We're Expecting!
We're having a baby! Host Ellie Knaus (first trimester) consults best mom-friends Becca McHugh (second trimester) and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair (third trimester) about the ups and downs of pregnancy while toddler-wrangling at the same time. We discuss: expanding our families, “second child-itus” (it’s like my stomach was an instant pop-up tent this time), the “mini van stigma”, VBACS, IUI’s, and...
40m Jan 10, 2017
40m
Getting Stronger in 2017| Fitness Expert Sara Haley
It's time to charge up! Celeb fitness trainer SARA HALEY is here to help us excuse proof our workouts and get strong for all the right reasons. This hands-on mama chases after two young sons and is pregnant with #3. We discuss: the insane but very real pressure we feel in this celebrity obsessed culture to "bounce back", 3 things NOT to do after having a baby, postnatal surprises NOBODY talks a...
48m Jan 03, 2017
48m
Merry Married Mayhem | Ellie Knaus and Adam Sztykiel
Spotlight on ADAM SZTYKIEL (Ellie’s decade-long starter husband, film/television comedy screenwriter, Sabrina’s favorite). We look back on 2016 and the biggest parenting lesson Sabrina has dished up for us thus far. We brace ourselves for the tornado of wrapping paper and fun as we head to the in-laws for the holidays. Plus, we re-live a humiliating moment from Ellie’s pregnancy and decide it’s...
35m Dec 20, 2016
35m
Mama Glow Latham Thomas on Mothering Ourselves First
Named one of Oprah's Super Soul 100 visionaries and "Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness" by Mind Body Green, LATHAM THOMAS is one hardworking single mama on our side. Maternity/lifestyle maven and NYC birth doula, Latham schools ELLIE KNAUS and our listeners on her philosophy of “mothering yourself first”, saying no to make room for yes, and slowing down this winter by tuning into the rhythms o...
1hr 1m Dec 13, 2016
1hr 1m
Dr. Laura Berman on Elevating Our Relationships
You’ve seen her as a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Steve Harvey Show. Our esteemed guest Dr. Laura Berman (New York Times bestselling author, world renowned sex and relationship educator, and clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at Northwestern University) is here to help us mamas elevate our relationships with the ultimate “Jedi Mind Trick.” She swea...
53m Dec 06, 2016
53m
Mom Date | Actress Nikki DeLoach
Actress and mom Nikki DeLoach’s life journey has taken her from a farm in Georgia to her most recent starring role in the new Hallmark Channel film “A Dream of Christmas,” with plenty of WILD (!) stops along the way. Nikki sat down for a mom-date over a gift of Coor’s Light and homemade “Georgia caviar” to chat about everything from her early years in the Mickey Mouse Club (with the likes of Ju...
1hr 2m Nov 29, 2016
1hr 2m
Adoption Illuminated | Angie Sanders
In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month we’re diving deep with an astonishing, candid conversation with Angie Sanders, a former casting director and now-adoptive mother who opens up about her own tumultuous road to motherhood, transracial adoption, and how it felt to be on the other side of the casting equation, which Angie says is a bit “like jumping through hoops that are lit on fire.”A...
53m Nov 22, 2016
53m
American Family Man | Randall Winston
Need a big hug and some "can do" spirit? This is your podcast. Primetime Emmy-nominated producer Randall Winston (Scrubs, Spin City, Undateable) is a towering presence in Hollywood, and not just because he's 6'6", but because he's the best in the biz. He makes you feel like anything is possible, and then he goes out and proves it! And he does it with love! In this funny and heartfelt conversati...
43m Nov 15, 2016
43m
Compassionate Discipline | "Raising Lions" Joe Newman
Joe Newman grew up with the labels: ADHD and "problem child". Now as parenting expert and author of "Raising Lions: The Art of Compassionate Discipline," he guides parents and teachers in supporting strong-willed children. Newman promises "Firm boundaries make happy, more relaxed children." In this #AtomicMoms, mom-pal Marie Horrigan and I celebrate our children's ferocity while we learn how to...
58m Nov 08, 2016
58m
The Craziest Birth Story Ever
Who has a Halloween candy hangover? (I do!) Today I share a special announcement, and then we're revisiting the most mind-blowing birth story I've ever heard. Guest MARIE HORRIGAN takes #AtomicMoms friends Deanna Russo, Bridget Moloney-Sinclair, and me on a totally wild, completely unexpected, and super empowering birth journey that has changed the way Marie looks at parenting and the world at ...
44m Nov 01, 2016
44m
Moms Talk Race | Vanessa Baden Kelly
We’re discussing race: how we can talk about it with our kids and how we can talk about it with each other as mothers. Guest VANESSA BADEN KELLY and host Ellie Knaus discuss color blindness, beauty standards, modern day segregation, diversity in the classroom, code-switching, mom groups, and Vanessa's concerns about her son growing up black. Vanessa is a new mama, community organizer, televisi...
45m Oct 25, 2016
45m
Constructing Hope | Detroit Rev. Faith Fowler
Rev. Faith Fowler is a real life hero. Best-selling author Mitch Albom (“Tuesdays With Morrie”) shares that Fowler is “…the most important currency of our city, a loving, egoless, inspiring leader who doesn’t see color, doesn’t see class, who looks at our poorest, most neglected citizens and sees only hope and opportunity. And humor.” She cares for and empowers thousands, including homeless mot...
38m Oct 18, 2016
38m
100th Episode Special |9 Lives
100 episodes! Whoa! Thank you for sharing your lives with me. I consider this podcast my weekly moms group. And I thought it would be special this week to call up some of you. It turned out to be more than special. It rocked me in ways that I haven't fully taken in yet. In Episode #100, nine listeners share their parenting lives. We talk about their challenges, their insights, their families, a...
57m Oct 11, 2016
57m
Working Mom Crush | Creative Director Jessica Coulter
Award-winning creative director Jessica Coulter and host Ellie Knaus laugh about play dates gone awry, making mom friends, and surprising details from her pre-baby past (burlesque and NFL cheerleading, what?). This year Coulter was named one of Business Insider's "30 Most Creative Women in Advertising" and we talk about what it's like being a mom-boss in the dude-centric world of advertising. E...
47m Oct 04, 2016
47m
How to Support Our Sisterhood | Pregnancy Loss
How can we help a mother who has experienced pregnancy loss? What should we say? What should we not say? Our two special guests devote their lives to the wellness of mothers and have suffered pregnancy loss themselves: clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Zucker and training midwife Georgina Blanchard. Our first guest Dr. Jessica Zucker specializes in women's reproductive + maternal mental health ...
59m Sep 27, 2016
59m
Understanding Montessori | Jeanne-Marie Paynel
Mom pals Ellie Knaus and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair call on Voila Montessori founder JEANNE-MARIE PAYNEL to sort out our child-rearing chaos. We learn: how to simplify our family’s morning routine so we don’t lose our marbles, how to calmly handle mealtime struggles, why Montessori classrooms don't have pretend play objects or talking animal books, and how to create a home environment in which ou...
46m Sep 20, 2016
46m
Making Space for What Matters | Bianca Kajlich, Actress: Rules of Engagement, Undateable, Bring It On
#96: Do you suffer from obligation overload? Ever feel like what you're doing isn't enough in this age where everyone is branding themselves as a multi-hyphenate? Or are you stuck in something that doesn’t feel good anymore? We feel ya! Actress and Atomic Moms co-founder Bianca Kajlich (Rules of Engagement, Undateable, Bring It On) inspires us to commit ourselves to what matters most to us and ...
38m Sep 13, 2016
38m
Working Mom Crush | CNN's Kate Bolduan on Confidence, Funny Mom Fails, & Interviewing the President
Listen to Ellie's new intro to a fave episode. We're sharing our uncensored and funny mom-friend call with CNN anchor Kate Bolduan. The woman is non-stop, co-anchoring "@ This Hour with Berman and Bolduan" every week day along with raising her toddler Cecelia. Atomic Moms host Ellie Knaus asks this spirited mama: How do we juggle the parenting act while still hitting the pavement hard? What i...
47m Sep 06, 2016
47m
Starry-Eyed | Awakening Our Sense of Wonder
#94: Heading towards the last hurrah of summer, we’re letting our hair down, celebrating our sensuality, and re-awakening our sense of wonder. We're also posing one of my favorite mom questions: Why do we struggle to look like we're perfect when the people we love the most are the ones who are fancy free with their imperfections? Our guest Mandy Arioto, mother to three young children, is the pr...
38m Aug 30, 2016
38m
Martha Beck, Oprah's Go To Life Coach: On Loving Ourselves
Oprah says of our guest Martha Beck: "She's one of the smartest women I know." In podcast #93 Martha Beck challenges host Ellie Knaus to get honest in every aspect of her life with an INTEGRITY CLEANSE. Of course, Ellie freaks out that everyone will abandon her. Could YOU do it? Wouldn't it be liberating to stop "dancing on eggshells"? We also discuss: the truth about pain, how to handle self-c...
33m Aug 23, 2016
33m
Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me | Margaux Bergen
Sometimes our own parents aren't equipped to teach us how to create a meaningful life and it's our job to figure it for ourselves. MARGAUX BERGEN, an observant and whip smart daughter of a dysfunctional family, wrote down some of her hard earned wisdom to give to her eldest daughter when she went to college. Penguin Press has published these family stories and raw insights in the hybrid memoir/...
38m Aug 16, 2016
38m
Cheers to Complicated Families | Tracy Barone 'Happy Family'
We're raising a glass to complicated families. Clink In episode #91, guest Tracy Barone chats with Ellie Knaus about the fractured mythology of our own family of origin. For example, do we ever really know our parents? What are they not telling us and how has it subconsciously informed who we are? A mother of reinvention (playwright, film producer, now novelist), Barone also opens up about the...
34m Aug 09, 2016
34m
Does Your Child Get Upset When You Leave?
Separation Anxiety Part 2 with parenting expert Jennifer Waldburger goes WAY DEEP. In this new episode with host Ellie Knaus, we break down the steps for healthy separation, discuss how we can help our children be more independent from us, talk about attachment patterns that can arise generation after generation, share the neurological response of "separation anxiety", and offer tips for saying...
40m Aug 02, 2016
40m
Goodbye Chicago, Hello China | Adventures in Motherhood
You know the lyrics to Frozen's "Let It Go," but how about in Mandarin? In this lighthearted and seriously entertaining 89th Atomic Moms episode, Ellie Knaus and guest co-host Bridget Moloney-Sinclair introduce you to Amber Duke, an immensely likable mama who leans into adventure and embraces motherhood camaraderie. We talk about living in China: the cultural adjustments and the toddler parenti...
41m Jul 26, 2016
41m
How to Supercharge Your Parent-Child Relationship
What's the #1 thing you can give your kid? A healthy, loving connection with you. But sometimes it's really hard. Okay. Really effing hard. Luckily, we have some parenting world rockstars here to help. Featuring brand new commentary with host Ellie Knaus and insights from these remarkable guests: *Erika Christakis: early childhood educator, Yale lecturer, and author of this year's New York Tim...
30m Jul 19, 2016
30m
Lifelong Family Secret | Liz Pryor
For nearly 40 years Atomic Moms guest LIZ PRYOR has kept a tremendous secret. In 1979 she moved into a government run, lock down facility for pregnant teenage girls and secretly gave birth to a child she’d never meet. Liz's new memoir "Look At You Now: My Journey from Shame to Strength," (Random House) explains her affluent and scholarly parents’ decision to send her away and what happens once ...
50m Jul 12, 2016
50m
Separation Anxiety Part 1 | Jennifer Waldburger
#86 Parenting expert and Atomic Moms mentor Jennifer Waldburger answers a million questions in this two-parter with host Ellie Knaus. In this episode Jennifer offers practical tips for both the “rejected” parent and the “preferred ” parent. We discuss what attachment means and the signs of a healthy attachment. And we take a long hard look at our need to be needed and also mommy separation anxi...
41m Jul 05, 2016
41m
12 Minutes to a More Peaceful Family Life | Ethan Sawyer
Ep #85: Ethan Sawyer returns with an illuminating exercise that can help make our parenting job a little easier and way more harmonious. After a huge response from our “Core Values, College Essays, and Burning Man Babies” episode last fall, the nationally recognized college essay expert shares with our listeners a simple and empowering method for parents to break down problems (big and small) a...
44m Jun 28, 2016
44m
Multicultural Mothering | L.A. Parent Magazine's Elena Epstein
Journalist Elena Epstein moved to Los Angeles during the Iranian Revolution when she was only ten years old. She chats with host Ellie Knaus about what it was like being the kid from "far far away" completely immersing herself in everything "American". Then she shares her soul-shifting experience reconnecting with her cultural identity once she became a parent herself. As the owner/creative dir...
43m Jun 21, 2016
43m
Funny Dads | My Husband Adam Sztykiel & Emmy Winner Tony Hale
In honor of Father's Day, we're putting the spotlight on two of the funniest dads we know: Ellie's husband/comedy screenwriter ADAM SZTYKIEL (DUE DATE, UNDATEABLE) and 2x Emmy winner TONY HALE (HBO's VEEP, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT). Adam shares the surprises of toddlerdom and gives a character sketch of each of their wacky fathers (extreme travel, like Mt. Everest included). Then Ellie shares a spe...
49m Jun 14, 2016
49m
It's Surprising How Strong We Really Are | Natalie Taylor
On Father’s Day 2007, Natalie Taylor became a pregnant widow when her husband Josh died in a sudden accident. Overwhelmed by grief and the challenges of being a new mom, Natalie chronicles her first year of motherhood in the memoir SIGNS OF LIFE (Broadway Books). Armed with her wry sense of humor, Natalie opens up on Atomic Moms about: her return to happiness, her love of the Midwest, and what ...
39m Jun 07, 2016
39m
Conscious Parenting Revolution | Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D.
Returning to Atomic Moms, conscious parenting trailblazer Dr. Shefali Tsabary shares insights from her brand new book "The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting" (on sale May 31). 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 ...
36m May 31, 2016
36m
Warrior Parenting : Discipline and Empowerment
What does Bruce Lee have to do with parenting? It turns out a whole heck of a lot. Host Ellie Knaus wants to know how we can help our children stoke their inner fire, while reducing hyperactivity, and learning self-discipline, and meets with JOANN WABISCA (first woman in the USA to receive the coveted "Silver Glove" in Boxe Francaise Savate) and EDWARD MONAGHAN (USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame, U...
49m May 24, 2016
49m
Parenting Courageously | Maria Toorpakai "A Different Kind of Daughter: The Girl Who Hid from the Taliban in Plain Sight"
Not even Taliban death threats could stop our guest Maria Toorpakai from fulfilling her destiny. Growing up in the conservative region of Waziristan where women have zero rights, Maria Toorpakai, age 4, burned all her dresses. Maria's father and brothers helped hide her female identity so she could play sports and roam freely as a boy. Now an internationally ranked squash player, Maria Toorpaka...
33m May 17, 2016
33m
Parenting with Presence and Without Power Struggles
Ellie announces next week's brand new exciting interview, and then shares one of her all-time favorite podcast discussions with esteemed parenting expert Susan Stiffelman. Author of "Parenting with Presence" and "Parenting without Power Struggles", Susan is a leader in the conscious parenting movement. On Atomic Moms, Susan helps Ellie answer: How can we be the calm and loving leaders our child...
52m May 10, 2016
52m
Bravo TV Moms Talk "There Goes the Motherhood"
What if your mom-life were a reality series?! Award-winning parenting expert Jill Spivack and mom-guests Stefanie Fair and Meghan Conroy-Resich share it all on the new Bravo docu-series "There Goes the Motherhood" following six very different mamas in an eight week parenting group. In this funny, provocative, and honest podcast, we talk about how to "kid-proof our marriage", what we're willing ...
1hr 2m May 03, 2016
1hr 2m
Robin McGraw | One Powerful Revelation
Dr. Phil's sweeter half ROBIN MCGRAW, a two-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, devoted mother and grandmother, and fierce philanthropist, sits down with Atomic Moms for this in-depth interview. Robin encourages us to stop asking for permission in life and to go out and follow our passion! After revealing a heartbreaking moment in her own childhood, Robin shares: "You have a right to cre...
53m Apr 26, 2016
53m
Oprah Day with Teresa Palmer
Global film star Teresa Palmer compares "spiritual school" notes with girlfriend/host Ellie Knaus after their "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Super Soul Sessions 2" mom-date. Teresa speaks to the importance of cultivating self-love, while Ellie gives the play-by-play of every egoic moment starting with “what on earth to wear to a spiritual event?” The girlfriends also chat about paparazzi, Teresa’s up...
42m Apr 19, 2016
42m
Bringing Home Baby Brother
Adoptive mama RUTH SMITH embraces the differences in her culturally diverse family. She and her husband are white, and their adopted sons are black. She speaks of her daily commitment to celebrate her sons' race, to honor their culture, and to be a conscious parent in a world that struggles with racism. She also laughs about the sleep deprivation and craziness that is inevitable when introducin...
36m Apr 12, 2016
36m
We Choose Our Family
"Mom Solo" Evie Peck was nearing forty when she decided to start a family on her own. She discusses her choice to become a single mother with host Ellie Knaus and mom-friend-Bridget-Moloney-Sinclair. They chat about the unique challenges and upsides of parenting solo, societal assumptions, and how we are redefining family in the 21st century. Subscribe on iTunes! And for episode notes and the v...
41m Apr 06, 2016
41m
The Importance of Being Little | Bestselling Author Erika Christakis
Early childhood educator ERIKA CHRISTAKIS has dedicated her life to small children. This former preschool teacher and director, Yale Child Study Center lecturer, and mother of three chats with Ellie Knaus about her New York Times bestseller "The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really need From Grownups." Preschool has become the new Kindergarten, and that's a problem! She shares r...
45m Mar 29, 2016
45m
The Messiness of Motherhood
JESS ZAINO captures the funny, raw, and honest moments of parenthood in the video diary series “New Mom Diaries” for TLC.com. This Emmy award nominated producer had no plans of becoming a mother until while she was sitting at a Hollywood Health clinic for what she thought was the flu. Nothing is off limits when she and Ellie get together to chat about new mom life, including Jess’ weight gain, ...
55m Mar 22, 2016
55m
The Comeback Birth Story : Second Time's A Charm
Marie Horrigan takes Atomic Moms mom friends Deanna Russo, Bridget Moloney-Sinclair, and host Ellie Knaus on a totally wild, completely unexpected, and super empowering birth journey that has changed the way she looks at parenting and the world at large. (And you'll never believe what her father ends up doing after the birth.) What makes this story extra special is how vastly different it is fr...
45m Mar 15, 2016
45m
Co-Parenting | Garcelle Beauvais : Hollywood Today Live
Film and television actress and host Garcelle Beauvais chats with Ellie Knaus about co-parenting twins after a very public divorce. We also talk about what inspired her children's book series: I Am Mixed, I Am Living in Two Homes, and I Am Amazing. And I can't wait for you to hear what happened when Garcelle took her children to the White House. Subscribe on iTunes.com/Atomicmoms or stream on w...
44m Mar 08, 2016
44m
Find Meaning in Your Life Today | Bestselling Author Lee Eisenberg
New York Times bestselling author and legendary Esquire Magazine editor-in-chief Lee Eisenberg speaks with Ellie Knaus about his new book "The Point Is: Making Sense of Birth, Death, and Everything in Between". We discuss the identity shift that comes with parenthood, how early childhood memories influence one’s personal myth, the importance of jotting down the little moments, and what constitu...
37m Mar 01, 2016
37m
5 Powerful and Simple Parenting Tools | Author Roma Khetarpal
Author Roma Khetarpal ("The 'Perfect' Parent: 5 Tools for Using Your Inner Perfection to Connect with Your Kids") shares simple and effective parenting tools for strengthening the parent/child connection. We talk about the easiest and most effective way to get your children to problem solve for themselves, the difference between guidelines and rules, the first step to take when a meltdown is co...
40m Feb 23, 2016
40m
Friends Without Kids | Claire Coffee (NBC Grimm) & Bridget Moloney-Sinclair
Guests Claire Coffee (starring in NBC's Grimm) and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair (masters in clinical psychology) explore the tricky subject "Friends Without Kids" and how raising children has strengthened or strained our other relationships. Also in this episode a medical mystery has host Ellie Knaus re-evaluating her priorities and obligations. And she opens up about Bianca's departure from the po...
45m Feb 16, 2016
45m
The “When Are You Having Another Baby?” Question
Natalie Thomas, Emmy-nominated TV producer, Huffington Post, Today Show, Cafe Mom and Womanista contributor, Nat’s Next Adventure founder, and former editor and spokesperson of US Weekly chats with Ellie Knaus about everybody wanting to know if a mom is having another one, and her essay “Can We Just Be”. Whether you’re “one and done” or considering your sixth, this episode will have you nodding...
45m Feb 09, 2016
45m
The Truth About Attachment Parenting and Homeschooling
Guest EMILY FILMORE homeschools and practices attachment parenting. So host Ellie Knaus asks this former lawyer turned conscious parent and published author to explain what Filmore calls "alternative parenting" choices. They talk about the no hugging or tickling policy in schools, what it's like living with an autoimmune disease, and Emily's high risk pregnancy experience. Ellie had her baby sl...
59m Feb 03, 2016
59m
Secrets to Producing a Beautiful Family | Randall Winston
Television producer/director Randall Winston (Scrubs, Spin City, Undateable) is a towering presence in Hollywood literally and figuratively. 6'6" daddy of two, Winston chats with host Ellie Knaus about adopting and bonding with birth moms, the challenges of dressing a tutu-crazed daughter, creating family rituals with his husband in their multiracial home, and how we can turn the No's in our li...
44m Jan 27, 2016
44m