Rating: 
Summary: Not for us at all
Review: Her style of parenting & recommendations are not what feels right for us. It is natural for a baby to be very needy and a schedule should not be forced on an infant.
Rating: 
Summary: THE NEW PARENT BIBLE!
Review: Wow -it is so fantastic to finally have a simple, relevant and "easy" book to read, focusing on the issues all parents (new or not so new) spend many sleepless hours thinking about (eating, sleeping, feeding, how to prepare for your new baby etc....).When I first became pregnant, I bought many "parenting" and "baby" books, some were good, others not so good. The problem was I found I needed "many" books. Every time I had a question, I would look through this huge stack of books next to my bed trying to find a comprehensive answer! One night after finally getting my baby to sleep at 1:00 a.m., I found myself wide awake, unable to fall asleep. So I picked up "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and couldn't put it down. I stayed up till 3:30 that morning reading the entire book. This book offers such non judgemental, practical information, covering so many relevant topics. The author's sweet and loving manner comes through in her writing, and makes you feel that she is talking to only you. I strongly encourage all parents to get "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer." This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Life Saver
Review: This book was just fanastic! I guess I am one of the lucky mums who read this when my infant was only 3 weeks old. We have managed to get her into a great routine which I can only attribute to following this book to the letter and getting an early start! People envy how great my baby is, yet she wasnt always that way... this really is a book that every new parent should treat as their bible....
Rating: 
Summary: From a First Time Father
Review: 3.5 to 4.0 stars
Hey dads, moms, grandparents, etc., Here is a bit of my experience with The Baby Whisperer.
My wife and I were looking for something that was in between the stricter method of child rearing and the loosey goosey methods. We knew that each way had its merits but wanted more information on when one method would be preferable over another and/or how to implement a hybrid of both.
Tracy Hogg's Baby Whisperer seemed to be that middle ground and provided a lot of the answers we were looking for. Note that it didn't provide them all and we dismissed some methodology that we didn't want at all. However, we were able to file that information away "just in case."
She seems to lean a bit more toward the stricter, "Babywise" side, at least in the scheduling department, but she does allow for some flexibility. We tried to implement her EASY method but our son needed some variation on it and that was fine. As long as we were consistent, a point she emphasizes, he had fewer problems. And with eating and sleeping, she can discuss how to do it in general terms but the detailed intricacies need to be discovered by individual parents based on the situation. Sure, a routine of bath, story, and into the crib is easy to write but leaves some blanks that the parent must fill in (does the baby like a rocking chair for the story or somewhere else? Is a bath at night feasible for the parents or would a mid-day bath be better?). Over time, the parents learn about the baby and vice versa and Hogg's methods are implemented more easily because of this increased familiarity.
As for common sense, yes, she does talk about things that are common sense to some people but when it comes to parenting, the definition of common sense can vary. She gives some nuances that can be applied to basic "common sense." And think about dealing with a screaming newborn for the first time and remember how common sense can go out the window for some people. But the more you read, hear and evaluate advice on parenting, the more prepared you will be to recognize what is common sense.
One of the problems I had was that her numbers don't always seem to add up. As she lists out timelines, I felt her math was a bit off. So, when looking for her recommendations on when to do something, I was often confused because start and stop times would overlap. However, I could get the main idea of what she was saying and would just adjust it to fit but this was not always easy.
And, yes, she does classify babies into four categories. Of course, this is very small but it gives a good base. This is done all the time and we actually looked at it as a starting point. Does our son fit one category? Does he straddle more than one? It isn't the end all, be all of personality types but it is a point of reference, much like the book as a whole.
As for the father part, this was another book that helped me feel less in the dark when it came to parenting decisions. My wife didn't have to know everything herself and could use me as a resource. I could also decipher the "book-speak" of acronyms and theories that new parents often have. I also knew that I could get my son to sleep (usually) when it was bedtime, among other things.
In general, the BEST thing I've learned from parenting books, classes, my wife and other parents is that no one method works across the board when applied to babies and kids. Nothing! There are things that might work 99% of the time but don't be surprised when a "proven" method comes up short. At those times, a little improv can help and then it is good to have more than one source of information to pull from. This book is not for everyone and I can't advise anyone to only use this book as their reference at home. But it does come with a lot of good information and that information needs to be evaluated before implementing. As for us, we liked it enough to add the toddler version to our collection of books about that age.
Rating:
Summary: if youre cold-hearted, this book may appeal to you
Review: i bought this book after having read so many rave-reviews about it. im a first-time mum and therefore an avid reader of baby books and i dont believe in just reading those i agree with 100pct so even though i disagreed with a few of tracey hogg's premises, i decided to read on.
i was SO disappointed!!! i found the condescending tone of the book utterly unbearable to start with. being called "luv" every second sentence was more nauseating than i care to mention and being told that there isnt a baby on earth whose "problems" she cant solve (given that apparently all babies fit into four neat categories) was just plain unbelievable.
i do agree however with hogg that babies should be treated with respect, but any child-care expert worth their salt will tell you the same thing. what did it for me was reading that while hogg does not advocate letting children cry it out, she also says that she does not believe babies should be held or rocked unless the parent is meeting a particular need at that time as it will ultimately make them less independent and foster bad habits. for someone who is herself a mother, i could not believe that she could take such a ghastly, insensitive approach to child care and it was more than i could handle. at that point, i put the book down forever.
if youre looking for great child-care books, read anything by dr william sears, or the "no-cry sleep solution" by elizabeth pantley. these are wonderful books for anyone who believes that parenting a baby should be done from the heart, not in accordance to some cold, formulaic regime.
Rating: 
Summary: A book for those who really don't have a clue
Review: I was so excited to get home and read this book after hearing such great reviews. Boy was I ever disappointed. I, a first time mother who's only had a baby for one month, ould of written this book. I read the book from cover to cover and learned nothing. Here are the great insights she tried to share. One, babies have different cries; and when they cry, they are trying to communicate something (wow, what insight). Two, babies have different personalities; and therefore, have different needs (wow, again what insight). Three, her chart to help diagnose why your baby is crying is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Here's an example of her chart to diagnose why baby is crying: 1. If baby has tiny goose bumps, baby is cold. 2. If baby is sweaty, baby is too warm. 3. If baby is tilting head and opening mouth, baby is hungry. If baby is bearing down and grunting, baby is having a bowel movement. You think I may be over simplifying, but I kid you not this is her expert insight. This is what she calls "baby whispering". Well, this is what I call basic common sense. I would of given this book a one, but I guess there really are people without common sense. Therefore, if you are trully clueless buy this book. This will break things down for those people who need the whole thing spelled out for them. Otherwise, just use your old fashioned instinct and use some common sense.
Rating:
Summary: Best baby book I have ever read!!!!
Review: I read this book while I was pg with my daughter. I followed the advise and everything Tracy suggests in the book worked perfectly! She has a very middle-of-the-road approach and stresses ROUTINE vs a strict time schedule. My daughter (since she was only a month or 2 old) has fallen asleep by herself and slept thru the night, she is also a fabulous napper, there is NEVER any battle to get her to go to sleep. She loves her crib and actually asks to go in it when she's very tired. Every babysitter I've ever had is completely amazed at how she goes "down." They have said things like, "she's the easiest baby to put to bed" and "she falls asleep so good by herself with no rocking and no bottle." If I had not read this book, my daughter would not be such a good sleeper. I also read Tracy's book for toddlers, which was also VERY helpful when dealing with tantrums, hitting, and other bad toddler habits!
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: I buy this book now for my pregnant friends, I wish I had it when I came home from the hospital. I'm not a big believer in using one person's philosophy or system to raise your child, but sometimes its nice to have some guidelines, suggestions or encouragement. I like this book because its a nice middle-of-the-road attitude. Some reviews said she is judgemental, but I don't feel that's the case. She is saying what's worked for her, and specifically says that if you're doing something else that's working, don't change it. She does include some 'baby types' and general schedules, but states specifically that every baby and family is different and these are just general guidelines. Really, in this book, she presents PATTERNS rather than schedules. Babies like to have predictable days, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. With this book you can help yourself see what patterns your baby is trying to set up for himself and help him do so. At least, that's how I used it.
Rating:
Summary: If you have no idea what you are doing, get this book!
Review: Great book! Life saver. Makes life very easy and baby very happy!
Rating:
Summary: Recommended
Review: Highly recommended. Read it before your baby is born. It calms you and prepares you for baby life. Then you can really enjoy it
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