Laura Birek is a writer and podcaster from Los Angeles. She’s had essays and reported pieces published in Parents Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; The Los Angeles Times; Shondaland; xoJane and more. Her book, Picture Perfect Knits, was published by Chronicle Books in 2006. Since 2018, Laura has been co-hosting the weekly podcast Big Fat Positive, named one of the best pregnancy and parenting podcasts by Refinery29, Verywell Family, and Giggle Magazine. With over three million downloads and counting, Big Fat Positive has established Laura as a trusted and influential resource for parents around the world. Through the podcast, Laura has formed friendships with some giants in the parenting space, including Emily Oster, Virginia Sole-Smith, Liesel Teen (Mommy Labor Nurse), Jen McClellan (Plus Mommy), Erica Djossa (Momwell), Jo Piazza and more.

In addition to her writing, Laura has performed as a storyteller and stand-up comic at Radio Picture Show, The Moth, Improv Olympic, and the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Does anyone care about diplomas anymore? If so, they’ll be happy to hear that Laura also got a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Literature and Theatre from Reed College. She’s also a mom to two boys, Auggie (5) and Sebastian (3).