Rating: 
Summary: Good content, hard to search index
Review: This book includes much of what your pediatrician would likely tell you, so it can save you a call--especially if your question comes up on the weekend or after hours. The book is organized by age and then has a section at the end for various illnesses and special situations. I think the best use of the book would be to read it front to back. However, I have tried to use it as a reference and I find the index nearly impossible to use. You have to know the right wording for what you're looking for and often in what age chapter it was discussed. Even so, the print and indentation make it hard to distinguish subsections of the index from main sections. For example, I wanted to know if my baby's bowel movements were normal and not diarrhea. "Bowel movement" might be near the beginning with the main section Bs, but it's also in the "First Months" subsection. Then you also have to look up diarrhea, and check every section of the index, too. I like this book because it is a book of facts and medical information and not so much philosophies of parenting, which you can get from books like "Sears's Baby Book".
Rating: 
Summary: amreican academy of pediatrics can't be wrong!
Review: + very well written book
+ tells you in detail, by age group the milestones you & your baby will be facing
+ everything you need to know about raising baby-includes emotional & psychological development as well as physical
+ tells you exactly where the AAP stands on each issue
+ sections on mommy & daddy's emotions as well as baby
+ this book is more than just a text book, it nurtures a nervous first-time parent and assures me that not EVERYTHING i do is wrong!
+ some things are just common sense, but it makes me feel better to read this and feel more confident
+ rules out all of those "old wives tales" when i first discovered that i was pregnant, i ran out and got almost every pregnancy book and every baby book in print! my advice to any first-time parents and expecting parents is: no library is complete without these 4 books:
"what to expect when you're expecting"
"what to expect the 1st year"
"AAP's how to care for your baby & young child-birth to age 5"
"AAP's guide to your child's symptoms"
Rating:
Summary: Seriously, Buy ONLY This Book
Review: Our pediatrician recommended this book, so we bought it. We had already read a few other books and were pretty well freaked out about how to parent our newborn. Everybody says something different. This book, and this book alone, continues to answer our questions and relieve us when we think we are doing something stupid or wrong. It is not hopped up on touchy-feely, group hug, mumbo-jumbo. It sticks to general guidelines.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - Almost Everything You Need
Review: When may wife I were handed this book we were sure that everything we would ever need to know must be in the book given it's size. Well it turns out that we were correct, at least there has been nothing we have not be able to find yet. Being new parents we needed a resource guide, so by both our purchasing and gifts we now have a rather large collection of pregnancy and early childcare books. We have been reading them and comparing the different books to each other and of course how they relate to our experiences. This book has turned out to be one of our favorites This is a wonderful resource / guide that provides a wealth of authoritative child-care information in an easy-to-use format. It is a comprehensive book that seems to be able to answer any question we have or provide some guidance for any situation that we run into. The first part of the book gives you almost everything you need to know on parenting including a very helpful month by month guide for the first year. The second half of the book includes a complete and easy-to-use emergency first-aid section, plus detailed information about childhood illnesses, immunization schedules and side effects, and a discussion of behavioral issues. You come away from each encounter with book very reassured, it just seams like a smart, sound guide that can help you through all those times when you needs some advice or information. It is laid out logically and the writing is very understandable. Overall I would recommend it to any new parents.
Rating:
Summary: A great reference book!
Review: This book is a great book to have in the bookshelf as a reference before you call the pediatrician. While this book does not describe how your child should develop month by month, it does describe symptoms and basic treatment for common childhood ailments (that new parents may not know about). I have found this book to be a great resource that compliments my calls to the pediatrician's office. In his first year, my son has had cradle cap, eczema, some colds, fever, roseola, and diarrhea - and the treatments suggested in this book have been right on with what the doctors' office has prescribed. I would highly reccomend this book for the new parent. It is simple to read and a great reference.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable reference
Review: I refer to this book all the time. It might be a little technical. But as I have a biology background, I love it. The Huggies website has (or used to have) a special on this book if you have some proof of purchases.
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough "normal" information
Review: I bought this book hoping it would tell me month by month what to expect developmentally. It does do that, but the majority of the book is focused on diarrhea, sniffles, sneezes and other very specific ailments and disabilities. If I want to know about my child's ailments, I will call her pediatrician - not consult a book!
Rating:
Summary: Easy reading and comprehensive
Review: This book is great. We also read Dr. Spock's, but find this one offering more advices.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent... saved me a fortune
Review: I used this book frequently while raising my daughters, now four and five, and it saved me a fortune in unnecessary pediatrician trips and bills for various minor illnesses and injuries that can terrify a new parent. When in doubt, go to the doctor... but if you just need a guide - GET THIS BOOK! Now, I buy this book for every new parent as a baby shower gift... the thanks usually come long after the baby shower!!!
Rating:
Summary: Good on medical, short on perspective
Review: This book contained no information whatsoever about homebirth, sleep sharing or toddler nursing, not even to discourage them, and it suggested weaning between four and seven months. These are grave errors in my opinion. However, what the book DID include was good, and the medical information was very comprehensive. This could be a useful book for when your child gets sick, but I wouldn't depend on the parenting advice it gives.
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