Colic Isn’t A Thing.
Colic isn’t real. I will die on that hill.
I know that's a bold way to open, but I stand by it. "Colic" isn't a diagnosis. It's a shrug. It's the word we hand exhausted parents when a baby is screaming for hours a day and nobody has actually looked closely enough to figure out why. And once that label gets attached, the search for answers often just... stops there. Parents get sent home and told to wait it out.
I don't think that's good enough, and neither does this week's guest.
This week I'm joined by Dr. Kirin Palmer, a pediatrician, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Pure Joy Pediatrics in the Portland metro area. Through her clinic and her digital class, she helps expectant parents understand something most of us were never taught: that maternal health during pregnancy shapes a baby's digestion, immune system, and long-term wellness in ways that show up long before anyone thinks to ask about it.
We talk about the one thing most pediatricians still aren't doing: putting the gut microbiome at the actual center of newborn care.
If your baby has struggled with reflux, colic, eczema, gassy uncomfortable feeds, poop that just looks off, or that nagging sense that something isn't right even though every appointment ends with "they're fine" — this episode is for you. We use the terms mother, mom, and birthing person interchangeably throughout.
What We Cover
Your microbiome, as a pregnant person, is your baby's literal starting point. That's not a metaphor. We walk through what actually happens inside a newborn's gut in the first hours of life. Hint: it's a clean canvas, and what gets painted on it in those first hours and days matters more than most families are ever told.
We get into the real reason so many babies end up with a "colic" or "reflux" label slapped on them without anyone digging further, and why vaginal delivery and breastfeeding matter for gut health, plus what to actually do if neither of those was possible for you. Dr. Palmer also breaks down how antibiotics during pregnancy, for UTIs, GBS, or anything else, can affect your baby's microbiome, and what recovery from that actually looks like.
We talk about microbiome testing: what it looks like, and when Dr. Palmer actually recommends it versus when she doesn't. And we name the cascade so many families get pulled into without ever being told there might have been another way: swallow studies, MRIs, NG tubes, hospital admissions, all of it sometimes preventable with early, targeted gut support.
Not all probiotics are created equal, and we get specific about why so many single-strain options from the drugstore shelf just don't do the job. We also talk newborn poop, unapologetically. What healthy poop actually looks like, why color and consistency genuinely matter, and why you should trust your pediatrician over a trending video before you panic. And we close with Dr. Palmer's Tiny Tummies program and how early microbiome support is already changing outcomes for the families in her care.
Resources Mentioned
Pure Joy Pediatrics: www.purejoypediatrics.com
Dr. Kirin Palmer on Instagram: @purejoypediatrics and @kirinpalmermd
Ninni Co Pacifier — code BEWELLBABY for 10% off
Beyond Birth Blueprint membership (Nest, Bloom, Thrive): bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth
Book a consult with the Be Well Baby team: bewellbaby.org/book-now
Everything on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
More About Your Host
Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum.
She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country, so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.
(From me)
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Love, Emily
