Baby's First Year | A Survival Guide for New & Experienced Parents

A new baby brings joy, questions, and-as the coronavirus pandemic continues-even more anxiety than ever.

Now caregivers can "Ask Dr. Ed" how to nurture and protect a baby from birth to 12 months in Baby's First Year: A Survival Guide For New & Experienced Parents.

The book showcases the experience and expertise of Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, a proud father of five-including a new baby boy who was born while writing this book. In it, "Dr. Ed" draws upon his 25+ years of providing medical care for thousands of babies, children, and teens.

He does this at Clinica Del Norte Pediatrics, which he founded in the community where he grew up in San Antonio, Texas.

"A baby is life's greatest gift, but he or she doesn't come with instructions," says Dr. Sanchez, who has a doctorate in Nursing and serves families from around the world. "Parents ask me so many questions, and that inspired me to compile the answers in a book that's easy to use to find answers quickly."

Since babies don't come with an owner's manual or a set of instructions, and parents ask me so many questions, I decided to simplify and demystify the newborn baby experience by creating Baby's First Year: A Survival Guide For New & Experienced Parents . You can carry this small book with you everywhere-in the diaper bag, in your purse, in your backpack-to reference wherever you go with Baby. On the following pages, I'm sharing the most crucial and helpful information about Baby's first 12 months in a way that's easy to understand.

Dr. Sanchez is answering questions about how to protect Baby during the coronavirus pandemic during media interviews, and the book includes a special section on how covid-19 is affecting babies and children.

Dr. Sanchez' family-oriented, entrepreneurial spirit comes from his Mexican-born parents, who owned and operated businesses. Dr. Sanchez began working at age nine-delivering newspapers, cleaning a barber shop, and working in construction. 

After high school, he became a teen parent and supported his family by joining the U.S. Army. After Basic Training and Specialized Training, he was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. A Green to Gold Active Duty Scholarship enabled him to attend Prairie View A&M University in Houston.

After commissioning as a second lieutenant, he pursued a graduate degree from Texas Woman's University, and a doctorate degree from Maryville University as a Jonas Veteran Scholar. In 2002, after eight years in the Army Reserve, he returned to San Antonio and founded Clinica del Norte Pediatrics PLLC. 

He serves on many health-oriented boards and is board chairman for TYME to Empower, an organization helping teen parents excel with education and career success.

Dr. Eduardo M. Sanchez founded Clinica del Norte Pediatrics PLLC in the same diverse community in San Antonio, Texas where he grew up. There, he has cared for thousands of babies, children, and teenagers, including his own five children. Dr. Sanchez inherited his family-oriented, entrepreneurial spirit from his Mexican-born parents, who owned and operated businesses. His mother opened a beauty salon after completing her licensing program, and his father owned and operated a grocery store. Dr. Sanchez began working at age nine-delivering newspapers, and cleaning at a barber shop and beauty parlor (as they were called). When he was 11, he started working in the family construction business. His many tasks ranged from framing for concrete driveways, to using a jack-hammer to break up old concrete structures, and doing everything in-between. After high school, he became a teen parent and supported his family by joining the U.S. Army. After Basic Training and Specialized Training, he was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. A Green to Gold Active Duty Scholarship enabled him to attend Prairie View A&M University in Houston. After commissioning as a second lieutenant, he pursued a graduate degree from Texas Woman's University, and a doctorate degree from Maryville University as a Jonas Veteran Scholar. In 2002, after eight years in the Army Reserve, Dr. Sanchez returned to San Antonio and founded Clinica del Norte Pediatrics PLLC. There he provides quality care for babies, children, and teenagers in his very diverse and predominantly Hispanic community. He has worked diligently to provide the best care to families who call his pediatric center their "medical home." At the same time, Dr. Sanchez have been instrumental in multiple start-up companies as a consultant, director, or as venture capitalist involved in acquiring and developing commercial real estate properties. Deeply committed to serving the community, he is dedicated to serving on numerous boards-including managed care organizations and non-profit organizations-that promote community health and quality healthcare for everyone, including the indigent. He serves as board chairman for TYME to Empower, an organization helping teen parents excel with education and career success. All the while, Dr. Sanchez worked hard all of his life to provide the best care and love for his children, who include Eduardo III, who is 30 and has served in the U.S. Army for 11 years. His three daughters are: Mariel, 22, who graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in education; Sophia, 21, a sophomore undergraduate college student majoring in biology; and Adriana, 18, who will soon start attending college. The newest addition to our family, Greyson, is 18 months old and growing fast. "I'm honored to offer this book," Dr. Sanchez says, "to help other mothers and fathers do the best we can in our most important mission, job, and career of all... being a parent!"

Elizabeth Ann Atkins is Co-Creator of Two Sisters Writing & Publishing, an Emmy Award nominated TV show host, a journalist, book coach, inspirational speaker, certified meditation teacher, a fitness enthusiast, and author of 33 books. Elizabeth has a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. She loves to help people cultivate their book ideas into a published format to share with readers everywhere! Her memoir-God's Answer Is Know: Lessons From a Spiritual Life-chronicles her life story and shares her spiritual awakening, along with tools anyone can use to deepen their connection to the Divine and live a more joyous, healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and influential life. Elizabeth co-hosts the Emmy Award nominated MI Healthy Mind, a weekly TV show that aims to shatter stigmas around mental illness and addiction. All episodes are at MIHealthyMind.com The Oprah Winfrey Show featured Elizabeth as a guest to celebrate her 100-pound weight loss and lifestyle as a health and fitness enthusiast. Elizabeth and her sister Catherine M. Greenspan co-created Two Sisters Writing & Publishing, which: publishes their books; provides ghostwriting, publishing, and book coaching services; and hosts monthly writing contests and the Two Sisters Writing Club; and showcases their blog, A Tale of Two Sisters. They are launching the Two Sisters Writing & Publishing Virtual Speakers Agency in Fall of 2020 to enable their speakers to share messages of Diversity & Inclusion and other Inspiration to audiences around the world. The Two Sisters also teach people how to unleash their power through meditation and a writing technique Elizabeth invented and trademarked called PowerJournal that they created and share in workbooks. Elizabeth and Catherine have written and published dozens of books, and including their mother's book, The Triumph of Rosemary: A Memoir, by Judge Marylin E. Atkins. Elizabeth has a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. She studied French at Collège de Rivière-du-Loupe in Québec, Canada. Elizabeth is an inspiring speaker who recites her autobiographical poem, White Chocolate, and has spoken at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, GM's World Diversity Day, Gannett, DaimlerChrysler, 100 Black Men of America, the NAACP, Beaumont Hospital, PowerNetworking, Comerica Bank, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the American Library Association. She has taught writing at Wayne State University, Oakland University, Wayne County Community College District, and at national conferences. As an actress, Elizabeth plays a major role in the feature-length film Anything Is Possible, nominated for "Best Foreign Film" by the Nollywood and African Film Critics Association. She composed an original screenplay, Redemption, a gritty drama about a Detroit gangster and a writer. And Elizabeth plays a 1950s journalist in the international shipwreck drama, The Andrea Doria: Are The Passengers Saved? A former Fox 2 Detroit News writer, she has been a guest on Montel, NPR, Good Morning America Sunday, The CBS Evening News, several BET programs, and other national TV shows. After writing her master's thesis about mixed-race Americans, her work appeared in The New York Times. Her articles have also been published in The San Diego Tribune, Essence, Ebony, HOUR Detroit, HOUR Home, HOUR Bride, BET.com, Ms., BLAC Detroit, and The Detroit News, where her articles on race were nominated for The Pulitzer Prize. She also wrote a biography for the Presidential Medal of Freedom tribute for Rosa Parks.