Parenting at Your Child's Pace: The Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide to the First Three Years

by Joel Warsh

More adults with young children are committed to integrative and holistic health, but the available information can be overwhelming and confusing. Through accessible, evidence-based guidance, Dr. Joel Warsh helps parents work through the health concerns and developmental changes that come up during the first three years of life and navigate the unique realities of parenting today. He addresses questions about holistic health frequently Googled by What is placental encapsulation, and is it right for me? Should I try baby-led weaning? This book will empower parents to make informed and confident choices for the health of their children—from newborns to toddlers.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh is a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in parenting, wellness, and integrative medicine. He grew up in Toronto. He completed his Pediatric Medicine training at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and currently runs Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine Studio City. He is also the founder of the parenting Masterclass series Raising Amazing.

Reviews

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasonable and accessible guidance for parenting choices in the early years.

[Laura Getts · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overview on the basics of raising a new baby from a pediatrician that clearly serves an anxious, upper class clientele in southern CA. If you have a child over 6 months there’s likely nothing new for you (or at least start the book 70-80% of the way through), however some interesting info on formula types/make-up and a few thoughts on health supplements for infants and toddlers. Would be a helpful primer for a brand new parent.

[Meg Spinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so, the book itself is good. I'd recommend it to first-time, nervous parents. The information is clear and seems to agree with other research I've done.

However, I did go down a rabbit hole on this author and you will find his content praised wildly on most anti-vax platforms. As a person/pediatrician he definitely falls on the crunchy side of the spectrum. Which is a bummer because I didn't get that vibe from the book but I think it's important to know before reading it.

[Kassiani G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to find much in this book that made me feel like it was very "integrative." The author spends most of the book bringing up common concerns and responding that "it's normal." He doesn't offer many holistic options for treating common concerns at all. He encourages parents to choose what they feel is right when it comes to their children's health, and it seems that he respects parents' choices in his practice, which is great, however if that is all that makes something "integrative" these days, that is unfortunate. The author also does not do more than simply mention the topic of vaccines and spends more time on topics like screen time. It seems like the goal of this book is to make new parents more confident (especially in the newborn stage), which is great, but I didn't feel like I walked away with many practical applications for the first three years. Maybe if I had read it before giving birth I would have felt differently.

[Liz Moran Munroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read for first time parents. A nuanced perspective as Dr Warsh is a pediatrician trained in traditional Western medicine but has some holistic leanings.

My main frustrations were that a lot of hot button topics were glossed over, and I really wanted him to go deeper on some things. I got the sense he didn’t want to offend anyone but I’m reading his book so I was expecting to hear his opinion, whether I agreed or not. A lot to the hot button topics like vaccines, screen time and breast vs bottle were REALLY tiptoed around.

[Morgan Rumsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pregnant with my first and this made me feel so much more prepared! Especially the parts on what to expect right after birth and the newborn stage. Love that it was written by an actual pediatrician and he actually talks about what research shows and cites his sources instead of just giving his opinion (he does some of that too lol). I read this in less than a day and tried to soak up as much info as possible!

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, fast read, some woo woo things but interesting nonetheless.

[Bailey Bowhay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely boring and took awhile to finish. Basic info that I already knew.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

bought a copy for my cousin

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly good. Sleep training? No 😭😫

[tina hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

exactly what i want out of a parenting book! great read.

[Castrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean if you’re interested in integrative pediatrics

[Melanie Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read for modern parents! I appreciate how it addresses the information overload from social media parents face (I felt SEEN), his call to focus on the basics, and how to make decisions with all the noise. Lots of helpful and simple healthy tips too.