The Scientist Who Scans Fathers' Brains: The Parenting Checklist You NEED Before You Have Babies!
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
6 HOURS AGO
The Scientist Who Scans Fathers' Brains: The Parenting Checklist You NEED Before You Have Babies!
The Scientist Who Scans Fathers' Brains: The Parenting Checklist You NEED Before You Have Babies!

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
6 HOURS AGO
Shownote
Shownote
What actually happens to your brain, and how fast or slow do you age when you
become a parent? Dr. Darby Saxbe reveals the surprising science of the "parental
brain" and how fatherhood physically reshapes a man's mind, why dads lose grey
matter, what really happens to testosterone, and why the "dad bod" might be
nature's design.
Dr. Darby Saxbe is a professor of psychology and a leading researcher on the
neuroscience of parenthood. She is the founder and director of the NEST
(Neuroendocrinology of Social Ties) Lab at the University of Southern
California, where her pioneering work studies how the transition to parenthood
changes the brains, hormones and relationships of both mothers and fathers. Her
research has reshaped how scientists understand fatherhood, men's mental health,
and what it really takes to raise a child.
CHAPTERS
* 00:00:00 Intro
* 00:02:13 Role Of Fathers In Parenting
* 00:06:10 What Happens To The Brain When You Become A Father?
* 00:09:09 Why Testosterone Drops When Men Become Fathers
* 00:11:22 Should Men Be Worried About Lower Testosterone?
* 00:15:39 What Fatherhood Can Change In A Man’s Personality
* 00:19:00 The Upsides And Downsides Of Parenting
* 00:21:30 What Happens When We Make Parents Fight?
* 00:23:48 Why The Birth Experience Can Shape Your Relationship
* 00:27:25 Are People Waiting For The Perfect Time To Have Kids?
* 00:30:44 Why Fewer People May Be Choosing Parenthood
* 00:35:12 Ads
* 00:37:34 Do Parents Actually Have Healthier Brains?
* 00:45:02 What Does Daycare Really Mean For Children?
* 00:47:17 Why Mothers Become The Default Parent
* 00:49:10 Maternal Gatekeeping And Weaponized Incompetence
* 00:52:04 What Really Happens To Relationships After A Baby
* 00:54:27 Why Fathers Can Experience Postpartum Depression
* 00:56:45 Can Your Personality Predict Whether You’ll Divorce?
* 01:00:51 Why Women’s Ovulation May Be Harder To Detect
* 01:03:06 How Can You Increase Your Chances Of Conceiving?
* 01:04:03 What Every New Father Needs To Know
* 01:04:51 Ads
* 01:05:51 How Should Parents Divide Baby Care?
* 01:07:54 What Couples Should Do Before Having Kids
* 01:13:26 How To Protect Your Relationship After Having Children
* 01:15:24 Is The Dad Bod More Attractive?
* 01:18:36 What Does Your Childhood Teach You About Parenting?
* 01:20:30 How Divorce Can Affect Children
* 01:20:47 Are Humans Really Meant To Be Monogamous?
* 01:22:09 What Are The Biggest Concerns About Modern Parenthood?
* 01:23:54 What Systemic Change Could Transform Parenting?
She explains:
◼ Why a father's brain physically shrinks when you become a dad
◼ Why testosterone drops in new fathers
◼ Why the "dad bod" may signal a more attentive hands-on father
◼ Why men experience postpartum depression
◼ Why raising a child was never meant to be done by two people alone
Follow Dr. Darby Saxbe:
X: https://x.com/darbysaxbe [https://x.com/darbysaxbe]
NEST Lab: https://www.nestlab.ca [https://www.nestlab.ca]
Her research: https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/
[https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/]
Her book ‘Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men's
Lives: https://a.co/d/03Qhspxt
[https://a.co/d/03Qhspxt]Join her US based ‘Daddy Stroller Social Club’:
https://daddystrollersocialclub.com [https://daddystrollersocialclub.com]
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Highlights
Highlights
This conversation examines parenthood as a profound biological, psychological, and social transition. It looks beyond familiar stereotypes to explain how caregiving reshapes fathers, couples, children, and the wider systems that support family life.
Chapters
Chapters
Intro
00:00Role Of Fathers In Parenting
02:13What Happens To The Brain When You Become A Father?
06:10Why Testosterone Drops When Men Become Fathers
09:09Should Men Be Worried About Lower Testosterone?
11:22What Fatherhood Can Change In A Man’s Personality
15:39The Upsides And Downsides Of Parenting
19:00What Happens When We Make Parents Fight?
21:30Why The Birth Experience Can Shape Your Relationship
23:48Are People Waiting For The Perfect Time To Have Kids?
27:25Why Fewer People May Be Choosing Parenthood
30:44Ads
35:12Do Parents Actually Have Healthier Brains?
37:34What Does Daycare Really Mean For Children?
45:02Why Mothers Become The Default Parent
47:17Maternal Gatekeeping And Weaponized Incompetence
49:10What Really Happens To Relationships After A Baby
52:04Why Fathers Can Experience Postpartum Depression
54:27Can Your Personality Predict Whether You’ll Divorce?
56:45Why Women’s Ovulation May Be Harder To Detect
1:00:51How Can You Increase Your Chances Of Conceiving?
1:03:06What Every New Father Needs To Know
1:04:03Ads
1:04:51How Should Parents Divide Baby Care?
1:05:51What Couples Should Do Before Having Kids
1:07:54How To Protect Your Relationship After Having Children
1:13:26Is The Dad Bod More Attractive?
1:15:24What Does Your Childhood Teach You About Parenting?
1:18:36How Divorce Can Affect Children
1:20:30Are Humans Really Meant To Be Monogamous?
1:20:47What Are The Biggest Concerns About Modern Parenthood?
1:22:09What Systemic Change Could Transform Parenting?
1:23:54Transcript
Transcript
Steven Bartlett: You've discovered something about the brain, I think is quite surprising.
Darby Saxbe: So we found that in fathers, the brain is actually shrinking, and I'll explain why. But also there are studies that find that both men and women who re...
