Around three months after giving birth, many women are alarmed to find their hair starting to fall out. Although this is a pretty ubiquitous anacdote shared among new mothers, the science - where it exists - tells us that it might not be a real phenomenon.

In this episode, Leila and Kim dive into the pitiful research that has been done to figure out if postpartum hairloss is a real thing, and what might be causing it.

In this episode:

• We compare notes on our hair growth during pregnancy and its subsequent loss after birth.
• A brief review of the limited research that's been done into postpartum hair loss.
• We consider whether this hair loss is a real thing, or if it's all in our heads.
• A run down on how hair grows normally, and how this growth cycle is changed by the transformative process of having a child.
• How the amount and timing of hair loss is affected by things like breastfeeding and the seasons
• How and why our babies also lose hair, and how that's tied to many of the same processes.
• What we can do about postpartum hair loss

On average, one in every four pregnancies ends in loss, and yet miscarriage, stillbirth, and pregnancy loss are still taboo subjects in many cultures. As a result, women who go through it experience shame, guilt, and loneliness which is entirely a product of attitude, and not science. This Baby Loss awareness week, we want to cast a light on a not at all uncommon phenomenon.

In this episode:

• Leila and Kim share and compare their personal experiences of pregnancy loss and how it has changed their attitudes to actually having a child
• A look at the frequency of pregnancy loss, and the documented causes
• We dissect how the language we use shapes the way we and others think about pregnancy loss.
• Some advice on what to say to someone going through a pregnancy loss
• How pregnancy losses are treated in the workplace, and how that's beginning to change.

Find out more about Baby Loss Awareness Week: https://babyloss-awareness.org/

Charities that can offer support and guidance for people going through pregnancy loss:

https://www.sands.org.uk/

https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/

Mothers these days might be told that 'breast is best' when it comes to feeding their baby. But what does that mean for mothers that struggle with their breastfeeding journey? We dive into the chemistry of breastmilk and formula, as well as the science behind the choice you make.

In this epsiode:

• We compare our very different baby feeding experiences - Kim has breastfed, while Leila never nursed, but used a combination of pumping and formula.
• The history of breastfeeding for mammals and our species, as well as the development of modern infant formula
• What exactly is in formula and in breast milk
• How breast milk is made from blood and bones
• How breast milk changes dynamically in response to your baby
• What the data shows about the differences breastmilk vs formula makes.

Some of the information in this episode comes from Emily Oster's brilliant book Cribsheet, which you can buy for yourself here.

And if you have a snotty baby and you don't want to do it the old-fashioned way, you can find a multitude of snot suckers out there:

• Bulb
• Snot Pooter
• Motorised thingummy (aka a nasal aspirator)

Note: the shopping links here are affiliate links which earns us a very modest commission to help fund this podcast.

Social media can be a great tool for discovering new people and new things (like this podcast!) but for new, impressionable, and unsure parents, it can often do more harm than good.

In this episode:

• The era we're living in right now is shaped by our interactions on social media
• How algorithms work to find and serve what you secretly want
• Our personal experiences with social media through our parenting journeys
• How social media has evolved in recent years
• The fundamental need for social comparison and how social media is changing that
• What we can do to protect ourselves

Find more Science Baby content at thesciencebaby.com

When you become a parent, your thoughts become consumed by poop. From meconium to potty training, the biology of babies' poop is possibly one of the weirdest things in the world.

In this episode:

• Our personal experiences with poop
• What is poo, what is meconium, and why is baby poo so colourful
• The gut microbiome and vaginal seeding
• The diminishing gastrocolic reflex
• Why mums love the smell of their babies' poo

There is a fundamental conflict between how babies sleep and how adults sleep, and it's causing us way more stress than it needs to.

In this episode:

• Our personal experiences with out babies' sleep
• The biology of sleep, including sleep-wake homeostasis and circadian rhythms
• Helen Ball and colleagues' book 'How Babies Sleep'
• The science of sleep cycles and sleep consolidation
• Differences between children
• Cultural pressures
• How to cope, including cosleeping advice

It's the very first installment of The Science Baby Podcast!

A chance for you to get acquainted with your hosts, Leila and Kim. We're two science communicators and first time mums trying to understand the science behind pregnancy, birth and beyond.

In this episode:

• Our respective journeys to motherhood
• Our professional and nerdy backgrounds
• We chat about matrescence, maternal mental health and the medicalization of birth
• Why we want to make this podcast, and what you can expect