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Summary: A Kind, Gentle Guideline for "Common Sense" Parenting
Review: Upon opening the book you immediately pick up on Dr. Sears's calm, gentle tone and friendly demeanor. The Sears couple is a great resource for "common-sense" parenting. Much of the advice I got when my daughter was born conflicted with my own natural instincts. People warned me that picking her up every time she cried, letting her sleep with me, and breastfeeding on demand would create a clingy, spoiled infant who would wake me up all night to eat. Instead we have a happy little girl who cheerfully goes with her daddy or a trusted caregiver so I can catch a movie, who is used to being with me in public and doesn't make a fuss, who "alerts" us to her needs and gives us a chance to respond before crying (because she is confident we'll respond promptly), and who sleeps great at night!
Dr. Sears makes many concessions for modern families, the references to "Attachment Parenting" and "wearing the baby" specifically say that this can be done by either parent as well as other caregivers. He also repeatedly says to just use the attachment concepts that you can, and not worry about being perfect. He tells us to use the concepts as building blocks for finding your own parenting style. I feel that the book is a very gentle guide for parents, and you can almost her Dr. Sears's kind voice when you read it.
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Summary: The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby f
Review: I use this book all the time. I know some of the advice is different than my own philosophies, but it gives me a place to start from. My daughter is now 7 1/2 mths. old and most of his advice is accurate and right on the money. We have been plagued with ear infections and he has some great information. There have been times I have been sleepless and irritated and some of the stories in the book make my husband and I laugh and feel less alone. I still cannot believe his wife, Martha, and some of the things she was able to do with all of those children. I don't think I could ever pump my milk the ways she does ...however, making your own babyfood I can do!
Rating:
Summary: The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby f
Review: I use this book all the time. My daughter is now 7 1/2 mths. old and most of his advise is accurate and right on the money. We have been plagued with ear infections and he has some great information. There have been times I have been sleepless and irritated and some of the stories in the book make my husband and I laugh and feel less alone. I still cannot believe his wife, Martha, and some of the things she was able to do with all of those children. I don't think I could ever pump my milk the ways she does ...however, making your own babyfood I can do!
Rating:
Summary: Great for adoptive parents
Review: As parents of an internationally adopted child, we were particularly concerned about bonding with our son since we wouldn't be there during the first months of his life. We followed Sears' attachment parenting theory with the necessary modifications (for example, I did not breastfeed) and we experienced outstanding results. My child bonded with us in a very short amount of time, and I credit co-sleeping and baby wearing with much of this. People constantly comment on how attached he is, yet how independent. Additionally, after reading this book, I felt extremely prepared to parent my child when he arrived. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a kinder, gentler approach to parenting.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide for parents
Review: The Sears family practice are my pediatricians and they definitely practice what they preach. The book is right on as far as directing parents through the first couple of years. You don't have to necessarily breastfeed to find this book helpful. I have had to feed my child formula for medical reasons and the Seares are totally supportive in my decision as well as their advice for me to be a successful parent. Their advice is extremely practical and an easy to use guide to parenting. My baby has had GERD as well as pyloric stenosis and the attachment parenting approach has definitely helped him to thrive. Any products that the Seares recommend have definitely been tested by patients in their practice and are only supported by them when they prove to be of value to parents. The Seares are truly a team of well qualified pediatricians who truly care about children enough to do thorough research on what will help them to thrive as infants and grow into happy and healthy adults. I highly recommend all of their books; however this is the bible of all baby books!
Rating: 
Summary: generally a good book but some inconsistencies.
Review: Overall I recommend this book but it should be read with some others too. I mixed my style of parenting to overcome difficulties we were having at that time rather than one "right" method. i find the push, push, push to breastfeed annoying, yeah we get it thanks! - I am medically unable and although I know it is the best way, it was not an option for me (I was having chemotherapy at the time). It would have been nice to be aware that by not breastfeeding I am not destroying my child's health and our bond. I did wear my baby and she loved it. However, now at 11 months she is too heavy to wear continually and hates her stroller because she is used to being up at my height. The section on depression is fairly daft and clearly written by someone who has never had depression. If this is your issue, perhaps better to seek advice elsewhere. Lastly there are some inconsistencies, they say that by attachment parenting, which I did as much as I was able, I would nurture an independent child. My child is not, she is incredibly clingy and has been from 5.5 months. But they also say don't worry if your child is clingy as it shows you have a great bond - which is it? Despite these critisms I still got some great ideas and advice from this book and still recommend it.
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Summary: Follow the things that are best for you...
Review: While this book can be biased towards the mom-stays-at-home-and-dad-goes-to-work scenario, some of the advice given in this book really works. For example, while 'wearing' the child may not be appropriate for working mothers, I (as a father) use it whenever we go out during the weekends. So my advice is, choose the advice(s) that applies to you when reading this book.....
Rating:
Summary: "Select what best fits your family "
Review: First I must say that in the first chapter, Dr. Sears clearly states that while reading the book, you should "keep an open mind...stay open to new ideas, and then select what best fits your family." It is plain that he and his family understand that their view does not always suit everyone's lifestyle to a tee. It seems that most adults should be capable of utilizing a resource book as a "resource" and not as the end-all-be all. If you don't have an open mind or aren't capable of using information and then deciding for yourself-skip this book. We do not feel any guilt or ill feelings when we choose a different path than some of the Sears family descriptions. We are taking what works for us and leaving out what doesn't.
I would hope that all families would do so. However, it is important to note that the Sears family DO have extensive credentials and years of experience. While many parts of the book are absolutely based on scientific and medical fact, many others are admittedly based on the personal and professional experiences of the entire Sears family. Personally, these "opinions" have been utterly invaluable to our young family as we could not yet possibly know the reality of raising eight successful children, or having a medical practice for decades. In this book, Dr. and Mrs. Sears are able to eloquently and tactfully write what many people, quite frankly, don't want to hear. Keep in mind, it would probably be much easier for the Sears' to be more popular, mainstream, and make everyone feel oh-so-swell all the time about their entire parenting experience. However, that is not the reality of parenting I have experienced. It seems that lots of hostility arises from some of the views expressed in "The Baby book." If you are looking for a book that commends you for leaving your baby in a sound proof room propped up with a bottle full of formula and left to bond with their plastic infant carrier- this probably isn't the book for you.
My husband and I are endlessly grateful to know that not only other parents share similar experiences and beliefs, but professionals agree, condone and praise our efforts. Many of the sensitive issues, (i.e.- babywearing & sharing sleep) are typically not widely discussed or even accepted. Promoting one philosophy doesn't mean that all others are put down. I don't feel that the Sears' degrade those who do not follow their every suggestion. The book was not written to make people feel guilty for not subscribing to a few practices. On the contrary, this book helped our family feel okay about what felt right for us from the start. We felt relief knowing that where our instincts were guiding us was not only okay- but actually very appropriate and beneficial for our children. As a mother, I can finally hold my head high knowing that I am not a "bad parent" for refusing to let my baby scream himself to sleep in a crib all by himself. If that works for you- great...but it didn't work for me, and I'm reassured to know that loads of other mothers and fathers feel the same way!! Parents that feel guilty for not following 'The Baby Book' to the letter might need to reassess where that guilt is coming from. I feel confident and informed as I read and re-read this book. We crack it open at least once a week as we truck on through infanthood. It is a wonderful resource book and is chock full of great ideas. Even though this book is almost 1000 pages,it could definitely use a few more tidbits of information. No one is perfect, and I am certain that we will see a few missing pages added into the new edition someday. I am so pleased to have a source of validation and a mecca of answers to my many questions about my babies and family. We would run our home how we deemed fit regardless for popular opinion, but it is significant to see how many others believe just as we do.
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Summary: The Baby-Whisperer Antidote!!
Review: I guess that the appropriateness of a book that is concerned with raising children hinges on your particular philosophy. Your appreciation on the book will depend on your personality. This is why its hard to pick and choose the books you will need until you actually give birth and embark on the whole parent caper....you really have no idea what sort of a parent you will become until you are in the thick of it.
To me, Bill Sears advice feels intuitively right, and so I think this book is wonderful.
I plan to stay at home and raise my children (although there is a chapter on the working parent), I demand breastfeed (there is info on bottle feeding) I sleep with my son as I believe that there is no need to force a child into unnatural sleep behaviours at this stage. I don't believe in letting him cry and I have him with me most of the day. At 6 months of age I believe all this is appropriate. That self indulgent little paragraph about myself is basically intended to describe to you someone who loves 'The Baby Book'. Thats not to say that someone a little less 'hands on' wont appreciate this book; at 750 pages there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to find worthwile advice. But if you come from the 'Let him cry it out, put him on a schedule, dont ley your baby run your life me me me me' school of thought, then steer clear. Or maybe read this book and be converted!
Rating:
Summary: Some excellent and some very wrong advice
Review: There are lots of useful bits and pieces in this book. It really is essential to have. But please totally disregard his advice on vaccinations and fluoride. Do a search on "vaccination myths" and learn how
vaccinations kill and maim children. eg They have mercury and formaldehyde in them. There is NO safe levels for these poisonous substances. Flouride is also a poison, rated 4/5 on the international level of poisons. But he is totally correct that there is no alternative to breast-feeding. It is SO much easier to never have any washing up, to ALWAYS have ready food on hand, no matter where you are. And to have it ready the instant your baby cries. And since breast fed babies poop is yellow and sweet-smelling, and formula-fed babies poop is green and foul-smelling, you KNOW it is going to help your baby for the rest of his life. Even if you have stopped breast-feeding, you might like to try visualisation and a manual breast-feeder and having the baby suckle you to get it going again - do a search on "male lactation" - if men can lactate, you sure can!!!! Also, he doesn't do enough to stress the importance of giving plenty of water to your baby once she starts eating solid foods. (And maybe when she is on formula? who knows - this food is NOT what nature intended your baby to digest).
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