In this video, I talk about my upcoming book, The Bottom Line for Baby—why I wrote it and what it’s all about. It’s the book I’ve wanted to write ever since I had my first child and I can’t wait to share it with you. The book addresses over 60 topics that parents get a lot of confusing and contradictory information about (such as co-sleeping, pacifier use, extended breastfeeding, etc.). The book is alphabetized, and each topic is organized for harried new parents in a quick-read format with three main sections:

• Competing Opinions: the main perspectives/arguments about that topic. For example, you might hear one thing from your mother-in-law, and something very different from your friend at the gym.

• What the Science Says: a short summary of the most recent scientific literature about the subject.

• The Bottom Line: the “here’s what it all comes down to” message. Sometimes this will be that the science is clear on the topic; other times the bottom line might be that the science isn’t well established yet, so parents should trust their instincts and follow their baby’s lead. Then Dr. Bryson covers some factors to consider as parents decide what’s best for their family. 

Many of the topics conclude with “A Personal Note,” where I share stories about my own or someone else’s parenting struggle related to that topic, or discuss funny memories from when I had my newborns.

As I explain in this video, my goal in creating the book was to help new parents become more informed as they make decisions for their kids. More importantly, it will help parents feel more empowered to trust themselves and their babies, and stop being so hard on themselves. A repeated message throughout is that once caregivers have gathered the latest information, they can just listen to their instincts and then trust that they’re doing a great job simply by being intentional—even when they mess up.