Your Child is Normal: with Dr Jessica Hochman

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Ep 232: Motor Milestones Without Panic: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and When to Get Help w/ Daniella Brown Apr 27, 2026

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When it comes to babies and movement, parents often ask:
Is my child developing normally? Should I be worried? And when is it time to get help?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman is joined by Daniella Brown, a pediatric physical therapist and founder of Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy.

They cover:

What pediatric physical therapy actually looks like
Common reasons children are referred (torticollis, delays, gait issues)
What’s truly “normal” when it comes to milestones
When to watch and wait vs. when to intervene
Tummy time—how much actually matters
The impact of containers, walkers, and baby gear
Red flags parents shouldn’t ignore
Common myths about crawling, W-sitting, and more

This episode is both reassuring and practical—helping parents understand what matters, what doesn’t, and how to support their child’s development without unnecessary stress.

Your Child is Normal is the trusted podcast for parents, pediatricians, and child health experts who want smart, nuanced conversations about raising healthy, resilient kids. Hosted by Dr. Jessica Hochman — a board-certified practicing pediatrician — the show combines evidence-based medicine, expert interviews, and real-world parenting advice to help listeners navigate everything from sleep struggles to mental health, nutrition, screen time, and more.
Follow Dr Jessica Hochman:
Instagram: @AskDrJessica and Tiktok @askdrjessica
YouTube: Ask Dr Jessica

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The information presented in Ask Dr Jessica is for general educational purposes only. She does not diagnose medical conditions or formulate treatment plans for specific individuals. If you have a concern about your child's health, be sure to call your child's health care provider.

Ep 231: Pumping 101: How to Make It Easier (and Less Overwhelming), with Tamari Jacob, One With The Pump Apr 20, 2026

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In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with pumping expert Tamari to break down everything parents need to know about pumping—from when to start, how often to pump, and how to make it actually work in real life.

They talk honestly about the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping, the pressure many moms feel, and why it doesn’t have to be as stressful as it often seems. Tamari shares practical, realistic advice to help make pumping more manageable—and even empowering.

This conversation also covers:

When to start pumping (and when you don’t need to)
How to maintain milk supply
Pumping at work and in real life
Choosing the right pump
Common mistakes that make pumping harder than it needs to be
The emotional side of feeding decisions—and letting go of guilt

Connect with Tamari: Tamari offers resources, courses, and practical guidance to help make pumping easier and less stressful for moms.

Website: www.onewiththepump.com
Instagram: @onewiththepump

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Ep 230: Sleep, Babies, and Sanity: What Parents Need to Know, with Chrissy Lawler, The Peaceful Sleeper Apr 13, 2026

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Sleep is one of the most common—and stressful—concerns for parents, especially in the first year of life.

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with therapist, sleep expert, and mom of four Chrissy (The Peaceful Sleeper) to talk about how to approach sleep in a way that actually works for real families.

Chrissy shares a practical, intuitive framework for understanding baby sleep—from the early newborn months to teaching independent sleep skills—without rigid rules or one-size-fits-all approaches.

Together, they discuss:

What’s normal for newborn sleep (and what’s not)
How to build a healthy sleep foundation in the first months
The difference between “sleep training” and “sleep learning”
How to think about crying—and when to step in
The “10-minute method” and how to adapt it to your child
Co-sleeping: when it works, and how to transition away from it
Why parental sleep matters just as much as baby sleep

About Chrissy:

Chrissy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, mom of four, and the founder of The Peaceful Sleeper. She is the author of The Peaceful Sleeper: An Intuitive Approach to Baby Sleep, where she helps parents navigate sleep in a flexible, individualized way that supports both children and families.

Instagram: @thepeacefulsleeper
Website: thepeacefulsleeper.com

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Ep 229: The Benefits—and Risks—of Labels in Kids, with Pediatrician William Wilkoff MD Apr 06, 2026

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Why do parents feel so relieved when their child gets a diagnosis?

And when can that same label do more harm than good?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman speaks with pediatrician Dr. William Wilkoff, who has spent decades caring for children in Maine and writing for both parents and physicians.

Dr. Wilkoff introduces a powerful idea he calls the “Rumpelstiltskin effect”—the relief that comes from simply naming a condition. But as he explains, that relief can come with trade-offs.

Together, they discuss:

Why diagnoses can reduce anxiety for families
The risks of overdiagnosis—and getting it wrong
How labels can shape a child’s identity
The rise in ADHD and autism diagnoses
Why modern parenting feels more anxious than ever
And why something as simple as sleep may be one of the most powerful tools we have

This is a thoughtful, nuanced conversation about how to support kids—without letting a diagnosis define them.

Dr. William Wilkoff is a pediatrician who practiced for decades in Maine, caring for children in a rural and suburban community since the 1970s. Over the course of his career, Dr. Wilkoff is also the author of several parenting books, including How to Say No to Your Toddler, The Maternity Leave Breastfeeding Plan, and a guide on managing picky eating, all aimed at helping families navigate everyday challenges with more confidence. He has also spent more than 30 years writing a monthly column for pediatric publications, sharing practical, thoughtful insights on child health and parenting.

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Ep 228: Are We Over-Pathologizing Normal Boy Behavior? with Dr Michael Milobsky Mar 30, 2026

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In part two of my conversation with Dr. Michael Milobsky, we talk about boys — and why so much normal boy behavior is increasingly being labeled as a problem. We discuss redshirting, kindergarten expectations, ADHD concerns, school environments that may not fit many boys well, and how to tell the difference between a child who is truly struggling and one who is simply developing normally. This is an important conversation for parents and educators about self-esteem, school readiness, and creating spaces where boys can thrive.

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Ep 226: Raising Kids Without the Pressure: Feeding, Milestones, and Language Development with Jordan Koveleski Gorman Mar 24, 2026

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In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman speaks with Jordan Koveleski Gorman, pediatric speech pathologist, feeding specialist, and founder of Eat Play Say, a platform that helps millions of parents support their children’s development through practical, realistic strategies.

Jordan shares why feeding has become such a stressful topic for parents — and how we can shift away from comparison and perfection. She explains the difference between food preferences and feeding problems, how parents can help kids expand their diets, and simple ways to move babies from purees to more textured foods.

They also discuss developmental milestones — how to interpret them without panic, when to seek extra support, and how everyday routines can naturally support language development.

Key Takeaways

• Why picky eating is often normal
• The difference between food preferences and feeding problems
• Easy ways to introduce new textures to babies
• How milestones should be used as a guide — not a source of anxiety
• Simple routines that naturally support language development
• Why parents don’t need fancy toys to support development

Resources

Jordan Koveleski Gorman – Eat Play Say

Instagram @eatplaysay

Free resources for parents
https://eatplaysay.com/handbooks

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Ep 227: Parenting Without Panic: Why Your Kids Will Be Fine, with Dr Michael Milobsky Mar 23, 2026

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Why do so many parents feel overwhelmed right now? In this conversation, I talk with pediatrician Dr. Michael Milobsky about why modern parenting feels so anxiety-provoking — from social media and information overload to the pressure to optimize every part of childhood. We discuss what kids actually need from us, why temperament matters more than parenting hacks, and how parents can stop comparing, trust themselves more, and focus on connection over perfection. This is a thoughtful, reassuring conversation about raising kids with more confidence and less fear.

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Ep 225: Wisdom from a Pediatrician with 40 Years of Experience, with Dr. Stan Block Mar 16, 2026

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In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with Dr. Stan Block, a pediatrician who spent more than four decades caring for children and is the author of Pediatrics Around the Block.

Drawing on years of experience in clinical practice and pediatric research, Dr. Block shares practical wisdom about the questions parents ask every day. They discuss why vaccines remain one of the most important tools in pediatric medicine, what normal speech development looks like in young children, how to think about ADHD concerns in active kids, and why frequent colds and ear infections are often part of normal childhood.

They also talk about one of the most common worries parents have: fever and developmental delays. Dr. Block explains when parents should be concerned. This episode is full of reassuring, practical advice for parents!

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Ep 224: Kids Need Independence: The Science of Play & Risk — Dr. Peter Gray Mar 02, 2026

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In this two-part conversation, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with psychologist and play researcher Dr. Peter Gray about what kids actually need to grow into healthy, capable, well-adjusted adults.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why play is not just fun — it’s biologically necessary
• What children lose when play disappears
• How over-structuring childhood may be backfiring
• What parents can do to foster independence

You can find more of Dr Gray's work here:

• His Substack: Play Makes Us Human
• His website: petergray.org
• His book: Free to Learn

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Ep 223: Why School Is Stressing Kids Out (and What Parents Can Do) — Dr. Peter Gray Feb 23, 2026

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In Part 1 we talk about why modern school has become such a major source of stress for kids — and what parents can do when changing schools isn’t realistic. Dr. Gray shares what he learned studying graduates of a self-directed school model, why curiosity matters more than pressure, and how to support kids at home without turning evenings into “more school.”

Part 2 is all about play + independence — and why they’re essential for raising confident, capable kids.

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