cribsheet.

The reading companion 01 — 21

Cribsheet.

Birth, babies & becoming a family.

Notes on Emily Oster's Cribsheet · 2019

Cribsheet by Emily Oster, book cover
The collection

21 chapters
6 cheat sheets

Birth to preschool

Within reach

Cheat sheets
Birth & newborn Feeding & allergens Sleep Toddler years Family life Clinician questions

In the Beginning

Part One
  1. 01

    The First Three Days

    Hospital choices, newborn screening, weight loss, and jaundice.

    9 min
  2. 02

    Wait, You Want Me to Take It Home?

    Swaddling, colic, tracking, germs, and the first weeks at home.

    8 min
  3. 03

    Trust Me, Take the Mesh Underwear

    Physical recovery, postpartum warning signs, exercise, sex, and mental health.

    11 min

The First Year

Part Two
  1. 04

    Breast Is Best?

    What the strongest evidence does and does not show about breastfeeding.

    9 min
  2. 05

    Breastfeeding: A How-To Guide

    Latch, pain, supply, pumping, and practical feeding support.

    13 min
  3. 06

    Sleep Position and Location

    Back sleeping, safe surfaces, room sharing, and bed-sharing risk.

    12 min
  4. 07

    Organize Your Baby

    Sleep rhythms, nap transitions, wake times, and normal variation.

    7 min
  5. 08

    Vaccination: Yes, Please

    Vaccine safety, effectiveness, common concerns, and timing.

    5 min
  6. 09

    Stay at Home or Work?

    Evidence, finances, careers, preferences, and parental leave.

    5 min
  7. 10

    Who Should Take Care of the Baby?

    Day care, nannies, quality checks, costs, and family fit.

    6 min
  8. 11

    Sleep Training

    What works, what the studies find, and how to make a consistent plan.

    7 min
  9. 12

    Introducing Solid Food

    Allergens, feeding methods, food safety, flavors, and supplements.

    7 min

From Baby to Toddler

Part Three
  1. 13

    Physical Milestones

    Normal motor ranges, developmental concerns, and childhood illness.

    6 min
  2. 14

    Baby Einstein vs. the TV Habit

    Learning from screens, content quality, and opportunity cost.

    6 min
  3. 15

    Language Development

    Vocabulary ranges, late talking, bilingualism, and screening.

    6 min
  4. 16

    Potty Training

    Timing, methods, stool refusal, and nighttime dryness.

    6 min
  5. 17

    Toddler Discipline

    Calm consistency, consequences, tantrums, and physical punishment.

    6 min
  6. 18

    Education

    Reading together, early literacy, preschool quality, and philosophy.

    6 min

The Home Front

Part Four
  1. 19

    Internal Politics

    Relationships, invisible labor, sleep, intimacy, and check-ins.

    6 min
  2. 20

    Expansions

    Family size, birth spacing, recovery, and preference-sensitive choices.

    6 min
  3. 21

    Growing Up and Letting Go

    A final framework for evidence, uncertainty, family choices, and worry.

    5 min

Cheat sheets

Across the book

Find a note

Guidance & evidence

The notes separate an action's strength from confidence in its evidence. These are the study guide's labels, not an independent clinical assessment.

MUST
Safety-critical or medically urgent.
RECOMMENDED
Evidence leans clearly one way.
OPTION
Your circumstances and preferences decide.
TRY
Low risk; worth a limited experiment.
SKIP
Little value for the effort.
AVOID
Evidence of harm or a risk not worth taking.

High confidence: strong and consistent. Moderate: credible, with real limitations. Low: small, mixed, or indirect evidence.