from correlation, so that you can stay informed without being overwhelmed. Every episode, we cover the health news of the week, take listener questions, and do a deep dive into a buzzy and misunderstood wellness topic so that you can actually make the best decisions for your own health.
Episodes
What's the deal with mRNA vaccines?
This week, Emily and Perry explore the RNA, a tiny molecule of extraordinary potential. What is it? How is it different from DNA? How have vaccines and an incredible array of potential medical treatments managed to unlock its magic? And what are the conspiracy theories that have been standing in the way? Prepare for medical science to shake hands with technological wonder. Plus: the FDA vs. Whoop,
What's the deal with full body scans?
This week, Emily and Perry debate full body scans: MRIs that scan your entire body like a giant humming hammer in search of nails. Will it find something wrong with you? (Yes.) Will it be something you should be worried about? (Almost always no.) But what if that one time it's the one thing that ends up saving your life? (Yeah, this is actually kind of complicated.) Plus: a totally not shocking fl
What's the deal with sleep?
This week, Emily and Perry tackle the weirdest, most wonderful thing all living things do: sleep. If evolution has forced us to be completely vulnerable for eight hours at a stretch, there must be a darn good reason. So what is actually happening to our brains when we sleep? What disrupts it, and how do we optimize for quality and quantity? And what are the risks of getting too little sleep...and
What's the deal with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)?
This week, Emily and Perry are coming in hot to discuss the existence of sex, specifically whether or not women have a DSM-5-designated disorder when they don't want it, or if that's a pathology designed to sell women meds. Turns out the data of sexual desire is a complicated and noisy thing to study, but fortunately that's a turn-on for our intrepid hosts. Plus: a diabetes conference gets politic
What's the deal with cupping and dry needling?
This week, Emily and Perry dig into dry needling and cupping, the wellness equivalent to pain equals gain (maybe?). What are the therapeutic properties, and the risks, of yanking at or poking holes in your skin? Warning: this episode is not for the faint of heart. Plus: extraordinary developments in pancreatic cancer treatment, Google wants to fill the air with millions of sterile mosquitoes, and
What's the deal with red meat?
This week, Emily and Perry pull out their steak knives to cut through both the hypers, and the detractors, of red meat. Is it as bad for you as people say? Is there value to a (fiberless) carnivore diet? What makes it red, anyway? And why is nutritional science such a heap of hot, correlation-is-not-causation garbage? Plus: a peptide scandal in the running world, myths around mitochondria, and mor
What's the deal with methylene blue?
This week, Emily and Perry bravely platform methylene blue, a synthetic dye with almost godlike properties according to the influencers, and some fascinating uses (and risks) in reality. Fatigued (?) mitochondria, the electron transport chain, and blue poop? AP Bio was never this fun. Plus: strawberries won't kill you, Ebola might, and keeping teens out of tanning beds. Submit a question for our w
What's the deal with psychedelics?
This week, Emily and Perry take a trip into the groovy world of psychedelics: what they are, what they do to our brains, and the myriad mental health problems that they seem to have a pretty interesting effect on. Join us for the most uniquely incredible experience of your life, we promise. Plus: hantavirus redux, the (now former) FDA commissioner pressured to approve flavored vapes, and a bad bre
What's the deal with colostrum?
This week, Emily and Perry explore bovine colostrum, the alleged secret weapon for muscle growth and immunity, and cure for the much-maligned leaky gut. Does it actually work, who does it work for, and how do you know when it's safe? What's so wrong with having a gut that leaks anyway? And should someone be thinking about the poor deprived baby cows? Plus: Ozempic for Alcohol Use Disorder, the han
What's the deal with testosterone?
This week, Emily and Perry take on testosterone, the raging yang to last week's sober estrogen yin. Do men actually experience "manopause" in ways similar to women? How much testosterone is not enough, what are the risks of too much, and how do you know if you need an extra boost? And what does testosterone do for men anyway? (Note: this episode on both endogenous and exogenous male sex hormones c
What's the deal with hormone replacement therapy?
This week, Emily, a woman, and Perry, a man, wade into the complicated world of hormone replacement therapy, the first of a two-part series on exogenous hormones and the sexes who love them. What do hormones do for women, and what happens when they recede? And why was HRT so closely -- and erroneously -- linked to breast cancer? Plus: a new type of diabetes, a normie CDC director nominee, and the
What's the deal with continuous glucose monitors?
This week, Emily and Perry discuss continuous glucose monitors -- a gamechanger for diabetics and just kind of an overabundance of information for everyone else. What does glucose do to the body and what's the value of tracking it, along with everything we eat? Should we be using this data to regulate our intake? And what are the risks of knowing so much? Plus: rising and falling birthrates, Jay B
What's the deal with protein?
This week, Emily and Perry explore the vast array of protein vehicles that's taken over our influencer culture and supermarket aisles. How much protein are we told we need, and what's the over/under on how much we really need? What does protein do for our bodies anyway? And given the protein bars and protein water and protein Pop Tarts available (protein is having a moment, you guys), is it p
What's the deal with creatine?
This week, Emily and Perry tackle creatine, a beloved amino acid derivative with surprisingly robust health properties. What is it actually doing to our muscles, and our brain? Pop a gummy, or stir in some powder, and find out. Plus: Casey Means might be out for Surgeon General, stem cells don't help heart attacks, and just how much sugar intake affects your kids. Submit a question for our weekly
What's the deal with stem cell therapy?
This week, Emily and Perry go toe-to-toe with the scammier side of the wellness industry: regenerative medicine clinics that claim to inject you with stem cells. Are they the fountain of youth? (No.) Are they even injecting you with stem cells? (Not really.) Are they preying on sick people? (Most definitely yes.) From knee cartilage to sickle cell disease, we've got the miraculous, the bad, and th
What's the deal with microplastics?
This week, Emily and Perry dive into the here, there, and everywhere of microplastics. We know they're in the air we breathe and the water we drink, but how bad are they for us, really? How do our bodies respond to them, and how long do they even stay inside us? And can they be avoided? Plus: Leucovorin approved to treat autism, whether ChatGPT is a trustworthy triage nurse, and curious reports of
What's the deal with red light therapy?
This week, Emily and Perry shine a light on red light therapy: its origins, its heroic use of the mighty mitochondria, and the supposed countless benefits (better mood, wound healing, facial rejuvenation, hair regrowth?) of sitting in front of a hot red light that may or may not even be able to penetrate your skin. Plus: the disturbing return of polio, whether multivitamins have an effect on epige
What's the deal with GLP-1s?
This week, Emily and Perry discuss GLP-1s, those blockbuster weight-loss drugs that have taken the world by storm -- and not just what you already know about them. From the origins in Gila monster venom to the surprisingly long history of their use, they explore their effectiveness, side effects, lingering questions about long-term usage, and the weird knock-on effects in both the brain (libido?)
What's the deal with cold plunges and saunas?
This week, Emily and Perry plunge, as it were, into the temperature extremes: cold plunges and saunas. Is there any actual value to shocking your body with ice water or sweating out an ocean? Or are we just gluttons for punishment? Plus: soaring measles rates, Jay Bhattacharya's double federal appointment, and pandemics lurking under the ice. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at welln
What's the deal with peptides?
This week, Emily and Perry tackle peptides, the purported panacea for all health ailments. Can an injection of these tiny bits of protein actually boost your metabolism, plump up your skin, heal your injuries, and overall prolong your life? And what could possibly go wrong when you inject a peptide stack of dubious origin anyway? Plus: mRNA flu vaccines, hormone replacement therapy, and the optima
What's the deal with declining sperm counts?
In our inaugural episode, Emily and Perry talk all things sperm: if it's on the decline, how to juice its quality, the perils of tight underwear, and what a high sperm count says about your manliness (spoiler: absolutely nothing). Plus, vitamin K shots at birth, the keto diet to treat schizophrenia, and, in honor of the Olympics, whether penis pumping helps your air time. Submit a question for our
Official Trailer: Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD
GLP-1s. Colostrum. Microplastics. Red light therapy. Vaccines. There’s a staggering amount of health and wellness news and information, and it’s bombarding us everywhere we look. Who’s got time to parse it out, to verify it, and then to actually do the work of improving our health? And what if those wellness influencers actually knew how to read a medical study? That’s why
Goodbye, for now
An announcement from Emily about the podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Expert Roundtable on Trying to Conceive
For many people, when we start thinking about a family, we assume it'll just happen nine months from the moment we start trying. But that isn't the way it happens for all of us. And fertility can often be a journey that's more winding and more complicated and more confusing than we expected it to be. That's why ParentData has launched a new content vertical, Trying to Conceive (TTC), covering ever
How to Baby-Proof Your Relationship: Navigating a new marital landscape
When you look at the data, it is true that after people have kids, marital satisfaction declines. Having a baby drastically changes everything in your partnership that was familiar, that was predictable, that you got used to. And some of those are the reasons you got into the relationship in the first place. That’s the reality of having kids. And as much as we love them, it can be an incredible sh
All About Vaccines: Why they’re important, and how to make them more tolerable for your child
Shots are never a fun experience. Even if you are enthusiastic about vaccines, holding your kids as they get them is not usually a high point of parenting. And right now, the conversation about vaccines is increasingly fraught - and not just because our kids are sometimes afraid of needles.Because we're living in a moment where vaccines, long one of the most trusted and studied preventative medica
Understanding Risk, Living With Uncertainty
In the last month, we've aired podcast conversations with Dr. Nathan Fox and Dr. Bapu Jena, and though the content is different, there’s an underlying thread that connects them both: what it means to deal with risk, and uncertainty. And not lose your mind.Economists deal with this constantly, and so do parents, but not in the same way. Economists learn not to panic in ways that parents, understand
It’s Never Too Late for Pelvic Floor Therapy: Why it’s about more than Kegels
For many of us, our first exposure to our pelvic floors is through the Kegel exercises we learned about in Cosmo, promising us great sex. The reality of our pelvic floors comes roaring back in pregnancy, when they are are more taxed than they've ever been. The pelvic floor turns out to have a hand in many things, including peeing, pooping, sex, pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, and menopause. A
Tamron Hall's Late-Night Panic Google
Award-winning talk show host Tamron Hall dives into dressing your kids properly for the weather and overall preparedness as a parent (and why it's so elusive), and extolls the virtues of the preschool jacket flip (IYKYK).Subscribe to (the new and improved!) ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor
How to Talk to Your Doctor: Navigating important conversations about your care
Today on ParentData, we're welcoming back Dr. Nathan Fox, Emily's co-author for The Unexpected- a book about when things go wrong, or at least get complicated, in a pregnancy. Nate is an OB-GYN and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and he is one of our favorite returning podcast guests, not just because he’s a great talker but also because it’s really nice to have a doctor who can both provide
ParentData Presents: Raising Parents - "Should You Have Kids?"
Today on ParentData, we're airing an episode from Raising Parents, Emily's limited series podcast in partnership with The Free Press. The episode is the last in the series, but the first question we all need to grapple with before engaging with all the others: should you have kids?For most of human history, having kids wasn’t much of a choice. Social expectations, lack of birth control, and limite
Understanding Panic Headlines: How studies that influence your parenting choices get published
Here at ParentData, we talk a lot about panic headlines. You know, the headlines that cycle through your feed about coffee and wine and sleep and lead and the causes of autism, many of which contradict the last panic headline, and almost all of them turning out to be not nearly as bad as they seem. But in the moment, they feel so scary and urgent. And if you're a parent just trying to follow the s
Is Gentle Parenting Best? What the evidence says
If you spend any time in parenting circles, it’s hard to avoid being inundated with “types” of parenting. Parenting labels are not neutral. Some are positive, some negative, but they’re never just descriptive. And lately, the most ink has been spilled over "gentle" parenting (also called permissive or respectful parenting). Gentle parenting, at its core, is an approach to behavior characterized by
Researching the Importance of Paid Leave: A look into how studies are conducted
The United States is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid parental leave. We point out this fact a lot, but what does it really mean when a family doesn't have the ability to take time off when a baby is born?It means a lot of things. It means moms going back to work while still recovering from childbirth, it means parents struggling to figure out child care for their
Bess Kalb's Late-Night Panic Google
Writer and excellent social media follow Bess Kalb ruminates on the best place to move your family to prepare for climate change, giving yourself intentional permission to worry, and the forbidden pleasures of a s'mores Pop Tart.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Nutrition So Stressful? The challenge of navigating “good” food choices
Nutrition, along with sleep and screens, is one of the most contentious parenting topics there is. And questions about nutrition are particularly hard to answer with data, because disentangling correlation from causation is nearly impossible. What we eat is so wrapped up in everything else we do that it’s very challenging to point to a particular food or even a particular eating pattern and say th
ParentData Presents: The Lonely Palette's "Mary Kelly's Postpartum Document (1973-78)"
Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and after a fall – and a year – of divisiveness, could all use a holiday in which Americans are united in the task of consuming too much pie. More broadly, this holiday, more than really any other, is something Americans tend to do together. And so is parenting. Especially the beginning. The experience of having a newborn – the sleeplessness, the disconnection fr
It’s Not Hysteria: How women’s health gets overlooked
We don’t all get to learn about vaginas in school or from our families or from creating a reputation as the "Vagina Economist." And quite frankly, this is to our detriment. But today on ParentData, we’re trying to make some progress on that. We're joined by Dr. Karen Tang, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon (think: disorders like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome), who is tearing u
It's The Placenta Episode!
Pop quiz: what’s the only organ that you grow from nothing and then casually discard, that magically bosses around your hormones, and actually your entire body, and that is actually made up of two different people’s cells? Obviously it’s the placenta. Less obvious is how completely awesome it is. We're all wrapped up in this new baby on our chest, and since the placenta is so easy to deliver, rela
Racial Disparity in C-Section Rates: Unpacking bias in the medical system
When we talk about C-sections, it’s often prefaced with “unplanned” or “emergency.” About a third of all the deliveries in the U.S. are cesarean sections, and only about 16% of those are planned. And that leaves a lot of mothers in a position where they’re delivering differently than they planned or intended to. And in the U.S., a disproportionate number of those are being performed on black women
Ultra-Processed Foods: What they are and whether we should worry
There is nothing in the world of nutrition more confusing than ultra-processed foods. Seemingly every week, there is a new headline about the dangers of ultra-processed foods and their links to things like heart disease, dementia, and death. Today on ParentData, Emily reads her recent article on ultra-processed foods and provides some tips for smart food - and headline - consumption. The article a
The Power of Local Politics: How Vermont is revolutionizing child care
In the run-up to November 5th, it's easy to feel hopeless about the state of our national discourse, and what any single one of us can do to make a difference. That's when we need to look local, where it feels like things can actually change, and where the people who are trying to make the changes feel approachable but, often, no less inspiring. Today on ParentData, we're joined by Aly Richards, t
Steve Levitt's Late-Night Panic Google
Freakonomics economist Professor Steve Levitt joins to weave a thrilling tale about worms in poop, and advocating for your child. Warning: this late-night panic Google is not for the faint of heart.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
All About Midwives: What they do, and how they differ from OBs
Midwives are having a bit of a moment. Of course, that moment is not at all new. For a very, very long time, — hundreds, possibly thousands, of years — midwives, or people who were effectively midwives, were delivering all babies. Even when “doctor” became a more formal job, births were still nearly always attended by midwives. At some point, though, especially in the U.S., that changed. Midwifery
Shawn Johnson's Late-Night Panic Google
Gymnast and Olympic gold-medalist Shawn Johnson describes the panic of international emergencies, advocating for your children in French, and why she hopes her kids never become gymnasts themselves.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's A Podcast Anniversary Q&A! You asked, Emily answered
It's our one-year podaversary! We relaunched the new and improved ParentData podcast a year ago this week. We've heard from some incredible, thought-provoking guests, and many voices from our community and beyond. But today on ParentData, we're handing Emily the mic. In the spirit of her weekly Wednesday Instagram Q&As, she'll be answering your burning questions about pregnancy, babies, and ol
Caitlin Murray's Late-Night Panic Google
Instagram's Caitlin Murray (@BigTimeAdulting) contemplates fear of the unknown, the probability of rare childhood diseases, getting hit by meteors, and the gentle parental art of "...what if you just didn't think about it?".Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Phones and the Importance of Play: Are phones really to blame for the decline in kids’ mental health?
If you're a parent who reads the news - and who listens to this podcast - you probably heard a lot about screens this summer. And even now, as kids go back to school, we're hearing a lot about phones. No phones in schools. Put your phone in a Yondr pouch. Hide your phone in your backpack. People are doing TikToks in the bathroom. Take their phones away.Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is at the
Chelsea Sodaro's Late-Night Panic Google
Champion triathaloner Chelsea Sodaro talks baby wipes and the kindest way to say goodbye to your poop.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
(Part Two) Kids, Screens, and Schools: How worried should we be?
This is the second in a two-episode series on the issue of kids and screens and schools. The first episode featured Jessica Grose of the New York Times about her survey of parents about their kids’ screen use. The tenor of that episode, overall, was pretty negative on screens. Basically, less is better than more.Today on ParentData, we welcome Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician, child health researc
Ask Bubbie's Late-Night Panic Google
Pediatrician-turned-grandma influencer, Dr. Flo Rosen - better known as Ask Bubbie - tackles the super easy issues of vaccine hesitancy, sleep training, and intergenerational harmony.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
(Part One) Kids, Screens, and Schools: How worried should we be?
When we were growing up, screens came in fixed, predictable contexts: TV, movie theaters, computer labs, Oregon Trail. But kids today use screens all the time, especially at school, where they've become a ubiquitous part of classroom life. We've been hearing a lot lately about how detremental this is to learning. But how bad is it really?Today on ParentData is the first of two episodes on kids, sc
Myleik's Late-Night Panic Google
Serial entrepreneur Myleik explores buttholes, pinworms, and when, as a parent, there's nowhere to go but up.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every Kid is a Math Kid: Debunking the myths around learning math
Many of us grew up dividing the world into "math kids"... and the rest of us. It can be just as scary when our kids present us with their math homework as it was when we were assigned our own. So how do we get our kids excited about math?Today on ParentData, we're joined by Shalinee Sharma, who runs an online math platform called Zearn. She is a math zealot — a person who really, truly believes th
Mandy Moore's Late-Night Panic Google
Actress and singer Mandy Moore contemplates croup, toddler beds, and Bayesian statistics.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ozempic 101: A doctor explains the data and science behind weight-loss drugs
News about weight-loss drugs is hard to miss. A new generation of drugs — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound — are on television, on billboards, and in many of our homes. There is little debate about the efficacy of the drugs for weight loss (they work, at least for most people) but lots of discussion about everything else surrounding them. But what's been largely missing from this conversation i
Ezra Klein’s Late-Night Panic Google
The New York Times’ Ezra Klein asks how we can trust anything we read about parenting.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Value of Camp: What a tech-free summer teaches kids
Color War. Underwear on the outside of your clothes. Sailing badges. Friendship bracelets. It is difficult to overstate how attached some people get to their sleepaway camp experiences - they don't explain, they proselytize. And right now, camp is having a moment in our popular culture as we debate what Jon Haidt has deemed the “phone-based childhood.” Camp is one of the last screen-free zones for
Jackie Oshry’s Late-Night Panic Google
The Toast’s Jackie Oshry asks about babies and honey, the efficacy of Baby Mozart, and what you can’t put down the garbage disposal.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Raising Boys: Another side of gender equality
There are many, many wonderful things about parenting boys. There are also challenges that seem disproportionate. Boys often develop language later than girls. More boys than girls are held back in school entry. Girls do better in school at nearly all levels, and are significantly more likely to attend college. Yet this doesn’t get the kind of attention that it might if the genders were reversed.
Abby Phillip's Late-Night Panic Google
CNN anchor Abby Philip asks how to keep her kid in bed all night.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Kids Can't Read: How we missed the mark on literacy education
Reading Rainbow. Reading is FUNdamental! Hooked on Phonics. We grew up steeped in a culture that encouraged reading. And in the past couple of years many U.S. states have embraced legislation about how kids are taught to read in school. The phrase that you may have heard is “science of reading,” as in “let’s make sure schools are using reading curricula based on science.” But what does that actual
Ophira Eisenberg’s Late-Night Panic Google
Comedian and NPR mainstay Ophira Eisenberg wrestles with changing her kid’s school, and how to clean slime.Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Kids Are Actually Alright: Is parental anxiety too high?
We’ve been hearing a lot about the teen mental health crisis — and there is no question that on a number of metrics, teens do seem to be struggling more than they have in the past. But is it really that bad? Is there a chance we’re overreacting to normal teenage feelings?Today on ParentData, we’re joined by Dr. Mathilde Ross, a psychiatrist at Boston University. Her view is, yes, sometimes we are
Claire Holt's Late-Night Panic Google
Have you ever panic-Googled a parenting question late at night? If so, you’re not alone. Most of us turn to that little search bar whenever fear or confusion strikes. On these ParentData mini-episodes, starting today, you’ll hear from some familiar names about the questions keeping them up at night, and how data can help.First up: actress Claire Holt and the difference between night terrors and ni
Better Sleep for Older Kids—And Their Parents: Making a plan, post-crib
Our kids need a glass of water. Or an extra hug. How do we get them to sleep? So much has been written about this with advice for exhausted parents. But it’s usually in the context of babies. Toddlers and older kids are a whole other ballgame. Today on ParentData, we’re joined by perhaps our most practical guest ever. Jessica Berk is a toddler and preschooler sleep consultant. Together, we answer
How to Talk to Your Doctor About Risk: Lessons from our book, “The Unexpected”
Book launch alert! We’re so proud to announce that “The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications” is hitting the shelves April 30! Today on ParentData, Emily’s co-author, OB/GYN Dr. Nate Fox, returns to discuss the process of co-writing between two self-professed people-who-hate-group-projects, as well as how to have conversations with your doctor about pregnancy risks - and
Doulas For All: How Senator Samra Brouk is changing birth in New York
Hiring a doula for your birth is, quite simply, a great idea. They’re non-clinical, cost-effective, and, as many mothers will attest, one of the most valuable parts of the experience - a value that is supported by data. The decision to have one should be pretty easy. But actually crafting policy that captures that value is hard. Today on ParentData, we’re welcoming New York State Senator Samra Bro
Bonus Episode: Dr. Becky and the Bad Therapy Conversation
American kids are struggling. And there's a lot of discussion around the reasons why. Is it smartphones? Is it social media? Is it a hyper fixation on feelings and therapy? Today on ParentData, we’re releasing an episode of Good Inside with Dr. Becky, which Emily joined to discuss the latest book making the rounds in parenting circles, Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy. They delve into what parental au
Parenting Trends Throughout History: We’ve always done it wrong … and also right
As a parent, it’s extremely easy to get very focused on “doing it right.” Which means, usually, doing what is considered “right” in your particular time and cultural context. And sometimes, amid this pressure, we need a little perspective. Human history is long, and what is considered right has changed a lot. Today on ParentData, we’re joined by author Jennifer Traig, who offers this perspective i
How to Create Community: Showing up for each other in a spiritual and secular world
We have all heard it takes a village to raise a child, but the reality is that many of us in the modern world, especially after the pandemic, are asking …well, where’s my village?! Where’s my community of people who will show up for me in joy, and in grief, and help me introduce my kids to a world that’s bigger than themselves? Today on ParentData, we welcome Rabbi Sharon Brous, whose book “The Am
Birth Control After Kids: IUDs and vasectomies and tubal ligation, oh my!
In January, ParentData launched a new newsletter — Hot Flash — authored by Dr. Gillian Goddard. Hot Flash covers women’s health in the post-reproductive years. Think perimenopause and menopause, but also the late reproductive years, when you’re done having children but still, technically, might be able to do so. This week in Hot Flash, Gillian wrote about birth control at this stage — how do you t
Household Division of Labor: Making the invisible work fair, if not equal
Invisible labor. It’s the work — in our households especially — that has to happen but that no one sees. It’s making the doctor’s appointment, ensuring the Valentine’s cards are purchased, remembering the milk. When we think about equity in household labor, we often find that there are already inequities in the visible work, and they can become insurmountable when the invisible work is added in. T
Let’s Talk About Sex (After) Baby: Staying connected over the long term
Sex in long-term relationships, often after kids — it’s something many people struggle with. When we did a big ParentData survey on your sex lives, a lot of you expressed unhappiness, stress, and pressure about how much sex was the “right” amount, whether you were behind (or too far ahead!). Today on ParentData, Emily Nagoski — sex researcher and author of “Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of
Staying Active, Starting Again: Exercise in pregnancy and postpartum
Exercise. Whether you’re an athlete or just depend on activity for a little dose of sanity, the pregnancy and postpartum periods can knock you sideways and make you feel estranged from your own body. Today on ParentData, Megan Roche — researcher, podcaster, and trail runner machine — joins to discuss how to ease back into activity postpartum, why women’s health is understudied, and the value of ca
Learning to Speak: Understanding the babbling black box
Through coos and cries, babbles and thbbbbts, babies are learning how to communicate from the earliest days of life. Language development is a magical opportunity to watch a child learn to engage with both you and the world. It also feels highly consequential, and for so many parents, it’s an incredibly stressful milestone. Watching your kid learn to talk is at once neat and frustrating and harrow
Bonus: Telling the Truth About Marriage with Young Kids with Majka Burhardt
Earlier this year, Emily interviewed Majka Burhardt, a professional ice climber (seriously) and the author of “More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood,” a raw, gripping book about the first years of parenthood. The book has recently been released as an audiobook, and in this bonus episode of ParentData, we’re thrilled to share some clips and re-run the interview. Majka tackles the uncer
Parenting Through Grief: The impossible state of needing while giving
Grief can mean a lot of different things, from the loss of a loved one to the loss of a much-wanted pregnancy or marriage. It’s a heavy topic for the holidays, but this can also be a tough time when you’re dealing with loss. Today on ParentData, writer Marisa Renee Lee gets into the heart of grief - which, from a data perspective, will affect approximately 100% of us - in her book "Grief Is Love."
Choosing to Induce: How a randomized trial gave birth to a new era in obstetrics
Labor induction did not used to be the norm, but it increasingly is. A big reason for this change is something called the ARRIVE trial, which was designed to test whether routine induction would increase the risk of cesarean section - which, according to the results, it did not. In the wake of the trial, with that concern limited, many more doctors began recommending inductions as routine. (This r
Self-Care without Candles: Redefining wellness for parents
Self-care is everywhere. Bubble baths, massages, Instagram encouraging you to “take time for yourself.” Get up early to have coffee and meditate, or take a forest walk. It can get to the point where self-care itself is yet another thing to check off the to-do list. Send emails. Make lunches. Clean Cheerios off floor. Take forest walk. Today on ParentData, psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin wants to p
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