Child
Child is a podcast exploring the emotional and psychological development of toddlers. It delves into how life experiences shape our emotions and sense of self. The series returns for a new chapter in understanding the human story from early childhood.
Episodes
1. The Dance Begins
After that very first moment, when sperm meets egg - the life of a human begins to unfold. But how does that one cell begin to divide and differentiate into the billions of complex parts of a human being. How much do those very first cells know? India Rakusen heads to a lab in Cambridge to look at a human embryo and speaks to leading cell biologist Magdelana Zernika-Goetz. And a baby isn’t a baby
2. Source of Life
All around the world, the placenta is revered in rituals - but in many places it’s mainly seen as medical waste. What is this incredible organ, who does it belong to and how does it feed, grow and protect a baby? India Rakusen speaks to placenta expert Margherita Turco, before diving into the world of what the foetus is really protected from. When you become pregnant there’s a long list of things
3. The Secret Within
Pregnancy tests are so easy to take at home, but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, India examines the moment of finding out you’re pregnant and what to do with that knowledge. Should we tell, or wait 12 weeks? And why wait 12 weeks when the first trimester can be so hard? We meet our first pregnancy hormone HCG, and hear from Hetal Bopodra who experienced extreme sickness during three
4. Every Heartbeat
Ultrasound scans are an amazing window into a previously utterly mysterious world. Having one can bring a whirlwind of emotions, but they also provide a lot of important information for midwives, doctors and parents. After going for her own 12 week scan, India speaks to Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Foetal Medicine and Vice President at The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gy
5. Birth of a Mother
What does it mean to suddenly take on this role, this mantle of ‘mother’. It’s a powerful world and it’s meaning has changed through time. We speak to writer and science journalist Lucy Jones about the mind blowing experience of becoming one. Writer and historian Elinor Cleghorn about some of the most influential images of motherhood, and how they have shaped the role of women today, as well as ar
6. The Unforeseen
Talking about pregnancy loss, miscarriage and unexpected news in pregnancy is difficult, not just for those going through it but for the whole society. But why? India speaks to Clea Harmer, the CEO of the baby loss Charity Sands about the idea of what is and isn’t a person and how the law, science and our own feelings are at odds with each other on this topic. We also unpick foetal testing and scr
7. Are They What You Eat?
India explores the complicated world of nutrition with the help of Dr Emma Derbyshire. How much of the advice out there is crucial, and how much is just another stress on a new parent? And could the food we eat during pregnancy impact the future tastes of an unborn baby? Nadja Reissland shares her research. Food is one thing, but what are we not exploring when it comes to our influence over an unb
8. Mother Brain
The huge changes that occur during pregnancy have been felt by people for millennia, but it's only in recent years that we've had data to back those feelings up. India Rakusen talks to Herman Potzner about just how energetically taxing pregnancy is, and to Elseline Hoeksma about the changes in the maternal brain.Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Execut
9. Birth Plan
How can we truly plan for something as big and unknowable as birth? What are we forgetting to prepare for - or not being told? India Rakusen talks to obstetrician and gynecologist Dr Ranee Thakar about tearing during birth, and to Siobhan Miller, founder of the Positive Birth Company, about hypnobirthing. Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans.
Series Producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive Pro
10. Due Date
At the end of a pregnancy, a lot is going on. The baby might be descending and moving into place, and the pregnant body is changing every day. It’s the baby’s time to arrive and it’s going to happen, one way or another. But what is a due date?India speaks to Holly Dunsworth, a biological anthropologist who’s challenging the obstetrical dilemma. Exploring the idea of why the due dates exist, India
11. Oxytocin
Labour begins. The womb begins its grinding dance into contractions and the hormone Oxytocin steps onto the scene. In this episode, India Rakusen explores the influence that both people and the places we are in have over labour and birth. Where we give birth, and with who, has changed quite dramatically over the centuries. But what do we know now about the significance of both? We hear from Dr Sa
12. Consent
Being in control and having a sense of choice can be the difference between a positive or negative birth experience, but how much choice do women really have? India Rakusen speaks to Dr Anna Nelson about consent for cervical examinations and how muddy this area can be. Leah Hazard discusses what these examinations are for and how useful they can be, and we also hear from Dr Ihab Abassi about his d
13. Trust
With near-constant headlines of problems in our maternity services here in the UK, what does the word ‘trust’ mean today when it comes to birth, and what can we do to create more of it? India Rakusen heads to her own hospital where she’s due to give birth to speak to the director of midwifery Shirley Peterson, Dr Sanem Atakan a consultant obstetrician and a doula Aimee Hamblin about the breakdown
14. Pain
The baby is almost here. In this episode, India Rakusen explores how the baby moves through the cervix into the birth canal to the moment the baby’s head starts to crown. And through all of this, how is pain acknowledged and addressed? India looks at the history of pain relief - and finds out from historian Randi Hutter-Epstein about an extreme form called Twilight Sleep that gained popularity at
15. Golden Hour
The baby is born and takes its first breath. But it’s not over. India examines how the body reacts and recovers in this first hour, how the placenta is born, and how bonding begins between parents and baby. And what if it doesn’t? It’s not always instant love, and that’s okay. India speaks to doula Leila Baker and former midwife Rachel Reed about building that enchantment a different way when the
16. First Love
The chemical and emotional connection between a parent and baby is really important but just how quickly are babies making emotional connections? India talks to MIT professor Rebecca Saxe about scanning babies brains to find the answers. Helen Jukes questions the ‘naturalness’ of the mother-baby bond and talks about the variety of relationships out in the natural world, and India talks to Paterna
17. Milk
Milk. However it comes its a vital source of life. India Rakusen explores it’s various forms and the history and politics that have shaped the way we view how we feed our babies. The pressures around feeding our new-borns can be intensely difficult to navigate. India speaks to a new mum, Kerry, about her experience expressing and feeding in neonatal wards. She also finds out how milk is built from
18. Fingers and Toes
How are mother and baby developing? Sure, we’ve counted their toes - but what happens now? So many huge emotional shifts are happening in the “Fourth Trimester”. We talk about postnatal care with midwife Leah Hazard and the history of lying-in with Dr Sarah Fox. We also discuss postnatal depression, and inpatient support for mums. An area in which England is world leading. India visits a mother an
19. Time Warp
We’re taking a pause to lose ourselves down the rabbit hole of time. Because something strange happens to time in those first weeks of a baby's arrival. The rest of the world still seems to, mostly, rise with the sun, and sleep with the dark - but the world of a new parent has turned on its head. So what would happen if we looked at time in a totally different way? In this episode, India Rakusen e
20. Playtime
As parents start to think about the development of the child within, they might head out to classes. The advice on how a baby ‘should be’ and the pressures on parents to ‘get it right’ can be a lot, but does it all matter? Lucy Jones, journalist and author, guides us through the history of why there is so much pressure on carers. We also hear more from Rebecca Saxe, a cognitive neuroscientist and
21. Sleep
Go on, be honest. Is this the first episode you clicked? It drives people crazy. It’s a firecracker of a topic, and emotions run high around sleep.
So let’s talk about it. When did we start getting so anxious about baby sleep, and what’s ‘normal’ for a baby anyway? India talks to anthropologist Dr Helen Ball about all this and the controversial topic of bed sharing as well as economist Emily Oste
22. Baby Food
Baby food is about so much more than mashed carrot. It’s another important foundation for the rest of the child’s life. But it isn’t an equal playing field and it’s another minefield of parenting. India Rakusen talks to feeding specialist Kim Grenawitzke about the importance of learning to eat, and how to introduce solids. Historian Amy Bentley describes how the rise of commercial baby food affect
23. Crawling
Seeing a baby make its first moves is a magical time. It marks the beginning of their independence. And it’s something that is often tracked using developmental milestones - but are they actually more problematic than they are useful? India Rakusen speaks to Professor Karen Adolph who shares her problems with milestones and discusses the cultural expectations of early development. She also hears f
24. Attachment
Attachment is an interesting word. It conjures up images of love, security, but also a specific focus and intensity that has encircled modern parenting. India Rakusen speaks to Child Psychotherapist Graham Music about attachment styles and people behind the theory. We hear from Marvyn Harrison, founder of Dope Black Dads, about his experience of becoming a father and India talks to Dr Charlotte Fa
25. Lullaby
Lullabies. Simple, soothing… nonsense. Right? Wrong. Here we’re getting behind the importance of music and singing in a baby's development. India speaks to Dr Nina Polytimou about her research into how music can help with speech and communication and also be a powerful tool for bonding. India then visits a Singing Mamas group to hear how coming together as mothers to sing is a powerful, important,
26. Nursery
Whenever an infant heads to nursery, it can feel like an enormous step. Things are changing for everyone. There are all sorts of feelings flying around - relief, sadness, doubt, fear. But what’s going on behind the doors of nurseries and childcare settings in England? India speaks to Joeli Brearley from Pregnant Then Screwed about the current childcare crisis, child development psychotherapist Gra
27. Birthday Cake
We get inside the mind of a one year old with Professor of psychology and baby expert Alison Gopnik. What can babies teach us, and how are they influencing their future. We also take a moment think about the village we need to survive that first year and beyond. It’s a cliche, but we know it’s true. The community around a child is one of the most fundamental factors for its development.Presented b
1. Happiness
India Rakusen dives into the emotional lives of toddlers, starting with the complex and often misunderstood emotion of happiness. Through giggling games of peekaboo, insights from neuroscientists, historians, and global perspectives on parenting, the episode unpacks how toddlers experience joy and how early emotional development shapes who we become. Experts reveal the science behind brain plastic
2. Fear
Fear shows up early in childhood - taught through cautionary tales and parental reactions. In this episode, we explore how fear shapes young minds, how it was used historically to control and protect, and what some scientists now say about where fear really lives in the brain, and what that could tell us about all emotions. From ancient parenting advice to cutting-edge neuroscience. A story told w
3. Surprise
India Rakusen explores the emotion of surprise — from classic knock-knock jokes to the complex, messy business of toddler toilet training. Along the way, we hear how surprise isn’t just a fleeting reaction, but a powerful engine for learning, adaptation, and belief change. We dive into how surprise shapes our understanding of the world, and even how diversity in early years education can offer ric
4. Anger
India Rakusen reaches the wild storm of toddler anger - once feared as fairy mischief, now often misunderstood by science and society alike. We move from ancient changeling tales to modern myths of the “lizard brain”, unravelling how culture, gender, and language shape the way we see emotion. Could anger, so often cast as dangerous or shameful, also be a vital force - something to be named, held,
5. Sadness
India Rakusen examines why humans cry, what tears mean and why we might want to question our ability to read the mind in the face. Taking a look at the science and psychology behind crying, from infancy through adulthood, and how tears connect to empathy and emotional development, experts explain how crying signals helplessness, invites support, and shapes social bonds. The programme also explores
6. Awe
India Rakusen explores the awe-inspiring world of awe. Discover how narratives and storytelling, as well as the awesome natural world, have the power to inspire the feeling in all of us - and find out what happens when we let it into our lives. From an increased sense of optimism and connection to prosocial tendencies and reduced anxiety and depression, join India as she reveals what we can learn
7. Anxiety
A moment of pure panic - losing a child in a park - begins India Rakusen’s exploration of anxiety: what it is, how it begins, and how it shapes both children and parents. Through science, history and culture, she learns how early sensory experiences, food battles, and modern parenting pressures feed our fears. And she explores how play, freedom, and the simple act of letting go might be our best c
8. Love
In the final episode of the series India looks into love. From an exploration into the oxytocin driving the parent infant bond to the pressures of unconditional love and the importance of receiving love on a child’s development, this is the story of a big, beautiful, often pressurised emotion. Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Executive Producer:
Trailer
India Rakusen returns with the second series of Child for the next chapter of the story of us all. The series will capture the joy and the pain of toddlerhood, the history of infancy and innocence, and, of course, the minefield of parenting a toddler. Because toddlers are on a life ride like no other, deep in the trenches of figuring out how to be a person in our world. In this deep dive into the
Trailer
In this new look at the beginnings of life we tell the story of a child from fertilisation to first birthday through the lens of society, history, and science.
