How to make a baby

Note: you can call 988 if you or a loved one is having a mental health crisis. According to the National Institute of Health, about 1 in 7 pregnant women suffer from postpartum depression (or PPD). Postpartum depression is a severe, long-lasting form of depression. Learn more about this from our friends at the Mayo Clinic.

Brent and Lauren, first time parents-to-be, are back to talk about their second trimester. Baby enters the second trimester the size of a peach and leaves the size of a head of cauliflower --- we talk about the changes, the kicks, the ultrasounds, the hair, and more.

If you're like me, you had no idea what a miscarriage was. And you didn't care to know until a friend was talking about it and you pretended to know what it was and what happened. Turns out, it's a giant topic---too big for one episode, but here we go. I interview a woman who went viral on Reddit for a post about her miscarriage.  We talk about what a miscarriage is, how someone might grieve, and how you might help someone who is going through it.NOTE: this one is graphic. I asked for the gory details and my guest provided all of them.Another note: I spoke with Emily who is the head of the Early Pregnancy Loss Association. Check out their website here for helpful resources.

Love it, hate it, don't know what it is or how it's done, the c-section is here to stay. Dr. Amy Thompson is a professor and laborist at The University of Cincinnati's School of Medicine. She walks me through my imaginary c-section, step by step, answering all my questions along the way. Also featured in this episode are Dave, James, and Joe, who all witnessed their spouses c-sections, and who were kind enough to tell the short version of their story.

Brent and Lauren are just past 12 weeks and they tell me EVERYTHING! Almost. We talk about food aversions, scent aversions, name aversions, genetic testing, identity, career, fatherhood, and THE DANS GAME. And more.  I had fun chatting with these pals and I think you'll enjoy the conversation, too.

Just before 5 a.m. on September 14th, my wife Taylor's water broke. Everything about it was unlike the movies: nothing was an emergency. She woke me up and said, "I think my water broke?" We called the midwife who said go ahead and fall back asleep; tomorrow you're having a baby. In this episode we talk about how our little boy turned out. Literally. From the water-break to the induction, to the contractions, to the bath, to the bed, to the head, to the baby. We explain the birth and some of the lingo you'll hear in the delivery room. And we have fun doing it. Note: we go into a lot of body details here and we play sounds of labor. I think you can handle it, but be warned! :)

Matt Medina is a midwife and labor & delivery nurse  in Boston. He tells us how to be a helpful teammate in the delivery room (because it turns out most people aren't that helpful). Matt also tells us what a midwife does and runs us through a typical day-of-birth.

Pre-fatherhood has me thinking about practical stuff like money. How do I pay for this baby? Cash or credit? Just kidding. ...Cashier's check? Matt Becker is a financial advisor who founded Mom and Dad Money to help new families navigate the cost of kiddos. He answers my questions: when do I start saving for college? How do I afford childcare? How about sports? What about life insurance? Or a WILL? What happens when we die? You're gonna love it.

My guest today is Bryan. He's an endurance runner and real estate enthusiast with type 1 diabetes who talks with me about his (and his wife's) infertility journey. We learn about IUI, IVF, sperm count, motility, and shots. Lots of shots. I split our conversation into three acts, so this is a bit longer, but it's worth it. I promise. If you're struggling with infertility or going through IVF, you'll appreciate this episode. If that's not part of your journey, I still think you'll like this one.

Let's start at the start: conception. My guest on today's episode is Dr. Joseph Alukal. He's a urologist on faculty at Columbia University where he is Associate Professor and Director of Men's Health. We cover a lot of ground, including all things conception. Somehow we hit birth control, timing, ovulation, fertility, infertility, endocrine disruptors, sex, sperm, eggs, and hot French underpants. Seriously. 

Ever find out that your wife is pregnant and then realize that you don't understand pregnancy at all? Yeah me neither. Anyhow, I decided to make an entire podcast to try to learn what's going on. If you don't like reading text books and you're beyond picture books, this is for you.ABOUT ME: Back in 2015 I moved home to Boston to become a famous standup comedian. I was so good at comedy that I started working for my father's construction company. My brother recruited a girl from Kansas City and she and I got married and I promise it's only about half as weird as it sounds but fast forward to 2022. I finished grad school for journalism and now I have one more thing to investigate: just how the heck are babies made?