The End of the World as We Know It: A First-Time Parenting Podcast

We did it. We had a second baby. Hear about Erik's male postpartum depression, Maya's split nipples (you're welcome), why we love taking babies to the mall, and how much more pleasant a scheduled C-section is than an emergency C-section. Watch this episode as a video on Spotify and you can see our very cute 6 week old baby, plus our producer AJ finally makes a special guest appearance! Kids: Who n...

Because we love you, we recorded this episode (with video!) TWO DAYS before our scheduled C-section – mostly so you can see how massive Maya was at 9+ months pregnant. We also get into sleep issues with our 3.5 year old, how we prepared for our second C-section and second newborn, some interesting theories about how IVF pregnancies are different than others, and we reveal the much-anticipated name...

Surprise, we have a baby girl coming in November! This episode was recorded at 19 weeks pregnant (at time of posting we are 28 weeks), and recounts our second IVF adventure, as well as some recent tales from parenting a 3 year old, plus the details you definitely didn’t want to know about Erik’s latest mid-life crisis. A couple other treats for you: We finally included our much-requested backyard...

Oh, dear lord. Ok: if you are embarking on potty training with your toddler, the first thing we need you to know is that it is going to be ok. The second thing we need you to know is to BUCKLE UP. This was one of the toughest phases/transitions of parenthood for us so far, and if you're a long time listener of this podcast, you know we don't say that lightly. In this episode, we share details abou...

We recorded this episode so long ago that it includes a Scandoval reference. Hey man, we're busy parents! Otherwise, enjoy this evergreen tale of weaning our two year old son off the pacifier he's used for sleeping since he was born. This episode also includes: our first ever parent-teacher conference, our son's first self-aware birthday party, our first vacation since having a baby, and – as you...

Oops, it's been a year! But believe it or not people are still listening, so we're still recording. In this episode, Maya and Erik talk about life with a 20-month-old: childcare woes, starting to talk (or not...), and whether or not it's reeeeally a problem to spoil your firstborn rotten. (I mean can YOU go to Target without buying your kid 30 toys?!) We also discuss the very real toll having a yo...

Our baby's 9 months old now, so he's doing lots of exciting things, like eating solids (!), opening his own Christmas presents, and refusing to sleep*. We're also doing exciting things, like watching a lot of TV** and learning that our experience is not actually universal. We know, this was a shocking realization for us too. Suggested resources: Our favorite book about baby sleep, Precious Little...

What really happens to your body after you give birth? How long does it take to bounce back? Why is it impossible to find jeans when your waist and hips are the same size? And for the love of god, why is it assumed that preventing unwanted pregnancies right after giving birth – because yes, actually, this is something you need to worry about – falls on the woman who just gave birth? We don't reall...

There’s a lot about going back to work after maternity leave that is hard. Childcare in particular - especially in the midst of a pandemic! - is a baffling paradox where none of the choices seem even remotely appealing. Do you put your kid in daycare, miss them desperately all day, and hope they somehow don’t get sick? Do you hire a nanny or an au pair who then suddenly becomes a permanent fixture...

For the first time ever, we invited some other parents on the show: our friends Jen and Tom, who have two sons, ages 15 and 11. They share their unique story about getting married young, having and raising babies while Tom was in the army (and often deployed), and learning how to prioritize their relationship with each other. We’ve watched them raise their kids from birth, and have always admired...

Yeah, not sleeping and having to breastfeed and change diapers all the time is hard, but it turns out the most challenging part of having a baby is... the many complicated feelings you will have about your new life. In this episode, we dive deep into the 5 stages of New Parent Grief™ (just invented that), including the good – we kinda like this baby! – and the bad (Erik really has been crying in t...

We knew bringing a baby home from the hospital would be hard, we just didn’t know it would be THIS hard. And we certainly didn’t anticipate the complicated emotions that come along with becoming parents and facing the reality of being responsible for another human, forever. This is a little bit of a dark episode, but we’re publishing this a couple weeks after this was recorded and we promise we’re...

Our first post-baby episode! Get ready to listen to some very, very tired and shellshocked people. Childbirth, like getting pregnant, is different for everyone. In our case, it required an induction (which didn’t work), an epidural (inductions hurt even if they don’t get the baby out!), and a C-section we were not at all prepared for. As you can probably imagine, this episode is pretty graphic and...

Recorded a day after our "due date" with no baby yet in sight, this episode finds us reminiscing about the highlights and low lights of each trimester of pregnancy, including miscarriage fears and extreme fatigue in the first, blood tests and telling people in the second, and shockingly debilitating pelvic pain in the third. There's a lot people don't really talk about! PS: This episode was publis...

Getting pregnant looks different for everyone. For us, it took 3+ years of trying, and multiple rounds of both IUI (intrauterine insemination) and IVF. In this episode, we talk about the logistics of all that, and also our feelings. So many feelings. Suggested resources: Taking Charge of Your Fertility Maya also kept a detailed blog of our fertility journey. We don’t share the link publicly (it’s,...