Home Podcasts Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)
Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)

Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)

Laura Birek, Shanna Micko 460 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

Big Fat Positive is a weekly podcast that follows hosts Shanna and Laura through their pregnancies and parenting journeys in real time, starting from just eight weeks pregnant. They share hilarious true stories, tackle tough parenting topics, and offer tips and product recommendations. The show features expert guests who provide evidence-based insights on pregnancy, babies, and mental health. New episodes are released every Monday.

Episodes

NeeDoh Squishy Toys and Secret Tween Chat Rooms - Ep. 432
NeeDoh Squishy Toys and Secret Tween Chat Rooms - Ep. 432 Oct 12, 2026 00:48:15 In this week’s “Internet Insanity” segment, Shanna breaks down the NeeDoh squishy toy craze that’s led to store fights, police involvement and a 243% spike in poison control calls, and Laura finally solves a months-long mystery about the bot-like comments appearing on the show's Spotify episodes. Also, fall activities ramp up for Shanna’s family, while Laura rides an unexpected wave of pr
Homework Battles and Life After a Screen-Time Ban - Ep. 431
Homework Battles and Life After a Screen-Time Ban - Ep. 431 Oct 5, 2026 00:54:41 Homework season starts and goes about as badly as Laura feared, leaving her looking for a way to get it done somewhere other than the kitchen table. Shanna's brutal mornings turn around after an unexpected discovery at urgent care. In this week's "Loose Ends" segment, Shanna and Laura revisit the stories they left dangling: whether a months-long screen time ban is still holding up, where
Morning Routines Made Easier - Ep. 430
Morning Routines Made Easier - Ep. 430 Sep 28, 2026 00:42:46 Shanna's drop-off struggles with her youngest escalate, so she lands on an unconventional solution to improve her family's morning routines. Laura scrambles to find last-minute babysitter coverage so she can attend an all-day music festival without the kids. In this week's "Throwback" segment, Shanna confesses to a split-second decision in fifth-grade band class that hurt a friendship, an
Choosing a School and ADHD Medication: Ask-Us-Anything Minisode #12
Choosing a School and ADHD Medication: Ask-Us-Anything Minisode #12 Sep 24, 2026 00:23:58 Choosing between charter, magnet, public and private schools is overwhelming, and so is the trial-and-error process of finding the right ADHD medication for your kid. In this Ask-Us-Anything minisode, Shanna and Laura answer listener questions about how to narrow down school options when you don't know where to begin, and what their families' ADHD medication journeys have actually looked
School Drop-Off Meltdowns and How to Cope - Ep. 429
School Drop-Off Meltdowns and How to Cope - Ep. 429 Sep 21, 2026 00:53:29 Shanna navigates two school drop-off meltdowns in one week and finds an unexpected way to regulate herself afterward. Laura reports on her boys' first week of school and a surprisingly successful shopping trip, and in this week's "Throwback" segment, she takes us back to the summer of 1995, when she gave herself a disastrous 4th-of-July dye job that her mom has never let her forget. 
Puberty Talks and Back-to-School Prep - Ep. 428
Puberty Talks and Back-to-School Prep - Ep. 428 Sep 14, 2026 00:49:54 In this week's "What's in Your Bag?" segment, Shanna and Laura confess the items they've somehow ended up hauling around, including one thing that survived a 102-degree drive across town. Also, Shanna preps her daughters for the first day of school and finally delivers the puberty presentation she'd been procrastinating for months, and Laura reports on the tail end of her family's Portlan
Beauty Standards - Ep. 427
Beauty Standards - Ep. 427 Sep 7, 2026 00:48:53 In this week's "They Said What?" segment, Shanna and Laura cover a bedtime conversation that took a shocking left turn, a sentence Laura never expected to say out loud, and an adult's comment about beauty standards that made a lasting impact. Also, Laura reports on a Portland trip derailed by wildfire smoke and saved by 300 pinball machines, and Shanna navigates her daughter's emotionally
Parenting Hacks for Hair Care, Laundry, Bubbles and More - Ep. 426
Parenting Hacks for Hair Care, Laundry, Bubbles and More - Ep. 426 Aug 31, 2026 00:57:19 In this episode's "What the Hack?" segment, Shanna and Laura share a laundry trick for linen and gauze, a tip for getting tiny hair bands out without tugging, and a game that teaches kids conversational skills, plus surprising uses for common household items. Also, Shanna struggles to recover from her family vacation (including an unfortunate suitcase incident) and reports on back-to-scho
Taking Kids on a Rustic Cabin Vacation - Ep. 425
Taking Kids on a Rustic Cabin Vacation - Ep. 425 Aug 24, 2026 00:56:44 In the special segment "Would You Rather?," Shanna and Laura pose hypothetical parenting scenarios involving airplane antics, an irresistible newborn kitten, and more! Also, Laura reports on her 5-year-old's new activity that took some convincing and her 7-year-old's week at Percy Jackson summer camp, and Shanna recaps her family's trip to a 100-year-old lake community in Canada. Finally,
What Gets Easier as Your Kids Grow Up - Ep. 424
What Gets Easier as Your Kids Grow Up - Ep. 424 Aug 17, 2026 00:52:08 In the special segment “Just You Wait,” Laura and Shanna share some of the things that get better as children grow up, including delightful developments on the playground, at birthday parties, in the car and more! Also, Shanna reports on a summer-camp dilemma that kept her up at night, and Laura checks in on her family's second week doing a screen-time ban. Finally, the moms share their B
Hard Reset: A Screen Time Wake-Up Call - Ep. 423
Hard Reset: A Screen Time Wake-Up Call - Ep. 423 Aug 10, 2026 00:48:33 In the special segment "OMG, I'm Freaking Out," Shanna and Laura share what's currently keeping them up at night, including a dental mystery that may require an unpleasant solution and a screen time wake-up call that was impossible to ignore. Also, Laura reports on her 7-year-old's mysterious trend of not eating lunch at summer camp, and Shanna recaps her girls' "Seussical the Musical" pe
When Summer Camp Just Isn't the Right Fit - Ep. 422
When Summer Camp Just Isn't the Right Fit - Ep. 422 Aug 3, 2026 00:52:44 In the special segment "Stump the Moms," Shanna and Laura embark on a tour through history, grilling each other with surprising parenting trivia that takes them from prehistoric cave paintings to a 1974 marketing disaster to a present-day TikTok trend. Also, Shanna recaps a 4th of July fireworks adventure that almost didn't happen, and Laura shares an unexpected summer camp development th

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