Foreword

As a pediatrician with almost ten years of experience and with two children of my own, I find that the best advice for new parents is a blend of evidence-based medicine combined with personal experience. I have read numerous textbooks and journals and I strongly believe that the best education is that gained from actual parenting. While I learned a great deal during my pediatric internship and residency, my deepest and fastest learning occurred from the education I gained practicing pediatrics while working with my wife to raise our children.

After reading 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year I was impressed with how closely this book matched what I tell or would like to tell to new parents. As I read, I turned over page corners for each piece of advice that was helpful and applicable. I ceased the page turning since I had turned over most of the pages corners. Some of the advice was so perfect that it made me say, “great advice” out loud. If I wrote a book about realistically preparing for and taking care of a newborn, it would closely resemble 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year’s approach.

There are many books that are focused on taking care of an infant. Some are based on hard evidence and some are based on anecdotal experience. This book is a combination of both, relying not only on advice from parenting experts and research but also on hands-on-parenting experience. There is a balance to be found between the teachings found in a textbook and the education gained from personal involvement. 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year has found that balance.

This book will answer many questions that expecting parents and the parents of newborns typically have. Common sense and realistic attitudes are an important part of raising healthy and happy children. In pediatrics, there is so much advice offered by so many people, and it is important to find the appropriate answers for common parental concerns. Nothing replaces common sense and personal experience when it comes to parenting and the difficult part is conveying that information. 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year has done an excellent job of conveying some of the most important lessons for new parents in an easy-to-read and enjoyable manner.