Parent like a pediatrician
We are thrilled to introduce Rebekah Diamond, MD — parent, pediatrician, and author.
After becoming a mother herself, Dr. Diamond realized that the rigid guidelines she’d been so readily giving parents for years didn’t always work in the real world. Drawing on her extensive medical and clinical knowledge (she has degrees from Yale University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she’s a pediatric hospitalist, AND she’s an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University), she set out to write the book she wished she’d had as a new mom, cutting through the chaotic noise and misinformation surrounding parenthood (sound familiar, WIWIK fam?!)
We read Parent like a Pediatrician and were delighted to find it insightful and enjoyable — two words that don’t usually go together when discussing parenting books.
Bottom line: why is this book valuable?
Dr. Diamond’s goal is not to tell you what to do. Nor is it to scare you into following specific rules. She uses fact-based information to explain the “whys” behind important topics like breastfeeding, vaccinations, and baby milestones — so that you can feel more empowered and informed when making your own parenting decisions.
This book is like a best friend combined with a pediatrician. It’s non-judgmental, straight-forward, and deliciously funny.
Here are a few things we loved about Parent like a Pediatrician.
It’s written for busy parents
We’re parents, which means we have precious little time to ourselves. The book is laid out chronologically for a baby’s first year of life, which makes it stupidly easy to follow.
In addition, every chapter ends with a “key takeaways” summary — so not only do you get quick reinforcement of what you’ve just read, you can easily refer back to important points without having to search through an entire chapter.
Here are a few key takeaways from the chapter on pacifiers:
Pacifier use is linked to reduced rates of SIDS, and while the relationship isn’t definitively cause-and-effect, it is strong enough, and important enough, to count as a “pro” in the binky debate.
Pacifiers don’t cause cavities unless they are dipped in sweetener. They also don’t cause any permanent dental problems unless they’re used for a long time, at least past the third birthday.
Pacifiers pacify. The biggest “pro” in the paci debate is that they are extremely effective at soothing screaming babies.
Finally, the book has an index for commonly used terms….a shortcut we didn’t think we needed until we did.
It’s just the right amount of info
Next up, there’s Dr. Diamond’s beautiful dance of providing enough scientific information that you feel informed and confident, but not so much that you’re overwhelmed.
A perfect example of this comes right in the first chapter, where she outlines what to expect during your baby’s first days/weeks of life. To be honest, those initial 24-48 hours were a blur for us — but when we read about the different procedures and evaluations, it all came back to us. And we agree that it would have been a real comfort to have known why these steps were so important for our baby’s health, rather than blindly agreeing or refusing to have them done.
It’s relatable
On top of the fact-based knowledge bombs, Dr. Diamond provides a very human point of view on parenting. She admits that prior to becoming a mother, she preached the accepted parenting guidelines down to the letter — even if they were unrealistic or didn’t take into account all the different variables that parents were dealing with.
After she had her daughter, she realized how easy it was to fall into the trap of misinformation, to feel like a failure as a parent because she couldn’t follow all of the rules exactly as they were given to her. This book is her solution to that feeling of failure.
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Of all the (many) parenting books we’ve read, this one stands out as a digestible, actionable, and realistic source of information. As Dr. Diamond writes, it’s “all the facts, none of the fear”. She even provides an interactive version of all the citations and sources she references throughout the book, so if you’re feeling iffy or curious about any of the information, you can check it out for yourself.
In short, we highly recommend reading, bookmarking, and referencing often. Dr. Diamond has a toddler book coming out in 2024, and we can’t WAIT to read her take on potty training….
Disclaimer: The information contained in the book does not represent medical advice. The views expressed belong to the authors alone and do not represent the views of any of the authors' employers or other affiliations.
Care to read? Click here to support Dr. Diamond and buy her book!