Baby on the Way

Rating:
Summary: A must for big brother/sister
Review: "Baby on the Way" is a superb book for preparing older siblings for the arrival of a baby in the house. Written by pediatrician William Sears, registered nurse and certified childbirth educator Martha Sears, and author Christie Watts Kelly, cofounder of the Memphis chapter of Attachment Parenting International, this book does an amazing job of adapting to young readers. The idea is that while the new baby is growing inside mommy's belly, her other children are also growing up and becoming an older brother or sister. Realizing that kids might be afraid to ask questions, this book compares what mommy is feeling to similar feelings children will certainly recognize. Of course there is a young boy and a young girl, so young readers will have someone to identify with throughout the book.

The major strengths of this book is that it provides both basic information on what is happening and how things are going to change with the arrival of the new baby, including "Answers for the Very Curious," as well as practical tips for having the older siblings involved. Every few pages there is a "What You Can Do" box that suggests things like visiting the doctor with mommy to listen to the baby's heartbeat, seeing if there are any toys or clothes to be shared with the new baby, and planning the baby's Birth Day part while you are waiting for the baby to come. The illustrations by Renee Andriani are well-suited to the task and the back of the book includes a short course on Attachment parenting and a list of resources, both written and on-line.

We did okay with preparing our son for the arrival of his sister, emphasizing how this was going to be "his" baby and how he had to be careful because he was so big and she was so small. Of course, she fully exploited this advantage and when we had our third child the first two were not too sure about it. Having a book like this back then would have been a thing of good because preparing the old ones for the new one is a big deal. "Baby on the Way" is a very impressive, loving approach to this age old problem.

Rating:
Summary: The perfect book for preparing older siblings for the baby
Review: "Baby on the Way" is a superb book for preparing older siblings for the arrival of a baby in the house. Written by pediatrician William Sears, registered nurse and certified childbirth educator Martha Sears, and author Christie Watts Kelly, cofounder of the Memphis chapter of Attachment Parenting International, this book does an amazing job of adapting to young readers. The idea is that while the new baby is growing inside mommy's belly, her other children are also growing up and becoming an older brother or sister. Realizing that kids might be afraid to ask questions, this book compares what mommy is feeling to similar feelings children will certainly recognize. Of course there is a young boy and a young girl, so young readers will have someone to identify with throughout the book.

The major strengths of this book is that it provides both basic information on what is happening and how things are going to change with the arrival of the new baby, including "Answers for the Very Curious," as well as practical tips for having the older siblings involved. Every few pages there is a "What You Can Do" box that suggests things like visiting the doctor with mommy to listen to the baby's heartbeat, seeing if there are any toys or clothes to be shared with the new baby, and planning the baby's Birth Day part while you are waiting for the baby to come. The illustrations by Renee Andriani are well-suited to the task and the back of the book includes a short course on Attachment parenting and a list of resources, both written and on-line.

We did okay with preparing our son for the arrival of his sister, emphasizing how this was going to be "his" baby and how he had to be careful because he was so big and she was so small. Of course, she fully exploited this advantage and when we had our third child the first two were not too sure about it. Having a book like this back then would have been a thing of good because preparing the old ones for the new one is a big deal. "Baby on the Way" is a very impressive, loving approach to this age old problem.

Rating:
Summary: So-so and not for little ones
Review: I bought this book for my 2 year old because it shows the new baby nursing, and I really want her to get used to the idea that her sibling will nurse like she did. Unfortunately, it contains way too much information for a little one and is geared too much towards what is happening to mama while she is pregnant. I mean, yeah, my stomach was upset but it's not my two year old's job to worry about it. I would have appreciated less information about pregnancy and birth and more about the actual arrival of the new baby.

I also thought it was odd that the gurus of attachment parenting put so much in this book about how mommy and daddy will be expanding the house, buying new stuff, making a place for the baby to sleep, etc. Part of the beauty of attachment parenting is (in my opinion) that all of that isn't so necessary. I am trying to get my daughter to adjust to the idea of a new baby in the family bed and this book does not address that at all.

I do read it to her occasionally, but I have to change most of the wording in order for her to understand it and I skip whole pages that just aren't relative to our lives.

You might like this book if you have a much older sibling and a big house with a nursery and a crib and all that jazz, but I don't find it terribly helpful in preparing my daughter for her new sister.

Rating:
Summary: Best preparing for baby book for AP parent
Review: I looked at quite a few "new baby" books before selecting this one. As another reviewer said, there are a few pages addressing the physical changes mommy will be going through during the pregnancy. I agree that these could have been minimized.

However, most of the book is a wonderful discussion about what it will be like waiting for the new baby, what might happen when the time comes for the birth, and what is happening inside to make mommy's belly bigger. All in appropriate language for the toddler or young child. There are also a couple of sections about how to explain gestation, labor and birth in a bit greater detail for children who are a bit older or very curious.

Best of all, there is an emphasis on things the older sibling can have fun doing while waiting for the baby, such as going with mommy to listen to the heartbeat, and talking to the baby while in mommy's belly. Unlike most books I saw on this subject, there is no mention of bottlefeeding at all, only breastfeeding, and it has a very AP slant. Most books show both breastfeeding and another family member giving bottles, and usually show the new baby more in the stroller and bouncy than in arms. This book is a refreshing change.

Rating:
Summary: just right for brand new brothers/sisters
Review: We bought theis for our 4 year old son. He loves sweet yet informateve book which I think contains just the right amount of info for young children. It also describes pregnancy and birth from children's view point such as "mommy's feet hurt just like when you squeeze into last year's shoes". This sweet book is a must for attachment parenting style families who do not want to give too much biological details to their children, say about cenception.

Rating:
Summary: A must for big brother/sister
Review: We got this book for our 4 year old daughter when we were expecting her brother. It really helped her to understand what was going on with mommy. I loved it because it was a great tool to help explain what was going on in terms she could understand.

At storytime, she always wanted this book read to her. I highly recommend this book

Rating:
Summary: Expecting another child? This book is for you!
Review: When parents bring a new baby home to their family, there will be many sleepless nights, midnight feedings, lots of dirty diapers... These changes will no doubt affect mom and dad's world. But if they already have children, their world will change as well...especially if they are still young. How can parents help their children adjust to havng a new baby in their home?

The book, "Baby on the Way," from the famous Sears Children's Library, is a wonderful way to help children understand everything about their new baby brother or sister. The book begins with some helpful tips for parents and caregivers, and then tells the story of the new baby's beginnings...in the mommy's belly. The book "talks" to your child, and explains what it will be like before and after the new baby is born. There are ideas throughout the book that tell children "what they can do," and shows them ways that they can be involved in the new baby's life. The end of the book contains information about "Attachment Parenting," and helpful resources for the new parents.

My ParenTime highly recommends "Baby on the Way" - it's written so that even very young children will find it easy to understand; the illustrations are colorful and descriptive; and it makes it easier to explain to children, how this new life will be changing theirs forever. My 6 year old really enjoyed this story :-).

Rating:
Summary: Expecting another child? This book is for you!
Review: When parents bring a new baby home to their family, there will be many sleepless nights, midnight feedings, lots of dirty diapers... These changes will no doubt affect mom and dad's world. But if they already have children, their world will change as well...especially if they are still young. How can parents help their children adjust to havng a new baby in their home?

The book, "Baby on the Way," from the famous Sears Children's Library, is a wonderful way to help children understand everything about their new baby brother or sister. The book begins with some helpful tips for parents and caregivers, and then tells the story of the new baby's beginnings...in the mommy's belly. The book "talks" to your child, and explains what it will be like before and after the new baby is born. There are ideas throughout the book that tell children "what they can do," and shows them ways that they can be involved in the new baby's life. The end of the book contains information about "Attachment Parenting," and helpful resources for the new parents.

My ParenTime highly recommends "Baby on the Way" - it's written so that even very young children will find it easy to understand; the illustrations are colorful and descriptive; and it makes it easier to explain to children, how this new life will be changing theirs forever. My 6 year old really enjoyed this story :-).