605 - Diapers, Your Way

Dr. Carole Keim welcomes entrepreneur and innovator Miki Agrawal to The Baby Manual for a thought-provoking conversation about sustainability, parenting, and how caring for our children can also mean caring for the planet they will inherit. Best known for founding Thinx and TUSHY, Miki shares the inspiration behind her newest venture, HIRO Diapers, and explains how becoming a mother led her to rethink one of the biggest sources of household waste: disposable diapers. Together, Dr. Keim and Miki explore how innovation, nature, and practical parenting solutions can work hand in hand.

Miki explains the environmental challenges posed by disposable diapers and introduces the science behind HIRO Diapers, which pair reduced-plastic diapers with beneficial fungi designed to help accelerate biodegradation in landfills. She also discusses postpartum products, elimination communication, and ways families can make environmentally conscious choices without sacrificing convenience. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Keim and Miki encourage parents to remember that even small, thoughtful actions can add up to meaningful change for future generations.

Key Moments

00:00 – Why diapers deserve their own episode Dr. Keim explains why she dedicated an entire episode to diapers and reviews disposable diapers, cloth diapers, and elimination communication before introducing today's guest.

12:59 – Meet Miki Agrawal and her entrepreneurial journey Miki shares her background, from founding WILD, THINX, and TUSHY to becoming inspired by motherhood to rethink disposable diapers.

17:47 – The environmental impact of disposable diapers Learn why billions of diapers end up in landfills, how long they last, and what motivated Miki to look for a better solution.

19:55 – The idea behind HIRO Diapers Miki describes the inspiration that led her to fungi-based diaper technology and the years of research behind the product.

23:42 – How the fungi system works Discover how the fungal pouch is designed to activate after disposal, why it stays separate from the baby, and the safety considerations behind it.

26:21 – Supporting parents beyond diapers Dr. Keim and Miki discuss postpartum recovery, period underwear, bidets, and products that can make the postpartum period more comfortable.

27:40 – Elimination communication and using fewer diapers The conversation explores early potty awareness, reducing diaper use, and balancing convenience with sustainability.

30:10 – Building an eco-conscious parenting community Miki explains HIRO's broader mission of educating parents about elimination communication, non-toxic living, and environmentally conscious parenting.

31:00 – Small choices can make a big difference The discussion turns to plastic pollution, ecosystem health, and how everyday parenting decisions can contribute to meaningful environmental change.

37:10 – Where parents can learn more Miki shares where families can find HIRO Diapers, follow the company's work, and connect with her mission online.

About Miki Agrawal:

Miki Agrawal is the creative force behind acclaimed social enterprises TUSHY (the modern bidet brand), THINX (period-proof underwear), and WILD (NYC’s first gluten-free pizza concept), collectively valued at over $250 million. Miki is the author of best-selling books "DO COOL SH*T" and "DISRUPT-HER”.

Her next company, HIRO, is a revolutionary nature-based start-up harnessing ancient technology - fungi - to help solve the global plastic crisis. Their first product is a baby diaper that is designed to return to the earth with the help of friendly fungi. (They chose diapers to launch with because they’re the #1 household plastic waste item that takes 400+ years to decompose in a landfill - and each baby uses ~6,000 di