“Babies Don’t Make Small Talk” offers parenting tips for introverts

INTRODUCTION 

I have always been an overthinker, so when it came time to consider parenting, I was overwhelmed by all the choices—first with the question of whether or not to have a kid, then with the decision of when to start trying for one. Pregnancy brought on a new round of decisions— could I eat some sushi if it was cooked? Which people should I tell the news to and when? Should I risk running baby names by anyone or guard them like the contents of a teenager’s diary? The social aspect of parenting was also a big adjustment for me. On the one hand, having a baby makes for a pretty good excuse to turn down an invitation to an awkward dinner party. On the other hand, parenting thrusts you into an array of playdates, park interactions, and birthday parties, which…