A Data-Driven Parenting Field Guide

Cribsheet Reference Notes

Chapter summaries and practical cheat sheets designed for quick recall, clearer decisions, and calmer follow-through.

21 chapters6 cheat sheets

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Quick Reference

Cross-chapter guides for real decisions

Quick Reference Birth and Newborn Hospital decisions, newborn safety, crying, and parent recovery. Open cheat sheet Quick Reference Feeding and Allergens Feeding choices, breastfeeding help, solids, allergens, and food safety. Open cheat sheet Quick Reference Sleep Safe-sleep essentials, schedule guideposts, and sleep-training planning. Open cheat sheet Quick Reference Development and Toddler Years Milestones, language, screens, potty training, discipline, and preschool. Open cheat sheet Quick Reference Parents, Childcare, and Family Work, childcare, relationships, household labor, and family expansion. Open cheat sheet Quick Reference Questions for Clinicians A visit-ready list of questions from birth through the toddler years. Open cheat sheet

Part One

In the Beginning

3 chapters

01 The First Three DaysHospital choices, newborn screening, weight loss, and jaundice. 02 Wait, You Want Me to Take It Home?Swaddling, colic, tracking, germs, and the first weeks at home. 03 Trust Me, Take the Mesh UnderwearPhysical recovery, postpartum warning signs, exercise, sex, and mental health.

Part Two

The First Year

9 chapters

04 Breast Is Best?What the strongest evidence does and does not show about breastfeeding. 05 Breastfeeding: A How-To GuideLatch, pain, supply, pumping, and practical feeding support. 06 Sleep Position and LocationBack sleeping, safe surfaces, room sharing, and bed-sharing risk. 07 Organize Your BabySleep rhythms, nap transitions, wake times, and normal variation. 08 Vaccination: Yes, PleaseVaccine safety, effectiveness, common concerns, and timing. 09 Stay at Home or Work?Evidence, finances, careers, preferences, and parental leave. 10 Who Should Take Care of the Baby?Day care, nannies, quality checks, costs, and family fit. 11 Sleep TrainingWhat works, what the studies find, and how to make a consistent plan. 12 Introducing Solid FoodAllergens, feeding methods, food safety, flavors, and supplements.

Part Three

From Baby to Toddler

6 chapters

13 Physical MilestonesNormal motor ranges, developmental concerns, and childhood illness. 14 Baby Einstein vs. the TV HabitLearning from screens, content quality, and opportunity cost. 15 Language DevelopmentVocabulary ranges, late talking, bilingualism, and screening. 16 Potty TrainingTiming, methods, stool refusal, and nighttime dryness. 17 Toddler DisciplineCalm consistency, consequences, tantrums, and physical punishment. 18 EducationReading together, early literacy, preschool quality, and philosophy.

Part Four

The Home Front

3 chapters

19 Internal PoliticsRelationships, invisible labor, sleep, intimacy, and check-ins. 20 ExpansionsFamily size, birth spacing, recovery, and preference-sensitive choices. 21 Growing Up and Letting GoA final framework for evidence, uncertainty, family choices, and worry.

How to Read

Guidance Labels

Action strength and evidence stay separate

MUST

Safety-critical or medically urgent.

RECOMMENDED

Strong evidence or favorable tradeoff.

OPTION

Reasonable and preference-sensitive.

TRY

Low-risk experiment with limited evidence.

SKIP

Little likely value or unnecessary burden.

AVOID

Evidence of harm or unacceptable risk.

Evidence confidence: High, Moderate, Low, or Unknown describes the quality and consistency of the evidence, not the importance of your family preference.