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Summary: Only Baby Book You Really Need
Review: When I was pregnant, my husband bought me all of the "What to Expect..." books. To bone up on breastfeeding, I read "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." I read various other books lent and given me by friends and family. But when I had a quick question or needed a fast fact about a concern (teething, ear infection, poor feeding, humidifer vs. vaporizer), I would look through all these books and end up frustrated because none of them had an answer. Then my sister bought me The Baby Book. What a relief! I love everything about this book. It is the handiest book in my home now, and I could easily toss out almost all the other books I've collected on baby care. If you have to get one book on baby care, this is the one. I would definitely give this as a gift to any new mother.
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Summary: What a life-saver!
Review: For my wife and I, this book made a huge difference, helping us to find our own path from the clear and easy to read information contained in the book. My wife is a Family Doctor, and has been very impressed by the high quality of the research, but she didn't know much of what is in here. Much of this is just not ever taught to doctors, apparently. Especially valuable have been the sections on breastfeeding, how to introduce solid foods, sleeping arrangements, sickness (and how to help development of the baby's own immune system) going back to work -- there are a lot. The real benefit was for our child. We ended up making choices that surprised us both, since these ways were different from the ways we were raised. Isaiah is now nine months old, and we are constantly receiving comments about what a happy and contented baby he is. While that is true, we believe that book gets a lot of credit for the fact that he is a pretty easy baby on us.
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Summary: Does your child sleep throught the night?
Review: Was agnostic on the whole sleep thing when I was parentless. While pregnant I did an informal survey. Everyone I know who slept with their baby had some kind of sleep problems down the road. They did not necessarily see the connection between the two but I definitely saw the correlation. My curiosity was piqued. Unfortunately this has become a PC hot topic. Which is probably why Marc Weissbluth diplomatically skirts the issue in his brilliant sleep book. If your child is older than 4 months and is not sleeping 12 hours straight at night WITHOUT feeding, read the Weissbluth book. I could not tell you why it works, all I know is that I am very well rested and so is my baby. Good enough for me. Burton White and Barton Schmidt books are also excellent for understanding a baby's development (White) and practical illness/problem answers (Schmidt). Both are very well regarded in the pediatric medicine field.
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Summary: the most comprehensive book for babies
Review: I love this book so much that I read it from cover to cover just for the fun of it. Especially valuable is the section on toddler nutrition, which covers the most nutritionally dense foods and gives suggestions for how much most toddlers will eat. I also really like the way it's written so as to encourage parents to go with THEIR instincts. He encourages extended breastfeeding and the family bed, but gives full acknowledgement and support to parents who feel better about doing things differently. His perspective is balanced, and he never talks down to the reader. I don't normally jump on the bandwagon, but Dr. Sears gives the most sensible advice of any pediatrician/author I've ever read. This is a must read for parents!
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Summary: Excellent Reference
Review: I found this book to be an excellent reference when I first became a mother. The medical section was thumbed through I don't know how many times in search of information on green poop and fevers. There is a lot of information about attachment parenting. It was well worth reading. I took some of the information and suggestions out of this book and mixed it with my beliefs and came up with something that worked for my husband nad myself. I am not sorry I read this book. It was a very useful, very informative book.
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Summary: A great start for the new parent's library!
Review: There is so much "information" being targeted to parents today -- unfortunately much of it is biased to sell parents products that may not be in the best interests of their baby! Here is one book that I can wholeheartedly recommend that does a good job of covering a lot that parents need to know and begins to address some of the issues that can really make a difference when it comes to helping your child be really healthy...of course if you're ready for a dive in the deap end and think you might be radical enough to really protect your child's health, check out "Compassionate Souls -- Raising the Next Generation to Change the World". I also liked a lot of the other Sears books, like the Birth Book, and especially the Discipline book. All of their books combine good common sense while honoring and helping to strengthen the bond between babies and their parents. I always feel supported in listening to my heart when I read anything by the Sears.
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Summary: Wonderful advice for parents who want to be attached!
Review: I have read a great deal of Dr. Sears work and find his advice very encouraging. We just had our fourth child and have used the Sears style of "attachment parenting" with all of them. Our children are secure and confident and have given us very little trouble and we feel that this has been largely due to this way of thinking. His advice has been invaluable to us!!! Thanks for offering his books!
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Summary: amazing
Review: i found this book to be very informative and very accurate
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Summary: MD daddy and RN mommy LOVE this book!
Review: Our family has relied on this book! Much better format than "What to Expect-1st Year" book- don't waste your $ on that one. Easy to find info here, plus it encourages "attachment parenting". We largly attribute the fact that our 18 month old son is both thriving and happy to this style of parenting. This book, along with the La Leche League book, are the best references we own!
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Summary: Makes parenting easier!
Review: I received all the popular baby books as gifts, and this one is by far the most useful. The best way I could describe this book is "comprehensive." You'll receive all the basic information for childbirth and what to expect those first few weeks, sections on each stage of development, along with a good reference on illnesses and common worries. I liked the AAP book as well, but this one is even more comprehensive. They have both saved me a lot of late night calls the pediatrician. As for the philosophy, it's extremely flexible and realistic. There are no rigid schedules or frustrating guidelines that you and your baby must follow. I wasted a lot of time being concerned that I wasn't doing things "right" (mostly mother-in-law related - no offense to the mother-in-laws out there). This book is about making it easier, not harder, to be a parent. From reading other reviews, there appears to be some controversy over the recommendations on sleeping, feeding, and day-to-day caring. These are the areas everyone from your mother to the mailman will offer advice about. In my experience, most of it has to do with an obsession with "bad habits." I consider myself middle-of-the-road, and I've found this book's advice to be a realistic approach to parenting. Here's what I thought: Sleep - The author addresses this issue on page 7 with the following statement: "Wherever you and your baby sleep best is the right arrangement for you." The truth is, sometimes it's much easier just to let baby sleep with you - even though we said we'd never do it. It's okay. You're not a bad parent, and your baby won't be ruined or sleeping with you forever. You will, however, get some sleep... and not feel guilty about it. Dr. Sears is also opposed to the old "cry-it-out" sleep training, and instead advocates making the environment pleasant for sleep to overtake baby. I've found this extremely easy to do, and my baby slept through the night, in her own bed, when she was ready at 4 months. Feeding - Pediatricians say "breast is best," and Dr. Sears is no different. The section on breastfeeding is comprehensive; if you breastfeed, you'll appreciate that. The bottle-feeding section is surprisingly good, a fact that I appreciate as I do plan to wean my baby to formula within the first year. The author covers all the various types of formulas, how to use a bottle, how much to feed, and there is even a little bit about "scheduling" feeds, for those who want to do that. I know women who wanted to breastfeed but were unable (physically or due to work) are very sensitive about the subject, but Sears also offers suggestions for making bottle-feeding a bonding, nurturing experience for parents and baby. If you're squeamish about breastfeeding, you might not like this book (or really, any baby book). Baby wearing - This is just another way to describe putting your baby in the snugli-type carrier or a sling for hands-free parenting. Everyone I know who has one of these finds that their baby loves it. If you're healthy enough to handle it, it can make life a lot easier - especially if you have twins or another child. Some people think this is a bad habit, and that it'll spoil baby to being carried, but I've found the opposite to be true. Babies who are carried a lot during the day actually seem to cry less when you put them down, not more. All philosophy aside, the reality of life with baby requires some compromising and adjustment, and this book offers practical and safe advice on how to do it. There's nothing in here about Third World countries, or breastfeeding/co-sleeping through college, and most importantly: none of this advice is harmful to your baby's health. The bottom line for this or any other baby book is if it feels like the wrong thing to do for you or your baby - don't do it and move on! The first year is too short to spend upsetting yourself over issues that will be over way too soon.
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