As a mama-to-be once again, I am suddenly remembering how absolutely every concern about childbirth and beyond is magnified by sixteen million. It’s not inconceivable that you experience as much anxiety over picking the right pacifier as you do picking the right pediatrician. Samantha Ettus, the creator of the successful Experts’ Guide series however, seemed to have kept her head during her pregnancy. That’s when she had the good sense to put together The Experts’ Guide to the Baby Years: 100 Things Every Parent Should Know.
The emphasis here is on experts with an s, as in a full one hundred of them. You’ll learn, in simple, short chapters, invaluable advice that can talk even the most frantic first-time preggo off a ledge. There are tips on how to choose a pediatrician, fly with the baby, prepare your pet for the new arrival, keep your marriage strong, write a will, and a brief primer oon Dr. Harvey Karp’s invaluable system to calm a crying baby, in which duct tape is not mentioned once.
There are even lighter chapters, with suggestions on packing a diaper bag from Kate Spade, or staying stylish from Liz Lange. (Stretch cotton! Stretch cotton!) The range of experts is impressive, from the names you know to those you’ll want to know more about. And since not one of the chapters is more than a few pages long, even those with truly pregnancy-affected grey matter will be able to tear through the tome. I’m counting myself among them. –Liz
The Experts’ Guide to Calm The Heck Down Already
