S1 E10 Nurture: The Radical Choice in Infant Care Part I

Nurture: The Radical Choice in Infant Care—Part One In this episode of *IDK Who Needs to Hear This…*, Lauren and Gabrielle are joined by *Dr. Anita Vasudevan, MD, MPH*, a family medicine physician and mother whose own pregnancy, NICU, and breastfeeding experiences reshaped the way she thinks about infant care, postpartum support, and the parent-baby dyad. Together, they discuss why nurture, proximity, breastfeeding, responsiveness, and closeness can feel almost radical in a medical culture that often prioritizes independence, separation, efficiency, and getting parents “back to normal.” They also explore gaps in physician training around breastfeeding, the influence of medical voices on social media, reverse cycling when babies return to childcare, the risks of broad sleep and feeding recommendations, and why true informed consent requires parents to hear not only what we know—but what we don’t. This is Part One of our conversation with Dr. Anita. Follow Dr. Anita on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dranitavasu/. Safe Bed-Sharing Resources If you are bed-sharing, considering it, or just want to have a safe setup just in case... education and intentional risk reduction matter. I’ve linked resources from https://www.instagram.com/cosleepy/ that walk parents through safer co-sleeping practices, setup considerations, and practical ways to reduce risk. These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them at no additional cost to you. *Safe co-sleeping resources *https://earlyneuroco.com/courses-guides/#c.... * https://llli.org/news/the-safe-sleep-seven/ Meet your hosts: https://www.instagram.com/earlyneuroco/ Lauren is a registered nurse, Certified Lactation Counselor, pediatric sleep specialist, and founder of https://earlyneuroco.com. Her work focuses on infant and early-childhood neurodivergence, sensory processing, nervous-system regulation, attachment, sleep, and helping families move beyond “watch and wait” through individualized, neurodiversity-affirming support. https://www.instagram.com/nurtured.mom.nur... Gabrielle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner, and Perinatal Mental Health Certified clinician specializing in maternal mental health, attachment, infant development, and responsive family support.