Rating: 5/5

​A real gem of a book, I wish I had found this book before I became pregnant because I might have done things a little differently. That said, I don't think I got it much wrong.

In this book John Medina discusses how a baby's brain works based on other people's studies as well as his own experience as a parent. If I'd been taking notes I would have written a little novella myself but a few things stuck nonetheless.

I couldn't even begin to cover the breadth and depth of information covered in this book so if this kind of things does interest you, get the book. So in summary:

• Breast milk is absolutely magical stuff when it comes to helping babies' brain development. In all honesty, he stated that scientists cannot figure out why breastmilk seems to create an IQ advantage but it does. I happened to be listening to this book in exactly the same week that my little zeusy gave up breastfeeding and it did make me wish he went on for longer. I hope 14 months is going to be enough. I wanted to go on but he simply said NO preferring porridge oats to mummy milk - go figure.
• Any stress that makes a mother feel out of control during pregnancy actually has a long term negative impact on the baby's brain. This could be anything from a very bad relationship to a highly stressful job to being caught in a natural disaster.
• When babies are being weaned they show a preference for foods that the mother ate a lot in pregnancy. Next time, if there is a next time, I'll disguise the foods I don't like in smoothies.
• Speak at least 2,100 words per hour to your baby. Studies show that babies that hear more words learn to speak and read sooner. That said, Einstein didn't utter his first word until he was aged 3 so obviously there are many other factors that matter a whole lot more.
• On sleep. If you want to get your baby sleeping through the night attachment theories take a little longer to work but are seen as "what the baby would want" and "cry it out" methods work faster but are seen by the attachment school as being simply done to suit the parent whether or not they suit the baby. The worst formula according to Medina is to try "cry it out" and not stick to it. He said this gives the baby an "unknown reward" for crying, they figure out that sometimes they get attention and sometimes they don't so they will cry until all hell breaks loose. Apparently this "unknown reward" system is why gamblers continue gambling, having won before, they know there is a chance no matter how small that they will win and so the lure of the tables is too strong to resist.
• The most important things for a baby's developing brain is to provide a warm, loving environment where the baby feels secure and to give babies and mothers access to a social network of friends. This is the most important thing I took from the book. Couples that argue in front of their kids too often (and make up in private) are unknowingly harming their babies' potential IQ so quit fighting and start hugging.
• Social isolation accounts for a great proportion of postnatally depressed mothers. This is where we have it right in Malawi; it's very rare for a mother to feel isolated due to the extended family.
• Brain Rules for Baby is a comprehensive book. It covers a wide range of things and includes a cornucopia of studies, I could not recommend it more.

Like every parent, I want my baby to have the best chance in life at being happy, fulfilled and content with his lot and this is why I picked this book. It is available on amazon.com, amazon.co.uk and on audible.