My Pregnancy Podcast Recommendations

I’m a big podcast fan (evidence here and here), and so when I found out I was pregnant, finding some pregnancy- and parenting-related podcasts was most definitely on my short-term to-do list. I’ve since discovered a few awesome podcasts that fit the bill, and wanted to share them with you lovely readers in case you, too, are on the hunt for similar information. (Also, please let me know if there are any must-listen podcasts I’m missing from my list!)

• The Longest Shortest Time: Yes, I’ve been listening to this podcast well in advance of my pregnancy, but that’s because it’s awesome. It’s technically a parenting podcast, but speaking as someone who was a fan long before entering the soon-to-be-parent realm, I can solidly recommend this to just about anyone interested in family and parenting styles and dynamics. (In fact, its tagline is “The parenting show for everyone.”) I’ve become even more appreciative of this blog’s content since becoming pregnant, though, and episodes like the two-part series focusing on placenta encapsulation have made me perk up my ears in a big way. (I’m considering placenta encapsulation, by the way. I know there’s not much evidence yet to back up its success, but so many women have raved about it I figure that even if it’s a placebo effect kind of thing, why not try it?)

• The Birth Hour: My friend Mary introduced me to this podcast (it’s hosted by a woman who she went to college with), and I’ve really enjoyed hearing birth stories from a variety of women. It’s such a good reminder that every birth (and pregnancy leading up to it) has its own angle and each one is unique. That’s been helpful for me to be reminded of as I think about what my own baby’s birth story might look like this spring. I’m trying to educate myself about options, but also not put too much pressure on myself to have to do things a certain way. After all, so often those plans are tossed to the side based on circumstances and realities!

• Common Sense Pregnancy: This podcast is hosted by Jeanne Faulkner, who wrote the book of the same name. She’s a women’s health expert and labor nurse, in addition to being the mother of four, so I put lots of stock in her perspective. I’ve enjoyed the variety of her podcasts, which focus on topics like “Midwives in the World” and “When Dad’s a Rockstar.” I feel like her show is helping me beef up my knowledge base so I can be more aware of my options in certain situations, and become an advocate for myself and my baby as needed.

• Birthful: This podcast’s broad range of topics — all revolving around pregnancy, birth, and parenting — keeps it feeling interesting and relevant. Host Adriana Lozada brings experts in to discuss topics like “Your Pregnancy Microbiome” (which, as someone very interested in gut bacteria, I found to be fascinating), water birth, and breastfeeding must-know tips. As someone very new to this whole pregnancy thing, I love hearing from all the knowledgable folks Adriana brings onto her show.

• How to Be a Girl: Now, this podcast isn’t full of tips for navigating pregnancy or different approaches to childbirth. It focuses solely on parenting, but from a very niched perspective: parenting a transgender child. Despite it feeling narrowly focused in one respect, I’ve found this show’s perspective to be interesting to follow as Kevin and I start to consider what type of parents we want to be. Whether we find ourselves parents to a transgender child or not (statistics say we won’t, but you never know…), I appreciate hearing this mother’s take on parenting, because I want to be sure our child will be someone who will be kind to and accepting of children like the little girl profiled on this show.

• Not By Accident: Similar to “How to Be a Girl,” this podcast is a bit narrow in its perspective, but I’ve still enjoyed listening to it during this phase of my life. The podcast chronicles the journey of a single woman named Sophie as she makes the decision to — and then goes through the process of — become a single mother (sperm donor and all). Though my road to becoming a parent looks, in many ways, different from Sophie’s, as with the other pregnancy, birth, and parenting podcasts I’ve started following, I think that’s the beauty of all this: that everyone’s journey is different. Each is special and unique, which I love, and I also believe we can learn a lot from others’ experiences. I mean, I know I’ll take all the perspective and advice I can get right about now!