About Pamela Oatis

I, along with all children, experienced adversity. My father was shot, nearly fatally, and spent four years hospitalized when I was age 4-8. Multiple procedures and complications later his leg was amputated above the knee. Ever the jokester he pulled up the pant leg of his good leg to show me the new plastic leg even had hair. Such a playful introduction. My mother had multiple miscarriages in my early years and was hospitalized for “exhaustion.” My lively close knit Irish Catholic and Prussian immigrant family experienced alcoholism.  My parents also provided affection, laughter, spirituality, security, and appreciation for nature. They expected me to do well in school, take responsibility for pets, yard, and house work and offered me the opportunity to excel at competitive swimming at the YWCA, before Title IX opportunities.

I witness that parents do the very best they possibly can, given the information, obstacles, and resources they have. My life experiences of adversity and resilience, plus the wisdom gained as a mother, pediatrician, and Hand in Hand Parenting Certified Instructor have inspired me to write Why Good Babies Cry. May the information and resources the book provides boost readers to stand on my shoulders, maximizing the joy, confidence and satisfaction of caring for infants and babies in their first year.

Our active, family-focused rural life included vegetable gardening, horses, dogs, cats, the neighbor’s geese as well as my grandmother and cousins who lived across a creek and through the woods. Rough housing, snuggles, jokes, laughter, tenderness, listening, and connection flowed.

When accepted to medical school we moved from California’s Bay Area to Ohio. During and right after pediatric residency we adopted two sons and then parented a third, our youngest’s best friend, when they were in first and second grade. Parenting them has been an unfathomable, unmatched challenge, honor, and joy. Beating the odds, they are successful, personable, loving, productive adults.  Forty years later, John and I remain the best of friends and each other’s strongest backer.

We are training and race partners for Olympic distance triathlons. We compete locally, nationally and internationally. We share mutual inspiration for social and environmental justice work. We also are equal partners in handling projects around our rural, passive solar and solar powered home. A pond, organic vegetable garden, miles of 50’ wide strips between farm fields and the River Raisin, old barns, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, dogs, cats, woods are our playground with neighbors, family, and friends.

In medical school I reveled in science, facts, and making friends. Tempted by surgery—action oriented on a team of committed experts; internal medicine—solving complex adult disease puzzles; family medicine—addressing infancy to old age; I chose pediatrics for its focus on healthy lifestyle, prevention, the innocence of childhood, and passion of parents.  Pittsburgh Children’s hospital, a preeminent research and tertiary care institution with staff who maintained a focus on primary care, trained me well.

Some additional activities I enjoy are serving on Ohio’s American Academy of Pediatrics Foundation Advisory Board, leading parent and women’s resource groups, teaching as a Hand in Hand Parenting Certified Instructor, working on campaigns to correct our climate collapse, serving as secretary of the Junction Coalition Community Board of Directors, singing alto with the Clarence Smith Community Chorus, and celebrating with a faith community.