Picture it: It’s 2:00 a.m. and your newborn is crying her head off. You’ve fed, burped, changed and swaddled her, but nothing seems to be working. Something is wrong, but you’re too sleep-deprived and anxious to know what it is.
Enter Mommy Calls (AAP, $12.95). Written by Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann, a pediatrican (and mom of two!), Mommy Calls is a handy little compendium of every baby and toddler ailment imaginable. The book features your garden variety medical questions such as: “My daughter has a fever. Should I give her medicine?” to the more, um, specific: “My baby hasn’t pooped for 3 days. What should I do?”. The book has a great legend, with symbols to help readers quickly identify Newborn, Infant, Toddler answers. There’s even a Call Your Pediatrician symbol, when your child might need medical attention.
Mommy Calls is a great book to have on hand, (and in your diaper bag), for those times when you are on the fence about whether “to call or not to call”. Dr. Altmann’s advice is spot-on, and her writing is fun and non-clinical. It’s as if you were talking to a been-there, done-that mommy friend. Without a doubt, Mommy Calls is a new mom’s best friend.