Dr. Ari Brown is a full time pediatrician, author, and public spokesperson on children’s health issues.  She has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, and ABC News. She serves on the advisory board for Parents Magazine and hosts a message board at their website, Parents.com. She is a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Texas Medical Association.

This Saturday, May 8 Dr. Brown will launch her new book, Expecting 411 at Book People in Austin, Texas.  The book will be available at other national bookstore chains the following week.

UpSpring Baby is thrilled to be able to provide an advance copy of Expecting 411 to our Grand Prize Winner in our Week of Giveaways, to be announced on Saturday, May 7.

Dr. Brown was also kind enough to spend a few moments being interviewed about her practice, her new book, and her passion:  healthy children:

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UpSpring Baby: Dr. Brown, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us about your new book. What benefit will Expecting 411 have for first-time moms as they go through their pregnancy?

Dr. Brown: It’s real-world advice from a source you can trust (a practicing OB and pediatrician)–minus the paranoia. Parents-to-be are information overloaded, and much of it scares them to death. In reality, most of the scary stuff is pretty rare. We give readers the expert perspective from docs who take care of pregnant woman and newborns everyday and who also happen to be moms!

UpSpring Baby:  Do you think moms who are pregnant with their second or third baby will enjoy the book as well?

Dr. Brown:  Yes, even since I had my last baby so much information is new. There are many more optional screening tests. You might think you want them all… until you have an up-to-date resource that gives the odds of you being at risk and the costs of the tests. There are also new decisions to make— cord blood donation or private banking that might not have been an option with your first pregnancy. And, there are new recommendations such as having all adult caretakers get a whooping cough booster shot (Yes, Dad, that means you need to take one for the team!). Plus, about a hundred other things..the book is chock full of important info and tops 700 pages.

UpSpring Baby: What was the most fun you had writing Expecting 411?

Dr. Brown:  Writing a book can be very lonely (after writing two previously, I know!). I really enjoyed collaborating with an amazing doctor and co-author, Dr Michele Hakakha. We had fun putting this book together. It was a labor of love.

Working together, we give readers a 360 degree perspective on pregnancy and newborn health. You’d think OB’s and pediatricians talk to each other all the time. We don’t. We run into each other in the hallway at the hospital checking on our mutual patients. That’s about it. It was a very special experience. We taught each other a few things about our medical specialties and our approach to mother-baby health!

UpSpring Baby:  What was your biggest challenge in writing Expecting 411?

Dr. Brown:  Our goal was to write a thorough, easy to read, well organized book that wouldn’t put our readers to sleep (although, lord knows, pregnant women could use a good sleep aid). I think we accomplished that goal—but you’ll have to read it and let us know!

UpSpring Baby:  As a woman and a doctor, what is the single best piece of advice you can give an expectant mom?

Dr. Brown:  An educated patient is an empowered patient. Read up on pregnancy and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Make sure you and your practitioner keep the lines of communication open. And when it comes to delivery, remember the goal: a healthy mother and baby. You don’t get brownie points for how you accomplish that goal. Don’t be disappointed if your baby doesn’t follow your birth plan.

UpSpring Baby:  Do you think that today’s expecting mothers obsess over their pregnancies more than our own mothers and grandmothers did?

Dr. Brown:  YES! In some ways, ignorance was bliss. The more we know, the more we worry!

UpSpring Baby:  How has the internet impacted the way women manage their pregnancies in the past decade?

The internet is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it provides an infinite source of information. It’s a curse because you may not know the source of information (is it an expert or organization you can trust?) and it does not give you perspective (Can you die from having oral sex when you are pregnant?—Yes, it’s possible, but the risk is so low it’s almost not worth talking about). Even with the internet, there is still a place for books… especially one that can compile all the info you need in one place.

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Thanks again to Dr. Brown for her time and for giving us a copy of her latest book to pass along to one lucky winner.  You may also pre-order Expecting 411 on Amazon.com and on the Official Expecting 411 web page. Or if you’re an Austin, Texas local check out Dr. Brown’s book launch at Book People on Saturday, May 8.