Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey

Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey

What if you and your best friend were pregnant at the same time? That's what happened to us! Big Fat Positive is a smart and funny podcast about two best friends who found out they were pregnant at the same time. The show follows the moms-to-be on their journey through pregnancy and into new motherhood, week by week. With weekly check-ins, special guests and segments such as "OMG I’m Freaking Out," hosts Shanna Micko & Laura Birek recount the often hilarious and always honest highs and lows of being a pregnant woman and new mom. Episodes 1 to 32 deal with pregnancy. Episode 33 and on deal with new parenthood. Tune in wherever you are on your journey! New episodes are released every Monday.

Episodes

January 19, 2026 53 mins

In the special segment "Never Have I Ever: Parenting Edition," Laura and Shanna reveal the unexpected things they've never done before having kids, including a desperate attempt to complete a puzzle in inclement weather and a disturbing doctor's appointment that ended in tears. Also, Shanna talks about her attempts to have a low-key Christmas, and Laura reports on her family's festive week of ice dancing and dreidel spinni...

Mark as Played

In the special segment "Dear Past Me," Shanna and Laura give their former selves parenting advice based on what they know now, including wisdom about sentimental baby items and encouragement to advocate for yourself in the early days of new motherhood. Also, Laura manages to get her reluctant kids to go on an urban adventure, and Shanna celebrates her daughter's 7th birthday and travels to Phoenix with her family for a cel...

Mark as Played

In the special segment "Today I Learned," Laura and Shanna discuss the fascinating or unusual things they have learned about recently, including an unexpected baby boom on a remote island in the South Pacific and the surprising history of the Tooth Fairy. Also, Shanna shares the details about her daughter's 7th birthday party, and Laura reports on her experience babysitting Shanna's kids. Finally, they share their BFPs or ...

Mark as Played

As 2025 comes to an end, Laura and Shanna reflect on their last 12 months of parenting with honesty, humor and insight in the special segment "Year in Review." As they look back on 2025, they share their biggest laughs, unexpected wins and surprising realizations, including the hilarious thing Laura's kids taught her this year, the shocking incident that sums up the vibe of Shanna's year, their favorite shows of 2025 and m...

Mark as Played

It’s Christmas week, and Shanna and Laura get festive answering listeners' holiday-themed questions in the special segment "Checkin' the Inbox!" They answer questions about handling the logistics of Santa, managing sibling jealousy during the gift-giving season, whether to do Elf on the Shelf and more! During the check-in, they share their families' plans for the holiday and discuss their gift ideas for their kids, their h...

Mark as Played
December 15, 2025 59 mins

In the special segment "Would You Rather," Shanna and Laura present hypothetical parenting situations and then discuss which choices they would rather make, diving into the topics of bringing your kids to your own doctor's appointments, handling your kids' questionable choices in music and more! Also, Laura reports on her 6-year-old's first week at his brand-new school, and Shanna gives an update on the caterpillar that he...

Mark as Played
December 8, 2025 55 mins

In the special segment "Big Topic," Laura shares a difficult decision she made recently that affects her entire family. She discusses the first moment that her gut instinct signalled that things were amiss in this particular situation as well as the events leading up to the decision. Also, Shanna talks about a smaller scale, but still significant, tough choice she recently made to take care of herself. Finally, Laura and S...

Mark as Played
December 1, 2025 49 mins

In the brand-new special segment "Out of Context," Laura and Shanna share random text messages they have sent or received that shed light on their parenting life, diving into the topics of kids' crushes, classroom behavior, time management and more! Also, Laura reflects on her surprising feelings about staying up late with her kids, and Shanna reports on the situation that put her kids' Halloween party in peril. Finally, t...

Mark as Played
November 24, 2025 57 mins

In the special segment "What the Hack?!," Shanna and Laura share some of their favorite parenting tips and tricks, including ideas for preventing toddlers from knocking over valuable items, being prepared when you're in the car with your kids, using honey bears in a fun way and more! Also, Laura reports on the unsettling reports she has been getting from her 6-year-old's school, Shanna discusses her attempt to power throug...

Mark as Played
November 17, 2025 47 mins

In the special segment “Mom Confessions,” Laura and Shanna share the embarrassing or hilarious parenting experiences they have had recently, including a destructive laundry mishap, an inappropriate AI encounter and more! Also, Shanna reports on how she is managing sciatic nerve pain, and Laura discusses her realization that she now has an "edgy" older kid. Finally, they share their BFPs and BFNs for the week. Shanna's kids...

Mark as Played

In the special segment "They Said What?!" Shanna and Laura discuss the funny, outrageous, or offensive things they've heard people say recently, including some hilarious comments from Laura's kids, a surprising parenting tactic Shanna overheard in a grocery-store parking lot, and more! Also, Shanna reports on leaving her family for a retreat in the mountains, and Laura talks about her last-minute ticket score that led to a...

Mark as Played
November 3, 2025 57 mins

In the special segment "Internet Insanity," Shanna and Laura dive into the 6-7 trend and finally get to the bottom of what this Gen-Alpha slang means and where it comes from. They also share other gems they've found on the web recently, including surprising toddler comfort items, one-of-a-kind jewelry made from an unexpected source, and more! Also, Laura celebrates the release day of her new potty training book, and Shanna...

Mark as Played
October 27, 2025 55 mins

Shanna and Laura get into the Halloween spirit with a spooky special segment, sharing scary parenting stories that will strike fear in even the most confident parents! Also, Laura reports on her kids' creepy Halloween costume choices, and Shanna reacts to her 6-year-old's last-minute request to switch costumes. Finally, they share their BFPs and BFNs for the week. Shanna's kids are 6.5 and 9.5 years old, and Laura’s kids a...

Mark as Played
October 20, 2025 61 mins

In the special segment "Loose Ends," Laura and Shanna circle back on topics they've talked about in previous episodes, including updates about periods, pulmonologists, pet rocks and more! Also, Laura reports on taking her new book out into the world at the Celebration of the Young Child event in Pasadena, and Shanna reports on the new and improved reward system that she recently introduced to her kids to encourage their po...

Mark as Played

In the special segment "OMG I'm Freaking Out!" Shanna and Laura reveal the current parenting dilemmas that have their hair standing on end, diving into the topics of things you never want your kids to touch and things you wish your kids would never say. Also, Shanna reports on her 6-year-old's first softball game of the season, and Laura shares her 4-year-old's new dramatic interest. Finally, Shanna and Laura share their B...

Mark as Played

In the special segment "Why Is My Kid Crying?," Shanna and Laura explore the situations that have brought out the waterworks in their little ones recently, including unexpected morning meltdowns, big feelings about inanimate objects and more! Also in this episode, Laura discusses the trials and tribulations of naming a family pet, and Shanna reports on a weekend road trip with her kids to see a unique sporting event. Final...

Mark as Played

To celebrate the release of Laura's new book "Good to Go: A Fresh Take on Potty Training for Today's Intentional Parent," she and her co-author, Gia Gambaro Blount, answer listener questions all about potty training! They dive into the topics of when to know if your child is ready to start training, how to handle long car rides during the process, how to handle your child's reluctance to poop in the potty and more. Also in...

Mark as Played
September 22, 2025 37 mins

In the special segment "Mom Wins!," Laura and Shanna celebrate their recent parenting achievements, including surprising successes inside a hotel lobby, at a big-kid's birthday party, in the presence of a claw machine and more! Also, Laura dives into a late-night crafting project that blows the minds of many children (and adults), and Shanna hires a non-family babysitter for the very first time. Finally, the moms share the...

Mark as Played
September 15, 2025 48 mins

In the special segment “Stump the Moms,” Shanna and Laura quiz each other with parenting-related trivia questions about gender representation in kids' books, the cost of high-end summer camps and more. Also, Shanna talks about the passing of a beloved family member, how she told her kids about the loss and how they processed their grief. Laura discusses the ups and downs of her 4-year-old's first week in TK at a new school...

Mark as Played
September 8, 2025 58 mins

Laura and Shanna reveal the funny and unusual things they've asked the internet recently in the special segment "What I Googled This Week," diving into the topics of puberty, kids' casinos, inappropriate words and more. Also, Laura reports on her family's action-packed week without childcare, and Shanna discusses how she handled taking her children on a trip to visit an ill grandparent. Finally, the moms share their BFPs a...

Mark as Played

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.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Dateline NBC

    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

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.