Growing Facts Podcast

Growing Facts Podcast
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Science
  • Weekly

A podcast in which the hosts, Shalaka and Alyson, navigate the science behind pregnancy to help decision-making based on facts. Shalaka has a Ph.D. in child psychology and is pregnant by IVF. Alyson is a doctor specializing in internal medicine with a particular interest in obstetrical medicine, and is pregnant with twins. Episodes will alternate between science and pregnancy update episodes. Science episodes will feature an interview with a prenatal scientist about a different aspect of prenatal development. In the pregnancy update episodes, Alyson and Shalaka will discuss different social, cultural, and psychological factors that shape their experience of their pregnancy journeys.

  1. 04/18/2023

    23. Updates and season 1 wrap-up

    Alyson and Shalaka wrap up season 1 with some updates, including Shalaka’s Ph.D and pregnancy, and Alyson’s twins! They also talk about extending grace in difficult periods such as the first trimester or when you have newborns… and a lot of talk about poops and farts. They’re taking a break from recording after season 1, but they’ll be back for a season 2 in the near future! www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  2. 04/11/2023

    Ep 22. Start of pregnancy vs end of pregnancy

    Shalaka and Alyson talk about the debilitating nature of first trimester symptoms - fatigue, nausea, “pregnancy brain”, and nipples. They talk about Alyson’s twins and passing the prematurity mark,  planning inductions, and preparing pets for babies. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  3. 03/28/2023

    21. Planning vs letting go

    Content warning: miscarriage Shalaka and Alyson talk about planning what is in your power vs letting go of what isn’t, when it comes to all things pregnancy: fearing miscarriage in early pregnancy, preparing for birth, and choosing a health care provider. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  4. 03/21/2023

    20. What does gut microbiota have to do with physical and mental health? With Dr. Carolina de Weerth

    Shalaka will be interviewing Dr. Carolina de Weerth, and we’ll be aiming to answer the question: what does gut microbiota have to do with physical and mental health? We talk about the relationship between microbiota and different health outcomes, the link between the microbiota of the mother and child both prenatally and postnatally, and some possible avenues for future intervention. In the post-interview discussion (37:20), Alyson and Shalaka discuss the implications of this research for possible intervention, symbiosis, and a holistic approach to health. Links Lab web page: https://dpblab.org/  Twitter: @WeerthDe  Citations Ou, Y., Belzer, C., Smidt, H., de Weerth, C. (2022). Development of the gut microbiota in healthy children in the first ten years of life: associations with internalizing and externalizing behavior. Gut Microbes, 14(1):2038853.  Hermes, G., Eckermann, H., Vos, W.M., de Weerth, C. (2020). Does entry to center-based childcare affect gut microbial colonization in young infants? Scientific Reports, 10(1):10235.  De Weerth, C. (2017) Do Bacteria Shape our Development? Crosstalk between Intestinal Microbiota and HPA Axis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 83:458-471. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  5. 03/14/2023

    19. An exciting announcement, twin updates, and partner involvement

    Shalaka and Alyson talk about Shalaka’s frozen embryo transfer, updates on the Alyson's twins, and prenatal classes. They also talk about navigating new parenthood when you and your partner have different ideas about how it’s done, and the perspective of the other partner who is not carrying the baby. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  6. 03/07/2023

    18. Can prenatal stress make a child more sensitive to their environment? With Dr. Sarah Hartman

    Shalaka will be interviewing Dr. Sarah Hartman as the second part of a two-part episode. We’ll be aiming to answer the question: Can exposure to prenatal factors program greater sensitivity to environment after birth? We recap what differential susceptibility is, discuss markers like temperament or physiological stress response, and how exposure to prenatal stress might lead to such individuals. In the post-interview discussion (40:25), Alyson and Shalaka discuss the importance of diversity among humans, how this research can bring comfort and hope to parents of sensitive children or pregnant people experiencing prenatal stress, and the importance of the other parent. Citations Hartman S, Freeman SM, Bales KL, Belsky J. Prenatal Stress as a Risk-and an Opportunity-Factor. Psychol Sci. 2018 Apr;29(4):572-580. doi: 10.1177/0956797617739983. Epub 2018 Feb 7. PMID: 29412055; PMCID: PMC6350146. Hartman S, Belsky J. Prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity revisited-And extended. Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Aug;30(3):825-842. doi: 10.1017/S0954579418000548. PMID: 30068425. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  7. 02/28/2023

    17. Prepping, testing, and planning

    Shalaka and Alyson talk about updates on Shalaka’s IVF (such as: what is an endometrial lining?) and Alyson’s twins, the test for gestational diabetes, and prepping for newborns. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

  8. 02/21/2023

    16. Are some people more sensitive to their environment than others? With Dr. Jay Belsky

    For today’s episode, Shalaka will be interviewing Dr. Jay Belsky as part of a two-part episode. Today we’ll be aiming to answer the question: Are some people more sensitive to their environment than others? We talk about how genes should always be looked at in environmental contexts, and how we tend to look at outcomes as a binary “good” vs “bad”, and some of the pitfalls of developmental psychology as a field. Links https://humandevelopment.ucdavis.edu/people/jay-belsky Citations Belsky, J. & Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond Diathesis-Stress: Differential Susceptibility to Environmental Influences. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 885-908.  Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2013). Beyond Risk, Resilience and Dysregulation: Phenotypic Plasticity and Human Development. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 1243-1261.  Belsky, J., Zhang, X., & Sayler, K. (2022). Differential Susceptibility 2.0: Are the same children affected by different experiences and exposures Development and Psychopathology, 34, 1025-1033.  Sayler, K., Zhang, X., Steinberg, L., & Belsky, J. (2022). Parenting, Peers and Psychosocial Adjustment: Are the Same—or Different—Children Affected by Each? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51, 443-457. www.growingfactspodcast.com Email: growingfactspodcast@gmail.com IG: growing_facts_podcast Facebook: Growing Facts Podcast Tiktok: growingfactspodcast Prenatal research from Shalaka’s lab and the DREAM BIG consortium: Dreambigresearch.com Prenatal Stress and Child Development book (2021): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1 Logo design by Dale Byrns Initial podcast consultation provided by Zoé Gagnon-Paquin https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-g-p/ Sound production consultation by Fox Valley Audio Photo by Janko Ferlič https://unsplash.com/@itfeelslikefilm Music by lemonmusicstudio https://pixabay.com/users/lemonmusicstudio-14942887/?tab=audio

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5
out of 5
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About

A podcast in which the hosts, Shalaka and Alyson, navigate the science behind pregnancy to help decision-making based on facts. Shalaka has a Ph.D. in child psychology and is pregnant by IVF. Alyson is a doctor specializing in internal medicine with a particular interest in obstetrical medicine, and is pregnant with twins. Episodes will alternate between science and pregnancy update episodes. Science episodes will feature an interview with a prenatal scientist about a different aspect of prenatal development. In the pregnancy update episodes, Alyson and Shalaka will discuss different social, cultural, and psychological factors that shape their experience of their pregnancy journeys.

Information

  • Creator
    Growing Facts Podcast
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2023
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Growing Facts Podcast
  • Show Website
    Growing Facts Podcast