Chick Chat

An exciting part of planning for a baby’s arrival is preparing their room! It can be so much fun pinning beautiful pictures that inspire you on Pinterest for your little one's nursery. However, designing your perfect nursery can also be overwhelming. Where should you start? What do you need? And what can you skip? Parents can feel rattled (no pun intended) when trying to make the room perfect for...

Babywearing has been a practice that mothers have used for many, many generations. It's something that I love and recommend to every new parent because it makes things easier on you and better for your baby. Babies want to be close to their parents, and with babywearing, parents can do that while still getting everything they need done. As a new parent or caregiver, babywearing can be intimidating...

Topics that don't get as much attention as they should are when our kids have issues with potty training, experiencing bedwetting, and childhood constipation. I can understand because they're not the most glamorous topics, but some children experience these issues. And when it happens to your child, it can be worrying and frustrating. That's why we wanted to bring an expert on to our podcast to ha...

Today we are chatting with Cliodhna Griffin, the founder of Born Free Birthing and Houston Placenta Services. Cliodhna is a certified and experienced HypnoBirthing Educator, Master Trainer, and Faculty Member of the HypnoBirthing Institute, and she is proudly Houston, TX’s first APPA triple-certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist providing professional placenta encapsulation services from Hous...

Today’s episode is all about how to keep our sleeping babies safe and to focus on the breathability of crib mattresses. Our babies’ safety is our greatest priority, and breathability in crib mattresses may not seem like too big of a deal, but it’s more important than parents think. And Barry Cik, the Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic, knows this all too well. We're thrilled to have Bar...

With National Rainbow Baby Day approaching — August 22nd — we want to shed some light on rainbow babies and talk to a mother who has been there. Listening to her experience and her love for both of her children has moved us and touched our hearts. We are honored to talk to her and to hear her rainbow baby story. On September 22, 2016, Taylor Molitierno became a mother to her sweet daughter, France...

We know that in many countries, as many as 1 in 5 new mothers experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMADs). These illnesses frequently go unnoticed and untreated, which can lead to tragic and long-term consequences for both mother and child. With so many mothers experiencing PMADs, we wanted to talk to an amazing mom who knows the importance of maternal mental health all too...

As a mom to a three-year-old, I am extremely familiar with toddler tantrums. I’ll be honest, sometimes I don’t handle those toddler tantrums with grace. Sometimes I give in, sometimes I walk away and ignore, and sometimes I yell and completely lose my cool. I feel awful admitting this, but I know that I’m not alone. I’m sure other parents who are listening to this episode can probably relate. All...

Have you ever wanted to be a mom of multiples or wondered what it would really be like? Well, today, July 12th, was National Triplet Day and we thought it would be really fun to chat with a mom of triplets, Brittany Werth, to get the real scoop. Brittany is the Chief Operating Officer of Simplified, a boutique lifestyle brand specializing in products to empower busy women with the tools they need...

Today's episode is all about how you can help new moms during postpartum. But when you're the mom and expecting a baby, there is so much to think about and plan for before the baby's arrival. Is my baby healthy? Will I be a good mom? Am I even ready to be a mom? One thing I am so glad that I knew about was ViaCord Cord Blood Banking. Cord blood banking is a simple and smart way to help plan for yo...

Once you become pregnant and see those two pink lines on your positive pregnancy test, a lot of women immediately contact their doctor to confirm their pregnancy. And once it's confirmed, you'll be seeing a lot of your doctor as he/she cares for you and your baby's health! During your doctor appointments, I recommend bringing a list of questions with you. This ensures that you don't forget anythin...

Now that we are in the full swing of summertime, water safety is at the forefront of every parent's mind because families are spending more time by the pool, at the beach, or at the lake. I feel like in the past few years drowning prevention and water safety has received more media attention, but I think there is still a lot that people don’t know. Today I'm chatting with Natalie Livingston, a 25-...

As a mother of two, I know the fragility and rawness of postpartum. I also know how important it is for new mothers to take care of themselves physically and emotionally during this stage. It's also important to plan for support during postpartum. Because, in my opinion, it’s a stage that not enough families prepare for. On today's episode, I'm chatting with Caitlin Simpson, a perinatal social wor...

As our listeners know, Mary Alice and I both have recently given birth to baby girls! Mary Alice gave birth in December 2020 and I gave birth in February 2021. We are both in the thick of postpartum and we want to share with all of YOU what you may expect during the postpartum period. There are a lot of changes not only physically but emotionally. We feel that many expecting women prepare for chil...

Many expecting mothers that I’ve taught or worked with as a doula or childbirth educator have expressed some sort of fear or anxiety when approaching their due date anticipating childbirth. While this is common, it still breaks my heart because birth can be a beautiful experience no matter how you give birth. And the best way to reduce your fear and anxiety is by educating yourself. It’s good to t...

As a doula, I know that many people have never heard of the term “VBAC,” which is the acronym for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. The old saying “once a C-section always a C-section” is a myth! I’ve supported dozens of VBAC mamas over the years and I have felt that a lot of families don’t get enough information or support about VBACs from their communities or care providers. However, I also know tha...

Mary Alice and I have gone over "what to expect" in all three trimesters and now we're ready to talk about labor and birth! We both recently have given birth to our babies and we're here to share our thoughts and experiences. Mary Alice gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, in December of 2020 and I, just a month ago, gave birth to my second child, also a baby girl! We had different but powe...

Today’s topic is an important one, but one that is rarely discussed . . . circumcision. As soon as you are told “it’s a boy!” during your pregnancy or after giving birth, it’s a decision that you are faced with as a parent. Should your son be circumcised or not? Some parents do lots of research, some parents think little about the decision and do what they are familiar with in their own family. So...

It's almost that time when we need to change our clocks! This is every parent's least favorite time of year. That's why I’m chatting with Lauren Olson today to help with prepping your baby for Spring Forward. Lauren is a certified sleep specialist and founder of Sleep + the City. She began Sleep + the City in 2014 when she found that there was a real need for a REAL person to help new and seasoned...

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with one of our own moms here at Baby Chick and young widow, Cheyenne Bell, and the Founder and CEO of Dayforward, Aaron Shapiro. CEO, Aaron Shapiro, has a long history of being a marketing and technology executive, serial entrepreneur, but most of all, a father and husband to his wife and three children in New York City. He’s spent his career using digital te...

Once you become a parent, so much of your life changes. Your daily schedule, the amount of sleep you get, the amount of time and energy you have, and the list continues. After long days and nights with the baby or working all day and dealing with a fussy toddler, let’s not even forget parenting during a pandemic, sometimes you are too drained to think about getting intimate with your partner. With...

With my due date just around the corner, I wanted to chat with Sarah Kuhn, founder of Juna, a fitness and nutrition app for pregnancy and postpartum, about exercising after birth. We know the benefits of staying active during pregnancy and after baby. However, there are a lot of details that aren't clear. As a pre & post-natal exercise specialist, I knew Sarah could give us the real scoop on what...

Today I’m chatting with Dr. Samira Hodges and Dr. Ana Pal, two board-certified pediatricians who both currently practice in Houston, TX, about stress in children and how we can help our kids manage stress. It may seem like children’s lives are pretty simple and they couldn’t possibly know about or experience stress, but actually, that’s untrue. Pressures on children come from a number of sources....

The third trimester . . . the final three months before baby's arrival! Mary Alice is at the very end of her pregnancy, due December 25th, and I am officially in my third trimester, 31 weeks! We both have been experiencing a lot of different things throughout our pregnancies. We’ve already covered what to expect in the first trimester and second trimester on our podcast and today we are chatting a...

Here on Chick Chat, we are all about getting a good and healthy night’s sleep. But a question that many parents ask is when should they transition their babies out of swaddles? And not only that, how can they do that smoothly and successfully. Well, today, I'm chatting with Cara Walker, a certified infant & toddler sleep consultant, and the founder of Well Rested Mama. Cara is a wife and mother of...