Parenthood the Swedish Way

Using the latest research and a wealth of personal experiences, this is the fact-based, no-nonsense approach to birth, child health, and shared child-rearing you have been waiting for.

Many expectant parents will be surprised and relieved to hear the following: breastfeeding doesn't protect against allergies; sterilising bottles and dummies is unnecessary in most countries; and if you think you shouldn't drink alcohol when breastfeeding, you've been taken in by plain moralism and not scientific evidence. And by the way, you can forget the housework and prescribed routines—as long as you attend to your baby's basic needs and maintain your social and work connections, you'll be doing just fine.

Paediatrician Dr Cecilia Chrapkowska runs one of Sweden's most popular parenting blogs, Barnakuten, and is a specialist on vaccinations. Dr Agnes Wold has been named Sweden's Woman of the Year for her tireless work in women's health. Together they present cutting-edge research from around the world that can guide you to make better parenting choices.

Drawing on Sweden's famously generous parental leave and enlightened social policies, they also demonstrate the importance of equal parenting, and provide practical tools for parents everywhere to share responsibility equally.

Parenthood the Swedish Way is an egalitarian, myth-busting guide through the maze of challenges that parents face raising healthy, happy families in the twenty-first century.