After my first child was born, I was terrified that something bad would happen to her. I compulsively checked my stove, the locks, and my baby’s breathing in futile attempts to assuage my overwhelming fears. The parenting books, the internet forums, Dr. Oz, and the news outlets I turned to suggested that every choice could make or break my kid’s well-being. They told me that harmful chemicals lurked around every corner—in infant formula, household products, and the foods she would soon eat. Advertisement I decided to fight my fears with evidence. Over the next two years, I taught myself to read peer-reviewed scientific literature. Going straight to the primary source behind the stories, and the worries, was a desperate attempt at self-preservation. It worked to some extent. Knowledge and meds brought me out of the worst of the terror that had started with my first child in 2011 in time for the birth of my second in 2013. Eventually, I found a good behavioral therapist to help with the rest.