Rating: 
Summary: I hated this book.
Review: I confess that I was a bit sceptical when I received this book as a gift after having spent nine months with the completely ineffectual "...Expecting" book. However, I gave it a shot. I won't rehash what the other reviewers have already pointed out (an extremely old-fashioned approach to mothering) -- with which I completely agree.I also found the questions (similar to the ones found in the "Expecting" book to be of very little help, and quite demeaning. All in all, I found that other books more help (Dr. Sears, AAP, Girlfriends Guide, etc.), but none as much as my own intuition. The "What to Expect" book goes against this important point in spades.
Rating:
Summary: Rotten, misguided information
Review: I threw my copy out. What a waste of money. This is a book for parents who don't want to be bothered with parenting. The advice on getting a baby to sleep is horrible, almost bordering on abuse. This book actually gives tips on how to ignore your baby's hysterical cries. Ouch! Also the advice encourages fear and paranoia in a new mom. The bit on what the baby should be doing every month is enough to drive anyone to the nearest shrink. Talk to your doctor not this book... Read Dr. Sear's The Baby Book and boycott this abusive, non-caring approach by these wacky authors. Believe me, your precious little baby will thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Have Questions, need help? Don't buy this book!
Review: I loved "What to Expect When You're Expecting" - an invaluable and helpful guide for the pregnant mother- so of course I thought that this book would be helpful. If I could do it over I wouldn't have purchased this book! Have a question? You probably won't find an answer in this book! Any information you CAN find is very biased. The Question/Answer format is not split up logically and finding information is difficult and you may need to jump from chapter to chapter just to attempt to get an answer to one simple question! I didn't find the "When to call your doctor" section at all helpful, in fact, it is confusing as many of the symptoms listed are normal for most infants. This book is enough to make any first time mom paranoid!
Rating: 
Summary: Very helpful
Review: First off, I can't believe how many negative reviews there were for this book! I want to make sure I tell all of you readers, that you don't have to agree with everything in the book. It is meant as a guide, to help with questions. It clearly states in the book that it is meant to aid in your child's care. It has concise and very informative information in it and covers a wide range of questions. I have used it for reference numerous times in dealing with my child. It gives you an idea of developmental milestones (and clearly there is a vast range of what is "normal", but again, is meant as a guide), what to feed your child, illnesses, and a vast assortment of other topics that are very helpful. There are several people who reviewed this who are very critical to the authors for their opinions on "Crying It Out" and breastfeeding. You should not depend solely on any book to look for answers, but it IS a great reference, and that coupled with your pediatrician's advise, (and your instinct as well) will lead you to make informed decisions on how and what to do with your child. Overall I would highly recommend this book, and I love the question and answer format. It is easy to find answers by looking in the index in the back of the book!
Rating: 
Summary: Frustration...frustration...frustration
Review: A friend had gotten this book for me because she saw me reading the "What to Expect when you're Expecting" (which was a great book by the way). But "What to Expect the First Year" was a great disappointment. I found the Q&A format in the book totally confusing and frustrating. I could never find any answers...nor can I find the questions! I stopped reading the book after 50 pages cuz I was getting a headache from trying to find what I was looking for.
Rating:
Summary: Lousy Advice, Frustrating Format
Review: I'm a second time mom after a nine year break--what I needed was contemporary wisdom, and this book failed me miserably. The advice was often outdated and uninformative, and the Q&A format was frustrating because the information provided was tailored to one specific question, rather than a range of topics within the subject. I found myself insulted by this book's suggestion that parents who do not agree with CIO are weak. This book provides some of the worst parenting advice I've come across; I cannot recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Very Pleased Reader of the What to Expect Series
Review: I have kept the first "What to Expect when You're Expecting" book with me since my first pregnancy (more than 8 years ago!) and it reappears with each subsequent pregnancy. And of course the book "What to Expect the First Year" marked with notes from my first child appears shortly before each birth. I am now expecting our third (and LAST) child. I can't applaud this series enough! Every time I read these books I learn something new to assist with the daily tasks of growing, birthing, and raising children. My husband also enjoys reading these books right along with me. He has NEVER felt put down or left out-quite the opposite-the first book helps to explain all of the 'behind the scenes' changes so he better understands what I am going through while I still look 'normal.' What to Expect the First Year was a God-send while coping with the issues of parenthood after the birth of my first child. Being a youngest child, I had never witnessed such things as the neon cottage cheese diapers produced by breastfeeding, infantile projectile vomitting, clogged milk ducts, etc. I'm sure there are plenty of resources available to new mothers, but I found this book (along with the advice from my daughter's pediatrician) to be tremendously helpful. I have purchased these books numerous times as gifts for friends and family who are expecting-and I will continue to do so. While these books are NOT all-inclusive, and in no way replace qualified medical advice, they are a great resource for any expectant parents and/or parents of infants!
Rating: 
Summary: Just okay
Review: Boy is this book thick and heavy! One-third could (and should) have been edited out. The information, once you got past the chatter, was good but with a baby in the house, I didn't have the time or patience to read the nonsense. Also with this book (and all other books on child development), take it with just a few grains of salt. Not all healthy children develop at the same speed and you might be getting nervous for nothing abiding by "experts" calendars for what should happen when. All that said, I still recommend it as much of the information is quite good for the first time parent.
Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate opinions presented as fact.
Review: I will admit that I found the developmental guides and the nuts-and-bolts medical information to be somewhat useful. However, this book fails miserably in many key areas. The breastfeeding information is not in tune with current recommendations. The authors start to push weaning in the "ninth month" chapter, whereas the AAP now recommends that babies be breastfed for AT LEAST a year. The authors actually go so far as to attribute all sorts of "dangers" to such practices as babywearing and extended breastfeeding. None of these are backed up by any research. As others have already pointed out, the authors really push the "crying it out" approach, not even presenting it as an "approach" but rather as the "right" way to parent. They refer to parents who do not use this method as "soft-hearted" and "weak-nerved." Overall, I am unable to recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A great, very readable, and comprehensive resource
Review: I am a nurse and mother of three, and this has been the only baby care book I own. It covers how to care for baby, and meet baby's needs while balancing them with the needs of the entire family. The topics covered are the practical things any parent would want and need to know, from traveling with a baby, to when to call the doctor; from how to baby-proof a house, to what to feed baby. Any question I could think of was answered in this book in an informative and entertaining way. I was looking for a book that offered sound advice and opinions, and even with my third baby, that is what I get every time I pick up this book. I would highly reccomend it, especially to those who enjoyed What to Expect When You're Expecting.
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