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Parenthood the Swedish way

This post is also available in: Svenska

Parenthood the Swedish way – a science-based guide to pregnancy, birth and infancy. This is the name of the book that pediatrician and creator of barnakuten.nu, Cecilia Chrapkowska, authored, together with Agnes Wold. We wanted to write the best parenting book, a perfect pregnancy gift and help all future and new parents obtain the knowledge they need to take care of their child.

The book is completely free of judgement and free of unnecessary advice. We have read thousands of scientific articles and together with Cecilia’s clinical experience as a pediatrician, the book provides a unique knowledge base for you as a new parent. Readers input at barnakuten.nu have also been crucial to the book, by helping us identify what parents really want to know in today’s society.

Parenthood the Swedish Way is available as a paper book (perfect as a pregnancy gift), as audiobook and e-book.

Reviews of Parenthood the Swedish Way

Parenthood the Swedish Way received fantastic reviews when it launched in Sweden Autumn 2017.

I was able to start the group “we who dare to be parents thanks to Agnes Wold”

Review by Heidi Avellan, Sydsvenskan

There is something 70’s about the straightforward informative prose. It isn’t wrapped in flowery language and completely free from romance and emotion. This is meant as praise.

Review by Mattias Svensson, Aftonbladet

You want to do everything for your child, you want it to be right. If that’s the case, you’ll without a doubt appreciate a book like Agnes Wold’s and Cecilia Chrapkowska’s newly published “Parenthood the Swedish Way”. They feel a bit like parents in research coats. Someone who has control and can confidently say oh, that will be fine.

Review by Lisa Magnusson, Dagens Nyheter

Every solution works. Just because my working life doesn’t look exactly like everyone else’s, it doesn’t mean that it’s wrong. It’s so easy to feel bad because of all the standards and expectations placed on parents. But then I read the most amazing book written on the subject of babies: Parenthood the Swedish way by Agnes Wold and Cecilia Chrapkowska.

Review by Johanna Nilsson, Slow Fashion

Agnes Wold – an expert at crushing myths about parenting. She is my role model when it comes to this. There are so many things we parents are advised. What we “should” do or not do when it comes to caring for our children – things that are not supported research. Like Anna Wahlgren’s “Barnaboken”. If you have it at home, please burn the rusty book faster than you have time to say “found-it!”. Are you going to have a baby or have had one recently – get instead Professor Agnes Wolds and pediatrician Cecilia Chrapkowska’s new book “Parenthood the Swedish Way” – based on research and free from judgement.

Review by Annika Leone on her blog

“The chapters on pregnancy, childbirth, feeding, sleep, vomiting and infections are just excellent.”

“This is a book that will become a bestseller. The authors should receive credit for how they punch holes in several myths about how to behave as a prospective and new parent.”

Pediatrician and Professor Hugo Lagercranz in Barnläkaren

Authors Cecilia Chrapkowska and Agnes Wold celebrate Parenthood the Swedish Way at Bonnier’s author mingle at Manilla 2017
Criticism of Parenthood the Swedish Way

The book quickly became a success. In addition to the countless bloggers and reviewers who appreciated the book, both I and Agnes have received lots of reader emails thanking us for the book. The book has also attracted some criticism.

Ivar Arpi said on Svenska Dagbladet’s editorial page that our book led to moral decay and prevented the two to three years of full breastfeeding that he considered common in “natural societies” (!).

Ann Heberlein and the home parents’ network have also been critical of the book.

Read the Parenthood the Swedish way as an e-book (free 2 weeks) here

Listen to the audiobook (free 2 weeks) here

Buy Parenthood the Swedish Way as a paper book here

Read an excerpt from here

Parenthood the Swedish Way in 15 languages

The book has been sold to 15 countries. After its release in Sweden, Italy was next to publishPraktika – il metodo svedese per una maternità serena e bimbi felici in the summer of 2018.

In November 2018, The book was released in Danish and was called
Handbog for nye foraeldre – graviditetsfakta og borneviden på videnskapeligt grundlag

In 2020, the book was released in english and is called

Parenthood the Swedish way – a science-based guide to pregnancy, birth and infancy

Parenthood the Swedish Way topped sales on Adlibris (Swedish international, online bookstore) when it was released