Rating: 
Summary: The Best Baby Book Ever
Review: Thank you Bill and Martha Sears. Their style of attachment parenting as outlined in this book is the intuitive approach to raising a baby. Attachment parenting is based on five principles 1.connect w/ baby early 2.respond to cues (the most obvious of which is pick up crying baby) 3.breastfeed 4.wear your baby in a sling/ carrier 5."share sleep" (don't put baby in another room) Before reading this book I actually felt guilty (with my mom's help) that during the first few weeks of my sons life I didn't want to leave him. I thought maybe I'd be emotionally scaring him for life. This book supports what I intuitively felt was right. At 3 months, he still goes with me almost everywhere, but I now I believe that this is a natural and biological need for both of us; rather than something potentially damaging. According to Dr. Sears, attachment parenting actually makes kids more independent and secure later on, as well as more sensitive, less whiney, less clingy etc. All of this makes perfect sense-pushing the resistant child into independence will not be as good for as guiding him there and making sure he's ready before you let go. As my pediatrician said, "babies are perfect beings." Dr. Sears advocates listening to your child and listening to yourself. He also makes this easier by outlining signs to look for. He lists the signs baby shows when he's ready for solids, as opposed to saying at X weight and X age. He puts to rest the fear that you will spoil your baby. Babies are incapable of manipulation. They eat when they're hungry. There is no such thing as an eating disorder in babies. They are impossible to spoil. This book is both controversial and on the cutting edge. It addresses things like the family bed that American tradition abhors, but it does not say you are a terrible parent if you do not... Some ideas in the book may offend. There is a strong undertone that mom should stay with baby in the early months. Although there is a section for attachment mothering for working moms. Also, Dr. Sears believes in the primacy of the infant/ mother relationship for the first 2 yrs. Does this mean dad doesn't matter? NO, But of course today people fear gender distinction of any sort. It remains to be seen whether my son will turn out as wonderfully as Dr. Sears assures he will, but so far, he's a great baby.
Rating:
Summary: Worked great with our twins!
Review: Our twins are going on 2 and I think our sanity has been preserved by the adoption of the principles outlined by Sears in this book. Yes, breastfeeding was very hard in the beginning, particularly because of the stint in the NICU. It took up all of my time and sometimes challenged me to solve problems. But as the boys grew older the pendulum shifted and suddenly breastfeeding became a major time saver! Getting out the door with twins can be tough - Thank G-d for breastfeeding! Now my twins still nurse and I am so thankful. The twos don't look so terrible since I have almost magical powers to calm them. Sleeping with the babies has been the single best idea I have heard for dealing with twins. Even on the roughest nights, say, when they are both sick, I am able to maximize my sleep by interrupting my sleep as little as possible since I never have to get out of bed to check on them. Nighttime feedings are and have been pretty much from the beginning rather simple and undisturbing. To the question of "are they sleeping through the night yet?" I always used to think, "who cares? I am!" Slinging is possible with twins, even both at a time. I've done that, although I tend to prefer to carry them one at a time. Just like Sears says, it is a great way to nurture small children and babies. One of my twins still loves it and will ask for it still : "Ling! Ling!" It's another tool to keep one happy while I try to get other stuff done or spend time with his brother. I was unable to have a natural childbirth either. It happens. Even though I was disappointed with my cesaerean, I was able to move on and remember that a birth experience does not reign over the rest of the neonatal period. I remembered the importance of bonding and it all worked out. In short, a wonderful compendium of how to raise secure children and sane parents. Even - or especially! - for parents of twins.
Rating:
Summary: Especially for the parents of Twins and Multiples
Review: I just wanted to respond to the review dated September 18, 2000 from the father of twins which states that this book isn't for the parents of twins. While I sympathize with his situation [boy, twins must be a bit overwhelming!], he seems to blame Dr. Sears' Attachment Parenting for the problems he has with his twin boys. He states "we almost managed to cause permanent harm with well-intentioned strategy of Dr. Sears". I feel it is only fair to point out that based on the details of his review, he did NOT actually use Dr. Sears' strategy at all - they did not breastfeed or share sleep; and the babies were separated from mom and dad early on because they unfortunately had to go to ICU. That means he didn't practice at least three of the five most important tenants of Attachment Parenting [the other two tenants are baby wearing and responding to baby's cues - which he doesn't mention]. Therefore, while I do understand the frustration he feels, he can't, in all fairness, blame his children's issues on Dr. Sears or Attachment Parenting. I have a wonderful friend who has used "The Baby Book" to raise two twin daughters with beautiful success and I know that many parents of multiples use Attachment Parenting with great success. It does take more effort with twins certainly [as does *any* parenting style when you multiply the babies!], but it is definitely possible [and desireable for many families]. If anyone wants more information on breastfeeding and using Attachment Parenting specifically for twins and higher order multiples, check out "Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More!" by Karen Gromada. The author herself raised her two grown twin sons using Attachment Parenting and the book is based on the experiences of hundreds of families who successfully used Attachment Parenting to parent their multiples. It should be a very helpful book to anyone expecting more than one infant! Combined with Dr. Sears' Baby Book, families should have a great beginning towards success.
Rating:
Summary: Thank Goodness for this Book!
Review: When I was pregnant with my daughter, we were overwhelmed by all the "How To Parent" Baby Books on the market. I read just about every one I could get my hands on [everything from Dr. Spock to Ezzo]. Then a friend gave me a copy of Dr. Sears' Baby Book and I'm so grateful!! We've used Dr. Sears' "Attachment Parenting" with our daughter from the beginning with amazing results. I have to admit that in the first few months of life it WAS a very demanding job - but I also feel now that the payoff was more than worth the sleepless nights and effort of those first few months. We have a daughter who is now TWO years old - supposedly the "terrible twos". I was really dreading it because of all the horror stories I'd read about how awful two year olds are. But now I refer to it as the "Terrific Twos" because my little girl is so SWEET! She's a joy to be around - she's very polite [please, thank you, may I please... ] and very, very kind [are you OK mommy? I love you mommy! God Bless You Mommy]. She plays well with other children, shares her toys, and is very sweet to them. She's so well behaved that I almost never have a care [unless she's sick or teething, then she's a little cranky, but I think all kids are]. She's obedient, gentle, friendly, confident, and just a blast to be around. People stop me in grocery stores, shopping malls, and even in our Gymboree classes to tell me how amazingly well behaved she is, how sweet she is, and how lucky we are to have such a nice little girl. I agree - we are EXTREMELY lucky. But I also must say that I think Dr. Sears gets a lot of credit. Following his methods made my husband a better father, made me a much better mother than I ever would have been, and has made our little girl everything we could wish for. I'm so glad now that I didn't give in to outside pressure and continued to stick by Attachment Parenting. I'm looking forward to a lifetime of joy watching my little Sweety grow up and I can very enthusiastically recommend this method to ALL new parents who want sweet, well behaved kids.
Rating: 
Summary: This book does not work for twins.
Review: Let me forewarn the future readers. This book is only good if you have a "standard" pregnancy. In our case (and we have twins), it did more harm than good. I started reading this book about 6 month before my wife was due. I planned to heed all the good advice in there, I swear I did! But the recommendations crumbled when faced with the reality of our twin pregnancy. All the wonders of "natural" birth were not applicable to our relatively high-risk pair. My wife ended up having induced labor and a c-section. The twins landed in ICU where they were started on bottle before my wife had a chance to see them (and we went to see them the next morning, so it was not such a long time). Twin A, Daniel, refused to latch on when offered breast, and no expert was able to teach him to suck properly. So, we ended doing exactly the opposite to what the book said, and feeling sllightly guilty for it. I was very determined to not let the little ones cry at night. So, every time Michael woke up, I would run into the room, pick him up and try to calm him down, preferably outside of the room, to prevent him from waking Daniel. However, this approach led to amazingly bad results. The kids woke up more and more often, with Daniel being especially bad. He would not sleep in my arms, only accepting my wife's. By 18 months our life was living hell, and the twins were showing signs of sleep deprivation too. Daniel was outright manipulative. He would sleep as long as my wife held him in her arms, but raized bloody hell when she tried to put him into his crib or even sit down with him. Finally, we went to a child psychologist who explained that we are risking giving our kids a sleep disorder. We went through a hellish week of training, during which Daniel managed to climb out of his crib (remember, he was 18 month old at the time). Now the kids sleep through the night, waking maybe once to drink some water. But we almost managed to cause permanent harm with well-intentioned strategy of Dr. Sears. Daniel is still more capricious and fragile than he needs to be. Please learn from our experience, don't try to implement this book if you have twins.
Rating:
Summary: The baby book I turn to again and again
Review: A wonderful book that encourages a parent to follow their heart and connect with their child. In an age where as a society we look for ways to have it easy, Dr. Sears encourages us to make the investment in our children. The Baby Book is filled with practical information and words of encouragement for parents. I recommend it as the baby guide of choice.
Rating:
Summary: Baby-Book-Bashers don't know what they're talking about
Review: I can't believe the stuff I'm reading. How do these people know that AP produces selfish, spoiled, wimpy, brats & tired parents with no sex lives? I have 5 children ages 14, 11, 7, 2, and 7 months. I breastfed all of them. My first two had a crib and I was up a lot to feed & care for them. They did end up in our bed a lot anyway. With the third I chucked the crib and never lost a night's sleep since. I discovered the sling with #3, too and it is my #1 piece of baby equipment.I always carry and hold my babies a lot and never let them cry if I can help it.Baby #1 was nursed for 3 mos (lack of support & info made nursing hard, wish I'd had this book then) #2 for 10 mos, #3 for 3&1/2 years and I am currently nursing the 2 year old & 7 month old with no intentions of weaning either until they're ready. My children are all very sweet, loving, outgoing, intellegent, generous, well-adjusted people. They are not brats. People often come up to us in resturaunts to compliment us on how well- mannered they are. My oldest daughter is very much in demand as a babysitter because she is so great with kids and so polite and comfortable with their parents. Both daughters have worked for two years as costumed interpreters at a living history museum where they interact with the public daily. My 7yo boy never met a stranger and adores his baby brother & sister. He is also extremely intellegent & creative. I believe the longer they nurse the smarter they are. The babies are absolute joys to be around; always happy because their needs are met. My children all sleep in their own beds now, except for the baby, who sleeps with us, and the 2yo, who sleeps with his 14yo sister(& she loves that special bond they have)They move out of our bed when they're ready. Obviously, with 5 kids, we manage to have sex. Where there's a will, there's a way! I am never tired, from day one. I just "plug the baby in" and go back to sleep! I do not have a housekeeper, only three older kids who help A LOT around the house. I also homeschool those kids and have 2 horses & 2 dogs & 4 acres so I am busier than the "average" mom. Attachment parenting isn't a hinderance to me, it's a lifesaver. Dr. Sear's book is a lifesaver, too. It tells you everything you need to know about raising, loving, & enjoying your children. It's the best baby book ever written. I am giving it to every pregnant woman I know. Apply the principals in it and you can't go wrong.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST baby book ever written
Review: As a mother of five children who has read hundreds of books on child care, this is by far the best I've ever read. Nowhere else in one book will you find everything you need to know to raise a healthy, happy, well adjusted child. I wish I had read this book before my first child was born. Other books will tell you how to care for your child's physical needs but this book will show you how to do that plus how to truly LOVE your child and how to be a better parent. It gives excellent advice on attachment parenting, breastfeeding, babywearing, nighttime parenting and every other aspect of baby care. Its information on breastfeeding was especially helpful to me. My fifth child was born very ill and was hospitilised twice in the first two months of life. Breastfeeding got off to a very rocky start with her and she was not nursing well or gaining weight for the first 2&1/2 months of life. The advice in this book was invaluable in encouraging me not to give up and in telling me what I needed to know to make breastfeeding a sucess with my child. Dr. Sears explains why attachment parenting is so much better for babies and parents than the "cry it out, self soothing" mentality prevalant in so many books and magazines today. I have practiced attachment parenting with my children and am often complimented on how sweet, friendly, well behaved and caring they are. By meeting your children's needs when they are young you teach them to be sensitive to the needs of others. This book is a must have for all new parents. I am buying it for all my pregnant friends. Read it. It will change your and your baby's life- for the better.
Rating:
Summary: The title says it all!
Review: You know how they always say, "babies don't come with a handbook." Well now they do! This book is great for literally everything you can imagine. You can read it straight through or use it as a reference for specific issues. Dr. Sears has a very sensitive and baby friendly ideology that will help your family become closer. The attachment parenting section is great. But if you end up not liking the attachment parenting philosophy this book is still great for the info on colds, colic, feeding, and every other baby issue you can think of. Dr. Sears is an experienced pediatrician but most importantly a parent himself. So you know he has been where you are! This book is a must have for all people with children!
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL!
Review: So helpful, so informative, so kind and gentle, so loving. Loved it!
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