The Happiest Baby on the Block : The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

Rating:
Summary: revisiting an old, old topic
Review: Good info, an easy read, works most of the time. What more could a new parent of a fussy baby want?
But what troubles me about this book is that the author has written and is selling information that has been available to parents here and abroad for generations. What is all the fuss about? Nothing Dr. Karp writes of is new information or information difficult to obtain. I read all of it when I was pregnant l5 years ago (Spock, Leach, Brazelton, 'Mothering' magazine all contain this information) and, long before I was pregnant, I had heard about or seen most of the methods used (I grew up with 3 sibs). Further, some of the info or 'methods' are instinctive for most new parents, eg nursing a fussy baby.
So, the question arises, are new parents today somehow more tuned out of this age-old info and know-how than earlier generations? Do they perhaps have the info they need to calm a fussy baby but need to be 'reminded' of it in a new format? Or is Dr. K. simply doing what is often done: remarketing very old formulas in shiny, new packaging?
Buy the book and you decide. It can't hurt. But if, like most new parents, you are concerned about mounting expenses, you might want to first recheck your stack of parenting guides and interview a wiser, older parent or two before you fork over the bucks for yet another book telling new parents how to parent.

Rating:
Summary: A lifesaver!
Review: I got this book when my baby was a couple weeks old. He wasn't that fussy and for the most part he's pretty mellow. My doctor
had told us of some techniques to use to quiet him down when he did cry. Most of those techniques were mentioned in this book, but the book gave more techniques and more insight as to why they work.
Not all of these will apply to every baby, so use the ones that work for your baby. My son loves to be swaddled (even now at 3 months!). The book was worth reading for one tip alone - the
head jiggle. No, not a head shake! A gentle little jiggle that's barely noticible... patting him gently on the back will do it. Swaddle the tyke up and pat his back and he goes from all out crying/screaming to snoozing in a minute or two. I never would have beleived it but it works every time!

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Summary: I lOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: Review by Dr Tobin, Author of The Parent's Problem Solver: One of the most frustrating things for me as a pediatrician, is not to be able to offer my patients solid solutions. When a mother would come to my office with a colicky baby, I could reassure her nothing was wrong with the baby and I could offer her my support. But I didn't have a solution---until now! Thank you, Dr Karp, I truly appreciate this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Happiest Baby on the Block
Review: This is a must have for all novice and experienced parents of a new baby. I ordered this book after seeing the author summarize the book on Good Morning, America. Our daughter already had two little boys and was expecting our first granddaughter. The two boys did not sleep well for the first three months after birth. Our daughter was exhausted...and this was what she dreaded...was three months with little sleep. After her shower, when she got the book...she read some each night...and when the baby was born she went by the book...swaddling the baby, etc. This is unreal but the baby will be two weeks old tomorrow...and she has slept through the night twice already!!!! She is such a wonderfully comfortable baby and cries only when she is hungry or needs a change of diapers. This is a must for any parent inexperienced or experienced. My daughter and I plan to give it at every shower we are invited to...It has to be the best thing...including sliced bread! My daughter says that it is so wonderful to be able to function well on a regular amount of sleep.

Rating:
Summary: Mom of 10 week old with Colic and Reflux!
Review: A must have for all parents of newborn babies. My daughter was diagnosted with colic at 3 weeks and reflux at 5 weeks. She would have crying fits, would not sleep with out a battle, and was generally very fussy. I read this book in one day - I was desperate for help - and it took me about 3 days to really get a hang of it. Now my daughter falls asleep in a few minutes, even less, instead of the hours it would take before. She sleeps longer and last week started sleeping through the night. This book saved my sanity and my back. I am buying it for all my friends. Some people might give up on it after a few tries but I recommend dedicating yourself to at least 4 days of trying it out before giving up.
We even went on two long distance trips, and I was able to keep her happy and calm during the whole trip. Yes family thought I was nuts doing it this way and called me a "book" mom, but hey my daughter sleeps and is happy.
Even if your child does not have colic I would recommend buying this book. It is a life saver.

Rating:
Summary: Very good - but only for the first three months.
Review: This book is an excellent read - having a nice easy style and with some Anthropology thrown in. Be warned, this is not very good for babies over three months. I have a two month old who is fussy, and I found that I already used a lot of these techniques without knowing it! The one thing that has really been helpful so far is swaddling. It seems to help her take naps better. For 3 months and up, look at "The No-Cry Sleep Solution". It is similar to this book in that it uses a common sense approach to getting babies to calm down or sleep. Also, Healthy Sleep, Happy Child" gives a more scientific explanation of baby sleep.

Rating:
Summary: Common sense clearly explained
Review: This is a good book that explains some of the most common and time-honored baby soothing methods such as rocking and swaddling. If you are a first time parent without anyone to help you during the first few months this book is like having a wiser, older person explain the basics. I would also recommend The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night. Both of these books are kind and reasonable and give good advice on babies.

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Summary: This book really works!
Review: I bought this book because my baby would cry and I couldn't calm him down easily. He was very gassy. When I used the steps in this book he stopped crying in two minutes. His philosophy makes a lot of sense and you can follow as much or as little as is necessary for your baby.

Rating:
Summary: A New Era in Parenting
Review: Finally, Dr. Karp has exposed the colic "poo poo" that has driven parents and babies nuts for years. A great read, but if you're too sleep-deprived to focus on a page, buy the video or DVD for a great 38 minute overview.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful for newborns and beyond
Review: The baby-soothing techniques that Dr. Karp recommends are very sensible. This book seems to have gotten lost in the shadow of better publicized titles such as The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley and Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr. Ferber. It's a shame because Dr. Karp's book can helps to prevent sleep problems from occurring in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure, as far as I'm concerned.

While some other reviewers only found this book to be useful with newborns, I found it to be helpful throughout the first year of my child's life. This is a first rate book.