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Summary: The "baby handbook" for every first-time parent.
Review: William and Martha Sears have put together a comprehensive, loving, understandable guide for new parents and new babies. Of all the questions I had and things I wondered about, only one wasn't answered in this book. When my son was young and we traveled I even took it with me in case I had a question while we were away.
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Summary: Great ideas and advice...but adapt to your situation
Review: This book gave me great ideas and advice for how to be a mommy to our 4-month-old little boy. I was quite anxious about my new role and read almost everything I could get my hands on. I am a "career" type person but I have the luxury of taking six months off to learn to be a mommy. I did not feel guilty about the Sears' section on working moms. You just have to understand your own situation and apply what works for you. Even Sears says if it doesn't work, that's okay. Just try it. We tried the baby in bed thing for the first 2 months, but after that...it got crowded, baby got to be quite the active/noisy little sleeper and we transitioned to the crib no problem. I will breast feed as long as I can but when I go to work...it ends. As with all books you need to use your head. And beware of extreme and strong opinions...e.g. "Babywise is the only way" or "Sears is the only way"...but everything has some application. Good luck! It gets easier and more rewarding everyday.
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Summary: For me, this book was invaluable.
Review: I wish I had found The Baby Book before my son was born. The first six months would have been much easier. I am a single mother who had to return to work when my son was two-and-a-half months old. I felt miserable about having to leave him with someone else, but this book did not reinforce that feeling (maybe because I, too, feel that a baby should be with her/his mother if at all possible). Instead, I found it to be very supportive and reassuring. I knew before my son was born that I wanted to practice attachment parenting, although I had never heard that term before. It was wonderful to find the validation of my feelings about parenting (sleep sharing--which I found to be far less exhausting than getting up in the middle of the night--and long-term breastfeeding, for instance)I did not find in our society, which seems to feel extremely uncomfortable about such practices. When my sister-in-law became pregnant, I strongly urged her to buy The Baby Book. She did, and she and my brother have also found it to be invaluable (she, too, had to return to work when her son was a few months old). I did not find Dr. Sears to be preachy or dictatorial (and I don't particularly trust doctors), but I guess it all depends on your point of view. If you are planning to have or are expecting a baby or even already have one, and are interested in nurturing your baby, I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Trust yourself.
Review: One theme of this book, a notion inherited from Spock, is to trust yourself, not the "baby experts." Following this advice will help you to pick and choose from this book in ways that work for you. My wife and I found the book particularly empowering because Sears gives specifics on things, e.g. the precise diagnoses and treatment of various kinds of diaper rashes, that other books don't give. Other books end every other sentence with "consult your doctor." This book gives you more straightforward expertise on many issues.
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Summary: Great For "Attachment Parenting"!
Review: I used this book recently while having two new additions to our family. At 40 years of age and with my other children almost grown, I had forgotten many things about child-rearing. The book promotes closeness in families and explains situations that you don't always have a clue about with your new child. My younger children are ages 3 and 4 now and I still find myself up at 2:00 a.m. consulting this book. I think that any parents that have raised 8 children like William and Martha Sears must know what advice they are giving first hand. I give this book as a gift to many new parents that I know at baby showers.
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Summary: Out of this world!
Review: The book's recommendations require impossible time commitment from both mother and father. "Go nap with you baby during the day" indeed. The health advice is reasonable, but the sleep issues and social parenting are completely out of sync with a modern, two working parents and no grannies family.
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Summary: Comprehensive yet warm & loving. Attachment Parenting Bible.
Review: Sears and Sears' writing style is easy to read and fun. So manytopics are covered by this book that there is no need for otherbooks. I had already owned two other books on the first year of a baby's life when I stumbled upon The Baby Book, so I read all three together. The Baby Book is the best one. A lot of information is provided on the positive benefits for babywearing, to the point that I feel guilty that we didn't do it. But I listened to their other advice that we have to do what we feel is best for our child.I now buy this book for my expectant-mom friends. If only there could be more pediatricans like Dr. William Sears, the world would be a better place. END
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Summary: A very helpful book written by very loving parents.
Review: This book contains about everything you might want to ask in the first year. Furthermore, it explains and suggests things from the viewpoint of very, very dedicated parents - in fact they're so dedicated that you will often ask yourself if you are really as good a mother/father as Sears/Sears are.
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Summary: The only book that shows respect for children and parents.
Review: This book has brought such happiness and peace and FUN into our home in the past three years that I wish I could give it to every parent on earth!! Parenting is so much more fun and rewarding when put in the Sears' perspective. My favorite part is understanding that each child/parent/family relationship is unique and tuning into that uniqueness is what makes the relationship work. USE THIS BOOK!! IT IS WONDERFUL!! AND THEN GET YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO USE IT TOO!!!
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Summary: If you buy only one Baby-Care book, buy this one.
Review: Our son was four months old, and doing pretty well, when we bought this book. But it explained so much of what was happening to him at the time in easy to understand and appreciate language, that we knew this book would become our primary reference for all things "baby." Compared to other baby books (including the AAP's book), this describes simple things to do that adapt your life and the life of your baby to each other, so you and your baby can live more harmoniously.
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