Atomic Moms

It's a zoo at the Sztykiels. This up all night with the infant thing while trying to stay semi-sane for the other kid is for the birds. (Fun updates on Instagram!) Time to enjoy an Atomic Moms classic (5/31/16). In my second interview with conscious parenting trailblazer Dr. Shefali Tsabary, we share insights from her second New York Times bestseller "The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting". This exclusive interview is for anyone who wonders why her kid can drive her crazy…for anyone hungry for external validation…for anyone wishy washy with her parental boundaries. Honestly, it’s a conversation for all humans, with or without kids. And you don’t want to miss Dr. Shefali Tsabary give host Ellie Knaus the best spiritual pep talk ever so that Ellie can finally let go of the performance pressure she has carried since she was a kid. Since taking the the parenting world by storm with her New York Times bestseller "The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering our Children", Dr. Shefali Tsabary has changed the conversation from how can we fix our kids to how can we heal ourselves. Last month Oprah Winfrey said, “Parents…you will be wowed and awed by her.” Listeners, we can’t wait to hear what you think/feel. Please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. And continue the conversation throughout the week on Twitter and Instagram @atomicmoms and on our “Atomic Moms” Facebook page. Show notes: AtomicMoms.com *Join Dr. Shefali Tsabary for her Evolve summit in Long Beach, Sept 15-17, 2017. Register at Dr.Shefali.com*

With catastrophic hurricanes and wildfires displacing countless families, I reach out to child and adolescent trauma expert Stephanie Small, LMFT. In this in-depth interview, she shares invaluable tools to help guide our children through traumatic events. Whether it be a natural disaster, a car accident, a terrorist attack, mandatory evacuation, or surgery, she teaches us how to support a child's natural resilience in the aftermath. And listen up for her simple and effective exercises for alleviating our children's everyday worries and our own! Conversation recorded: Sept 2, 2017 Show info, including guest's extensive bio: www.atomicmoms.com Subscribe: iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Reach out on @atomicmoms social media Join us in our Hurricane Harvey fund that goes directly to "Save the Children": www.crowdrise.com/atomicmoms

Fundraising Contest! Go to our social media posts for details! Whining, biting, hitting, kicking, and screaming? What to do and how to discipline? Author, expert, and mom of 4, Sarah Ockwell-Smith is here to help. Y'all, the newborn honeymoon stage is wearing off, and we’re figuring out how to be this new and improved version of our family while juggling life and not completely losing our marbles. No surprise. I'm exhausted and a tad overwhelmed. Almost 4 year-old Big Sis is incredibly loving and patient with her baby sister's needs and colic wails. (Seriously. She's crushing it). But I’m having hard time mustering up the energy to parent my eldest as patiently as I have in the past. Parent coach, author, and mother of 4 Sarah Ockwell-Smith gives me skills to make home life easier, a reality check about my expectations, and advice from her brand new book GENTLE DISCIPLINE: Using Emotional Connection – Not Punishment – to Raise Confident, Capable Kids (August 29, 2017). After listening to this episode, you better believe I'm marking my calendar for 2030. Listen to the episode to find out why. Join Atomic Moms in supporting the youngest affected by Hurricane Harvey. Go to: Crowdrise.com/atomicmoms. Your gift will go directly to Save the Children's work there. I promise I did my homework. Show Notes: AtomicMoms.com Love hearing from you on social media!

Do you struggle to set aside time for yourself? Do you have a hard time not giving in when your child throws a tantrum? How about controlling your anger or unhealthy eating habits? Hollywood’s A-List psychotherapist BARRY MICHELS helps host ELLIE KNAUS address these mama issues and more. Go to TheToolsBook.com for more about Barry Michels and Phil Stutz groundbreaking work “The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion” and their brand new book "Coming Alive: 4 Tools to Defeat Your Inner Enemy, Ignite Creative Expression & Unleash Your Soul’s Potential” (Penguin Random House, August 22, 2017).   Stay tuned for Part II of our conversation in September. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes.com/atomicmoms. Please leave a kind review if you enjoy this content! Helpful Links and Show Notes available at AtomicMoms.com This is a one woman show! Say hi on social media. I love hearing from you all: @atomicmoms

Meet the brand new love of our lives: Eliza Sztykiel (8 lbs, 8 oz, 21 inches long)! In this 'mom'umental episode, Ellie Knaus (hi!) and Adam Sztykiel share the highlights of our second daughter’s beautiful, hilarious, and wild unmedicated hospital birth, including audio footage Adam secretly and lovingly taped (best push present for a podcasting mom ever!) Special thanks to our birthing dream team: our mama bear doula Carmen, sunny OBGYN Dr. Susan Morrison, and all the fabulous nurses at Cedar Sinai hospital. To all you Atomic Mamas, thank you all for keeping us company on this 40 week pregnancy journey. Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Find us on social media: Instagram: @atomicmoms, Twitter: @atomicmoms, and Facebook: “atomic moms podcast” Please share the podcast with mom friends!

A brand new podcast update from Ellie, including instructions for our baby naming contest, the insane LA LA Land things Ellie is doing in an attempt to flip her baby around from "sunny side up", and listener notes on last week's podcast "The Baby Waiting Game". Then we highlight this episode from February 2017 that could save your child’s life. I can’t wait for you to meet guest SELENA WILLOWS, a mom of two, a nutrition and wellness coach as well as the child swim instructor who taught my toddler to swim safely across a pool in less than two weeks! We’ll talk with Selena about water safety (like the chilling fact that it takes less than 20 seconds for a child to stop fighting for breath), the spiritual experience of witnessing a child push past their fears and perceived limitations, as well as how she coaches. “Swimming is one of those things that children can learn very quickly if people get out of their way,” Selena says. “I often say I don’t so much teach as I facilitate. I provide a safe environment where kids are empowered and they get to learn how to swim — they get to teach themselves how to swim. I guide them, but I do very little instruction.” We also go WAY BEYOND swim lessons into Selena’s mantra to “live life on purpose” and her own transformative experience of LOSING 100 pounds. And Selena will offer a “breakthrough homework assignment” for us moms to achieve greater clarity about getting to the root of shame and how it affects us physically inside and out.

We could meet this baby any moment folks! My modified bed rest restrictions have been lifted and she’s welcome to join us anytime. The acid reflux situation is real (as you’ll hear in my voice on the show) and so is nesting at our new home. Literally. You will not believe what is oozing out of our walls. I’m serious.  In this relaxed and fun episode, I grill my birth partner about whether he’s ready to be my pushing wingman again. And I ask him what he plans to do differently in raising Baby Girl #2. You’ll also hear one of our biggest motivating factors in life. Believe me, it’s one not many people would fess up to. We also get into an honest debate over what it means to share on social media. For example, should a mom not announce in a Facebook or Instagram caption if she had an unmedicated birth because another mom could feel bad? And why would a mom want share that information anyways? We hit all sides of the argument.  Sending love in these final days (?) hours (?) minutes (?) before we meet Sabrina’s sister. If I happen to not be here next week because I'm filling a gigantic pad with witch hazel, definitely check out one of the amazing experts I've had on the show in the past month! xx Ellie  Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Find us on social media: @atomicmoms and Facebook: "atomic moms podcast" Subscribe to our newsletter and stream the podcast: atomicmoms.com Please share the podcast with mom friends!

Renowned pediatrician and international bestselling author Dr. Harvey Karp shares essential new mom advice regarding sleep (yours and baby's), signs you might have postpartum mood disorder and not know it, and effective ways to sooth your baby in the "4th trimester". His world famous 5 S's technique was so successful in getting Sabrina to stop crying, I'm excited to try again with baby #2. We also chat about Dr. Karp's new, revolutionary, safe and effective baby bed, the "Snoo" and what makes it different from everything else on the market. And he answers my questions about: baby swings, temperament, swaddling, sleep cues, SIDS, exposure to wifi radiation, at what age Dr. Karp believes bed sharing is safe, white noise machines, and so much more! Listen up and share with expectant mom friends! xx Ellie Knaus Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Find us on social media: @atomicmoms and Facebook: "atomic moms podcast" Subscribe to our newsletter and stream the podcast: atomicmoms.com Also, I just saw there is currently a promotion at HappiestBaby.com for $241 off the Snoo until July 5. Meet our Guest: "Dr. Harvey Karp is a nationally renowned pediatrician, child developmentalist and a leading advocate in the field of children’s environmental health. He is on the faculty of USC School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Karp’s books and DVDs, The Happiest Baby on the Block, The Happiest Toddler on the Block, and his newly released The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep, teach parents simple techniques to reduce infant crying, boost sleep, build patience and eliminate tantrums and are translated into over 20 languages. The popularity of his work has made him America’s most read pediatrician. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Karp has been a spokesman on environmental issues for NRDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Environmental Media Services, California Department of Health, and a founding board member of Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet and Healthy Child Healthy World. Dr. Karp is an advisor to Parents, Ser Padres and American Baby magazines and a pediatric expert on BabyCenter. He has appeared numerous times on Dr. Oz, Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, Dr. Phil and his work has been featured by the Associated Press, New York Times, Time, Newsweek, People Magazine, etc. Reporting on his innovative ideas, the New York Times proclaimed, “Roll over Dr. Spock!” Dr. Karp lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nina, and their daughter lives in New York City." -Bio on Healthychild.org

Do you have an action plan if your child needs immediate emergency care? What if your mama gut instinct contradicts the specialist you are consulting with? And if your kid gets hurt, should you really drive to a children's hospital if it's further away than the good hospital down the street? Dr. Kurt Newman, CEO of one of the top children's hospitals in the country and pediatric surgeon extraordinaire, shares life lessons and life-saving tips from his new memoir "Healing Children: A Surgeon's Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine" (Penguin Random House, June 2017). For generations, our esteemed guest has healed children, empowered families, and improved the pediatric medical system. Your heart will melt from the lesson he shares from a date night gone wrong with his future wife. And you'll get revved up when we discuss how the proposed health care plan directly effects children in this country. No matter your kids' ages, this episode will make you a better mama bear when they need you most! Please share this podcast with mom friends and with your online mom groups. Love hearing from you on Instagram: @atomicmoms Twitter:@atomicmoms Facebook: “Atomic Moms podcast” MEET OUR GUEST: "Kurt Newman, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, is a surgeon and a recognized leader on pediatric health issues, nationally and in Washington, D.C. Since becoming CEO in 2011, he has fostered a culture committed to advancing care and research by putting patients first and actively championed innovations in research, operations, and clinical care. He has forged creative and productive partnerships with other health systems in the region, with government and community entities and with industry, at the local, national, and global level. He is also a strong advocate for expanding mental health access for kids and has led two national forums on this issue. Dr. Newman joined Children’s National as a surgical fellow in 1984, becoming the Surgeon-In-Chief and Senior Vice President for the Joseph E. Robert, Jr. Center for Surgical Care in 2003. He was instrumental in developing the vision for the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National, inspired by the audacious goal of making surgery for children minimally invasive and pain free. When the Institute was made possible in 2009 through a transformational $150 Million gift, Dr. Newman served as its Founding Vice President. Currently Dr. Newman serves as the Chair of the Children’s Hospital Association Leadership Committee on Advocacy and Policy and as a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the District of Columbia Hospital Association and a member of the Commonwealth Council on Childhood Success in Virginia. In addition, Dr. Newman serves on the Board of the Economic Club of Washington, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Federal City Council, DC Chamber of Commerce, and Fight for Children. Previously, he served as a Board Member of Commissioners of The Joint Commission, a member of the Board of Governors of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, and as Chair of the Surgery Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Newman is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Public Health. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his medical education at Duke University. He completed his surgical residency at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and also served as the Arthur Tracy Cabot Fellow at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of "Healing Children: A Surgeon's Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine" by Penguin Random House."

With hundreds of thousands of RenegadeMothering.com readers, writer/blogger and mother of 4, JANNELLE HANCHETT is a force of nature, fearless in her authentic viewpoint, her hilarious trucker mouth, and deep-rooted connection to what matters in life. Her writing has been featured in Brain, Child, Unworthy, and Scary Mommy, among others. For those of you in search of your own mom squad, we talk to Janelle about her viral blog: “The No-Bullshit, No-Drama Friendship Manifesto”, the unspoken understanding between best mom friends, and how to cultivate it. We also share why neither of us has chosen a definitive parenting style (or parenting team) and how whenever we think we’ve figured out something as a parent or take parenting credit (lets say for our kid sleeping well, or our pregnancy going smoothly), we end up having to make adjustments or swallow humble pie with the next kid. Most importantly, Janelle opens up about her struggle as a young alcoholic mother as revealed in her essay, “We Don’t Start with Needles in our Arms”. If you know anyone touched by addiction - and honestly, who hasn’t been? - I urge you to hear what she shares on this podcast. love, Ellie Knaus Please subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Please share this podcast with mom friends and with your online mom groups! Instagram: @atomicmoms Twitter:@atomicmoms Facebook: “Atomic Moms podcast” Show notes and episode streaming: atomicmoms.com

Need a mama recharge? Jennifer Waldburger’s voice is so soothing in this “mama and baby meditation" it'll work wonders for you with or without baby. Our recording together was perfectly timed for me because we've upped the ante on my bed rest. No more lifting anything, minimal physical movement, and they’ve taken away my car keys! This challenge is giving me a sneak peak of my upcoming Tour de Babyland. You know those hours when you think you should be getting a ton accomplished but you do not have the energy, and there’s no one to talk to but the crazy voices in your head? WELL…this short meditation for moms with young children and babies will help us reconnect with our children and ourselves and regain our serenity (or at least some of our sanity). It’s helping me tremendously and I’m not even doing it with a baby. I just visualize Sabrina at preschool or the little one rocking out in my tummy. xx Ellie P.S. Get excited! Upcoming podcasts for June include interviews with top child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp (too many books to name) and tips that could save our children's lives from leading pediatric surgeon Dr. Kurt Newman (HEALING CHILDREN, Penguin Random House). So don’t forget to subscribe iTunes.com/AtomicMoms! About our Guest: "Jen Waldburger, MSW, and co-founder of Sleepy Planet Parenting and co-director of the Mindfulness program at Stephen S. Wise School. Coauthor of the award-winning book The Sleepeasy Solution and Calm Mama, Happy Baby, she has worked with adults, children and families for more than 20 years.” Waldburger has been our Atomic Moms go-to expert on “Sleep Learning” for our children ages 0-5 and our two part series on "Separation Anxiety”. Check out This Meditation App Featuring Jen Waldburger: evenflow.io Atomic Moms Listeners can use code EVENFLOW2017 to get a free trial month! Let's chat on social media: Instagram: @atomicmoms, Twitter: @atomicmoms, Facebook.com/AtomicMomspodcast

Infant, co-sleeper, toddler, and preschooler moms! World renowned parenting expert Jennifer Waldburger (sleepyplanet.com) shares decades of expertise helping families get their zzz's and regain their sanity. With her gentle and compassionate approach, practical advice, and no judgment attitude, Jen helps us debunk sleep training myths and answers all my questions when it comes to ages 0-5. Atomic Moms listeners still thank us for our first “sleep learning” podcast conversation with Jen two years ago so we figured it was about time for an update! In #131, we debunk mega sleep training myths and get important answers. Where should newborns sleep? What’s the deal with that new American Academy of Pediatrics first year room sharing recommendation? What's the biggest mistake you can make in the first few months? Why the 4 month sleep regression? How can families transition out of co-sleeping with older children? When should you ditch the crib if they’re not climbing out of it? How do you convince a toddler to stay in his own bed? Are toddler beds worth the cost? And how do you juggle a new baby and an older sibling when it comes to bedtime? As always, we cover a lot of ground! I cannot wait for you all to hear all of Jen's answers and this week’s #mombomb. x Ellie Knaus Shownotes: atomicmoms.com Sleepyplanet.com "The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5" Twitter: @atomicmoms, Instagram: @atomicmoms, Facebook.com/atomicmomspodcast Subscribe: iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Support our independently produced, top rated iTunes podcast by SHARING these episodes on your social media and within your trusted mom networks. Please and thank you!

Funny work-from-home dads and best friends Joe Ballarini and Adam Sztykiel (my husband) riff on how fatherhood has changed them, how much us moms scare them, and how they’d man-handle the apocalypse (God help us all!). We share Sabrina’s latest antics (!!!), the dads’ opposing views on “maternal gatekeeping”, marriage after kids, Joe's epic Dad-urdays with his adorable, half British baby Theo, and what they hope to remember most about these intense early years of parenting. We also talk about the inception of Joe's brand new middle grade novel series, A BABYSITTER’S GUIDE TO MONSTER HUNTING (published by fancy pants Harper Collins), the first of which will be released this June. Expect to see it in theaters as well, as Montecito Picture Company and Walden Films are producing Ballarini's film adaptation. I’m so proud to report that it has fantastically written, funny, and super empowered female leads (#girlpower!), and I cannot wait for Sabrina to be old enough to read it. Mom Question of the Week: Would you feel comfortable leaving your child sleeping in a hotel room if you stayed on the premises and had a monitor? Share on instagram (@atomicmoms) and our “Atomic Moms” Facebook page. Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms! It really helps out our free, self-produced, iTunes top-ranked show. Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms! It really helps our free, self-produced show! Show notes and guest bio: AtomicMoms.com xo Ellie Check out momsneedsleep.com/AtomicMoms for more on the Reverie power bed!

Buh bye clutter! Robyn Reynolds swears we can organize ANYTHING that's worth keeping. This single mom with a can-do spirit and no-nonsense attitude whips Ellie's haphazard "put away" habits into shape. She teaches us how to streamline our kitchen in order to turn our morning routines into a well-caffeinated machine. She walks us through the process of getting our closets under control (and saving money in the process!), and gives an excellent mom hack for how the heck to keep track of what-you-put-where in all those darn diaper bag pockets. In this podcast, you'll also laugh at what a rainy day means at Robyn's L.A. home and how to keep your cool with home maintenance issues, like when the 1-800 customer service for your broken washing machine is leaving you high and dry. Bravo TV, are you listening? Cause Atomic Moms is pretty sure that Robyn Reynolds, Long Island's answer to Marie Kondo, needs her own show! Show Notes: atomicmoms.com Reverie Power Bed Foundation: www.reverie.com/atomic Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms and please leave a review! Join our conversation on Facebook "Atomic Moms" page and Instagram: @atomicmoms! xx Ellie About our Guest: Founded in 2008, stepping out as a first-time entrepreneur, Robyn created her professional organizing company with the intent to manage the mundane, simplify the complexities of everyday life, and bring harmony to your home or office. Using her childhood home as her personal workshop, she found joy in organizing and re-organizing every room, closet, cabinet and drawer to perfection. As an adult, Robyn continued to hone her skills as a fashion merchandiser and a personal assistant. After a short-lived career as an actress, Robyn found herself at a professional crossroad. She decided to take a leap of faith and follow her lifelong dream of creating an environment where organizing was her focus and Organize2Harmonize was born. As a long-time member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), a Certified Professional Organizer and a Golden Circle Member, Robyn has steadily grown her business into a recognized and trusted name in the organization industry. In addition to being quoted in the Huffington Post, Woman’s Day magazine and numerous other publications, Robyn has also worked on the television show “Hoarders.” She just published her first book and is working on another one.

Meet SARA REICHLING: Hollywood real estate agent and mama to Sabrina's best friend. The fact that our own mom-friendship is still going strong after signing on a new house and listing our old one is testament to her ability to remain the calm, focused, trusted leader every client dreams of and every kid hopes for in a parent. Together with her charming husband/ real estate partner JOE REICHLING, Sara reveals secrets for getting the most bang for your home renovation bucks, the neglected home maintenance that could turn into a seller's nightmare, how to keep the marriage passionate, and how the heck to turn our work brains off at home in this age of 24/7 accessibility. We also discuss their ‘one and done’ parenting decision and you won't want to miss Joe's thoughts on the beauty and bitch of impermanence. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Facebook and Instagram! Support the podcast. Get some Zzz's. Pretty please click our Reverie link: Momsneedsleep.com/atomic More on Our Guests: Instagram: @beyond.the.crib BeyondTheCribLA.com BryantReichling.com Show Notes: atomicmoms.com Don’t miss the conversations we’re having on Instagram @atomicmoms, Facebook Page "Atomic Moms", and Twitter @atomicmoms Don't forget to subscribe and write a review on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms. It helps new mom friends find us!