Pulling Curls Podcast: Pregnancy & Parenting Untangled

In this episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast, host Hilary Erickson and guest Sujay, aka @thatsleepdoc, untangle the topic of sleep. They discuss sleep training, the effects of sleep deprivation, and tips for improving sleep hygiene. Sujay also shares advice on adjusting circadian rhythms and addressing common sleep issues such as restless leg syndrome and insomnia. Tune in for expert insights on improving sleep for both parents and children.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines -- a lot of good sleep is a good routine, so check it out!

Today's guest is Sujay Kansagra

Dr. Kansagra is a professor at Duke University Medical Center and double boarded in child neurology and sleep medicine. He is the author of “My Child Won’t Sleep”, a quick guide for sleep-deprived parents. Dr. Kansagra specializes in treating a variety of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy and parasomnias. He is currently doing research on novel technology that helps with insomnia in infants. He can be found on multiple social media platforms with the handle @ThatSleepDoc where nearly 200,000 people follow along for sleep advice.

Timestamps:

00:00 "Pregnancy, parenting tips, and sleep advice podcast." 05:22 Sleep training helps babies learn to self-soothe. 08:16 Relaxation and technology before bedtime affect sleep. 12:01 Tips for teens: Eat, align with circadian rhythm. 14:17 Enjoy episode, prioritize sleep for you and baby.

Keypoints:

1. Episode 218 of The Pulling Curls Podcast discusses sleep for both adults and babies, emphasizing the importance of quality sleep.
2. Host Hilary introduces the guest, Sujay, aka @thatsleepdoc, a double board-certified doctor in child neurology and sleep medicine.
3. They discuss various sleep training methods, debunking myths and shedding light on the research supporting their effectiveness and safety.
4. They address the concern of whether sleep training ruins children, emphasizing that there is no evidence of harm to children and no long-term benefits or risks associated with sleep training.
5. Sujay provides tips for improving sleep hygiene, including establishing a nighttime routine, avoiding substances that interfere with sleep, maintaining a comfortable sleep environment, and keeping a consistent sleep schedule.
6. The concept of "revenge bedtime procrastination" is discussed, highlighting the tendency to sacrifice sleep for personal time in the evening and the need for lifestyle adjustments if poor sleep becomes a problem.
7. Sujay shares insights into common sleep issues, such as restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disturbances, offering specific strategies for addressing them.
8. Practical tips for adjusting circadian rhythms are provided, such as managing light exposure, meal timing, and, if necessary, using low-dose melatonin under professional guidance.
9. Hilary shares her personal experience with implementing Sujay's recommendations and how it positively impacted her sleep, emphasizing the significance of self-care for mothers and their sleep needs.
10. The episode concludes with a reminder of the importance of sleep for both parents and babies, encouraging listeners to follow Sujay's research-backed insights on social media for further guidance.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Keywords:

sleep, baby's sleep, postpartum depression, sleep training, cry it out, extinction method, graduated extinction, camping out, scheduled awakenings, infant sleep, child neurology, sleep medicine, sleep research, sleep hygiene, nighttime routine, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, light exposure, melatonin, circadian rhythm, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, teenagers, jet lag, meditation, nighttime awakenings, organizing, postpartum plan, social media.

What do you DO with your newborn when you get home with them? Today we're chatting about activities you can do with your baby.

Today's guest is Allie Ticktin. Allie’s mission is to empower children and their families through sensory play so that they can thrive through childhood and beyond. Allie is the author of the book, Play to Progress, where she provides parents with an overview of all 8 (yes, 8) senses and gives parents ways to enhance those senses at home. Allie uses the science of child development and the joy of play to boost childrens’ confidence and enhance development within all areas of their life, from social and emotional to physical and academic. Allie believes that the best way to support children is by arming their parents, from inception, with the knowledge and skills necessary to encourage their child’s development for success through childhood and beyond.

Allie began her work in pediatric development at the University of Michigan, where she earned her B.S. in Movement Science, and continued her studies at USC, where she received her M.A. and Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Allie is certified in Sensory Integration and hopes that one day one day quality open ended play will be considered as important as learning the ABC’s. When not at work, you can find Allie at the beach engaging her own sensory system, outside enjoying nature or on her spin bike. Allie also loves to bake vegan treats, read and color in mindfulness coloring books, which are her own regulation tools.

Find Allie's courses on how to play with your baby right here: (https://play2progress.com?sca_ref=2139216.dq1QBRQilF)

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines -- if you're looking to get into a routine with your family, it is the course for you!

What type of "gear" do you need for your baby to play with?

The importance of stimulating all EIGHT senses of your baby.

Tummy time, and how to do it without baby hating it.

When breastfeeding is not working

5 Baby Items You Don't Need

Organizing for Baby

Producer: Drew Erickson

On episode 229 of The Pulling Curls Podcast, Hilary discusses practical ways to encourage your family to help out more around the house. She shares personal experiences and tips, such as setting clear expectations, making chores fun, and the benefits of being super busy. Join Hilary as she untangles the process of getting your family involved in household tasks.

Big thanks to our sponsor Practical Parenting -- it's got just a few tips to up your parenting game a bit.

My episode on the Saturday clean episode (#134): https://www.pullingcurls.com/podcast-134-family-clean/

Come join me in Family Routines: https://www.pullingcurls.com/family-routines/

Timestamps:

00:00 Set clear bathroom cleaning expectations for kids. 04:08 Encourage kids to be self-sufficient and helpful.

Keypoints:

1. In this episode, Hilary Erickson talks about getting your family to help out more with household chores.
2. Hilary emphasizes the importance of being present and working alongside kids to show them the best results.
3. Setting clear expectations for the tasks that need to be done is crucial to avoid minimum effort from kids.
4. Making chores fun by incorporating music and rotating rooms can motivate the family to help out more.
5. Being super busy can also lead to kids being more self-sufficient and helping out more with household responsibilities.
6. Hilary shares personal experiences where her oldest child had to pitch in more because she was busy building a business and working as a nurse.
7. She addresses the advantage of kids learning to be self-sufficient when parents are not physically present.
8. Hilary encourages listeners to join her conversation on Instagram to share their experiences in getting their family to help out more.
9. She invites listeners to join her in family routines and practical parenting to learn more about managing household responsibilities.
10. Hilary gives a glimpse of the upcoming episodes, discussing confrontation and busting induction myths for pregnant friends.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Keywords:

family help, parenting, setting expectations, kids chores, teamwork, fun cleaning, music, busy parents, self-sufficiency, family routines, confrontation skills, induction myths, pregnancy, nursing, podcast, practical parenting, raising kids, household chores, teaching responsibility, motivating kids, teenagers, parenting tips, family dynamics, communication, sharing responsibilities, teamwork, self-sufficient children, busy schedules, confrontation, pregnancy podcast

Welcome back to another episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast: Pregnancy & Parenting Untangled. In today’s episode, we have a special guest, Mama Nurse Tina, joining our host, Hilary Erickson, to discuss the importance of having the right mindset during labor. Hilary shares her personal experiences and recommends taking a birth class to gain knowledge and confidence. They discuss the need to lower expectations, create a comfortable labor environment, and surround yourself with supportive people. They also emphasize the importance of being prepared with a birth plan and practicing for different scenarios. Tune in to learn more about labor mindset and how it can positively impact your birth experience. Plus, stay tuned for upcoming episodes on organizing mindset and postpartum. As always, thank you for listening, and don’t forget to review, share, and subscribe to help us grow. Now let’s dive into the episode!

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples — if you’re looking to get your mindset in the right space — come join us!

Today’s guest is Tina B. She’s been a labor and delivery nurse for more than 11 years now and has been working hard lately on bringing people all over the world evidenced based information to help them navigate pregnancy, childbirth and their postpartum journey through her three social media platforms.

Find her:

• Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mama_nurse_tina
• Youtube https://youtube.com/@mamanursetina

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Podcast discusses labor mindset with guest nurse. 00:06:09 Disneyland trip: 50% good, 50% awful. Birth trauma and disappointments stem from high expectations. 00:08:31 Creating a personalized environment for hospital birth. 00:12:18 Transitioned to more inviting rooms since 1990. 00:14:57 Supportive people are crucial during labor. 00:18:06 Having supportive people in the room matters. 00:20:30 Inductions can be long, requires preparation. 00:23:18 Be flexible and prepare for different scenarios.

Keypoints:

1. Importance of taking a birth class to increase knowledge and confidence during labor.
2. Mindset plays a crucial role in having a positive birth experience.
3. The speaker recommends joining an online prenatal class for couples to help with mindset.
4. Upcoming episodes on organizing mindset and postpartum.
5. The importance of lowering expectations and the difficulty of preparing for childbirth.
6. Creating a personalized and comforting environment in the labor room.
7. Importance of having supportive people during labor who understand their role.
8. The speaker shares personal experiences with supportive family members during labor.
9. The significance of having a well-prepared birth preferences list or birth plan.
10. The importance of practice and muscle memory in high-pressure situations during childbirth.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Welcome back to the Pulling Curls podcast. On today's episode, Hilary shares her experience with New Year's resolutions and how she's learning to let go of things that are out of her control. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries and rationing our attention to focus on what really matters. Stay tuned for some valuable insights on navigating the challenges of 2024.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines -- if you're looking to make your home life easier check it out!

Timestamps:

00:00 Detach from outcome, focus on what matters. 04:04 Setting boundaries for attention and work goals. 07:11 Struggling, learning, and letting go in 2020.

Keypoints:

1. Hilary Erickson discusses her struggles and realizations about New Year's resolutions for 2023 and how it impacted her personal and professional life.
2. She talks about detaching from the outcome and the impact of reading "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson.
3. Hilary highlights the importance of identifying who should invest attention and effort into a problem, setting boundaries, and entrusting certain aspects to faith or the universe.
4. She shares her struggle with constantly trying to solve problems for others, emphasizing the need to recognize whose problem it truly is.
5. The concept of not pushing all the time and learning to let go is discussed in relation to exerting effort and then allowing things to unfold.
6. Hilary uses the analogy of flipping the baby in pregnancy to illustrate the idea of pushing for a little bit and then letting go to see where things go.
7. She delves into the realization that there is a limit to the amount of "f*cks" one can give, advocating the importance of rationing emotional investment and not expecting to give beyond one's capacity.
8. Hilary empathizes with the challenge of learning to let go and admits to her struggle in this area, while encouraging listeners to join her in working on it.
9. She invites listeners to engage with her on Instagram or via email to share advice and insights on the topic.
10. The episode closes with a preview of upcoming episodes on prenatal classes and sleep, and Hilary's request for reviews, shares, and subscriptions to support the podcast's growth.

Producer: Drew Erickson