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Spoil Your Baby

Spoil Your Baby

Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum 56 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum, a mom and neuroscientist, challenges the common advice 'don't spoil your baby' by arguing that up to age 3, parents should spoil their babies with affection, attention, and protection for long-term mental health. The podcast features interviews with experts who support or debate this perspective, along with science-backed tips for raising healthy children.

Episodes

TAKEAWAYS from Raising Anti-Doomers feat. Ariella Cook Shonkoff | #73
TAKEAWAYS from Raising Anti-Doomers feat. Ariella Cook Shonkoff | #73 Oct 12, 2026 16:57 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 thr
Beyond Mechanics: Feeding Your Baby with Love and Connection feat. Kelly Kendall | #72
Beyond Mechanics: Feeding Your Baby with Love and Connection feat. Kelly Kendall | #72 Oct 5, 2026 32:57 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
How Early Imprinting Shapes Our Nervous Systems and Parenting feat. APPPAH | #71
How Early Imprinting Shapes Our Nervous Systems and Parenting feat. APPPAH | #71 Sep 28, 2026 27:46 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
Reclaiming Your Intuition in Motherhood feat. Sydney Blum | #70
Reclaiming Your Intuition in Motherhood feat. Sydney Blum | #70 Sep 21, 2026 59:37 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 moth
Transformed by Birth: Embracing the Unknown in Parenthood ft Dr Britta Bushnell  | #69
Transformed by Birth: Embracing the Unknown in Parenthood ft Dr Britta Bushnell | #69 Sep 14, 2026 43:48 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 l
TAKEAWAYS from Evolutionary Parenting: Beyond the Sleep Training Narrative feat. Tracy Cassel | #68
TAKEAWAYS from Evolutionary Parenting: Beyond the Sleep Training Narrative feat. Tracy Cassel | #68 Sep 7, 2026 17:02 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 findi
TAKEAWAYS from Why Maternal Love is a Neurobiological Craving feat. Kelly McDaniel | #67
TAKEAWAYS from Why Maternal Love is a Neurobiological Craving feat. Kelly McDaniel | #67 Aug 31, 2026 17:08 What happens when we spend our adult lives searching for a quality of maternal love we never received as a child? Kelly McDaniel, a licensed professional counselor and author, introduced the concept of "Mother Hunger" in her first book, Ready to Heal. She identified Mother Hunger as an attachment injury stemming from maternal deprivation, noting that millions of women suffer a lifelong emotional b
TAKEAWAYS from Self-Mothering: Your Most Important Parenting Job feat. Dr. Gertrude Lyons | #66
TAKEAWAYS from Self-Mothering: Your Most Important Parenting Job feat. Dr. Gertrude Lyons | #66 Aug 24, 2026 17:27 What if the most crucial job we have in motherhood is learning to mother ourselves?Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a master coach and thought leader, developed the “Rewriting the Mother Code” framework after conducting an in-depth doctoral thesis. Her purpose is to help women rewrite outdated narratives surrounding motherhood, self-worth, and identity. Dr. Lyons was prompted to begin this work after realizing
Beyond the Rules: Responsive Feeding and Support feat. Emma Pickett | #65
Beyond the Rules: Responsive Feeding and Support feat. Emma Pickett | #65 Aug 17, 2026 34:51 Why is breastfeeding often a learned skill that requires a "village" rather than just a natural instinct?Emma Pickett began her professional life as a teacher before the birth of her own children sparked a deep passion for lactation. She quickly realized that breastfeeding is a continuing line from teaching, as both roles involve helping people reach their goals and feel successful. Emma transitio
TAKEAWAYS from Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development with Dr. Shereen Lim | #64
TAKEAWAYS from Why Nasal Breathing is Essential for Early Development with Dr. Shereen Lim | #64 Aug 10, 2026 16:28 How does optimal breathing and jaw development impact your child's sleep, mood, and ability to thrive?Dr. Shereen Lim, originally a general dentist for 26 years, first delved into the world of sleep apnea due to her husband’s persistent snoring. Her initial focus was on dental devices for adults, but this quickly shifted when she wondered why children’s jaws weren't helped to grow properly from th
Prenatal Bonding: Building a Lifelong Relationship in the Womb feat. Ivana Lombardo | #63
Prenatal Bonding: Building a Lifelong Relationship in the Womb feat. Ivana Lombardo | #63 Aug 3, 2026 25:58 How can building a relationship with your baby during pregnancy transform your experience of birth and early parenthood?Ivana Lombardo’s journey began after moving from Serbia and raising her family without her original community nearby. She faced the isolation many modern parents feel, navigating her first grueling 40-hour labor. Everything changed during her second pregnancy when she discovered
Matrescence: Healing Attachment Wounds and Finding Your New Self feat. Mariya Garnet | #62
Matrescence: Healing Attachment Wounds and Finding Your New Self feat. Mariya Garnet | #62 Jul 27, 2026 31:23 How can we bridge the gap between knowing our patterns and actually feeling like ourselves again in early motherhood?Mariya Garnet brings over 18 years of experience in the wellness industry, blending traditionally trained indigenous practices from the Peruvian Amazon with Western psychotherapy and expressive art therapy. Her journey into somatic and creative work was fueled by a desire to help pe

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