Informed Pregnancy Podcast · Independent Podcast Network | Informed Pregnancy

In Conversation with Dadicated Joe

·58 min·5 clips

Joe Carr shares how learning he was autistic at 22 transformed his view of his intense creativity and communication struggles.

This episode features Dr. Elliot Berlin in conversation with Joe Carr, co-founder of Serenity Kids baby food and creator of the Dedicated Joe platform for fathers. Carr is a neurodiverse dad who advocates for real food, respectful parenting, and redefining modern masculinity. His journey to fatherhood involved significant fertility challenges, a surprise cesarean birth, and launching a company amidst the newborn phase. Carr discovered his autism diagnosis at age 22, which he found liberating for understanding his communication style and intense creativity. He and his wife, Serenity, founded their baby food company after finding no paleo-inspired options on the market, developing recipes that mimic the nutritional profile of breast milk. Their product launch coincided exactly with the birth of their daughter, who was born via unplanned C-section after a frank breech position. The couple had originally planned a home birth but could not find a practitioner willing to deliver a breech baby locally. Postpartum, Serenity experienced significant anxiety and latch issues, leading them to use donated breast milk acquired through informal networks. Carr himself faced near-burnout around two months postpartum, juggling new fatherhood with running the business, which inspired the creation of his Dedicated Joe platform. He emphasizes a parenting philosophy focused on parental self-work and granting children freedom rather than control. An interesting moment details their "back alley" style exchanges to obtain donated breast milk for their daughter. Carr also shares that planning their wedding, which he describes as an "amazing autistic wedding," seemingly helped resolve their earlier struggles with conception. The conversation is candid and personal, blending storytelling with practical advice on navigating prenatal and postpartum challenges. The tone is conversational and supportive, with Dr. Berlin guiding the narrative through Carr's multifaceted experiences. Listeners interested in entrepreneurial parenting stories, neurodiversity, and alternative approaches to nutrition and fatherhood would find this episode compelling. Those seeking a strictly clinical or research-focused discussion on pregnancy may find the personal narrative and business focus less aligned with their interests.

As heard by us

A candid look at fatherhood, birth, and the strain of building a company around a newborn.

Joe Carr's conversation with Dr. Elliot Berlin focuses on how fatherhood can redraw a person's identity when fertility challenges, a surprise cesarean birth, and the pressure of starting a company all land at once.

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Why you'd press play

You want a first-person dad story that moves from fertility challenges and a surprise cesarean into what fatherhood changed.

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