Defrost the Chicken
Welcome to Defrost the Chicken—the podcast where we get real about the chaos of parenting. This is a space for moms, dads, and anyone in the trenches of parenthood to feel seen, heard, and a little less alone. From sleepless nights to forgotten dinners (yes, we meant to defrost the chicken), we’re talking about the messy, beautiful, and downright hilarious side of raising tiny humans. We’ll cover everything from postpartum struggles to parenting wins and WTF moments—with stories from parents who are living it too. Heads up: explicit language is used. Because sometimes, “what the fork” just doesn’t cut it. So pour the coffee (or wine), and let’s defrost the chicken—together.
Episodes
In this episode of Defrosted Chicken, host Natalie Calderon sits down with Mayra, a mom and realtor, to share her family’s experience after her son was diagnosed with leukemia. They discuss the shock of diagnosis, navigating medical care, advocating for a child, the emotional and physical effects of treatment, and how faith and community support kept them going.
Honest and hopeful, this conversation explores sibling dynamics, retur...
Dive into the unfiltered world of parenting with host Natalie Calderon as she explores the pressure to look perfect on social media. In this episode, Natalie shares a much-needed reminder that it’s okay to step back when life feels overwhelming. She unpacks the dangers of comparing real-life parenting to carefully curated online content and sheds light on the blurry line between genuine family moments and performing f...
In this powerful episode of Defrost the Chicken, host Natalie Calderon sits down with Amanda, who bravely recounts her emotional journey through divorce. Amanda opens up about the painful decision to separate from her husband, whose struggles with addiction and infidelity deeply impacted their marriage. She shares how these experiences shaped her perspective and ultimately led her to prioritize the well-being of herse...
In this deeply personal episode of Defrost the Chicken, Natalie opens up about her journey through two C-sections—each one filled with its own lessons, challenges, and moments of unexpected strength. In honor of C-Section Awareness Month, she shares her story.
Through candid reflections, historical insights, and a whole lot of heart, Natalie shares how a quiet, undeniable presence guided her to make a la...
In this episode of Defrost the Chicken host Natalie and guest Paula explore the vital topic of creating open lines of communication with children. Paula shares her personal experiences and challenges as a single mother raising her 19-year-old son. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and fostering an environment where children feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics. The conversation highlights the complexities of m...
In this episode of Defrost the Chicken, we’re diving into something so many moms feel but rarely say out loud—losing yourself a little (or a lot) in motherhood.
From juggling friendships and marriages to managing expectations that were basically handed down with zero instructions, we’re keeping it real with candid convo and personal stories that’ll have you laughing, nodding, or possibly yelling, “Same!” at your phone.
We unpack wh...
What does it mean to mother when you didn’t have one—or lost yours too soon? In this episode of Defrost the Chicken, we dive into the emotional weight and resilience behind mothering without a mother. Whether you’re grieving, navigating strained relationships, or simply figuring it out without a blueprint, this one’s for you.
We talk about the ache, the unexpected strength, and the beauty in it all.
It’s messy. It’s honest. It’s re...
What’s something your parents did that you know you won’t do with your own kids?
In this episode, I asked a bunch of parents that exact question—and I’m sharing some of their answers along with my own.
Breaking cycles isn’t easy. A lot of us are out here trying to unlearn some of the weird, wild, or straight-up toxic stuff we grew up with while figuring out how not to totally screw up our own kids. Fun times, right?
Heads up: there...
In this episode, we’re revisiting some thoughts from episode one while diving deeper into the very real struggles of maternity leave.
Do moms actually get enough time off? Well… that depends on where you live. We’re unpacking the differences between maternity and paternity leave in the U.S. versus other countries, and how those policies (or lack thereof) impact families during such a tender (and let’s be honest, totally chaotic) ti...
Being a good parent is not for the weak.
There are a million ways to mess it up, and even more moving pieces to juggle. In this first episode, I’m taking you inside the mind of a mother navigating postpartum anxiety and depression—yep, that mother is me.
This is my truth. My healing journey.
This episode will not only give you a glimpse into who I am, but also why I decided to share the one thing I’ve been most ashamed of with a bu...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!