To doctors, a normal death is a natural one, and a normal birth is not. To veterinary surgeons, a normal birth is a natural one, and a normal death is not.When my father was dying, I was terrified. I’d never seen animals die without assistance, or without a lot of medical intervention trying to avoid it. I couldn’t understand how things could happen differently. My medical friends talked with me, and those conversations reframed my entire view. They helped me understand what was going to happen - what I could control and what I couldn’t. Their kindness and clarity helped me to make sense of an overwhelmingly difficult time.Ten years later, I had the opportunity to repay that favour.I was asked to give the speech at my college’s Medical and Veterinary Society Annual Dinner. I thought back to the conversations I’d had with my medical friends, and how much they’d influenced my views on death.I thought about the trauma that medical students see on obstetric wards throughout their training. I thought about how their time of seeing nothing but worst-case scenarios must influence their own ability to give birth years later. I thought about the fear that cause many of them feel, and how they might perpetuate that fear in their interactions with their patients throughout their career.I recognised that fear. It’s the same fear I’d felt around death. And just as they’d helped me, I thought that I could help them.I decided that the one talk I most wanted to give to the medical and veterinary society, was about exactly where vets and medics cross over, and what vets wish medics knew about birth. Normal mammalian birth.This is that talk.Fancy listening to something else? Want to learn more about birth and the challenges of birth in healthcare systems?Here are a few articles I’ve enjoyed recently:And a couple on breastfeeding This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guenbradbury.substack.com
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55:36
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55:36
Snacking
In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on cultural susceptibility to optical illusions, on how a boy’s metabolic health influences his offspring’s health, and the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure. We then talk about the recent UK National Diet and Nutrition survey and how snacking affects the findings. We then talk about why typical Western snacking patterns are bad for children’s health, and how we can use snacking as a way to teach children to listen to their bodies and eat more nutritious foods. Finally, we discuss whether breastfeeding on the floor is better than breastfeeding on the couch.This episode relates to this article (and references are here):Topics covered* How do cultural factors affect your susceptibility to optical illusions? [01:40]* When should boys be healthy to set their kids up for better health? [04:48]* What happens to babies exposed to cannabis in the womb? [11:28]* What are children in the UK eating? [17:38]* Is snacking bad or good? [24:06]* How can we make snacking better? [35:34]* Should you breastfeed on the floor? [38:33]These other podcast episodes cover overlapping topics:NotesRural Namibians struggle with the Coffer illusion in the other direction: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/gxzcp_v3A boy’s metabolic status when his voice breaks affects the epigenetics he passes on to his children: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08121-9Cannabis exposure during pregnancy affects babies:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-04209-4UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023-reportChildren with high dietary fiber consumption at 12 months of age are healthier age 6: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/531Katy Bowman’s breastfeeding ecology podcasts:* https://nutritiousmovement.com/articles/breastfeeding-ecology-part-1-podcast-episode-72* https://nutritiousmovement.com/articles/breastfeeding-ecology-part-2-podcast-episode-77 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guenbradbury.substack.com
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45:11
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45:11
Flattened heads
In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on how parental screen time affects children, on how sugar consumption influences the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and, in celebration of Fathers’ Day, some of the many ways that fathers positively influence their children. We then talk about why so many children in WEIRD cultures have flattened heads, how we can reduce the risk, and what we can do to reduce the risk of consequences if our children have flattened heads. Finally, we discuss Karen Millen’s comments on breastfeeding past the age of six months.This episode relates to this article:Topics covered* Do both active and passive parental screen time affect children in the same way? [01:23]* What’s the worst way to consume sugar? [04:00]* Why are fathers important for children? [08:50]* Why do so many children have flattened heads? [15:16]* What can we do about it? [31:15]* How about if your child already has a slightly flattened head? [35:07]* What’s the recent media hype around breastfeeding? [36:53]These other podcast episodes cover overlapping topics:NotesActive and passive parental screen time and effects on children: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2833506 Sugar consumption and type 2 diabetes risk: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831325000493#fig2Watching fathers sets men up for better romantic relationships: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/famp.12458 Academic performance related to fathers: https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1086743Fathers affect the diet you aspire to: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/scschbioart/292/ SIDS risk in different ethnic groups in the UK: https://jech.bmj.com/content/jech/72/10/911.full.pdf This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guenbradbury.substack.com
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43:16
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43:16
Dealing with pain
In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on picky eating in adolescence, on childhood exposures that increase the risk of bowel cancer, and on how the gut develops tolerance to potential allergens. We then talk about why everyday pains are so important for children, what allows them to experience these pains, and why mildly painful rites of passage can help children to learn to manage their own pain. Finally, we discuss the effects of humming on airway health.Topics covered* Do Children Who Were Preschool Picky Eaters Eat Different Foods at School Lunch When Aged 13 Years Than Their Non-Picky Peers? (actual paper title question!) [01:02]* What’s the deal on the media hype about colibactin in childhood and bowel cancer risk? [07:55]* What are thetis cells and how do they reduce a child’s risk of allergies? [10:12]* How can we set children up for better long-term ability to deal with pain? [16:34]* How can we help adolescents learn to better deal with pain? [38:07]* Why is humming good for you? [40:42]These other podcast episodes cover overlapping topics:Resources mentioned in this podcast* My recent pain article (and all the associated pain references that we discuss here):* Cross-cultural picky eating here:* Social learning and reinforcement of pain features in my article about setting up guts that work well throughout life: * Do Children Who Were Preschool Picky Eaters Eat Different Foods at School Lunch When Aged 13 Years Than Their Non-Picky Peers? https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jhn.70063?msockid=006b94e58178633c336581b580b362d3* Colibactin and risk of bowel cancer: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09025-8* Thetis cells and immune tolerance: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp0535* Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide (15 fold): https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC* Case report on humming for chronic rhinosinusitis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987705006328 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guenbradbury.substack.com
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47:27
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47:27
Big babies, gestational diabetes, and walking
In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news on induction of labour to prevent shoulder dystocia and on the link between gestational diabetes and ADHD. We then talk about walking - the benefits, why it’s hard to enable children to walk enough, and what we can do for babies and children to help them walk more. Finally, we discuss the links between premastication and dental disease.We’re going to start releasing either an article or a podcast every week (instead of both), so stay tuned for the next episode the week after next!Topics covered* Why the conclusions of the Big Baby trial aren’t well supported by the data [01:05]* Why you really shouldn’t worry if you’re told you’re at risk of having a ‘big baby [07:45]* How a mother’s gestational diabetes may affect the child’s risk of ADHD [13:48]* Why walking is great [18:58]* Why it’s hard for children in WEIRD cultures to walk enough [24:40]* How to set babies up for walking [31:44]* How to help children walk more [35:35]* How premastication affects dental disease [45:35]What topics should we cover next?These other podcast episodes cover overlapping topics:Resources mentioned in this podcast* Big Baby trial results: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00162-X/fulltext* Critique of Big Baby trial by Sara Wickham, research midwife and all-round incredible bad-science debunker: https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/bigbaby/* Gestational diabetes and risk of ADHD: https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-024-05365-y* Premastication may transmit bacteria associated with decay: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535349/* Premastication may reduce tooth decay: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5101600/ and https://www.fortunejournals.com/articles/parity-maternalchild-oral-interactions-and-early-childhood-caries-ecc-among-northern-nigerian-hausa-children.html* Genes associated with walking: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02145-1 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit guenbradbury.substack.com
WEIRD cultures are Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic. Us WEIRD adults get allergy, diabetes, arthritis, etc – and these are shaped by how we’re raised. Traditional cultures show us how to give children better adult health. guenbradbury.substack.com
Netherlands