On Becoming Baby Wise: Parenting Your Pre Toddler 5-15 Months

Rating:
Summary: Use common sense
Review: I have not purchased Babywise II, but decided to write a review on Babywise after reading many negative reviews. I have a 6 month old son who is a delightful child. I read Babywise before he was born and decided I would try it. It has worked for him. I believe that babies like having predictability in their lives. I have never once denied my child food because it wasn't time to eat yet. He has never demanded food because he doesn't snack when fed like most demand fed babies. Therefore, he stays full until it is time to eat again. When I asked my doctor his feeling on demand versus schedule feeding, he preferred schedule because the mom's body needs time to produce more milk.

My son knows how to play by himself, but that doesn't mean that I don't interact with my child. He knows how to fall asleep on his own, but that doesn't mean that I don't rock him and sing to him before I lay him in his crib. When reading the book, use your common sense and what feels natural. I don't know many people that would let a book dictate how they parent...follow your gut. I do believe that having a child on a schedule and being predictable helps them to be a content child. But this doesn't mean you need to be a legalist and show no flexibility...as Ezzo stated in his book, you need to be flexible sometimes given the situation you are in.

I recommend this book to all of my friends, and everyone I know that has used it as a guide has had great success.

Rating:
Summary: PLEASE do some research before you follow Ezzo's advice
Review: Visit www.ezzo.info and talk to your pediatrician and lactation consultant about Babywise methods. There is a better way and it is healthier for everyone. Gary Ezzo starts off his book by stating that if you don't follow his methods, you'll end up with a clingy brat that no one likes.

Well, I know many, many families that did the exact opposite of what he recommends, and they have the most compassionate, kind, loving families I've ever seen. Ezzo preaches a very restrained love, one that will probably not scar your child for life, but will result in a superficial relationship as your child gets older.

He repeatedly states how other people will say to you, "What a good baby you have," if you follow his methods. Is that what parenting is to Ezzo? Other people complimenting you on having a "good" baby? We do the exact opposite of what Babywise recommends, and we DO get quite a few comments, on how happy and secure our child seems. He also brags that you'll be able to leave your baby with anyone and just walk out the door. Again, is that what he thinks parenting is? Being so distant from your baby the s/he learns not to care if you're there or not?

Please do some research before you do this to yourself and your child. Read some other books to get other points of view. Unlike Ezzo, I don't think you're a bad parent if you don't do things "my" way, but I do hope you'll consider all perspectives. Some other books to read are Good Nights by Gordon, The Baby Book by Sears, Becoming a Father by Sears, and The Vital Touch by Heller.



Rating:
Summary: A disturbing underlying message...
Review: I received the Babywise series after the birth of my son. In addition to what others have written about the dangers of following the advice in this book, I found them to have a disturbing underlying message- that children are something to be tolerated and trained rather than loved and enjoyed. My conclusion is that Ezzo doesn't like children much. He doesn't respect their basic needs (like hunger) and labels what is considered by most to be developmentally appropriate behavior "misbehavior" that requires "correction". I just went away feeling like the book was written for people who want convenient babies, ones that don't interfere with their lives. Babies are hard work. There are no easy, definitive answers about how to raise them and Babywise is disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

Rating:
Summary: Happy, contented, well adjusted child
Review: This is the first review I have written - But I use them a lot. Sorry it's soo long but I feel that I have to contribute to this. I have not read the second book and came here to purchase it.

I am very disappointed in some of the responses from other reviewers. The first book states that if your baby is hungry between the scheduled feedings, then go ahead and feed them, and just readjust the schedule for the rest of the day. It also states that if you are doing something that day or leaving your child with a caregiver do not worry about them not feeding to the schedule, just rearrange later. Also it states that if your child is crying in the night, to go and comfort them, pick them up and cuddle them, but then put them back to bed and just don't go at every whimper, they learn fast they that they will get their way (this I can attest to!).

The reviewer who states a doctor would tell you; never wake a sleeping baby, is not correct. When my son came home from the hospital he did not do well on the demand feeding - by the time he showed signs of being hungry; he was over hungry, very cranky and too miserable to eat. Luckily, we had a very understand doctor (we ended up calling him 11:00pm on a Friday night), and were told by him, (who has over 25 years experience) that we must wake him up if he goes longer than 3 hours from the beginning of his last feeding (does this sound familiar!). If he falls asleep when eating to wake him, he must feed for a minimum of 30 mins, and try to not to let him eat for more than 45 mins, as he will not be hungry and it will be too long before he feeds again. Due to medical problems my son had to go on formula for a week, and afterwards our doctor recommended that if we were worried about his feeding, to have one formula feeding a day to make sure his intake is on schedule, and also to weigh him every week. The weight guidelines in the book were inline with what my doctor recommended.

But this book is not just about feeding - It provides good information on raising a happy, well-rounded child. The importance of using interactive and alone time play and naptimes. My son is 3 months old and very happy and laughs all the time, whether he is playing by himself or with someone. He does not demand interaction, but knows that someone is only a call away. After reading this book, from 4 weeks old he was happy to spend time in his bouncer while I made lunch, took a shower etc., (we could always see each other from where he was). I also liked the idea of putting him straight to bed after the 2nd from last feeding of the day (about 8:00pm for us), as it gave me time to straighten up the house, clean some bottles and spend time with my husband, before feeding him his last feeding and going to bed, and my son was happy to do this. He fussed for about 10 mins to start with, but we just took turns in going in to see him, talk with and cuddle him, and now he is happy and laughs when he goes to bed.

I am not saying that I agree with 100% of the book (but I don't think I have agreed 100% with any of the baby books I have read), but I definitely agree with the principles, and my pediatrician seems to be on the same line - He gives you a sheet of pointers at each visit, which included putting your baby to bed at one month old, when they are awake, so they learn to put themselves to sleep and not rely on you rocking them etc. I know that every child is different, and this style will not work with everyone, but read the whole book, and if you have questions, check with your pediatrician. My son is a very happy 3 month old. He sleeps 7-8 hours through the night, and when I go to get him in the mornings, someimtes he is happily laying awake laughing to himself (or Pooh!), because he knows that someone is coming. People offer all the time to look after him for us as he is a delight to be around.


Rating:
Summary: dangerous, irresponsible and denounced by the AAP
Review: gee, when the american assoc of pediatricians claims that this method can cause "failure to thrive" AND it goes against every maternal instinct ever created, AND the author basis his "findings" not from medical knowledge (he has no training) but HIS reading of the bible...

All i say is READ ANYTHING ELSE!!

Rating:
Summary: Horrible Author
Review: The author has no credentials to write a book like this - no true college education in any capacity let alone medicine and child development! Don't believe everything you read! Do your own research! ezzo.info

Rating:
Summary: PLEASE DON
Review: I have to admit that I did not read this book. It was recommended to me by a neighbor. With her 9 year old she fed him on demand and responded to his cries. He is a wonderful child, bright, outgoing, and responsible. Her second son is 5. She read this book shortly after he was born and started following all of the advice. She shut the door and let her 6-week old baby scream in his crib until he "learned" to sleep by himself. She also fed him on a strict schedule and continually followed the cry-it-out method. He has been diagnosed with an attachment disorder and cries when he leaves her side.

I am an avid reader of Dr. Sears, and follow the practices of attachment parenting. My son is a high need child demanding nearly constant attention. I know they exist, because I was high need too. He is still nursing, shares our bed, and we use a sling. He is very friendly and outgoing. He started talking very early, and now at 18 months he can work two puzzles at the same time with the pieces mixed up in a pile. I feel he is advanced because of my continuos love and attention.

[...]

Rating:
Summary: THANK GOD SOMEONE TOLD ME ABOUT BABYWISE!!!
Review: This works. Quite honestly, I believe many of the negative reviewers did not read this book with understanding. Also, about feeding and napping issues, book one is more exhaustive. I know that if I had followed book one instead of my pediatrician's advice when we had nursing problems in the first days, I never would have had to give a supplement! This continuation helps address the early behavioral problems with older babies and young toddlers. while my son did not "get" the sign language part as early as some of the examples in the book, at twelve months he signed "please" for the first time. Now at 19 months, he knows many signs which make his garbled speech clearer. We have been able to avoid the majority of frustration tantrums over communication issues thanks to the advice in this book.
A word about the "discipline" side: these tactics continue to work for my 19 month old. He was an "intense" baby, and he remains so as a toddler. He did not sleep day or night until we "babywised" him as two month old, despite almost constant nursing and supplements (he did have trouble nursing, but we knew the problem wasn't hunger when we decided to do this because we weighed him before and after each feeding to know exactly how much he had eaten, not to mention the fact that he put on 1 kg in the first month). He is full of energy. However, he listens to mom, knows what "no" means, understands consequences (going to the crib, etc.), and is one of the most obedient toddlers I know (at least when he isn't tired!).
He also continues to sleep a total of 15 hours, much more than his playmates and well above the average for his age. He is a joy for his mom and dad! It is wonderful to know that when naptime comes, he will go down easily and without complaint, giving structure to the day and a chance to get things done.
Thanks, Babywise!

Rating:
Summary: PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS TO YOUR BABY
Review: The methods in this book can be very dangerous to your baby. Do any internet search on Gary Ezzo and you will find horror stories of poor babies that have been PYHSICALLY harmed by these methods. The American Academy of Pediactrics are against these methods.

I have been practicing attachment parenting (the complete opposite of Babywise) for my baby. He sleeps with me every night, I feed him when he is hungry, not at a scheduled time, and I pick him up when he is crying.

He started sleeping 6 hours at night when he was 2 weeks old! By the time he was 8 weeks old, he slept the entire night only waking for one feeding. By 12 weeks, he was sleeping through the night with no waking. Now at 7 months he still sleeps through the night (8:30pm - 7:30am). Everyone comments on what a good baby he is and he is so happy. He has smiles and giggles for everyone!

Please, please, please, do a little research on these methods and think very long about how you want your baby to grow up, trusting his parents to take care of him, or wailing away in a crib wondering why Mommy and Daddy don't love him enough to FEED HIM WHEN HE IS HUNGRY.