The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition)

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Summary: owner's manual
Review: People always said "too bad babies don't come with a manual" but as my 3 week old boy screamed into the night with colic, I sat with my Baby Book and read out suggestios to my husband as he paced and bounced. I was surprised how many worked. My only criticism is that use of a sling is not as intuitive as it would seem from reading this book. Now that my son is 4 months old and can hold his head up, we like to use the sling, but it took at least 2 months to feel comfortable.

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Summary: Having It All
Review: This book is great and straight to the point on many issues. Attachment parenting gets a bad rap in many public situations; but the whole concept has truly made a huge difference in my family. It is a book you will want to reread often as your little bundle grows. The Sears practice what they preach and that is exactly what it takes. Another favorite author in this same area is Jodie Lynn, "Mommy-CEO." Just like the Sears, she stresses how important the family unit is and how parents really make a difference. Very much like "The Baby Book," "Mommy-CEO" (revised edition) offers tons of parenting tips and the younger the child, the better they get for toddlers and preschoolers. Both books offers attachment parenting as a doable solution for any and all parents. We all want to accomplish family bonds and goals with spirit building love between our children. We would like to think we have it all if we can maintain control of good feelings in and good feelings out. "The Baby Book," and "Mommy-CEO," makes us feel like we can and we have done a good job. KUDOS to each one!

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Summary: our "baby bible"
Review: Simply the best baby care book I've ever read. I now give it as a shower gift, because I wish I'd bought my copy when I was still pregnant. Valuable advice written in an easy style by a leading authority.

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Summary: This book covers it all
Review: I have the previous version of this book, and will be buying this one for my brother and his wife. I have referred to this text countless times over the last 3 years for just about everything. I can't think of anything they have left out. Easy, concise reading...you don't have to be 100% attachment parenting to use the information in this book.

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Summary: Go with your instincts!
Review: In short, the most useful bit of information in Dr. Sear's book is his advice on doing what is best for your own child. The chapters on growth milestones are also extremely helpful but everything else in the book however, revolves around the Sears Method of Attachment Parenting. While I certainly believe that this approach works for some parents, it did not work for me and when it didn't work, it left me frustrated and guilt-ridden. Instead of trusting my instincts, I started to question my mothering abilities. What I found most disturbing was the lack of statistics and research to support the very strong opinions put forth in this book, especially the chapters on sleep. Thank goodness my lactation consultant recommended Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth--written by a pediatrician with an extensive background in sleep research. (and with loads of citations and statistics to back up his claims) I did have a drug free birth and I do breastfed my child, but the rest of the suggestions in this book really left me in the lurch!

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Summary: The best child care books i've seen
Review: I can't say enough about the Sears Parenting Searies. They are wonderful! I initially bought the pregnancy book - then after being so impressed with it, bought the breastfeeding book and baby book. I really like the Sears' philosophy on child care. This book is good for month-by-month information about your growing child. I also liked the chapter on "Wearing Your Baby" - using a sling carrier. I initially thought the idea was a little weird - but it worked really well for my son. These books are a great library of information. A great gift for new parents also. :)

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Summary: How the heck do ya work that sling???
Review: I was given this book as a gift and found a lot of the information very useful (although I did purchase both Ferber's and Mindell's books on sleeping and thought they have a lot of useful info as well). I really wanted to use the baby sling and "wear" my baby, as Dr. Sears is so insistent on. However, both my husband and I felt like idiots when we couldn't figure out how to work the darn thing. We even took it back to the store where we purchased it-they had not idea how to work it either. (We even tried using a front carrier which kills my back).

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Summary: Best Ever Baby Book!!!!
Review: This is the best baby reference guide I have on my shelf. I am very much an attachement parenting style, but this book is great for those that are not. It has been very helpful in answering all of my questions for taking care of my baby.

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Summary: Attachment parenting isn't for everyone
Review: I have this book and read and referred to it many times. Much of the information is sound advice from medical professionals. BUT--the promotion of the family bed and attachment parenting will not work for everyone. Ultimately the family bed and co-sleeping were NOT for me. I am a light sleeper. Our first child was in and out of our bed, making the entire family sleep deprived. At 14 months we decided co-sleeping wasn't working for us; we put her in a crib and she was confused and angry. At 5 she is still inordinately attached to me. With our second child I was determined not to follow Sears advice. After nursing, I put him right into the cradle and patted him to sleep. He is now 2 and 1/2. People are still amazed at his ability to self-soothe and fall right to sleep at naps and bedtime. Sleep has never been an issue with him, and I feel he is just as loving as our first child - and much more secure! Instead of Sears, I recommend Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach.

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Summary: Lifestyle Preference not Medical Reference
Review: This book is heavy on lifestyle suggestions and weak on medical facts. It instructs the new partent to disregard the advice of your pediatrician on the issues of "crying" and "where your baby sleeps". On the latter issue the book recomends allowing your baby to sleep in your bed for up to two years and reaches the obsurd conclusion that placing a baby in a crib is like putting the child in a "wooden cage". The authors go so far as to suggest that intimacy with your partner in the early months is permissible in this bed sharing environment. Common sense and our trusted pediatrician says this information is bogus. It seems that the book's authors have disdane for the "Western" method of child rearing and do not hesitate to lash out against it. I was looking for medical facts, not lifestyle recomendations. This book has been a waste of money, time and fustrating when you have a sick baby and need cold hard facts to make the baby feel better.