The name of this book is a breath of fresh air among stacks of parenting books that say “check with your healthcare provider.”
Susan Markel, pediatrician, certified lactation consultant, and attachment parenting specialist, confirms in her book ‘What Your Pediatrician Doesn’t Know Can Hurt Your Child‘ what millions of parents around the globe have learned through trial and error; Following the “doctor’s orders” is just as likely to be damaging to your child’s health as it is to be beneficial.
Informed Natural Parenting Choices
From the beginning of the book, Susan’s emphasis is that you should seek to be as informed as possible about your choices and use your parental instincts rather than succumbing to cultural and authoritative pressures. This begins during pregnancy, when you make choices concerning the tests and procedures you will have and where you will give birth.
This is great to read before your baby is born; It starts off at the time of birth, mentioning the impact
that birth has on your baby and briefly covers the common medical procedures that are done within the first hours and days of your baby’s life.
But this book isn’t just about medical procedures and doctor’s appointments. Susan seeks to address the most crucial aspects of every baby and toddler’s life including nutrition, bonding, sleep, and behavior.
She covers breastfeeding, baby-wearing, co-sleeping, communication, attachment, health, and natural remedies. She even guides you through the modern vaccination schedule and gives excellent advice on how to calmly speak to your doctor about delaying or even skipping vaccinations altogether.
More Than Just A Medical Opinion
What I really appreciate is Susan’s boldness on such controversial topics. Throughout the book, she doesn’t bother trying to be politically correct; Instead, she lays out the truth about the real risks of formula feeding, medications, and vaccinations, and quotes research of the enormous benefits of breastfeeding and attachment parenting.
If you’re looking for your doctor’s approval, this book is not for you. The concepts in this book are not the opinion of most doctors and pediatricians, and I can guarantee there will be plenty of raised eyebrows and shaking heads.
I find it amazing that Susan herself is a pediatrician. She spills a few secrets about the pediatric profession that may surprise you. One powerful quote by Susan rings true, “A mother’s instincts are worth more than a medical degree.”
If you are looking for an empowering parenting book that speaks to you as an intelligent adult who can do your own research and make your own choices, You will be appreciative of the wealth of information that Dr. Susan Markel has presented in this book.
More About The Attachment Parenting Pediatrician
Check out What Your Pediatrician Doesn’t Know Can Hurt Your Child: A More Natural Approach to Parenting on Amazon
You can visit Susan’s website at www.AttachmentParentingDoctor.com
**Note: I received this book as a free review copy and was not compensated in any way for the writing of this review.
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
I go to something called Expert Mums at my local children’s centre. It’s for medical students and trainee senior nurses and gives them the opportunity to interact with well babies and to practise the skills they will need in their future careers. It’s called Expert Mums because we are accepted as the experts in our children and they are learning from us. I really love that ethos and really hope they carry it forward into their future careers. I hope it spreads much further than my local area….