What to Expect the First Year, Second Edition

Rating:
Summary: Full of misinformation and misdirection.
Review: There are so many quality books out there that it is a shame that people buy this one. Things are stated as fact that clearly are not. I was given this book as a gift and after reading it, I threw it away rather than pass it on to someone else.

Rating:
Summary: Gives a new mother a guilt trip on just about everything...
Review: As all babies are different there is very little useful information in this book. The tone is condescending and pretty much everything that makes life managable for a new mother is a no-no. There a lots of books available with a more realistic view of parenthood.

Rating:
Summary: Okay-but opinionated and sometimes lacking accurate info.
Review: I have read dozens of books on parenting (what can I say, I'm a bibliophile and a concerned parent <g>); this is not my favorite. It is fine for basic medical advice, basic hygeine care and basic dietary requirements for an infant. However, I found it lacking in addressing the issues of long-term breastfeeding (which is supported by MUCH recent medical research), co-sleeping, nightwaking, parental instincts, etc. It's an adequate book for basic baby care. It is NOT the book that I would recommend as a primary reference for new parents (I would wholeheartedly recommend _The Baby Book_ by Sears & Sears for that!).

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Summary: You Must Have This Book If You Have A New Baby!
Review: This book is extremely helpful in terms of developmental milestones, vaccinations, what's normal and what's not, and related topics. I've read Sears, Spock, Brazleton and this book, and I think this one is the most up-to-date for mothers who are extremely cautious and unwilling to take unnecessary risks for their babies. Of course, no one agrees with every expert 100% (their Best-Odds Diet is impossible to follow), but Spock -- even his latest edition -- is dangerously outdated (sleep babies on their stomachs???) and his advice doesn't specify at what age it becomes appropriate and Sears -- although his idea of not letting babies cry and holding them a lot is wonderful -- gets downright weird (parents having sex in the family bed are supposed to leave their babies in the bed with them??). The piece of advice in this book that I think should go first though, is the idea that in-home or family day care is best. If your baby is alone in a home with a stranger, you have no idea what's happening. Is she ignoring him? Is she feeding him alcohol to get him to be quiet so she can watch the soaps? If your baby is in a day care center, at least there are other adults present to monitor the situation and allow your baby's caregiver to blow off steam. If a new mother had to have one book, this one should be it.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible contradictory information
Review: Get the Sears' books, any and all of them. The WTE series of books is so full of misinformation and contradictions.

Rating:
Summary: Okay on medical info; condescending and contradictory advice
Review: What new mother doesn't want a guide to every aspect of her baby's care? She will get it here but in a one-sided, smug manner. I only found it helpful when my baby was sick. Other readers have commented on the cry-it-out method and the lack of knowledge about breastfeeding--the authors recommend weaning before a year because the APA used to say nurse for six months and it's harder to wean after a year. Well, I have news for you! Now the APA says nurse for a year! The authors enjoy their cute quips so much that they don't realize that they contradict themselves. For instance, in one place they say not to worry about a pacifier because the child will outgrow it by a few years of age, but a thumb-sucking habit is terrible and should be broken by three months. The worst part of the book is at about six months, where they say that you should never pick up and comfort a baby who wakes up at night with teething pain because there isn't much you can do about it and the baby will get into the habit of waking up at night. This is scandalous. (By the way, this book makes you feel like a criminal if your older baby wakes up at night--they don't even discuss it after seven months). Back to teething--elsewhere in the book the authors provide four or five suggestions for easing teething pain!These methods don't work at night? And they say that most breastfed babies stop waking up at night after they stop nursing (my own experience after weaning three babies between 13 and 27 months). Tell me is that a lifelong habit that you need to break by two or three months? Why not wait till the baby stops nursing (but no guarantees,don't quote me). Most undesirable habits disappear in time and it's never too late to break them--let's treat babies with compassion. In my opinion breastfeeding and nightwaking are not bad habits.

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Summary: Scares mothers to death!
Review: What To Expect When Expecting was good info for being pregnant the first time. However, when I found out I was pregnant, I felt confident that I could be a good mother. By the time I had read What To Expect The 1st Year, I felt like a paranoid idiot. NOT ALL BABIES ARE THE SAME!!! In this day and age of EXPERTS on everything, I think we need to remember who the experts are here--the MOTHERS. We know our kids better than anyone. I went and bought Dr. Spock's revised ed. The first sentence is TRUST YOURSELF. I don't feel like such an idiot anymore. Not all babies start on solids at 4mo or can put themselves to sleep, or want juice, etc. Only mothers know what their babies need.

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Summary: This book was a lifesaver
Review: I feel that What to Expect When You're Expecting is a must for every new parent as well as veteraned pro. This book really saved me from a lot of needless calls to the doctor during my pregnancy. Since I am a young parent, it helped me to better understand what I was going through. I recommend this book to all expecting parents. You can't live without it.

Rating:
Summary: Be careful giving this book, it might be the fifth copy!
Review: This book seems top the list of books to give an expectant mother. I was given 5 copies, after I had bought one for myself! When I went to return them the woman behind the counter said "This happens all the time." The information in the book is well organised and easy to refer back to, but also quite strict. When exhausted from taking care of a newborn, a little forgiveness goes a long way.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful guide-book for first time parents & grandparents
Review: What To Expect The First Year is a wonderful guide for first time parents -- and grandparents, too! It takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know (or remember) about caring for baby...what baby's needs are, what baby will be doing during certain periods of growth, innoculations needed, etc. The best part is that this book gives guidelines, not absolutes, so that you don't worry if your baby is 'doing it on time' or 'doing it right'. A great help to all new parents and grandparents!