Review by DIANA ROSLAM
EAT, SLEEP, POOP
A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year
By Scott W. Cohen
Publisher: Scribner
Whether you’re expecting, a new mum or have kids, Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby’s First Year is a must-have baby guide in your collection!
Finding out I was pregnant after just being married for a few weeks was a scary but exciting experience. Ever since then, my husband and I have been ambushed non-stop with advice from friends and relatives based on their past experiences. Everything on what to eat, what to do, what not to do, and, not forgetting, the superstitious beliefs, too.
Coming to six months now, we have taken extra steps to prepare ourselves for the next stage in life: Parenthood.
People say that when you’re pregnant, the best thing to do is read and read a lot. Having read my fair share of pregnancy and infant/baby guide books, I find myself being preached to and questioned on whether I would make a good parent.
Thank goodness this book is different. It doesn’t preach. It’s all about sharing.
Author, paediatrician and new father Dr Scott Cohen gives readers detailed information on what we need to know on a first-time basis when having a baby. He brilliantly includes his own personal accounts of being a first-time father and how fatherhood has changed him.
The content covered in the book – from preparing for the arrival, breastfeeding and teething, to introducing your newborn to siblings; is thorough and amazing. Cohen uses layman’s terms when entailing his professional advice and inserts funny and heart-warming stories of his own.
Despite its title, this book is not just about “eat, sleep and poop” - Cohen also pens certain areas of concern when it comes to myths and old wives’ tales about raising a baby. He writes about what to expect in the first year, health concerns and other issues that parents would have regarding exposing the infant to the sun, water, media and my personal worry, having infants while my cats are around!
Here are some chapters that I like from the book:
Preparing for the birth – Extensive, funny and includes his personal experience on what to buy and have before the birth of your baby. This is wonderful as it gives you a guide from a man’s perspective on what is necessary and what is not, versus the eagerness of new parents to provide the best for their infants. He lists out what criteria you need to look for in a paediatrician, too – very helpful if you have no clue where and how to start looking for one!
How to check your baby from head to toe - A very thorough guide on what to do when you hold your baby for the first time: What to look out for and what not to worry about. Cohen answers even the corniest questions like “Does my baby’s head look like a conehead?”, “Is she cross-eyed?” or “To circumcise or not?” Awesome pointers for a soon-to-be mum like myself.
Breastfeeding – Like other mums, this chapter is appealing to me. Different mothers have different thoughts on breastfeeding their infants. I have always wondered how long I should breastfeed my baby and how long pumped breast milk lasts. Cohen’s explanations are clear and comforting, and I found myself nodding in agreement (and sometimes giggling) while reading as he answered some of my questions.
Vaccines - Cohen makes it clear in addressing issues and concerns from parents from his professional experience and gives out the real deal – the science, evidence, medicine, risks and benefits every parent should know. It’s almost like having a friendly and 24-hour ready paediatrician right on your bookshelf. Love it!
In terms of style of writing, I must say, what I liked most about this book is the “Common Sense Bottom Line” section after each paragraph. Using informal and conversational comebacks like “size doesn’t matter” and “staring into space is normal,” he clears the air with his common sense and straightforward rule of thumb of handling issues at hand.
For busy parents out there, fret not as Cohen makes it easy for you to skim through the book with his checklists and diagrams. Check out the checklists – paediatrician, newborn must-haves and the diagrams – crying at random times, rash diagnosis, and more!
So what do I think of the book?
Honestly, with a title like Eat, Sleep, Poop, how can you resist reading it? When I flipped through the pages for the first time, Cohen won me over with his precise and easy-to-read paragraphs. The friendly tone, common sense and blurbs helped, too. I feel more assured and prepared now that I have read this book. It is entertaining, practical and, most importantly, easy to digest.
What else is there to say? Go buy, (don’t) steal or borrow it. I’m glad that I have!