Rating: 
Summary: Just because it works doesn't make it right
Review: Think about this: If you refused to respond to your baby's cries, your baby would learn to stop crying. Right? That is basically Ezzo's philosophy. Put your child on a feeding schedule and ignore her cries in-between feedings so that she will learn not to cry. Just because it works doesn't make it the right way to raise a child. Thankfully, most parents who read this book modify Ezzo's instruction in some way. But my recommendation is that you stay away from it altogether. Please, please, please educate yourself regarding Ezzo and his writing. There are many strong concerns about this man's character and his teaching. Here are just a few: * He has refused to allow other professionals to review the independent studies he claims to have undertaken * The American Academy of Pediatricians has linked his advice to numerous incidents of dehydration in infants * He has been excommunicated from two southern California churches, both of which have noted that he claimed to have college degrees that he does not have, among many other problems AT THE HEART OF GARY EZZO'S METHOD IS A FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE THAT SAYS THAT KIDS ARE BORN BAD, BORN TRYING TO MANIPULATE AND DECEIVE PARENTS. This is the version of the material for nonChristians, so you won't find that assumption stated in this book. But that goofy and wrong assumption forms the basis of his teaching. For more info, check out www.ezzo.info
Rating: 
Summary: This book saved our lives!
Review: Before you have your little one, you would be smart to pick up a copy of this book and read it. It gives you a great idea of what to expect and how to survive the first six months of parenting. Ezzo's assertion is that parents should be in control of their child's feeding schedule. If you really read what he is saying, it makes perfect sense. He recommends waiting three hours to feed. If you feed your baby, but he only gets a few drops before going to sleep, of course he will be starving in a few minutes. Your job involves keeping him up for a full feeding before letting him sleep. The schedule will then be no problem at all. Let your baby cry itself to sleep. Parents who do this find that the child will adjust to being alone. The baby knows how to put itself to sleep, and you won't have to put him on a dryer at 2 AM to get him back to sleep. Our daughter was sleeping through the night at 7 weeks and has not looked back. One other thing. I have seen several reviews about how dangerous this is and how the medical experts swear that it is harmful. Remember that the medical community spent 20 years telling us how dangerous the Atkins diet was. The only way to lose weight safely was to cut fat and increase carbs. Now, of course, we know that carbs are the real enemy. All I'm saying is that the medical advice can tend to go against anything new and "radical." Understand that there are many thousand parents who have found the Babywise system to be incredibly effective. Add our names to that long list.
Rating:
Summary: It Works!
Review: On Becoming Baby Wise had a fabulous positive impact on our whole experience of having a little one. As first time parents, it gave us the confidence to make parenting decisions without doubting ourselves. Parental Directed Feeding is a concept that is in line with our own philosophies on parenting. Our little one is a good eater, sleeper (slept through the night within 10 weeks), and generally well adjusted. I have recommended this book to anyone who is interested in listening. I hope you feel the same way after reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Zero Stars
Review: The American Academy of Pediatrics and many QUALIFIED baby experts consider this a dangerous book. For more information, read the articles and reports here: http://www.ezzo.info/babywise.htm
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference
Review: This is a great book to outline the basics and to reference. I do recommend adding Baby Whisperer along with Baby Wise. It added and filled in where Baby Wise left off.
Rating:
Summary: Truly the worst book on child "care"
Review: Ezzo's entire system is based on unsupported assertions. For example, he claims that infants' feedings need to be scheduled, because otherwise, their systems will be in metabolic disarray. However, he provides no support for this assertion, because in fact, this is merely conjecture on his part and completely without foundation in fact. The AAP's position on this is that the best feeding schedules for infants are the ones they design for themselves. He also claims that infants who are fed on cue (meaning when they are hungry) become demanding, and infants who are fed on his parent-directed feeding schedule become good children. Again, he provides no support for these assertions -- because none exists. He is merely putting forth his uneducated opinions. In fact, studies have shown that infants who are responded to quickly and appropriately in the first 6 months cry less in the second 6 months of life. (Source: Children's Hospital, Boston). Meeting an infant's needs when they arise and age-appropriate discipline are not mutually exclusive. Ezzo's claims are based on the assumption that they are, and his followers buy into that nonsense. Ezzo also depends heavily on completely misrepresenting attachment parenting and then claiming that babies parented that way are fussy and demanding. Pediatricians who have actually studied this find exactly the opposite, and I have noticed the same thing. Earlier editions of this book were more rigid in the feeding schedules, and in response to outcry over that (and presumably, the numerous cases of infants that failed to thrive because their parents were followers of Ezzo), Ezzo has added a few sentences about actually feeding your baby when he/she is hungry. But he cautions against making a habit of this, and in the end, these few obligatory sentences contradict his basic advice. Interestingly, Ezzo advocates deviating from the schedule and feeding your baby when hungry in those circumstances when a crying baby would disturb others (one example he gives is an airplane). I am all for being considerate of others, but the problem with this advice is that it fails to recognize the need to feed a baby when he/she is hungry, but rather advocates feeding the baby so that other adults are not inconvenienced. It seems that his schedule cannot withstand public scrutiny -- people might question why you refuse to feed your clearly hungry baby! This is just one example of how Ezzo's philosophy is focused on parental convenience, and not appropriate infant development. When you read this book, you realize that Ezzo really dislikes children. Tellingly, his own children will have nothing to do with him. He starts from the assumption that from the first days of life, babies are manipulative and bad, and that responding to their cries only promotes manipulative behavior. The real tragedy of this book is that it pits parents against their infants, and promotes the idea that when infants cry, they are merely trying to manipulate their parents. Pediatricians will tell you that when infants cry, they are trying to communicate their needs in the only way they know. By getting to know my baby, I became tuned into the routine she set for herself. I learned what her cues meant by getting to know her, rather than looking at a clock, so I could respond appropriately. The result is a happy baby who sleeps well at night and takes two naps a day. Do your research on Ezzo. There are tons of testimonials from former Ezzo followers who admit that their babies weren't really sleeping through the night as early as they claimed, but they had just learned to ignore their cries. In addition, there are many documented cases of babies that failed to gain weight appropriately because their parents were following Ezzo's schedule, which runs against the AAP's recommendations.
Rating:
Summary: Less Than One Star
Review: I got this book on the recommendation of a friend, and boy was I disappointed! A little research into the qualifications of Gary Ezzo really opened my eyes to the dangers of following this program. There's a good reason why babies who are reared by the "BabyWise" method often end up with "failure to thrive (gain adequate weight) issues" and why even Dr. James Dobson -- author of "Dare to Discipline" strongly recommends against this book. It turns out that Mr. Ezzo has absolutely no qualifications -- either professional training or professional experience -- in child development. He's notorious for misrepresenting himself and his qualifications (i.e. allowing himself to be presented as "Dr." Ezzo). He's also been kicked off the pastoral staff of a number of churches -- in part for dishonesty. He uses grossly exaggerated hypotheticals to sell his idea of the un-Babywise baby (grows up to be a promiscuous addict), versus the Babywise baby (perfect child, perfect home, perfect family). His methods are not proven clinically -- in fact AAP and other child health orgs denounce his program. From personal experience: I personally know of two children raised strictly Babywise. One of the moms complained that her baby wouldn't "cuddle" -- would pull away from her. The other child just always seemed very depressed, while not being particularly well behaved.
Rating:
Summary: It is worth it!
Review: After our baby was two weeks old, we implemented the principles of this book. Our baby started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old, and was well in the average as the book mentioned. He is now two months old, and he is sleeping 12 hours like the book said. The first 4-6 weeks might be rough for mom more than the baby, but it is worth it. There is peace at home, and time to take care of other things once the baby is on a schedule. The book has very practical advise, and it is very sensitive to all the issues. But parents have to be willing to let their babies cry at the beginning. Now my baby doesn't cry at all to take a nap. 6 weeks out of the rest of my baby's life to get good sleeping habits, it is worth it!!! Be flexible if you need to. If you can't stand the baby cry, go to www.babygotosleep.com, my second tool of choice, and it also works!
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Summary: Makes Sense
Review: I don't understand why everyone is so worked up about this book. I used it from day 1. It is logical and very helpful. Use some common sense. You take the general ideas and apply them to you and your baby. No one is talking about hurting a child.
You can say whatever you want about this book but the proof is in the pudding. The people that I know that use Baby Wise techniques have kids that sleep. I know several parents that are very proud of not having Baby-Wise kids. After they tell you about the evils of this book, they will complain about all of the sleeping problems they are having.
I don't know how you get all the criticism from the logical steps outlined in this book.
Abuse? Certainly not
Rating:
Summary: society would be better if parents started here
Review: This is a life-saver. The people who blast this book are the reason why we are having problems in our society with our kids. There is nothing wrong with setting boundaries with a child. No one is talking about hurting a child. Just using some common sense. (Which we seem to have lost...)
I have 3 kids. (4 yrs., 2 yrs., and 6 months) I breastfed all of them and used Baby-Wise from the beginning. They were all sleeping 8 hours by 12 weeks.
I give this book to every person who is having a baby. I either hear the praises or I hear that they didn't use it and how tired and over-whelmed they are. Seems as though we live with our choices.
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