Spoil Your Baby

Why is safe bed sharing and responsive parenting the foundation for a thriving family, even when modern culture tells us otherwise?
Tracy Gillett started her journey as a new mother feeling confused by the overwhelming and conflicting advice around infant sleep. When she first considered bed sharing, she realized she had no idea what it was supposed to look like because modern culture has severed the generational wisdom once passed down from grandmothers to mothers. She noticed that so many parents were secretly bed sharing or feeling isolated and guilty for not sleep training their infants.
She faced the challenge of confronting widespread cultural myths, like the idea that sleep training is completely safe or that babies can somehow self-soothe on their own. Her key transformation came when she realized that standing up for misunderstood babies and exhausted mothers is a vital form of activism. This inspired her to launch Raised Good and host the annual Raised Good Sleep Summit to flood the internet with compassionate, evidence-based information. Today, Tracy gathers leading experts to reassure parents that wanting to hold their babies close is natural and healthy. She helps us rebuild our lost parenting village, guiding us to replace separation and fear with confidence, co-regulation, and deep relational connection. We believe her work empowers us to trust our intuition and embrace the beauty of responsive parenting.

Key Takeaways
Intentional bed sharing with safe setup guidelines is very different from accidental sleep on an unsafe couch.
Infants lack the brain structures to self-soothe, making co-regulation from a caring parent essential for emotional regulation.
Current cultural claims that sleep training is entirely harmless are not backed by solid scientific evidence.
Rebuilding an online and local parenting village helps us feel supported and confident in our responsive choices.
Parenting through connection instead of separation creates a calmer long-term environment for our children as they grow.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother
https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources
Raised Good Sleep Summit: https://greer--raisedgood.thrivecart.com/rgss-2026-rv1
Tracy Gillett's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedgood
Raised Good Website: https://raisedgood.com
Sensory Symptoms Checklist: Babies and Toddlers: https://sensationalbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SB-Sensory-Checklist-Birth-to-3_20180619.pdf

Guests Bio:
Tracy Gillett is the founder of Raised Good and the host of the Raised Good Sleep Summit. She is dedicated to supporting parents with evidence-based, compassionate resources on responsive parenting, safe bed sharing, and infant sleep.
Ready to Connect with Greer?
"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum
FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
Mentioned in this episode:
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027

How can nurturing your baby's gut microbiome protect them from allergies, eczema, and asthma later in life?
Dr. Stephanie Culler became a scientist after losing both of her grandmothers to cancer during her teenage years. This loss sparked a deep passion in her to develop medicines that prevent and treat disease, leading her to earn a PhD at Caltech and launch a microbiome company focused on oncology. After having her daughter Elizabeth, a pediatric physician scientist encouraged her to look into the infant gut microbiome.
She faced the heartbreaking challenge of discovering that modern birth practices, antibiotics, and formulas have left 90 percent of infants in the United States missing key beneficial gut bacteria. Her research revealed that when babies lack essential species like *Bifidobacterium infantis*, they face a much higher risk of developing eczema, food allergies, and asthma.
Dr. Culler transformed her career by pivoting her oncology research to create the My Baby Biome study, analyzing infant stool samples using advanced technology. She then developed a targeted synbiotic powder combining key *Bifidobacterium* strains with prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides to restore balance to infant guts. Her work offers a simple way for parents to protect their children's immune and brain development. We believe her passion shows how early gut health can pave the way for lifelong wellness.

Key Takeaways
Nine out of ten babies in the United States are missing one or more key species of beneficial gut bacteria needed for healthy development.
Lacking essential *Bifidobacterium* bacteria by age two increases a child's risk of developing eczema, food allergies, and asthma by three to four times.
Antibiotics, C-sections, and infant formula can disrupt the natural transfer and nourishment of critical gut microbes during early infancy.
Combining specific probiotic *Bifidobacterium* strains with prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides helps colonize and restore balance in the infant gut.
We can support our baby's immune system and digestion by paying attention to subtle digestive signs and promoting healthy gut flora early.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother
https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources
Persephone Biosciences' Website: https://persephone.bio

Persephone Biosciences' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persephone.bio

Dr. Stephanie Culler's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-culler

Discount code for 30% off: Spoil30

Guests Bio:
Dr. Stephanie Culler is the Co-Founder and CEO at Persephone Biosciences. She holds a PhD from Caltech and is a scientist dedicated to understanding and restoring the infant gut microbiome.
Ready to Connect with Greer?
"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum
FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
Mentioned in this episode:
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027

How does embracing neuroscience and genuine community support transform the challenges of early motherhood, especially when navigating conflicting advice on infant sleep?
We sit down with Linda, a Nurture Neuroscience practitioner, to discuss her incredible journey into supporting mothers. Originally from the Czech Republic, Linda moved to the United States and found that becoming a mother completely transformed her life. She experienced significant challenges early on, particularly facing conflicting advice regarding infant sleep. She was told she had to sleep train her son before he turned four months to avoid sleep regression, a suggestion that left her deeply conflicted so she searched everywhere for answers.
Her transformation began when she found a holistic sleep expert, which eventually led her to discover Greer’s work. She was drawn to the professional training because it was grounded in neuroscience and research, which made the information digestible and true. Linda’s initial goal was clear: to support families with sleep and ultimately prevent sleep training by working with newborn and pregnant families. The course offered the direction, hope, and light she needed to launch her practice. She fought hard to build her circles, getting creative with marketing—including recording videos and drawing with chalk in front of playgrounds, grocery stores, and schools—to ensure everyone knew about the neuroscience circle. Now, Linda leads successful, intimate circles and one-on-one consultations, providing mothers with a vulnerable and safe space where they receive vital community support and knowledge based on science, ultimately changing lives.
Key Takeaways
Preventing sleep training is best approached by working with newborn or pregnant families, as sleep training is often initiated very early on.
When seeking parenting guidance, prioritize information and knowledge that is backed by credible research and neuroscience over popular myths.
Community circles offer a safe and intimate space, allowing mothers to be vulnerable and receive deep emotional support and connection in real life.
The work of a sleep consultant, focusing on finding alternatives to sleep training, can be a flexible job that allows prioritizing time with young children.
Societal pressures often hide what mothers are missing; community circles help mothers realize they need to be surrounded by other supportive moms.

THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 37 - Finding Hope and Light in Evidence-Based Sleep feat. Linda Fitzgerald - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother
https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page

Resources
Linda´s Instagram: @nurturewithlinda
Guest Bio: Linda is a Nurture Neuroscience practitioner who leads in-person circles in Fairfax, Marin County, California. She never offers sleep training but finds different options to maximize family sleep and help with problems like frequent waking or night weaning.

Ready to Connect with Greer?
“Nurture Neuroscience” Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/
FREE GUIDE, “Nurture Your Baby’s Stress: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, “Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting”: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order “The Nurture Revolution” Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution

Mentioned in this episode:
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027

How do you turn a childhood of "low nurture" into a passion for helping other parents find confidence and joy in responsive motherhood?

Erin and Hayley are twins and the co-founders of The Nurture Duo. They shared their challenging upbringing, having grown up in a single-parent household with two older brothers. Due to circumstances including poverty, mental illness, and addiction, they experienced a "low nurture" background, though they are grateful their parents did the best they could. They always nurtured each other from the womb, leading to a strong bond. Their shared love of children led them to work in early childhood education for ten years. During their bachelor's degree studies, they took a course on infant mental health, which was eye-opening. They realized that many educational settings had high expectations for children's self-regulation, largely because professionals lacked sufficient knowledge about infant mental health. This realization was a driving force, making them passionate about helping parents because they recognized that the change needed to start there.

Their personal journey intensified when they both became pregnant with their first babies, whose due dates were two weeks apart. Motherhood, especially concerning sleep, was initially a shock. They were confused by the pervasive sleep training culture until they found a holistic sleep consultant (TikTok handle: raised to flourish). This consultant helped them trust themselves and their babies more, leading them to embrace responsive parenting practices like contact naps, feeding to sleep, and nighttime parenting. Feeling the transformative and healing power of this knowledge, they enrolled in the Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner course while pregnant with their second children. They launched The Nurture Duo by offering free workshops to build their community. They are now successfully running back-to-back, unique, in-person support circles where mothers feel safe and receive non-judgmental support, allowing them to connect with their own intuitive nurturing abilities and proudly bring the nurture revolution to their town.
Key Takeaways
● Recognizing previous challenges, like coming from a low nurturing background, can provide the drive needed to implement change for your own children and community.
● Trusting yourself and your baby allows you to lean into responsive parenting practices, transforming sleep from a managed problem into a source of joy and precious memories.
● Understanding infant mental health and brain development is critical for all professionals working with children, enabling the setting of appropriate expectations.
● Responsive parenting includes embracing contact naps, feeding to sleep, and nighttime parenting, offering a healing alternative to sleep training culture.
● In-person support circles create essential safe and non-judgmental spaces, allowing mothers to be vulnerable and connect deeply with their babies and peers.
THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 39 - From Low Nurture to Nurture Revolution feat. The Nurture Duo - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother
https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page
Resources
● Instagram: @thenurtureduo https://www.instagram.com/thenurtureduo
● Facebook: The Nurture Duo https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Nurture-Duo/61572289780969
● Website: https://www.thenurtureduo.com
● Email: thenurtureduo@gmail.com
Guest Bio: Erin and Hayley are twin sisters and certified Nurture Neuroscience Practitioners who co-founded The Nurture Duo. They both previously worked for 10 years in early childhood education, holding a BA in Early Childhood Studies.
Their path was motivated by their own "low nurture" upbringing and a challenging start to motherhood, which led them to realize the importance of understanding infant mental health. After discovering responsive care practices that they found to be "very healing", they dedicated themselves to supporting families.
As practitioners, they focus on educating caregivers about nervous system care and biologically normal infant sleep to help them feel more confident and capable of providing responsive care. They currently run unique, in-person support circles for mothers that are described as non-judgmental and safe spaces.
Ready to Connect with Greer?
"Nurture Neuroscience" Website: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum
FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting": https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
Mentioned in this episode:
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027

How can we stay emotionally grounded and raise hopeful children when the world around us feels so heavy?
Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a psychotherapist and writer who has spent her life finding healing and refuge through the creative process. Her journey toward writing her book, Raising Anti-Doomers, was sparked by her own "mother bear" worries about raising kids in a California region increasingly threatened by intense wildfires. In her therapy practice, she also noticed a deep need to resource parents and young people who were struggling with climate anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. She wanted to find a way to counter the "doomer" narrative that often dominates our news and social media feeds.
Her transformation involved developing the concept of the "anti-doomer"—a way to live a fulfilling life while acknowledging difficult realities. She encourages us to find a "sweet spot of engagement," where we keep one foot in the muck of reality and the other foot firmly in a place of grounding. Ariella emphasizes that we don't have to choose between denial and panic; instead, we can use social connection, creativity, and time in nature to stay resilient. By modeling curiosity about the natural world for our children, we can help them feel a sense of belonging and stewardship. She teaches us that parenting with hope is a form of activism that starts at home and ripples out to the rest of the world.


Key Takeaways
Finding the "sweet spot of engagement" helps us balance an awareness of difficult truths with the grounding needed to stay calm.
Building a "parent club" or women's group provides essential social connection and validation, helping us feel less isolated in our concerns.
Spending time in nature allows us to experience "interbeing," where our personal problems feel smaller in connection to the vast natural world.
Modeling curiosity about nature, like watching insects or sunsets, helps children develop a lifelong habit of gratitude and environmental stewardship.
Small, daily acts of giving back to nature serve as a powerful form of family activism that seeds important values in younger generations.


THIS EPISODE REVISITS THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR EPISODE 48 - Raising Anti-Doomers feat. Ariella Cook Shonkoff - Go listen to the full episode if you want to learn more.

Becoming The Nurtured Mother
https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/becoming-the-nurtured-mother

Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page

Resources
Ariella’s Book Raising Anti-Doomers https://anti-doomer.com
Ariella’s Website: https://www.ariellacookshonkoff.com
Ariella’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariella-cook-shonkoff-09a7922a
Ariella’s Instagram: @ariellacookshonkoff https://www.instagram.com/ariellacookshonkoff

Guest Bio: Ariella Cook-Shonkoff is a psychotherapist, writer, and the author of Raising Anti-Doomers. She is affiliated with the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America and holds a deep belief that both art and therapy are transformative. She uses the creative process as a backbone for healing and invites her clients to express themselves authentically with self-compassion.
Ready to Connect with Greer?
"Nurture Neuroscience" Website:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgreerkirshenbaum/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/greerkirshenbaum/
FREE GUIDE, "Nurture Your Baby's Stress":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/nurture-your-babys-stress
FREE GUIDE, "Manage the Stressors & Triggers of Parenting":https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/manage-the-stressors-of-parenting
Order "The Nurture Revolution" Book:https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/the-nurture-revolution
Mentioned in this episode:
Nurture Neuroscience Professional Certification
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/pro-certification - for waitlist - this is visible from Feb 1 2027 to Oct 1 2027
https://nurture-neuroscience.com/professional-certification-sales-page - to join - this can be visible until Feb 1 2027