Rating: 
Summary: Great Resource
Review: First, I would like to tell that despite one objection I have against this book, I loved it and my husband loves it and we use it frequently.This book will give you insight about various child-care issues (from first bath, through first feeding of solids, to the home safety issues parents of a baby need to be aware of), it will answer numerous questions new mothers have (sometimes even those you might be ashamed to ask because they seem like something you should know without asking), it will show you basics of baby CPR, help you decide when to call doctor (and how to select one). You will find there overview of basic baby illnesses as well as various recipes for your baby's newly found taste for solids. It will show you how to stimulate your baby's development and how to make the time you spend with your baby the "quality time". It will encourage you to hug and cuddle with your baby as well as gently teach your baby some basic behavioral lessons. The best thing is that it never makes a pressure (or guilt) on you as to which course of action to take when raising your baby; it leaves the decision up to you. Readers should remember though, that they need to read the authors' notes about the book and they should also check on any information they disagree with (in any book, website, or flier) instead of blindly taking for granted everything that's on the paper. This would ease the frustration of many readers that doubted the worth of this book. I've read the Sear's Baby Book that many readers liked so much, and I must say that it is not really reasonable to follow for a family with average income and average work-schedule. I tried to follow advice in Sear's book and only ended up exhausted, guilt-ridden (I could never do enough) with fussy baby. Then I switched to "What to expect..." and I'm still with this book. It's great resource. My only one objection about this book as well as explanation why some readers might not have enjoyed it too much follows. My only dislike about this book is the opinion that breastfeeding should be stopped at nine months. Few years ago, APA recommended that mothers should try breastfeed at least one year. This book needs new reviewed edition that reflects this recommendation. About people's comments: * First, realize that this book is not and can not be the "know-it-all-be-always-right" book about babies. The topic here is so broad that that you will for sure find yourself disagreeing on some items while liking other ones. Authors themselves say that there is not one "right" parenting style; you have to decide which parenting style you like and which one is therefore right for you. The style described in this book works for me great though -- I spend lots of time with my baby, but I still manage the household tasks and help my husband pay the bills with my part-time job. *Second, read and remember authors' notes saying that babies develop in their own pace and the monthly-development guidelines are only approximate. I found this especially true. One big lesson parents get is that babies do new things when THEY are ready (gosh, it was hard to master concept though); you can help them, but at the end, it's them who decides that it's the right time. This book tries to teach you that. Therefore, do not get influenced by those readers that complain about the month-to-month develompment guidelines, they probably missed the note under those guidelines. Also, the books advises you to check with pediatrician when you are uncertain about your baby's development -- great advice that can save you lots of worries (and unfortunatelly, many baby books do not really try to work with pediatricians). *Third, the question/answer format of references is great WHEN you use index in the back of the book (as is logical for book that offers such an amount of information about such wide topic). I easily found answer for most of my questions in this book and it saved me numerous trips to my doctor. *Fourth, the "crying it out" concept is an option/suggestion from authors of the book. They do not say you have to do that, it is advice for somebody who is interested in opinion. If you are not interested in opinion, or if it frustrates you, do not read it and do not follow it. There can't be right answer for everyone. As authors mention, there are many parenting styles and almost none of them are wrong. It's up to you which one you choose. And whatever you choose, it's right. Many critical comments about this book failed to see this principle and failed to be tolerant to other people's parenting styles. *Fifth, you should not taky any book as you exclusive source of information. Always talk to your pediatrition about your concerns, search the internet, talk to other mothers. Pick what you think is best. It may be something else than this or other book says, but hey, if you think it's the best, it probably is. Overall, this book is great resource and I recommend it to everybody.
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat Helpful
Review: I found this book to begin to be helpful around month 4. I was offended by the section on whether on not to go back to work. If you are planning on returning to work, do yourself a favor and skip this chapter. I loved What to Expect When You Are Expecting so had high hopes, my expectations were not met. I did notice some inconsistencies with advice throughout the chapters, but overall I am glad that I own it.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best reference books available
Review: As a first-time mother, I really enjoy this book. It has answered a lot of my questions, and gave me some wonderful tips that were very useful. I even like the playtime ideas in the book and the recipes as well. Also, it has chapters that deal with special situations, concerns, and illness. And I like the postpartum section as well. Even my husband loves the book because it features a chapter that focuses on fathers' concerns and questions. I highly recommend this book to all new mothers.
Rating:
Summary: The Trusted Parenting 'Encyclopedia' for more than 2 decades
Review: We loved What to Expect When You're Expecting as well as What to Expect the First Year. The authors did a fabulous job of including just about everything I wanted to know, especially the developmental and medical norms and milestones. I appreciate the friendly tone of the comprehensive series. My husband and I consult these reference books as concerns come up and we usually come away with a number of 'how to' suggestions and quite a bit of reassurance that everything is going to be OK. I think every new parent should own this trusted series that eases the many anxieties of a new parent. In addition to THE WHAT TO EXPECT BOOKS, I highly recommend THE POCKET PARENT (also published by Workman) as a compatible little pocket guru of sanity saving suggestions focused on the most challenging behaviors of the next age group...2's, 3's, 4's,& 5's
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid if you want to succeed at breastfeeding
Review: I got this book when my son was one month old, and I did find parts of it helpful. The page at the beginning of each month, telling you what your baby should be able to do, might be able to do, etc was very interesting, as were the height-weight charts at the back of the book. But as time went by, I got more and more frustrated with this book, and eventually put it away and bought another book. The advice given on breastfeeding is counter to my experience and the advice I have received from lactation consultants etc. I also did not like its tirade against early learning techniques, which seemed to be targetted at Glenn Doman's approach but making out that learning is a chore, and can't be fun (Doman says the parent must make it fun or not do it at all). The last straw was reading in the 9 month old section that you should leave your teething baby to cry because there is nothing you can do about it..... what about tee-jel, cuddles, breastfeeding?) I would recommend Dr Sears "The Baby Book" as a general book, and "Nursing Mother, Working Mother" as a breastfeeding guide.
Rating:
Summary: Very happy with this book
Review: I received this book as a gift from my family Doctor when I had my son, and I have been very pleased with it and refer to it often. I find the authors of the book to present very unbiased views of some "hot" issues, such as circumsision, co-sleeping, "crying it out", and breast vs. bottle. I have not felt that the authors try to sway you one way or another (like other baby books do), but present the pros and cons of each issue and left me, the parent, to make my own informed decisions. And this book never made me feel like my personal choices were the "wrong" choices. The back section very clearly charts common illnesses and symptoms, which I appreciate. This book goes month by month, which made me feel more confident as a first time mother. My only complaint with this book is that often, when I look up my desired topic in the index, I'm surprised at what month I find the answer, and it's usually not the month my son is in. Overall, I have found this book to be a valuable asset, and the information presented in the book often is in agreement with my son's Doctor. Because any book you buy should only be used as a guide, and not to take the place of your own intuition or your Doctor's recommendations, I feel this book is a good resource.
Rating:
Summary: There are much better books out there!
Review: I bought this book as a resource for my first child. Although it has some useful information, it is very "middle of the road" and I felt it didn't go in depth enough with research and information I felt to be important. One *huge* area that is lacking is the breastfeeding information. They do not adequately explain the differences between breastfeeding and formula, and recommend weaning a child at 9mo. The AAP recomments nursing for *at least* a year, and the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends at least 2 years. In WTE, the authors indicate that if you don't wean by 9mo, a child will almost assuredly not wean at all or until much much later. This simply is inaccurate at best. Throughtout the book, the book is obviously biased towards a "doctor knows all" point of view. I suppose it's a good book for anyone who would like to know what the average doctor would tell her to do, but it's not a good book for anyone who likes to have a little more information and make her OWN informed choices. No one is perfect, and doctors certainly don't have *all* the information that makes them experts on childrearing in general. This book to me seemed like doctor propaganda. Although there is definitely some good info in there, I feel that the biases (especially with regard to nursing) outweight the good that is in this book. I'd save your money on this one and look into other books for specific areas you are interested-- a nursing book for nursing, a child development book for child development, a medical guide for medical issues.
Rating:
Summary: Too much reading for new mom
Review: I prefer the week by week book instead of the q and a format of this book. I find myself using it as a reference tool sometimes, but have barely used it! The week by week book Dr. Curtis was much more informational. See rating on that book.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for first parents
Review: This book was such a Godsend for me and so many people I know. It's a fully comprehensive manual on an infant and that is quite a huge accomplishment. This is now considered the foremost reader/user friendly book on that first year. If you're just about ready to deliver your first baby this is as important to take home from the hospital as a car seat.
Always tuck this into a baby shower bag too. After a year it will be dog-tagged, stained, ripped and showing other signs of lots of good use. Whomever you give it to - will thank-you.
Rating: 
Summary: If you're NOT breast feeding-DON'T Bother!
Review: This book is not only useless but also insulting to women with formula fed infants. I found that while searching for information, a condescending tone was taken regarding what you feed your baby for EVERYTHING you look up.
Not all women breastfeed.
It was the middle of the night, I was worried about my newborn and threw this book in the garbage out of sheer frustration!
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