Rating:  Summary: Baby Whisperer, Whispers Questionable Advice Review: As a Parent Educator and Certified Lactation Educator I would hesitate to recommend this book to new parents due to the inaccurate information on breastfeeding and attachment. Although this book can be seen as valuable in the way that it describes recognizing and becoming aware of infant cues as a way to better understand your baby this book adheres to a strict and regimental schedule(risky!) for feeding baby especially in the first few days of life when many lactation professionals would agree that feeding and comforting baby through its sucking needs at the breast are innate parts of its survival as well as ensuring a healthy milk supply. Holding your baby and nursing frequently in the early days, weeks, and months ease baby's transition to life outside of the womb. As well as being the world's most highly accepted breastfeeding resource, La Leche League International's "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is an in depth book on infant development without any quick fix methods or sure cures as Ms. Hogg presents in her book. Another worthwhile book to consider is "The Baby Book" by Dr. Sears. While Ms. Hogg expresses the view of Dr. Sears as an extremist because in his infant books he promotes meeting the needs of an infant by not only understanding your baby's cues but also recognizes sleeping with your baby as healthy(ie. reducing the risk of S.I.D.S.), carrying your baby while it is happy and considers breastfeeding a relationship that mother shares with baby which is beyond feeding and is enhanced by a suportive partner who will benefit from the relationship and not be excluded from as is presented in Ms. Hogg's book. What Doctor Sears points out that Ms. Hogg also refutes is that you cannot spoil a young baby, as if a young infants ego is in place at this point. My concern for new parents is that they will be mislead that Ms. Hogg's E.A.S.Y. plan is a substitute for your their intuition. Imagine not allowing your baby to sleep on your chest where he or she can fall asleep listening to your heartbeat. A parent behavior that the author warns against. As with any book new parents find themselves led to, take what works for you, leave the rest behind and when considering the health and well-being of your baby, respond with your heart first and foremost. It has more wisdom than any book.
Rating:  Summary: secrets of the baby whisperer Review: Tracy's english style provided a few chuckles in addition to some good insight. Her EASY plan makes sense and is similar to BabyWise's Eat, Play, Sleep. Her tips to for sleeping helped me create a positive routine for my 7mo son -- it was simple and it works most of the time.You can not rely on just one book for baby care answers -- you need a few to to pick and choose the info that is right for you and your child. No one solution fits all. I would recommend this book to add to your personal collection, especially as a new parent.
Rating:  Summary: Practical, Useful Advice Review: This is a wonderful product. Having said that, if you're considering buying either the audio product or the book, by all means buy the book! I own both, and while the audio product is very useful for a busy new mom (you can listen while feeding your baby, for instance), this is a *very* abridged version of a book that contains too much valuable information to miss. This is definately a reference book, and you'll want to mark pages to refer back to many, many times - not an easy task with an audio product. The information in this book isn't perfect, in my opinion, but the useful information far outweighs the "questionable" information, which is for the most part just a matter of opinion or convention. I find it interesting that most of the people who have given negative reviews of this book fall into one of two categories: 1) serious attachment parenting proponents and 2) people who are more interested in any scandals regarding Ms. Hogg's supposed parenting flaws. ... people ...have taken the information and used it to make a difference in the lives of themselves and their babies. I spent a month trying to follow attachment parenting techniques, and while I still admire Dr. and Mrs. Sears and think their book "The Baby Book" has the best, most complete information on baby health available, I found it difficult and stressful to implement their bonding strategies. I found myself paranoid that if I put my baby down to entertain himself for any length of time I was damaging his little psyche and being a "bad parent." I found the Baby Wise information a little too rigid, and although Ms. Hogg's techniques are similar they are more flexible and more respectful than the Baby Wise techniques. I also appreciate Ms. Hogg's balanced views regarding making the decision whether or not to breastfeed. She made it very clear that breastfeeding is best for the baby (and who could deny this), but this isn't a perfect world and not every mom can breastfeed exclusively for six or more months and remain sane. As someone told me when I was in a state of distress over making the very difficult choice to discontinue breastfeeding, "Your baby needs a whole mother - not just a pair of breasts!" What "Secrets of the Baby Whisperper" did for my baby, my husband and myself was give us just enough structure to enable us to live a balanced life during these first few stressful months with our new baby. ...
Rating:  Summary: Practicle, Useful, Reasuring Review: This book provides a practicle approach to learning the "language" of ones newborn/baby and establishing a routine that fulfills the needs of both the baby and the parents. It's an easy, quick read and one can start using the suggestions immediately. Hogg suceeds to instill a sense of calm, control and confidence in the new parent. A must have for every new mommy and daddy!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing, save your money! Review: After seeing Tracey Hogg on Dateline I recommended her book to my friend, a new mother who'd been having trouble getting her baby to sleep. We found this book simplistic and superficial, not helpful at all. We were also disappointed that Hogg's only reference to circumcision was her advise on caring for the wounded penis. For someone who claims to be so sensitive to babies feelings and an advocate for children, we found her to be neither. Save your money. If you must satisfy your curiosity go to the library, or the used book store where it's certain to be available soon at a dramatically reduced price.
Rating:  Summary: No Luv. You don't have all the answers. Review: Okay. I am not the type of person to write a book review. You all know the phrase about opinions; however, this book really got under my skin. I caught part of an interview with Tracy Hogg on TV and I was intrigued by the idea of knowing your baby's cries. My son was 5 months old and though I had a pretty good handle on things I am always open to new information. This book was a real let down. First of all, this book is really geared for a newborn. Many of her practices just won't work on a 5 month old. For example, her soothing method for sleep and crying just didn't work with my son at all. Second, the section on the cries is so vague that you can't really identify which cry is which. I happened to hear her do a couple during her interview and those are the only two that I could identify. Third, her information breastfeeding and solid foods isn't up to snuff. She states that breast/bottle confusion is a myth. This is soley her opinion and is incorrect. I lived through it and can tell you first hand that it is real. My advice is no bottles or pacifiers until nursing is well established, but no later than six weeks. Also, she makes it seem like breastfeeding's popularity is simply a trend and doesn't even metion the enormous health benefits. Though it is a personal decision, its benefits are no secret. She lost all her credibility by poo pooing th whole thing. Her recommendations for solid foods are equally uninformed. It seems like Tracy needed to cover too many subjects to make a book of it. As a result, you get very little about a whole lot...
Rating:  Summary: I wish I had had this book while I was pregnant Review: I thought this book was very good. It helped us to get our baby on a schedual and therefore made our lives slightly more sane. Our daughter is 10 weeks old and slept throught the night when she was 5 weeks old. I use this book and the book "On Becoming Babywise" as references. Both have the same ideas as far as getting them on a schedual. "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" says to go to the baby whenever she cries. "On Becoming Babywise" says to let them cry it out. I think there needs to be a happy medium between the two. That is why I say I use them both. Bot agree that the baby should feed, play and then sleep. Neither tells what you are supposed to do if the baby falls asleep after a feed and you cannot get her to wake up.
Rating:  Summary: She knows what she is talking about!!! Review: I loved this book!! I read this after my son turned 1. I wish I would have bought it before he was born. She makes so much sense!! I don't believe in attachement parenting at all. I also don't believe on "demand" feeding. Like Tracey says, "it makes a demanding child!" I know I don't want a demanding child!! I will buy this book for EVERY pregnant women I know!
Rating:  Summary: Baby Bliss Review: My husband and I attended "Prep For Parenting" classes, which gave us a good foundation for raising our now nine month old daughter. This book utilizes many of the same principles that has helped us with understanding the needs of our baby. I feel the most important point made in this book is the issue of "listening" to your baby. From day one, "listening" has helped to keep me clued in to my baby and diminished the stress and potential chaos that could occur. My baby is happy and healthy and so are we!
Rating:  Summary: good advice Review: I got this book when my baby was three months old. I had been using Dr. Sears' Baby Book previously. I thought I couldn't let my baby fall asleep by herself and that she couldn't cry without me there. So at three months old, my baby was being rocked to sleep at night and taking 1 to 3 hours (with her crying) to do it. I was at my wit's end. But with the Baby Whisperer's advice, I started teaching her to fall asleep in her crib. I never let her "cry it out," and within days of starting she was falling asleep in 30 minutes. Now at 5 months old, she falls asleep in her bed. She is much happier this way and so am I. It took a bit longer than Tracy Hogg's 3-day magic, but I'm not complaining. I am very happy with Tracy Hogg's advice about baby's sleeping. Most of what she says seems very middle-of-the-road, not at one extreme (Ferberizing) or the other (Sears). Of course, I don't agree with everything in the book, but I combine it with some of Dr. Sears and a lot of my own opinion.
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