The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

If there is one topic that makes parents go quiet in my exam room, it is this one. Where is your baby actually sleeping? Not where you planned for them to sleep. Not what you told your mother-in-law. Where are they really sleeping at 2am when you are exhausted and just need everyone to rest? I brought Dr. Michael Milobsky on the show because he is one of the few pediatricians willing to have this conversation out loud. Twenty-seven years in practice, father of seven, grandfather of five, and someone who has been in every corner of pediatric medicine. We sat down and got honest about bedsharing in a way that I wish every parent could hear from their own doctor.

Here is what I want you to know before you hit play. I used to be the doctor who said independent sleep space and moved on. No room for nuance, no real conversation. And what I have come to understand over the last several years is that when parents feel judged, they stop telling us the truth. And when that happens, we lose the chance to actually keep babies safe. This episode is not about telling you what to do. It is about giving you the information you deserve so you can make the most informed choice for your family.

What We Talk About


Why so many parents are not being honest with their pediatrician about where their baby sleeps, and why that silence is the bigger safety problem


What the AAP guidelines are actually designed to do, and where they fall short in a real clinical conversation


The specific risk factors that make bedsharing significantly more dangerous, including smoking, alcohol, sedating medications, soft bedding, prematurity, and very young infants


The Safe Sleep Seven, what it covers, what its limitations are, and why it is still a useful harm reduction tool


How bedsharing is practiced in other countries and why the surface and setup matter as much as the decision itself


Why breastfeeding changes the biology of bedsharing and shifts the risk picture in meaningful ways


What both of us did with our own kids, because real talk requires real transparency


Room sharing versus bedsharing, and what the updated AAP recommendations actually say


Why most pediatricians default to the hard line, and why it is usually about time in the system, not ignorance of the nuance


What to do if your pediatrician will not have this conversation with you

Connect with Dr. Michael Milobsky on Instagram @drmichaelmilobsky and visit his site linktr.ee/milobsky .

00:00 - Pediatric Sleep Guidance: The Nuance of Bed Sharing
04:15 - Meet Dr. Michael Milobsky: From the ER to Raising 7 Kids
08:30 - Why Strict AAP Safe Sleep Guidelines Fail Exhausted Parents
13:10 - Co-Sleeping Around the World vs. Mainstream US Pediatrics
17:45 - Understanding Risk Stratification in the Marriage Bed
21:20 - Navigating Survival Mode and Chronic Sleep Deprivation
25:55 - Infant Temperaments: Evaluating Your Baby's "Cuddle Quota"
30:15 - High-Risk Factors: Alcohol, Sedating Medications, and Sobriety
34:40 - The Biology of Breastfeeding Proximity vs. Formula Feeding
38:10 - Breaking Down the Safe Sleep Seven Framework
42:50 - The Hidden Dangers of Couches, Armchairs, and Recliners
46:15 - Systemic Issues: Why Pediatricians Lack Time for Nuanced Advice
50:30 - How to Safely Discuss Your Sleep Choices with Your Doctor
53:20 - Outro: Shifting to Supportive, Non-Judgmental Pediatric Guidance

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Both my husband and I have anxiety. So yeah, we are two anxious people raising kids and watching closely for signs of anxiety in them. The irony is very real. But it also means I am deeply invested in understanding where childhood anxiety comes from, and how much of it we as parents are actually influencing.

In this Follow Up episode, I brought back child psychiatrist Dr. Helen Egger to break down the nature vs. nurture of anxiety, what it actually looks like in kids and parents, and how we can interrupt the cycle without losing our minds trying.

In this episode we cover:

Why having anxiety as a parent puts your child at 4-6 times higher risk for anxiety, and what that actually means

The difference between normal anxiety and anxiety that needs support

How fear can be "contagious" in a family environment, even without realizing it

The genetic component of anxiety explained as risk, not destiny

Why anxious kids often also have heightened empathy and sensitivity (the strengths side of the coin)

How to address your child's anxiety while managing your own

The different types of anxiety: generalized, social, separation, and phobias

Why getting mental health support as a parent is one of the most powerful things you can do for your child

How modeling help-seeking behavior actually breaks the anxiety cycle

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a pediatrician, I was not asking enough questions about my patients' periods. We ask when the last one was. We rarely go deeper than that. And after this conversation, I will never approach it the same way again.

I sat down with my friend and colleague Dr. Natalie Crawford, reproductive endocrinologist, fertility specialist, and author of The Fertility Formula. Here is what I want every parent raising a girl to understand: the menstrual cycle is not just a monthly inconvenience. It is one of the most important windows into your daughter's hormonal health, her long-term fertility, and her overall wellbeing. And the symptoms we keep brushing off as "just puberty" or "just a bad period" are often the first clues to conditions that will matter deeply later in life.

In this episode, we cover:


Why the menstrual cycle is a vital sign and what that means for the girls in your life


The warning signs parents and pediatricians too often dismiss as normal


What a first period should actually look like, and when irregular cycles need to be taken seriously


Hypothalamic amenorrhea: the condition linked to over-exercising, under-eating, and chronic stress that silently affects estrogen during some of the most critical years of development


PCOS in teens: why it does not always look the way doctors expect, and why so many girls get missed


Thyroid disease and how it shows up in the menstrual cycle before anything else


Endometriosis in adolescents: when period pain is not normal and what to do about it


Why birth control is sometimes the right treatment but not always the full answer


How to advocate for your daughter when you feel dismissed at the doctor's office


The referral path from pediatrician to OB to specialist, and when to push for more

Connect with Dr. Natalie Crawford on Instagram @nataliecrawfordmd, visit her site https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/ and buy her new book: https://a.co/d/0byHPtzr

Here is the revised list of 20 chapters, spaced out chronologically to cover the entire duration of the provided text for "Podcast Natalie Crawford Final.mp3.txt":

00:00:00 The Paternalistic History of Women's Health

00:01:19 Introducing Dr. Natalie Crawford & The Fertility Formula

00:02:56 The Stigma of Cycle Tracking and Menstrual Shame

00:04:53 Dr. Mona's Personal Battle with Secondary Infertility

00:06:00 Overcoming the Unknown and Paternalism in Medicine

00:08:11 Empowering Younger Women to Advocate for Their Bodies

00:10:27 Raising Children to Trust Their Physical Cues

00:11:32 Dr. Crawford's Personal Experience with Pregnancy Loss

00:13:13 Shifting Medical Research Toward Natural Fertility

00:16:33 Cultivating Fast Vulnerability in Doctor-Patient Bonds

00:18:15 The Ovarian Vault and the Biology of Puberty

00:20:25 The Brain-Ovary Dance: Follicular vs. Luteal Phases

00:21:59 Static on the Walkie-Talkie: Environmental Disruptors

00:23:40 Red Flags: School Refusal and Endometriosis Risk

00:26:03 Beyond the Basics: Upgrading Pediatric Screening Questions

00:30:11 Deep Dive into Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

00:33:14 The Metabolic Realities of Living with PCOS

00:41:43 The Diagnostic Criteria for PCOS and Clinical Workups

00:44:16 Thyroid Disease and Its Impact on Reproductive Hormones

00:48:15 Long-Term Health Risks Linked to Untreated Infertility

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If your toddler begged for mac and cheese, took one bite, and declared it disgusting, this episode is for you. Picky eating is one of the most common and most stressful phases of childhood, but the good news is there are real, practical things you can do before it starts and when you are already deep in it.

Dr. Mona sits down with Jennifer Friedman, registered pediatric dietitian, picky eating expert, and founder of Feeding Picky Eaters, to break down what actually works at the dinner table and why letting go of control might be the most powerful thing you can do as a parent.

In this episode, we cover:

The three things you can do right now to prevent picky eating before it starts

Why the feeding relationship matters more than any single meal

How to get out of a menu rut without overhauling everything

The stoplight food method to bring variety back to the table

Why flexibility with food is a muscle, and how to build it in your kids

The Division of Responsibility and why trying harder at the table often backfires

How to let go of mealtime expectations so everyone can actually enjoy the meal

Want more? Click here for the full episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a pediatrician and mom, I know firsthand how easy it is to get overwhelmed by standard parenting tips and the pressure to have a perfect family life. In a culture obsessed with quick fixes and curated social media fairy tales, so many couples feel like they are constantly falling short. On this channel, my goal is to share the beautiful, unglamorous reality of making relationships work. We cannot just hope for a happy marriage and connection to happen by chance…we have to be intentional about creating it. That is why I love bringing authentic guests onto the podcast to share real, unfiltered relationship advice.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with former Navy SEAL sniper instructor and author Brandon Webb to talk about his brand new book, Puddle Jumpers. Brandon reminds us that we don’t have to succumb to public judgment or relationship anxiety. Real growth happens in our everyday routines, like setting core family values, prioritizing intentional quality time, and learning how to celebrate failure. By breaking down the illusion of perfection and working through messy parenting moments, we can move past the comparison trap and build a resilient, peaceful home.


Why treating presence as an intentional choice rather than a balancing act is the key to lasting connection with your children.


How choosing fewer distractions and putting down your phone can completely eliminate family disconnect and parenting anxiety.


Easy, practical ways to establish a united co-parenting front and protect intentional habits like individual father-child trips.


Why elite military instructors, pediatricians, and parents must embrace failure and small stressors as necessary stepping stones to confidence.


Breaking down the distinct transition from a dictator parent to a counselor role as your children mature into adulthood.


How a legendary Olympic coach used a mental management curriculum to teach positive self-talk, self-reflection, and unshakable grit.


How to find joy in the mundane, unglamorous phases of parenting—like letting your kids jump in a messy mud puddle.

Connect with Brandon Webb on Instagram @brandontwebb, visit his substack: https://brandontwebb.substack.com and buy his book Puddle Jumper: https://go.shopmy.us/p-65451601 (paid link)

00:00 – Intro: Why Small Daily Challenges Build Confidence in Kids
02:45 – Meet Brandon Webb: Navy SEAL Sniper Instructor, Author, and Father of Three
03:37 – Brandon's Origin Story: Sailboat Childhood, Leaving Home at 16, and What It Taught Him About Fatherhood
09:33 – Why Parenting Content Ignores Dads and Why That Needs to Change
11:17 – What Navy SEAL Mental Training Has to Do With Raising Resilient Kids
15:22 – Why Modern Dads Feel Like Strangers in Their Own Homes (And How to Fix It)
21:01 – Ask Better Questions: Why "How Was Your Day?" Is a Dead End
25:09 – How Your Words Become Your Child's Inner Voice
28:36 – Ordinary Magic: Why Letting Kids Do Small Hard Things Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do
33:03 – Co-Parenting After Divorce: Staying a United Front When It's Hard
39:23 – How to Know When to Push Your Kid and When to Back Off
44:06 – Madison's Letter: The Return on Investment of Showing Up as a Parent
49:46 – Modeling Emotional Regulation: Kids Learn What They Live
53:22 – From Boss to Coach: How Your Parenting Role Has to Shift as Kids Get Older
58:11 – Final Advice for Dads: Be Present, Ask Better Questions, and Raise Good Decision-Makers

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices