Rating: 
Summary: A must have for all Ann Douglas fans!
Review: If you enjoyed some of Ann's other books (for example, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books or The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby), you will want to order a copy of this book, too. Like her pregnancy books, The Mother of All Baby Books conveys all kinds of "from the trenches" advice that other books tend to leave out: tips on healthy foods that can be eaten with one hand while you're breastfeeding, stress-free ways to ease back into your fitness routine after the birth of your baby, tips on shopping for baby without going broke, reassuring advice on detecting and treating the most common first-year illnesses, and much more. The directory of resources at the back of the book is also extremely useful. You'll find mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and web site addresses for all the leading pediatric health and parenting associations, a glossary of key pediatric health terms, and much more. This book is the perfect companion to the highly medical AAP reference book, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age Five.
Rating:
Summary: Great guide to mom and baby's first year
Review: Most "baby's first year" books focus exclusively on the baby. What makes this book unique and extremely valuable is the fact that it also considers the mother's experience during that crucial first year. Suffering from the baby blues? Struggling with body image concerns? Wondering if you'll ever get your relationship with your partner back on track? Becoming concerned that those jokes about "placenta brain" might actually be true? All those issues and more are discussed in detail in this incredibly comprehensive guide to baby's first year.Of course, the author also does an admirable job of zeroing in on the key "baby's first year" topics -- breastfeeding, circumcision, immunization, sleep, crying, introducing solids, key milestones (physical, emotional, intellectual, social), playing with your baby, and so on. I just really appreciated the fact that, for once, the mom's experience was considered in a baby's first year book. Another plus is the fact that the author includes a lot of stories from parents. I always find it reassuring to read about other parents' ups and downs, and this book is overflowing with accounts of the high points and low points of the first year of baby's life as recalled by the parents who agreed to be interviewed for this book. This book has an authentic quality that so many other baby books lack (you know, the ones that leave you feeling woefully inadequate at parenthood!)
Rating:
Summary: Great guide to mom and baby's first year
Review: Most "baby's first year" books focus exclusively on the baby. What makes this book unique and extremely valuable is the fact that it also considers the mother's experience during that crucial first year. Suffering from the baby blues? Struggling with body image concerns? Wondering if you'll ever get your relationship with your partner back on track? Becoming concerned that those jokes about "placenta brain" might actually be true? All those issues and more are discussed in detail in this incredibly comprehensive guide to baby's first year. Of course, the author also does an admirable job of zeroing in on the key "baby's first year" topics -- breastfeeding, circumcision, immunization, sleep, crying, introducing solids, key milestones (physical, emotional, intellectual, social), playing with your baby, and so on. I just really appreciated the fact that, for once, the mom's experience was considered in a baby's first year book. Another plus is the fact that the author includes a lot of stories from parents. I always find it reassuring to read about other parents' ups and downs, and this book is overflowing with accounts of the high points and low points of the first year of baby's life as recalled by the parents who agreed to be interviewed for this book. This book has an authentic quality that so many other baby books lack (you know, the ones that leave you feeling woefully inadequate at parenthood!)
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: My baby is now 2 months old and I've just finished reading the Mother of all Baby Books. I found it to be an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand book covering all aspects of the first year. I wish I had it when my daughter was first born... it would have saved a lot of non-emergency calls to my midwife! There's so much info packed in this book... sleeping, feeding, babyproofing, illnesses, those quirky newborn skin conditions, immunizations etc. Plus great little tips on saving money when outfiting your nursery, and how many layers to dress Baby in... the list goes on. I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It takes you from newborn to the first birthday and answers every question you can think of. There is also a great list of resources for where to find more information. Ann gives you it all and then tells you where to find more!
Rating:
Summary: One of the most practical baby gifts I received
Review: My sister gave me a copy of this book at my baby shower after receiving a copy at her baby shower earlier in the year. I have to say that it has proven to be one of the most practical baby gifts that I received. When my baby was a newborn, I referred to the book a couple of times a day -- so often, in fact, that I made a point of carrying the book in my baby's diaper bag if we were going to be out for the day. It's just the right size to fit in a diaper bag or the bottom of a stroller. One weekend I happened to leave it behind when we were visiting frienda out of town and our baby developed a fever. I wanted to look at the fever guidelines in the book, so the friend we were visiting called around until she found a friend who owned a copy of the book, and then drove over to borrow that person's copy of the book. That's how attached I'd become to the book! (Mind you, a friend of mine developed an even more extreme attachment to the pregnancy book written by the same author. She kept one copy in her desk at work and a second copy at home. That way, she'd always have a copy within easy reach!) So what is it that makes this book so special? A couple of things. For one thing, the author uses a friendly and reasuring tone that puts your mind at ease and makes you feel confident in your mothering abilities at a time when you may be second guessing yourself a lot. She also has a great sense of humor. (And there are days when your sense of humor is your only mothering asset.) The book also happens to be well written and extremely detailed. If there's a topic related to babies that you want to know about, chances are it's covered in the book. The book also includes Web resources, a detailed glossary, a list of organizations such as infant health associations that every parent should know about, growth charts, immunization schedules, babyproofing checklists, charts summarizing the symptoms/treatments for the most common childhood illnesses, month-by-month infant development charts highlighting the key social, emotional, intellectual, and physical developmental milestones, tips on playing with your baby, advice on promoting healthy sleeping and eating habits, and much more. The book has proven to be an invaluable resource and I intend to let all of my friends know about this terrific book.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing some key areas
Review: My son is now four months old. While still pregnant, I read this book cover to cover and thought it was pretty good. However, now that I'm a mom, my experience with this book has turned out FRUSTRATING. There really have only been two times so far when I've needed to turn to my resources for help in understanding what was going on, and what to do -- for a rash, and -- early this morning -- teething. This book failed me entirely on both occasions. Indeed, when you go to the "rash" entry, it only says "...could be the result of a viral or bacterial infection; or an allergic reaction to...substance. Note: see section on skin rashes later in this chapter." BUT THERE IS NO SECTION ON SKIN RASHES LATER IN THE CHAPTER (or elsewhere that I, my hubby or mother could find).
In short: it looks on its face much more helpful than it really is. Don't count on this book (but I won't say "don't buy it" as you might still find it a decent addendum to other sources...*maybe*).
Rating:
Summary: The most practical baby book I own
Review: The Mother of All Baby Books is filled with all kinds of practical advice that only an experienced mom could pass along: what baby stuff you do and do not need (something that saved me a bundle), what you can do to make life after baby less stressful for you and your partner, how to handle all the worrying situations you're likely to encounter as a new parent, and more. I like the fact that the book is organized by theme (e.g. chapter on breastfeeding, chapter on sleep issues, chapter on fevers and illness) because I always know exactly where to flip the book open when I have a question that needs to be answered. This plus Baby Bargains plus The AAP's baby health book are the only baby books a new parent needs.
Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive + extremely helpful book on Baby's 1st Year
Review: The Mother of All Baby Books is well-named, because the scope of the topics covered in this book on your baby's first year is huge. Ann Douglas provides extensive information on breastfeeding, introducing solid foods to your baby, baby's first teeth, handling problems with diapers, and so much more! She never talks down to you, like some other authors do, and instead, speaks clearly about common issues and problems that many moms face in Baby's first year of life. Every new mom needs this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great for older babies, too
Review: The reviewer who said that this book only talks about the newborn stage is way off base. I refer to this book every day and my baby is nine months old. It's my "baby bible."
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This book is most definitely NOT the Mother of All Baby books. Info is hard to find at times, focus is on basic baby care, and the health section, while informative, is so poorly arranged as to make it impossible to find the info you need. There is good stuff buried here, but it's not information you couldn't find in better, more well-rounded books. Oh, and I know I will get many votes for a review that is "not helpful", because there seems to be many fans of this author's voting against any negative reviews. So take the good reviews and the "helpful" ratings with a grain of salt.
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