"If your kid eats this book, everything will still be okay". Book review and giveaway

From the moment I started reading, "If your kid eats this book, everything will still be okay" by Lara Zibners MD, former assistant professor of pediatric emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in NY, I couldn't put it down. I wish I had had this book before my first son was born. Raise your hand if you were concerned when your baby's poop changed color or consistency. How do you feel when your daughter has a fever? Do you panic when your son has a rash? What should you do if your toddler puts something in his ear? Lara Zibners, in a very straightforward and often humorous way, talks about all these childhood occurrences and a lot more. She writes, "This book is not about the basics of child care such as bathing, diapering, and feeding.... The intent of this book is to help parents avoid the stress and expense of a potentially needless visit to the doctor or ER.” She lets us know when an injury or illness is a real emergency and you have to call 911 or go to the hospital; when you should call your doctor right away or wait until the next day; or when you just have to give loving care.

I still remember how desperate I was a week after my first baby was born, it was around 4 a.m. and after feeding him I noticed a blood spot on his clothing! I checked him and found blood coming from his belly button. My husband and I were on the phone trying to talk to a doctor or nurse to ask what we should do. Well if I had had this book, I would have known what to do. When my baby was weeks old I started to notice a pinkish discharge in his diaper, and I got really concerned, I even changed diaper brands. Well if I had had this book then I would have known that when the uric acid from his urine comes in contact with the diaper material, it forms small pinkish crystals, what a relief!! These things seem small right now, but they weren't when my new baby was in my arms, at home, without a Dr. or nurse close by to ask!! When I was a first time mom, pretty much everything freaked me out!

The book is well organized, you will know exactly were to go to find what you are looking for. She starts with, “Ten Fingers...Eleven Toes? A guide to the Newborn's Body, Behaviors, and Symptoms.” Here is a sample of some of the following chapters, “The ABC's: Airway, Breathing and Circulation,” “The Noggin and Nervous System,” “Seeing and Hearing: The Eyes and Ears.” I liked this one especially: “You Give Me Fever!” and she finishes with “Major Trauma and Accident Prevention and Going to the Emergency Room.”

I recommend this book if you are pregnant, a first time mom (or dad), a mom of little children, or a grandparent. It has given me invaluable information, and now I feel more confident that I will know what to do when a medical situation arises. I wish I didn't need this book, yet I'm certain I will use it more than once. Its place now is next to my bed!

Would you like a chance to win a copy? Hachette Book Group has generously offered 5 copies to give away to my readers; you only have to register in the form below for your chance to win:

Extra entries:

1. Go to Hachette Book Group page and tell me which other book you would like to read, 1 entry

2. Already be or become a follower of this blog and get 1 entry

3. Subscribe to my blog by email and get 1 entry

4. Follow me in Twitter and tweet this giveaway and get 1 more. If you are already a follower just copy and paste this tweet:

pregnant? first time mom? mom with small children? you need this giveaway @mamalatina http://tinyurl.com/nefkzw

5. Blog about this giveaway, and you will get 2 more, please come back and paste the link.

Please leave me one comment for each option (1,2,3, 4 or 5), so I know how many entries you have.

This giveaway will end July 2nd at 11:59 p.m. PST. Open to residents of Canada and the USA only. Hachette Book Group will send the book to the winners, no P.O. boxes please. Winners will be randomly chosen. Good Luck!

There will be a live interview with Dr. Lara Zibners where she will talk about this book, her experiences as an emergency room pediatrician, and the myths that pervade households when it comes to ailing children and how to treat them, next Tuesday, June 23, at 1:00 p.m. (ET)/10:00 a.m. (PT) at BlogTalkRadio. And you can read an excerpt of the book here. Check it out.