The Kids Sleep Show

What happens when the healthcare system fails a physician? Dr. Sonal Patel, a pediatrician, neonatologist, and lactation specialist, has lived both sides of postpartum care. After personally navigating postpartum depression, perinatal anxiety, pre-eclampsia, VBACs, severe tears, and breastfeeding struggles across four pregnancies, she turned her experience into action.
Dr. Patel founded NayaCare, a home health clinic reimagining postpartum support, and co-founded the Center for 4th Trimester Care, a physician-led national nonprofit challenging the status quo of maternal healthcare. She's a TEDx speaker, author of The Doctor and Her Black Bag, and a passionate advocate for paid family leave, helping pass Colorado's FAMLI legislation.
In this episode, we're talking about what the "4th trimester" really looks like, why even the most privileged mothers fall through the cracks, and what better postpartum care could mean for families and their babies' sleep.
Episode Highlights:
●      Dr. Patel opens up about her own postpartum journey across four pregnancies, from postpartum depression and perinatal anxiety to pre-eclampsia and breastfeeding struggles. If a physician with every advantage still fell through the cracks, what does that mean for every other mother?
●      We dig into why the postpartum window is one of the most overlooked periods in maternal healthcare, what "4th trimester care" actually looks like in practice, and how Dr. Patel built NayaCare to fill the gap that families desperately need filled.
●      From her TEDx stage to the halls of Colorado's legislature, Dr. Patel has turned personal experience into policy change. We talk about her nonprofit work, paid family leave advocacy, and why fixing postpartum care isn't just a women's health issue. It's a children's health issue too.
 
Resources:
●      Website: nayacare.org
●      https://www.instagram.com/nayacare/
●      https://www.facebook.com/nayacarecolorado
●      https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonal-patel-md-12982a141/
●      https://www.youtube.com/@nayacare6918
Tiktok: @sonalpatel4tridoc

Sometimes the best products are born out of pure necessity. When Alaina Moulton was pregnant, on bedrest, and married to a military spouse, she knew that a traditional plug-in bottle warmer simply wasn't going to cut it. She needed something portable, something that could work anywhere. When she asked manufacturers if it was possible to warm a bottle using battery power, she was told no, repeatedly.
She asked anyway, until one manufacturer said yes.
That yes became The Baby's Brew, the first battery-powered bottle warmer on the market, created by a mom who needed it to exist. Parents describe it as an absolute gem of a baby gadget, and it's easy to see why. The Baby's Brew warms 8 oz in just 3 minutes, which is 67% faster than competing warmers, and its smart sensor technology heats milk evenly without hot spots or nutritional loss. Parents love that it can be used literally anywhere, on a plane, in a car, at the beach, camping, or at a relative's house, without ever needing to hunt for an outlet. Many families love it so much they come back for their second and third babies.
In this episode, Alaina shares the story of building a product from scratch while navigating pregnancy, bedrest, and military life, and what she's learned about feeding, sleep, and the real challenges parents face in those early months.
Episode Highlights: 
Alaina was pregnant, on bedrest, and facing the reality of life as a military spouse when she realized no product existed that could do what she needed. We talk about what it took to keep pushing when manufacturer after manufacturer turned her down, and how one "yes" changed everything.

A warm bottle at the right moment can be the difference between a baby who settles and one who doesn't. Alaina breaks down why temperature matters, how The Baby's Brew fits into a family's nighttime routine, and why portability is a game-changer for exhausted parents, whether they are traveling, in the car, or just trying to avoid waking everyone up at 2am.

Alaina didn't have a business background or a big team behind her. She had a problem, a pregnancy, and a refusal to accept "it can't be done." We talk about what the early days of building The Baby's Brew looked like and what she wants every parent to know about feeding and sleep in those newborn months.

Resources:
https://www.thebabysbrew.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thebabysbrew
https://www.tiktok.com/@thebabysbrew
https://www.facebook.com/TheBabysBrew/

What do you do when your newborn hates being swaddled and nothing on the market works? If you're Liz Hilton, you invent something better. A mother, designer, and entrepreneur with a background in 3D knit technology, Liz took a very real newborn sleep problem and built a solution from scratch in her garage.
That solution became Swaddelini, a swaddle designed to contain babies while still allowing natural movement. Parents rave that it gives their baby a snug and secure fit that helps their baby feel calm and sleep longer without overheating, and many describe it as the best swaddle they've ever purchased. The secret is patented Hug Technology that delivers continuous comfort reminiscent of a parent's embrace, inspired by therapeutic garments originally designed for children with special needs. Unlike traditional swaddles that lock babies in tight, the Swaddelini's seamless, 3D knit construction helps soothe the startle reflex, calms fussy babies, and encourages longer, more restful sleep while still giving babies room to move. And practically speaking, parents love that there are no Velcro, zippers, or complicated wrapping involved.
What started as a homegrown fix for her own son has grown into a 10,000-square-foot American factory with a team of 12. In this episode, Liz shares the journey from frustrated new mom to founder and CEO, and what she's learned about newborn sleep along the way.
Episode Highlights: 
Liz takes us back to August 2017, when her newborn son refused every swaddle on the market. With a background in 3D knit design, she did what any resourceful mom would do and built her own. We talk about what those early days looked like and how a garage invention turned into a full-scale American manufacturing operation.
Not every baby wants to be wrapped up tight, but they still need the comfort and security of a swaddle. Liz breaks down the science behind her patented Hug Technology, why containment and movement don't have to be opposites, and how that insight is helping thousands of families get more sleep.
Liz didn't just build a product. She built a workplace that her employees call the best job they've ever had. We talk about what it means to run a values-driven small business, manufacture in the US, and make the world a better place one swaddle at a time.
Resources:
https://swaddelini.com/
https://www.instagram.com/swaddelini/
https://www.instagram.com/holding_mother/

The internet is loud, contradictory, and overwhelming when it comes to baby sleep, and no one knows that better than Chrissy Lawler. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, sleep specialist, and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper, Chrissy has spent over 15 years helping more than 400,000 families worldwide find their way to better rest, including celebrity and pro-athlete clients.
But this isn't just clinical expertise. As a mom of four who navigated her own postpartum depression and anxiety born from sleep deprivation and hormone disruption, Chrissy brings both the science and the lived experience to the table.
In this episode, we cut through the noise around sleep training, explore the psychology behind baby sleep, and talk about why the right approach looks different for every family. Chrissy also shares a preview of her new book, The Peaceful Sleeper: An Intuitive Approach to Baby Sleep, and why she believes getting sleep right is one of the most powerful things parents can do for their mental health, their relationships, and their child's long-term wellbeing.
Episode Highlights:
Chrissy breaks down why the heated online debate around sleep training is missing the point entirely. Instead of taking sides, she walks us through her attachment-based, research-backed approach and why finding the right path for your family is far more effective than following anyone else's rules.

What do you really need to know about "cry it out"? Chrissy unpacks the science and psychology of baby sleep, how to confidently read your baby's cues, and what most parents get wrong before they ever try a sleep method.

Chrissy gets personal about her own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety after sleep deprivation and hormone disruption hit harder than expected. We talk about why prioritizing sleep isn't selfish. It's one of the most important things you can do for your mental health, your relationship, and your bond with your baby.

Resources: 
Website: https://thepeacefulsleeper.com/
Instagram: @the.peaceful.sleeper
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@the.peaceful.sleeper
TikTok: @the.peaceful.sleeper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.peaceful.sleeper
YouTube: youtube.com/@the.peaceful.sleeper

If you've ever wished your postpartum snack could actually *do something* for your milk supply and taste amazing at the same time, this episode is for you.
I'm sitting down with Dominique "Nika" Spencer, cake artist, mom of two, and founder of A Whisk Worth Tasting, a licensed home bakery right here outside Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill, PA, to celebrate the nationwide launch of her lactation cookies. That's right, these incredible hand-crafted cookies are now shipping straight to your door, anywhere in the US.
Made in small batches with organic oats, brewer's yeast, and organic flaxseed (ingredients I talk about all the time as a certified lactation counselor), these dark chocolate chip cookies are designed to naturally support milk production while actually tasting like the treat you deserve after a sleepless night with a newborn.
We're talking about how Nika brought this product to life, what makes these ingredients so powerful for breastfeeding moms, and why having a stash in your freezer might just become your favorite postpartum ritual. Whether you're pregnant, newly postpartum, or shopping for a mama you love, you'll want to hear this one.
Episode Highlights:
How do lactation cookies help support a breastmilk supply?
What are the ingredients that support breastfeeding?
How many do you need to eat to see results? 
Resources: 
Website: https://www.whiskworthtasting.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskworthtasting/