Rating: 
Summary: Use your commonsense
Review: This book was mostly a total waste of time. I am the mother of three children. This book was given to me as a gift and at first held my interest. But then I realized that this woman was getting paid big bucks for stuff that I already knew and had used and am using with all my children. Example: How many new moms talk to their babies like they are just lumps? None that I know! I would have loved to have seen Tracy with my first son!(now 6 years old.) He had a mind of his own even at a few days old. He would have challenged a lot of her ideas! I know, because I tried them! (and I didn't even have her book!) Babies aren't as cut and dried as she wants new parents to believe. So please! Save your money and use your own commonsense.
Rating: 
Summary: All the mother should read it before the baby is born!
Review: I did not buy and read this book until my baby girl is 3 months old which I could have saved myself lots problem if I have read before the labor. This book goes into detail with all situations that mother would expect from the baby and tips to solve the problems. Some of recommandation within the book is somehow differnt than the lactations that we consult in the U.S. which I was a bit confused with the tips and information that given from the book. Therefore I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 for it. However, I'm stillhighly recommanded it for all the expecting mothers!
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but not what you're thinking, either.
Review: I bought this book out of desperation (as I'm sure many that are reading this are considering!). It had some helpful advice. It did not, however, make a whole lot of sense. If you are buying this thinking it will give you concrete solutions, think again. She also asserts that this "method" is good for all babies. I disagree. The part about communicating is great. The sleep help and other information (baby types!) is not great. There is nothing in it about reflux/gassy/colicky babies as many of us have. Also- please note- when you read this, you will feel bad about not fostering independence from day one and for running around in your bathrobe at noon when they are 6 weeks old. Let me tell you- I was still only half-conscience at 6 weeks (my second time around no less!), so I think her expectations are unrealistic. If you put that aside- it's not bad. And the section on breastfeeding is not perfect- though not as bad as some would say (and I'm an avid breastfeeder). Use it as a resource, but remember to use your own judgement. You know as much about your baby as anybody else! Good luck!
Rating: 
Summary: Try it on a real baby!
Review: Like many other reviewers, I also have to disagree with those who would call this book theoretically incorrect (especially a certain lactation specialist who feels the need to let us know that her children were all breastfed - does this make her more credible?). My advice - try it on a REAL BABY - because it works! At five weeks, my pediatrician and I were convinced that my son had colic. If he wasn't eating or sleeping, he was crying constantly, and the only way we could get him to sleep for more than an hour during the night was to put him in our bed. Once we decided it was colic, we gave up trying to determine what his cries meant. Thank God for Tracy Hogg. My husband and I were desperate for anything that would stop the crying and make our son happy. I read the book, started listening to my son's cries, and put him on the EASY schedule. Within 2 days, he was sleeping through the night in his own crib (without having to make him "cry it out") and he is truly an "Angel Baby" during the day. As it turns out, my son was overfed and overtired, but by no means colicy. Whether Tracy has the "correct" credentials or not, she gave my son a voice. I now take the time to listen to him and watch his body language. And what a difference it has made. Everyone in our household is happier, and how can that be wrong? Her best piece of advice is "Start as you mean to go on." So, don't rock your infant to sleep if you don't want to still be doing it when he's 2 or 3 years old. So many of my friends have made similar mistakes and they are sadly unaware that it's their own actions causing the problems. Kudos to Tracy for this inciteful book. I'm giving it to all my pregnant friends.
Rating:
Summary: Use this advice only with a healthy dose of common sense
Review: There are some useful tips in this book, but I am always wary of someone who claims to have a method that is THE way to raise children. I tried some of her methods of getting a newborn on a schedule and it absolutely did not work. After talking to many experienced moms about this, the unanimous answer was that most newborns will not get on a schedule until they are several months old. I found that to be the case with my baby. My baby didn't start living with a schedule until she was 5 months old. Now she is doing just great. But, according to Tracy, if you don't start them out on a schedule right away then pandemonium sets in. Not so! Some of her breastfeeding advice is questionable. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies be breastfed for the first year of life. Tracy gives advice such as "If a woman is concerned about her body image, it might NOT be best for her to breastfeed. She's likely to hear that she's selfish, but who are we to make her feel guilty and wrong?" and "Formula today is more refined and chock-full of nutrients than ever" - giving the impression to a mother who might not have educated herself on the difference in breast milk and formula that the two are equal. There is no question that breast milk is best for babies. Medical evidence for this is overwhelming, yet Hogg underplays this fact. She advises to "always wipe off your nipples with a clean washcloth because milk can be a breeding ground for bacteria and cause thrush on your breast and the baby's mouth." First of all, if she had been awake in nursing school she would have learned that wiping something with water does nothing to remove bacteria - that is why we use soap. Second, my lactation consultant, doctor and every breastfeeding book I have ever read says to never wipe your nipples with anything, but to always let them air dry. I have read 7 books on breastfeeding and my favorite is "The Ultimate Book of Breastfeeding Answers" by Dr. Jack Newman. Dr. Newman is a pediatrician and one of the foremost experts on breastfeeding in North America. Another good one that gives lighthearted practical advice is "So That's What They're For" by Janet Tamaro. Hogg gives some sleep advice, but it didn't work for me. If you are looking for a book to help with your baby's sleep habits, a better one to read is called, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. Finally, READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT HOGG IN NEWSWEEK from Feb. 26, 2001. You can find it online on Newsweek's website. Tracy has apparently embellished her credentials and when pressed for clarification, she got teary eyed and dismissed the questions. The best parenting advice I have gotten has come from experienced parents I know and respect who have good kids. Don't trust your baby to a self proclaimed expert who has merely done a fabulous job of marketing herself.
Rating:
Summary: Great surprise, great help! Highly recommended
Review: My baby is now 7 month old, and we are what one can call victims of reading too many baby books and contradicting advices. In the last few months we had many problems of sleep and crying during bedtime (the baby got used to fall asleep on my breast and in our bed), and also we took the habit of lifting the baby every time he makes a sound. The baby wanted us to hold him all the time. I really felt totally exhausted. The book helped us in constructing a routine, which helped the baby and us. He sleeps more now, and in his own bed, ready to play more by himself, and I have more time to myself. Thanks to Tracy and the book.
Rating:
Summary: Mother of 6-month-old twins
Review: Before reading this book I was struggling every day to try and get my boys on some sort of a schedule but was having no success. Most of the books that I've read are too restrictive to apply to twins and none address the issue of understanding your baby's cues as thoroughly as this book does. Within three days of reading the book and applying some of methods the twins are regularly napping, sleeping longer through the night AND waking up happy! Tracy emphasizes treating your baby with respect and tells you exactly how to communicate effectively in a gentle and manageable way. If you are only buying one book about getting your child to nap, eat, play, and sleep through the night, this is the one.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I definately recommend this book! My husband and I both read it from cover to cover before our baby was born. (I was amazed he was willing to read it.) We followed it very closely. Our son is now eight months old and I cannot tell you how many times I hear "is your son always that happy?" or "he is so content!". My husband and I both feel that this book really saved us during those first few weeks with our new son. I am now going to purchase her toddler book.
Rating:
Summary: AH! Sleep at last!
Review: I bought this book when my first born son was 6 weeks old and I was utterly and miserably sleep deprived. I found the writing style to be humorous and refreshing and the advice to be practical and based on common sense...but who has any sense with no sleep? My baby slept 8 (continuous) hours a night by the age of 2 months and 12(continuous) hours a night before 3 months. Is it because of the book? Maybe he would have slept well anyway but I thank Tracy Hogg because maybe he wouldn't have! She has good advice about "starting as you mean to go on", avoiding the OVERUSE of props like pacifiers, and responding to your baby's needs. WARNING! She is wrong about a mother's milk supply stopping after several weeks if the mother is exclusively pumping. I have exclusively pumped for 7 months and so do many other mothers who work, our milk supply is fine.
If you want to sleep, give it a shot, it worked for us!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource - Like an Owner's Manual for Parents
Review: I was very disturbed at some reviews by "theorticians" who seemed to rail against the author and her advice. I have a newborn son, so let my personal experience with the book be your guide. I struggled with crying jags, poor sleep, and a relatively unhappy boy for 7 weeks. I was given the book prior to my son's birth but did not read it then because I was inundated by pregnancy books. However, at week 7, I picked it up and read it in the middle of the night, hoping to get sleep-sleep-through the night suggestions. I finished the book that night, and began applying the authors advice. Literally overnight, my son was happier, and as a result, so was I. We are at week 9 and he sleeps through the night easily. Additionally, this is the ONLY book I read with practical advice for bottle-feeding mothers. I despise the breastfeeding-nazis, who seem to feel their way is the only way. Not true -- both my husband and myself were formula fed and turned out just fine. I could not nurse my son, as a literally produced no milk (not uncommon in older mothers, despite the myth any woman can produce enough milk). The author did not negate the benefits of breast feeding, but offered the alternative in a factual way. Very refreshing. This book will be the gift I give to any friend who is expecting. And I urge anyone who gets this book to read it BEFORE giving birth.
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