Whatcha Expecting?

Ouch! This week, Claire and Kate discuss the ever important topic of boo boos. From head bonks to little finger cuts, they talk about the minor everyday injuries their sons are facing as they grow. They reflect on how physical danger was treated in their own childhoods, and how fragile they did or didn’t feel as a result. They consider what it’ll be like to have their kids out in the world as they...

It’s a pizza party! This week, Kate and Claire recount recent adventures taking their babies out dining with them on (separate) outings for pizza. They chat about what makes a restaurant “baby-friendly”. When deciding whether to bring a baby with you out to dine, what do you owe to the other diners, to the staff, to your baby and to yourself? How do you divvy up the childcare duties when dining ou...

Season Two Episode Seven: The Thanksgiving Episode Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Claire, Kate and Joe share heartwarming, mundane and/or capitalist anecdotes from Thanksgivings past. They reflect on the things they’re grateful for this year, and the ways in which gratitude seeps into life in a new way. They discuss strategies for attempting to be more mindful of the things they’re thankful for on...

This week, Claire and Kate are talking about everyone’s favorite time – naptime! They reflect on the unique challenges of putting a baby down to sleep for a nap vs. letting them fall asleep on you for a contact nap. “Should” you cherish all the contact naps you can, or “should” you make sure you put your baby down so they don’t come to rely on you to fall asleep? Joe shares his trick to help stay...

This week, Kate and Claire reflect on the developmental milestones their babies are expected to have reached by their respective ages. Fresh off a doctor’s appointment with a questionnaire that felt like a pop quiz, Claire wonders what it says about her as a mom that she didn’t know the answer to every question. They talk through the pros and cons of various apps and books that walk you through th...

Season Two Episode Four: Social Smiles This week, Kate and Claire are seeing their sons’ personalities emerge. What makes them smile? How early on did they smile? What parts of Kate and Claire (for better or for worse) are they seeing in their sons? And how much of all this are they actually just projecting while their babies are just…being babies? With kids aged nine months old and two months old...

This week, Kate and Claire talk about the early days of caring for their babies — how they structure routines, scheduled feeds vs. feed on demand, and when sleep may (or may not) happen. They dive into the concept of the newborn “trenches” and whether or not this controversial term fits this unique stage. They brainstorm a few alternate terms and debate which subway tunnels may be a better descrip...

It’s Whatcha Expecting’s first guest episode — featuring writer, performer, and C-Section extraordinaire, Molly O. Kemper! Kate, Claire and Molly discuss what it was like for their birth experiences to be via C-section in a world that mainly talks about vaginal birth. Molly shares her experiences with having both unplanned and planned C-sections, giving birth during COVID, postpartum depression, a...

After what felt like forever, the wait is finally over…we’re back for season two! Oh, and also Kate had her baby. Claire reveals Kate’s baby’s name (thanks Claire!), and Kate walks us through her baby’s birth story, obviously without a single interruption from Claire or Joe. Claire shares more about how it’s been to start to transition to life in Kansas City, and whether or not it’s been…ahem…what...

Surprise! Kate had a baby, which means that Season 1 of Whatcha Expecting? has drawn to a close, but don't worry! We recorded one last episode to tide you over until Season 2. We suspect that the pain we feel in pausing our weekly chats is similar or equal to the pain of being pregnant, the pain of labor, and the pain of being newly postpartum. Kate waddles us through what it feels like (felt like...

This week, Kate and Claire talk about sleep. Kate walks through the foolproof system she had before she was pregnant vs. the challenges she has sleeping while pregnant. Claire reflects on Rodney’s sleep patterns and how sleep has changed for her as a mom. They consider the debate of whether sleep is worse in pregnancy or with a newborn. Joe shares his surprisingly controversial tip for falling asl...

Claire’s moving! This week, Claire’s packing for her imminent move to Kansas. She considers the things she’ll miss about living in New York, while being excited for her new home (which has TWO bathrooms?!). Kate’s world is getting narrower as it gets physically harder to move through the world while being, medically speaking, super duper pregnant. Claire discusses what it was like to see Kate’s ba...

As Claire prepares for her move home to where her and her husband’s parents both live, Claire and Kate reflect on the roles of grandparents in memorable visits, childcare, and instilling ties between generations. Kate breaks down the differences between the coasts of Southern Florida where her future son’s grandparents live. Claire shares a controversial “bit” and/or social experiment she has in m...

Kate’s got a cold! Oh no! Kate examines why she seems surprisingly chill about this situation. Kate and Claire talk about their sick day routines as kids, and Kate talks about which traditions she’s taken forward as an adult (hint: not the Robitussin with codeine). They chat about Claire’s bout with mastitis, Joe’s worries around being too sick to care for his kids, and Claire’s early motherhood v...

It’s go-bag week! As Kate preps her hospital bag, she solicits advice from Claire and Joe on the essentials they put in theirs, and what they brought that they didn’t need. They then look at what they bring with them in their diaper bags, with an unexpected turn into diaper bag ASMR content. They consider the balance of carrying what helps you feel empowered to navigate the world as a parent with...

This week, Kate and Claire talk about their approach and/or aversion to birth plans. Claire recalls all the TikToks she used to see marketing anti-science birth plans, and Kate talks about some of the options she saw on MyChart that surprised her. Claire reflects on her birth experience and wishes she’d went in more prepared for different possibilities. Did you know that if you avoid reading up on...

Recorded the week of Kate’s cancerversary, this week’s episode examines what genes Kate and Claire are passing onto their kids. After a highly scientific lesson on Punnett Squares, Claire notes that Rodney has her eyes, and Kate suspects her son will have her judgmentalness. They discuss their experiences surrounding genetic tests, and Kate reflects on her experience with cancer. Kate considers he...

This week, Kate and Claire chat about the ways they’re perceived in the world, both in pregnancy and in new motherhood. In both cases, they’ve noticed women who acknowledge them with a knowing “welcome to the club” look — a look Joe will sadly never understand. Claire reflects on whether or not she wants people to think she’s a mom, or whether she prefers that it be a fun, shocking little surprise...

In this week’s episode, Kate comes fresh off a breastfeeding class awash with a slew of lessons and/or propaganda to unpack. Claire shares her experience with switching to formula and the shaming attitudes she encountered along the way. Kate prepares for a feeding journey that embraces the grey areas, and Claire and Joe discuss their experiences with lactation consultants. Kate commits to exclusiv...

Claire shamefully confesses to being apart from her baby for nearly two weeks and shares what it felt like to be baby-less for 12 days. The highs, the lows, the SEPARATION ANXIETY and, of course, the reunion. Kate talks about the physical reassurance of baby kicks as well as the acrobats she suspects her baby is doing en utero. She also reflects on how that intimate physical reassurance ends with...

This week, we’re talking about how — and where we build our nests, and what kinds of trees we’ve chosen to root our families’ lives in (while taking the metaphor further than we should). Claire shares big news about where she’ll be living, and Kate discusses her hopes and anxieties for raising kids in New York. They discuss the different factors that go into these decisions, with Joe sharing insig...

This week, we’d like to wish our heavily male audience a Happy FATHER’S DAY! Claire shares a sweet surprise she gave Cody in honor of his first Father’s Day, Kate ponders the importance of the holiday, and both co-hosts discuss the roles their own dads have played in their lives. After a couple of poorly-delivered Oedipus complex jokes, the two also share the qualities they admire the most in thei...

This week, we’re talking about PLAY DATES. What’s it like for Claire to see her baby interact with other kids? How have both Kate’s and Claire’s relationships with socializing changed? We discuss friendship and the role communities play in your life (or not) as pregnancy and parenthood progress. For those wanting to hang out with Kate and Claire, an abundance of PSA’s await you. Weekly Plugs: Come...

This week, we’re chatting about BABY NAMES. What goes into deciding on one? Do you share the name before they’re born? Do you invite opinions? The stakes feel very high for this early parenting decision, and we all go about it in slightly different ways -- pulling from relatives both dead and alive, childhood crushes, mere vibes, etc.  Weekly Plugs: Tummy Time Wind Machines Emily Herzlin and...

This week, we’re talking about TIME MANAGEMENT. We discuss the differences in the day during maternity leave and in going back to work, the work day while pregnant, and whether or not you control your time. How does Kate feel about how time is moving during each trimester, and how does Claire feel about how quickly Rodney is changing? And what tool does Joe recommend (or maybe not) for managing ti...