What I Wish I Knew : A Podcast About Pregnancy, Parenting, and Women's Health

Dr. Joe Dzierzewski is a clinical psychologist, sleep scientist, and Senior Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation — aka one of the most qualified people we've ever had on the show.
We get into everything parents of toddlers, school-age kids, and teens actually need to know about sleep: how much kids really need at every age (spoiler: probably more than you think), why tired kids often look like the opposite of tired, how everything you do during the day sets the stage for sleep that night, and why modeling good sleep habits matters more than you realize.
We also talk school start times, bedtime routines, sleep products that aren't worth your money, and why consistency is the only real hack.

Follow Dr. Joe and the National Sleep Foundation: @sleepfoundation
Follow WIWIK on Instagram: @whatiwishiknew_
Music by Ben Scott
Motion Design by Banona.co

We sat down with Luba Patlakh — bilingual speech language pathologist, certified myofunctional therapist, mom of three, and founder of Kidology Inc. — and walked away with pages of notes.
Luba started out chasing a career in broadcast journalism, worked at Good Morning America and Oxford University Press, and then took a sharp pivot into speech therapy — ultimately building a two-location therapy practice in the Philadelphia area offering speech, OT, PT, ABA, autism diagnosis, and sensory play gyms.
In this episode, we get into everything: what speech-language pathology actually is, the milestone map from babble to full sentences, when to worry and when to breathe, how pacifiers and open-mouth breathing affect speech development, what childhood apraxia looks like, and why "they'll grow out of it" is advice you should push back on. We also talk bilingualism, baby talk, sibling dynamics, and why your parents' intuition is almost always right. (We told you: everything!)
Whether you have a toddler, a school-age kid, or just want to understand how speech actually works, this episode will inform & delight.
Follow Luba on Instagram: @lubapatlakh // @kidologyinc
Follow WIWIK on Instagram: @whatiwishiknew_
Music by Ben Scott
Motion Design by Banona.co

Michaeleen Doucleff is an award-winning NPR science correspondent and bestselling author of two of the most talked-about parenting books in recent memory — Hunt, Gather, Parent and her newest, Dopamine Kids.
We dig into the world that today's parents are actually navigating: one where apps, games, streaming platforms, and ultra-processed snacks are engineered by billion-dollar companies specifically designed to keep our kids wanting more. Michaeleen breaks down why so much of the common advice around screen time is outdated, why taking things away without replacing them almost always backfires, and what the science actually says about building better habits with our kids.
This conversation kept coming back to something simple but easy to lose sight of: one of our most important jobs as parents is making sure our kids experience real joy, real satisfaction, and real contentment. Not the endless wanting that comes from a screen, but the happy, settled feeling of a life lived to the fullest - even as a child.

Visit Michaeleen's website: michaeleendoucleff.com
Follow WIWIK on Instagram: @whatiwishiknew_
Music by Ben Scott
Motion Design by Banona.co

Kumiko Love — known as The Budget Mom — paid off nearly $80,000 in debt as a single mom and built a multi-million dollar community helping others do the same, but this conversation goes far deeper than budgets and spreadsheets. Kumiko gets honest about her own story and why she believes your finances are deeply personal — that knowing who you are and what you value is the real foundation of financial freedom. This one is equal parts money wisdom and self-discovery, and we're warning you now: have a tissue nearby.

Follow Kumiko on Instagram: @thebudgetmom
Follow WIWIK on Instagram: @whatiwishiknew_
Music by Ben Scott
Motion Design by Banona.co

Our favorite nutritionist is back! In this conversation with Haley Miskowiec, we dive into pregnancy nutrition and do our best to bust some myths - are you actually eating for two? What nutrients do you need more of during different trimesters? Is there a normal amount of weight gain to expect? We learned the answers to these questions and many more. Haley breaks down the facts around nutrition while pregnant.
Follow Haley on Instagram: @prenatal.nutritionist
Follow WIWIK on Instagram: @whatiwishiknew_
Music by Ben Scott
Motion Design by Banona.co