The Podcast

In 2020, I started grad school at Boston University for journalism. I finished this past December and during that time my wife gave birth to our son, Louis. I learned a lot. The first thing I learned was that I didn’t know much about the entire process. The second thing I learned was that I’m not alone — most of the dads I spoke with didn’t know anything before their kids were born. They wung it. Winged it. Wang-ed it. Whatever you get it.

The third thing I learned was that there are TONS of resources out there and the FOURTH THING I LEARNED was that most of these resources are for women by women. My wife found tons of stuff regarding conception, pregnancy, and birth — especially when it came to podcasts. Now that we’ve had a kid (I helped), I’m realizing that almost all the information I learned will be stuck in my head until/if/when we have another kid. Or if one of my pre-kid buddies happens to ask. But there’s not the same urgency.

Having a kid is like sky diving. There’s a lot of apprehension right up until it happens and then you pull the parachute cord and when you realize that you’re floating instead of rocketing towards the ground, you exhale. Because you realize you’re going to be alright. The panic and fear beforehand isn’t any less real, but the teeth have been removed.

Okay, so I’ve never ‘been’ ‘skydiving’. My wife just had a kid so I think I get the experience of free-falling. This is all a very long-winded way of telling you that I’m making a podcast for men about conception, pregnancy, and birth. And beyond. It’s called How to make a baby and it’s available anywhere you listen to podcasts. I will ask the questions you need answered but maybe you’re too embarrassed to ask. Or maybe you don’t even know you have the question, but the doctor or midwife says something and you’re like, “Wait…how do babies breathe in the womb?”

I. Have. You. Covered. Trust me, we all have a bunch of questions. The mistake I made for the first twenty years of my life was thinking that almost everyone knew everything but I was the only one still learning stuff.

ALSO, this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Think about this: my grandfather didn’t see any of his kids born. He wasn’t some awful guy; it was how things worked. Men did not go into the delivery room. Now it feels a liiiiiittle like shame on you if you don’t know the phrases that fly around in the delivery room, “6cm dilated” and “fully effaced” and “mucus plug” and “leave the room if you’re going to pass out.” But here we are. Listen to the pod. You’ll like it. If you don’t, you get your money back. If you do, give it five stars and say something nice.

Once more, in case you missed it: teaser here, subscribe if you’d like, episode one coming out Tuesday, Jan. 11.