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Summary: The Baby Book
Review: When I received this book at my baby shower I thought that it would have little to say that I hadn't already read in the 10 other books I had a purchased.Was I ever wrong!The Sears take this society back to a simpler time when parents focused on the needs of their babies more instead of less.Where did we ever get this 'independence is parmount' parenting approach from? I never planned to breastfeed-after all,I am a career woman and my job is very important to me-it still is,in fact.Well,after reading all the Ferber-type stuff and the bottlefeeding is just as good hype I just wasn't finding any of it striking a chord with me.After reading the Sears' book I found myself feeling at home with their ideas and have practiced them to one extent or another with great success.I also returned to work and continued to breastfeed/pump until my daughter weaned herself two weeks before her first birthday.I didn't find the Sears' book to be demeaning of women that worked-I found that they had some good ideas on how to AP while working.They also suggest that Dad get in on the act and take turns getting baby to sleep or just spend time wearing baby. While I realize that not all women can or should breastfeed,the medical community HAS recognized it as the best form of nutrition for your baby and the AAP reccomends that it continue for AT LEAST a year with two years being even more beneficial.Those are the FACTS, not opinion.No one said that you are a bad parent if you choose/can't breastfeed,just that it is in the best interest of the baby to get breastmilk. I seriously doubt that my daughter will still be sleeping in our bed into adulthood(or teenhood,for that matter) but it has been a good experience for all involved and made nursing and nighttime waking LESS exhausting.I was also pregnant within 7 months of our daughters' birth,so it hasn't exactly ruined our marriage! AS for babywearing,it gave me the mobility that I was looking for AND let my daughter be with me,which was where she was happiest. Overall,I found the Sears' approach to be the most baby-friendly and thus the most parent-friendly(baby is happy so you usually end up being happier,too!)It strongly emphasizes the real needs of the baby,emotionally as well as physically and I believe it can help babies who are more fussy.Sometimes we need to think of the needs of the less able rather than our own.I wonder if the people that think this is all unnecessary indulgence would treat their elderly parents the same way if they had as little control over their environment,speech,motor skills and capacity to understand?I hope not.
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Summary: The Bible of Baby Care
Review: This book is simply wonderful. It gives the straight facts about all aspects of baby/child care from conception on. It supports the ideas that parents are truly in charge of the best care they can give to their babies and discusses issues like breastfeeding and co-sleeping, and circumcision with fairness and integrity. It is definitely for parents whose ideas are more global and organic. I am a first time mom who appreciated the factual information with the sense of humor portrayed in this book. When people give you heat for breastfeeding, co-sleeping, or non-circumcision, point to this well researched, thoughtful book! A complete guide to keeping your baby well and also getting them well when they are sick. Dr. Sears and his wife give a common sense, loving approach to all aspects of childcare. Thank you!
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Summary: The Best and Only Book You'll Need
Review: Sometimes I look at the other books I bought before I had my daughter, and they can not come close to the Baby Book in any way.
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Summary: The only book you need for a baby to age 2
Review: This is the most comprehensive, common sense guide to child care that I have read. I would highly recommend it to any parent new or otherwise.
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Summary: Thumbs up from a working mom!
Review: I have been reading comments about how this isn't feasible for a working mother. I disagree. I am a working mother. I am an Electrical Engineer, I have an extremely demanding profession. Obviously I can't practice everything that Sears suggests, however they have documented some very smart guidelines on how to bond with your child. Much of it is common sense, stuff my mother did with us many years before the tag "attachment parenting" was coined. Not everything in this book will be possible, however, much of it can.For those who whine about being "baby's slave". Guess what? That is what you are for the first year. These small beings are helpless and unable to communicate. Is it asking so much to sacrifice a year or two out of your life to ensure a healthy and happy start? When the child begins to speak, that is the time for disipline.
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Summary: Excellent resource for new parents.
Review: This book provides a tremendous store of information ranging from breastfeeding and sleeping to nutrition and development to health and safety measures and treatments.
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Summary: The only book you really need (apologies to Dr. Spock)
Review: Dr. William and nurse/lactation consultant Martha have many children of their own and give the reader Truth, helpful Truth, laced with encouragement and humor.
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Summary: For parents willing to take a frank look at their choices
Review: If you are looking to reevaluate the entire perception of both society and our own uprbringing, of children as "accessories" then this book might be for you. As I was desperately seeking books and articles to tell me it was perfectly acceptable to do what was easiest for ME - stick a bottle in my son's mouth and march back to work, this book snuck in and stole my heart. Obviously, this isn't a dogma - take what you want and what works for YOUR baby and don't use what won't work for you. NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART - Dr. Sears' frank, no holds barred, no mamby-pamby handling of tough subjects really helped open my mind and drastically alter my original "parenting plan." I gave up my type-A, career-oriented lifestyle to put my babies first - a small sacrifice for a few short years that I hope will reap huge dividends. As a sidenote we also cosleep and we do have a second child, so I can set the worried minds at ease that simply sharing a bed with your very young child needn't ruin your marriage. Unless you have absolutely no imagination that is, in which case you might need to buy a different type of book ;) The writing style can seem a bit "preachy" but I found that once I realized the part my own defensiveness played in this perception, it was much easier to read and interpret. I would recommend this book to couples wrestling with parenting choices both big and small. Seeing how another professional couple, Dr. and Mrs. Sears worked things out is invaluable I believe.
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Summary: They Really Know Babies!!!
Review: I am so glad I found this book. My husband and I are sure to be strict parents, and this book saved us from overdoing it. Because of The Baby Book, we are able to relax and enjoy our child. She's happy, confident, and thriving, and at 6 months, she knows we love her. There are some who think that if you practice Attachment Parenting, you won't have any kind of schedule. This is simply not true. Most babies fall into a schedule naturally. If that schedule doesn't work for you (mine thought 1 am was a fine bedtime!), it can be lovingly adjusted. As with any book, take it with a grain of salt. One thing I realized early on was that the book was for a Sears baby, not mine. However, overall, the advice is very good.
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Summary: This Book Made Me A Better Mom!
Review: It was a fluke that my medical provider had this book in her lending library; I read it and felt my every idea about parenting had been challenged! Before I read this book, I thought people who slept with their babies and breastfed past one year were weird. Now I see that these are valid parenting options. Like every book on parenting, it is important to take the information offered, try what seems right, and keep what works for you. My husband also found it very challenging and informative, so I don't agree with the previous review which stated fathers and working moms won't benefit from this book. For the record, I myself am a mother who holds down a second job outside the home (I consider parenting my first job). I did not find the opinions offered on working mothers condemning. Perhaps those that do are already feeling guilty because of their choice and choose to blame this book for those feelings. Then again, maybe not. I've noticed that both mothers employed outside the home and those who only work at home complain about the lack of support and the condemnation they receive for their lifestyle choice. My reply to this is, *women* don't receive enough support, period! In conclusion, if you are ready to read a very informative volume which also offers a compassionate alternative to our cultural norm for parenting, read this book.
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