Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year

by Scott W. Cohen

Written during award-winning pediatrician Dr. Scott W. Cohen’s first year as a father, Eat, Sleep, Poop is the only book to combine two invaluable “on the job” perspectives—the doctor’s and the new parent’s.

The result is a refreshingly engaging and informative guide that includes all you need to know at each age and stage of your child’s first year. Drawing on the latest medical recommendations and his experiences at home and in the office, Dr. Cohen covers everything from preparing for your baby’s arrival to introducing her to a new sibling, to those three basic functions that will come to dominate a new parent’s life. Eat, Sleep, Poop addresses questions, strategies, myths, and all aspects of a child’s development. In each instance, Dr. Cohen provides a thorough overview and a simple answer or a “common sense bottom line,” yet he doesn’t dictate. The emphasis is on doing what is medically sound and what works best for you and your baby. He also includes fact sheets, easy-to-follow diagnosis and treatment guides, and funny daddy vs. doctor sidebars that reveal the learning curve during his first year as a dad.

Lively, practical, and reassuring, Eat, Sleep, Poop provides the knowledge you need to parent with confidence, to relax and enjoy baby’s first year, and to raise your child with the best tool a parent can informed common sense.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Family, Self Help

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Carla Karp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. I'm ordering it in hard copy and actually want to order one for every room of the apartment for when my little guy arrives. Simple, common sense facts that made me a bit more comfortable with the idea that I'm going to be a mother in about 2 months. Thanks, Dr Cohen.


Update: my baby is now 2 weeks old, and I refer to this book often. Its advice lines up with that of my son's pediatrician. Still 5 stars.

[Jake Berlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the better baby books i've read (so far). clear, concise, and generally reassuring. and since it's written by a pediatrician, the medical advice feels solid and trustworthy.

[Kathryn Beal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and thorough reference! Love the flow charts.

[Lydia Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Will keep as a reference guide for many things. Funny, personal and healthcare professional-based, SUPER educational. Highly recommend to all new parents 🙌🏻

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful as a first time parent.

[Marya · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this is very much a common sense guide, even though it is written by a pediatrician. Anyone who has suffered through the 50,000waysyoucanscrewitup books (i.e. What to Expect when you're Expecting) will really appreciate the combination of calm reason and gentle understanding Cohen shows in this book. Case in point: Even though, as a doctor, Cohen finds no evidence for the use of gas drops, he dutifully reports that about half of his patients swear by them. Since the evidence shows the drops don't hurt the child, Cohen doesn't pass any judgment on using or not using the drops. It's nice to see a physician able to balance science so well with the emotional needs of desperate parents.

One quibble: It is definitely written by a man who is a pediatrician, not a woman who is an OB/GYN. At no point does he mention that breastfeeding HURTS like Hell in the beginning, that you don't have a moment of calm bliss once the baby's out of you if you're getting stitched up at the same time, or that when he says breastfeeding is the ultimate portable feeding system, he means as long as you don't mind doing it standing up in the grocery store while trying to push the cart and dodging looks from other customers who are pissed at you for slowing them down. FYI ladies: you can't just pump a bottle and give it to dad so you can get some sleep, especially in the very beginning when you so desperately want that sleep. Even though you skip the feeding, your boobs still fill up (it's a lot like a full bladder). Your options are to get up an pump or to wake up in a puddle. Either way, you're not going to be sleeping.

Even so, I would recommend this book over What to Expect for new parents.

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't agree 100% with everything Dr. Cohen recommends (for example, he seems to think that letting your baby sleep in your bed with you is dangerous--it's absolutely not if you do it right). Still, this is a great, quick summary of lots of stuff that's important to know when you've got a newborn. A lot of pregnancy and baby books can freak you out with all the possible things that can go wrong, but this book really tries to assure you that, in all likelihood, your baby is fine, even if it seems like she's losing her mind and taking yours too.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

No idea if the advice was good (it's the only baby book I've read so far, but everything seemed to make sense), but I feel a bit more prepared now for a baby than I did before. And I definitely laughed out loud more than once, so the author did a great job of keeping me engaged.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to really review until I get some first hand experience to compare his recommendations to, but I thought the information was organized well and the diagrams in the reference section looked really helpful!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

For first-time parents, raising their new child can be a frightening experience, as is evidenced by the shelves groaning with how-to books on the subject. Scott Cohen’s book is not just the latest addition, it is also one of the better ones thanks to his dual credentials: not only is he a pediatrician, but he also is the father of a baby daughter, which affords him with the opportunity to test longstanding medical advice against the realities of child-rearing. Aiding him in this process is a refreshing degree of humility; Cohen has no qualms about admitting that being a dad is very different from being a doctor, and that even with his training and experience he found it hard to take his own advice.

Cohen channels this knowledge and experience into eleven chapters that offer practical advice for the range of issues parents will face with their newborns. From preparing for the blessed day to dealing with the inevitable illnesses, Cohen explains to his readers what new parents can expect and how best to deal with it. To that end, he synthesizes much of his advice into handy bullet points, checklists, and charts that can aid parents as a quick reference when dealing with these issues. For the most pat he adopts a relaxed approach, explaining when concern is warranted and when a parent’s worries can be overblown. All of this is conveyed in a friendly tone aided by a light touch of humor, usually offered at his expense. Such jokes convey what is perhaps the best point Cohen has to offer – that even the best-prepared of us can expect to make mistakes, yet babies are perfectly capable of surviving our occasional mistakes to grow into happy children. It is a lesson I reminded myself of as I embarked upon fatherhood, and which alone made this book worth reading.

[Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed by this book. Maybe it's because I've read quite a few baby books, but I just didn't feel like this book had anything new or different.

The information was fairly basic. Not as thorough as the Dr. Sears baby book I have, but probably adequate for most people. The Dad/Doctor portions were cute and the book has a fun, conversational tone.

I wasn't crazy about how the book was organized. Rather than being broken up by weeks or months, it's organized around broad topics (eating, sleeping, pooping, and a few others). This doesn't work for me. I like being able to go directly to the age I'm looking for and see what to expect. (The What to Expect series has basically been my best friend for about a year now because I love the chronological organization.)

Also, although the book claims to be about "common sense parenting," there were portions of it that I didn't agree with, and wouldn't have said were common sense at all. (The sleeping portion had quite a few things I disagreed with.)

So overall, not good, not bad. Solidly OK. If it's the only baby book you're getting, you'll probably like it. But if you already own or have read multiple others, this one won't offer anything new or different.

[Sandy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't exactly claim I read this book, but my husband read it before bed each night and summarized the sections for me (because I was super tired!). It's a great book that should be required reading for new parents! It's written by a pediatrician and a dad, and has a very conversational tone. The best thing about it is that it tells you what is normal, what you shouldn't worry about, and what might be cause for concern, but it does all of this without scaring the reader like some other books do.

There were quite a few times when both my husband and I stopped and were like, "Oh. Good to know." Actually, I said this quite a lot because I know nothing about babies. So, I guess the book did scare me just a little because how the heck would I have known some of the things I learned if I hadn't read this book? Nothing too major, but there were some things I never thought about thinking about like "Don't use adult toothpaste for babies." I didn't even know they made baby toothpaste!

This is definitely a book we'll keep on hand and refer to frequently in the next year. Highly recommended!

[Christopher McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my friends who just gave birth to her second child recommended this book to me. Scott W. Cohen is both a father and a pediatrician, so he offers practical advice from a parenting and medical point of view. His chapters are extremely concise and to the point. He doesn't drag out any topic, and you're left with a good general idea of what to expect. I absolutely absorbed almost everything he mentions in his text. I could tell I learned quite a bit simply from my interview with a pediatrician... I was able to match his conversation like an expert. Scott also dispelled any fears I had about vaccines. I live in Los Angeles, the anti-vaccine capital of the world. It's become a trend among citizens and friends in this city to jump on the fear monger bandwagon when it comes to vaccinating your kids. Dr. Scott W. Cohen not only put me at peace, but returned me to my senses. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is about to become a first-time parent!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book about a month before our first child was born, and I found it to be quite a comfort. Delivered in a straight forward, linear way, this information breaks down the key elements of what you need to know about your baby. What I found most useful were the flow charts provided by the author that helps you make logical progressions through care decisions.

The author is a new Dad himself, as well as a pediatrician. What makes it an interesting read is his 'Daddy Vs. Doctor' sections that pit what he tells his patients compared with how he actually acts with his own child.

After our child was born, it was immensely useful regarding all the title's main areas, as well as suggestions to my wife for breast feeding and what medications were safe.

I strongly recommend this book to ALL new parents.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't (and won't) have kids of my own, but I babysit an adorable 4 month old baby girl. I found that I was constantly asking her mom things like "Why is her poop green?", "What is that thing on her cheek?", "How do YOU get her to go to sleep?"
I work in a library and when I saw this book in the return bin, I kind of laughed, picked it up and within a few minutes, I was thinking "Oh...THAT's why she does that. And it's normal!" Even though it is written by a pediatrician, it is easy to understand, helps you to not freak out over little things, and you learn a LOT...probably more than I need to know as a babysitter, but at least now at the end of the day, I can ask my friend normal questions like "How was your day?" instead of weird questions like "Why does she stick her whole hand in her mouth?"

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice, readable, low-stress baby book. It covered just about everything you might end up chatting with a pediatrician about, and did it in a "common sense" way that I really liked. The author spent less time trying to convince you that one decision is right, and more time discussing options and empowering parents to do what works for them. No real absolutes, which is very nice.

One exception to this, though, is his chapter on vaccines. He is very clear in addressing concerns parents have, and lays out the science, evidence, medicine, risks and benefits very well. He is clearly in the APA's camp on the current schedule, and explains why with good common sense. I'm convinced!

[katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and read it cover-to-cover really quickly. I like his moderate approach--he leaves room for those of us who might fall on either side of the parenting spectrum in terms of philosophies, but he also gives a "common sense answer" which is based in scientific fact (he's a pediatrician). But I love that he's honest about his pediatrician experiences vs. his experiences as a dad--so human and funny and helpful. (i.e. gas drops are not scientifically proven to help but many of his patients swear by them so they must do SOMETHING). I think this would be a useful one to have on the shelf to refer back to. But I got it at the library and I think I'll retain most of the info because it was clearly organized and basically had "main ideas" on each page to remember the shorthand.

[Baby Shastra · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO I remember this book was recommended to my husband and he just loved it. Possibly it was a psychological effect of having a dad share his views that made it appealing?
For me the sleep aspect was a bit drastic as the author advocates sleep training (I think they tried it with their 9 month old daughter) As a expecting mom, and living in the US, sleep training is like pizza- available at every interaction related to parenting. It didn't seem a big deal till we had the baby. Once you hear the baby cry, there is no way sleep training would ever be an option. As our reading turned from pre-natal to actual parenting material, we quickly understood the horrible-ness of sleep training.
Thats why this book has only 2 stars. Caution: sleep training approved, TYH not.

[Dane Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book after seeing the author on a morning show. The name alone intrigued me as I'm not one for the other "vanilla" parenting guides out there.

Cohen's big thing is common sense parenting and his approach, and personality, really shine through in his writing. As a first time dad, I felt I related more to this book than others may.

Instead of taking a week-by-week look at baby development, Cohen breaks the baby's first year into succinct topics.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for advice on their new child's first year. It's a clear, helpful, and fun guide to parenting.

[Hilarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I like the idea on trained night crying. With our first two I waited until they were 4 months old, which I will do with our 3rd, but he suggests at 3 months you can start conditioning them- letting them cry for 5 minutes in the middle of the night to see if they can start to self-soothe. I also like the 5-10-15 idea as well. We always did every 10 minutes or so- I think gradually giving them longer cry time each time and then longer each night is a great idea. Even with doing this method, though Craigy never slept through the night until he was 1 year old. He just cried for hours when we'd try this. Hopefully Finn will do better.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this book seems a little bit too basic for me. But if that's what you are looking for, this book is perfect. maybe better for the grandparents as a basic up-to-date babycare covers-the-bases sort of deal. it is written in a familiar easy-to-digest tone, delivered in a straight forward and honest manner. It is pretty high level and glosses over some things and doesn't even mention others, but as a new parent it is reassuring read. Then again, while reading it, I felt like it was written by a doctor who wanted to cash in on providing a cute title and not much else.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend, I am glad that I read this book. A great primer on childcare in the first year, addressing usual concerns and questions raised by new parents, advice on what to do based on different scenarios, etc. This book comes with more detail and a more engaging writing style with personal anecdotes from the author as both a father and a pediatrician that definitely beats anything I've read in the "What To Expect..." books. The author is simultaneously real, practical, and balanced in his advice.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for first time parents. This Pediatrician speaks as both a doctor and father. His views tend to be very moderate not swaying to the extreme in any one direction. Includes detailed information on what to pack for the hospital, exactly what tests will be done after you deliver, which medications to have on hand when you bring the baby home, getting your baby to sleep through the night, what color poop is normal and much more.

[Trey · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars may be a little high, but I thought it deserved to be above 4 stars.

We will see how good the advice is in a few weeks when the babies arrive.

We really enjoyed this book just reading cover to cover. It was easy to read and didn't try and scare us with every possible bad thing that could happen.

I would definitely recommend for people looking for a resource for the baby's first year.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was one of the most helpful expecting books that I read with a lot of practical advice. As a Pediatrian and dad Scott Cohen helps coach new parents through their first few years. After freaking out and googling was is wrong with my new infant I will probably pick this book back up and reassure myself that nothing is wrong. Cohen is very practical and lets you know as a parent when you should worry and when you need to relax and let your child be a child.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written book with a lot of good, honest information. I especially enjoyed the Daddy vs Doctor comparisons where he spoke of what he recommends to patients as a pediatrician, but admits sometimes it's hard to follow his own advice as a father. Definitely a book I will keep around to be able to reference when/if my baby gets any strange symptoms that send me into flustered over-worried mommy mode!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful, current, and easy to read for a sleep-deprived mom of a newborn. This is informative without being judgmental or resorting to scare tactics. Covers the basics, like the the title says, plus useful chapters on topics like water and sun safety. There are helpful flow charts for common parental concerns like "why is baby crying?" I especially enjoyed Cohen's "Daddy v. Doctor" vignettes.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very useful in the early days of parenting. It has everything you need to know about newborn, like basic baby cares, symtoms/looks, breastfeeding/ formula feeding, sleep/ colic, milestones/development, etc.

It's a SHORT FUN EASY read which is very suitable for new parents struggling to find time. The advise is short and practical. It's my go-to book when I want reliable info about something.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I was overwhelmed by all the different types of illness babies can get. I agree with my friend that this would be a good one to own. I will be asking my own pediatrician about sunscreen and vitamin D supplement just to make sure, but glad to read that from an authoritative source. Reason it is not a 5-star - I just didn't agree with Cohen's sleep philosophies.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking care of a new baby after 25 year hiatus requires all new material. So many things have changed from ideas about sleeping habits and positions to standard baby equipment like carseats and breast pumps. Back in the 80's when my son was born, I read everything within reach and the great wealth of information in this book encompasses all of that plus gobs of new stuff. Excellent!