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Summary: Babywise
Review: I do believe that it is important to have consistancy with children of all age. In that respect I agree with this book's message. I must say that as a health care professional there are a few concepts mentioned in this book that make normal feeding and growth patterns difficult to follow. Exclusively breast fed babies have feeding patterns that are called "cluster" feedings. Cluster feedings occur during the first few days of life and at every growth spurt. A cluster feeding is characterized by several (2 to 3) small "meals" within a 1 to 2 hour time frame followed by a 1 to 2 hour sleeping or wakeful period. Many families that are trying to exclusively breast feed become frustrated when the baby won't get on a "schedule" when really the baby has his or her own feeding schedule that's normal for his or her growth requirements at the time, it just may not follow a clock. Exclusive breast feeding is what is normal and best, and for a family to succesfully achieve an exclusively breast milk diet for thier little one, a cyclical eat-play-sleep program may not be effective. Babies have an innate drive to get their needs met if we listen they will show us what they need.
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Summary: Dangerous book
Review: I was given this book by someone I judged to be sensible and known expert on early childhood education. The tone of the book was immediately disturbing to me and some of the statements that the author made sound like facts, I knew were not. I did some research and found out that this book is pretty controversial. it has at least 35 unsubstantiated medical statements and the research findings that Ezzo cites in "On Becoming Babywise" are based on GFI's own unpublished, self-conducted studies. There has been no peer review of his research, which means no professional, independent expert or organization has evaluated the findings. American Association of Pediatricians has warned that these methods may lead to a failure to thrive in infants. I do not argue that you cannot successfully teach your child to sleep using Ezzo's methods; I do question the cost to children in doing so. Please see http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/8369.html for more information.
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Summary: This book is dangerous to the health of babies.
Review: The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued an alert against the type of parenting recommended in this book. The author is not medically-trained. Pediatricians have observed many children reared in the fashion recommended by the author to have problems such as insufficient weight gain, dehydration, and difficulty thriving.Dr. William Sears' The Baby Book or Nighttime Parenting offers much more healthy sleep and parenting advice for babies and their families. He is a pediatrician, and the father of several children, and offers a balanced view to child rearing.
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Summary: Danger, danger, Will Robinson!
Review: If you love your child, do not buy this book. Do not buy any books written by the Ezzos or their trained puppet, Bucknam. These people are dangerous and my heart aches for the babies who have been raised using the cruel, cold, uncaring techniques promoted by this group of quacks.
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Summary: Tired of bleeding heart liberals!!!
Review: This is a book of PRACTICAL, COMMON SENSE future adult raising! (Because when you come down to it, you ARE raising future adults.) We as a society need to desparately teach our children loving discipline. We give our children limits to show our children that we care about them as individuals. There are limits and laws in every aspect of our lives, religious and secular. The sooner we learn about limits and the consequences for breaking them, the better. It is more HUMANE to learn this lesson early, then when the results are more dire. The Ezzo's, at no point in this book, recommend neglecting your child. ANY resonable person, who has read the book, would deduce the same. In response to other books denoucing this method of child raising, I say this: You can find any book saying exactly what you want to hear if you look long enough. My children are babywise babies and complete successes. Straights A's at one of the top schools in the nation, loving adult males with a moral and social conscience and very spiritual people. I've had many people approach me from the time they were infants, envying my relationship with my boys and the lovely temperment they have. Teachers have asked me to help them with their classes because of our repor and their exceptional performance. The Ezzos and Dr. Bucknam provide GUIDELINES which you must temper with wisdom. To blindly follow any book to the T would be irresponsible parenting and just plain stupid. These are children NOT RECIPES! And to all those raising 'Child-centered' children: I've met their predecessors and they are the most self-absored, ego-centric people you'd never want to know. And the AMA is NOT the foremost authority on what is best for your child. The AMA is a non-profit organization made up of physician, most are not pediatricians. They "recommend" a lot of things, your job as a parent is to research and make your OWN decision. Not all their "recommendation" have been good (IE: Phen-Fen). Good Luck to future parents trying to make rational, sound, parenting decision. It would be hard to find a better book than this.
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Summary: Finally some answers and SLEEP!
Review: A friend had mentioned Babywise to me when my baby was only a week old, but I thought I had all the answers! I wanted to co-sleep with my baby and feed her on demand. That's what all the "experts" had recommended.(including the lactation consultants at the hospital--although my baby was put on a 3 hour schedule by the hospital staff!) By the time my baby was 4 weeks old, I was exhausted and depressed! I wasn't getting any sleep and my baby cried day and night. She wanted to nurse at least every hour on the hour, and she didn't sleep at all during the night. I was ready to quit breastfeeding because I was feeding her all day long! After spending 4 HOURS feeding, rocking, walking, and "cuddling" my baby in the middle of the night, I knew there just had to be another way! I was so tired and so depressed and my baby cried so much that I didn't even want to be a mother anymore! We were desperate to try anything! When we read Babywise, the biggest thing we changed right away was trying to keep our baby awake after feeding her. She didn't have to cry herself to sleep for more than 10 minutes because she went down for her naps after playing and when she was tired! Within a couple of days, we had a new life! Mom, Dad, and baby were getting much needed rest, and we were all much happier. I had a better idea of how often I should feed my baby and help her take naps. She ate better because she was hungrier and more rested. Before Babywise, she only nursed for a couple of minutes every so often, so she was never getting the much needed "hindmilk"! After Babywise, she started to gain weight even though she was eating less often! Since then, people have always commented on how alert and happy our baby is! I know it's because of the techniques we used from this book! I have several friends who have chosen to co-sleep with their babies. Some of them still sleep with their 2 and 3 year old children because their children are unable to sleep in their own beds. Others have eventually been forced to let their babies "cry it out" for up to 2 hours! I don't see how the gift of sleep can ever be considered cruel or harsh. Forcing a child to become totally dependent on a parent for their sleep seems less desirable.
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Summary: Excellent.......wouldn't do without it!
Review: I have told so many people about this book....we have a 6 mo. old who is happy, chubby, and thriving! She laughs so much! I can't imagine not having her on this schedule. The book is wonderful! A must-buy.
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Summary: Don't let this be the only book on infant sleep you read
Review: I am currently expecting my second child and bought this book based on it's title only, hoping to educate myself as to getting my baby to sleep through the night. I wish I'd read some customer reviews, first!! After a few pages of reading in this book I began to feel very guilty about the sleep patterns of my first child. We had let him sleep in bed with us for a while, and at 19 months he still needs us for comfort as he falls asleep at night. This might not be ideal, but I don't think my child is on his way to an undisciplined life of confusion. Please read up on Ezzo before you read this book. I think he offers an interesting perspective, and I'd like to try a (very) few of his suggestions, but I want to read a lot more before I try anything. It's hard for me to praise an author who contradicts himself and talks of flexibility and strictness going hand-in-hand. Babies do need routine and schedules and predictbability, but they also need attention and love. Sure, I'd love to get my kids to fall into line and follow my own personal schedule, but I know that parenting involves sacrifices and I'm willing to make them. And I'm NOT sacrificing my relationship with my husband because of that. I urge readers to take Ezzo's information lightly and read more than just this one book.
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Summary: This book saved our sanity!
Review: Wow! This book saved our sanity. We found out we were having twins when I was 3 months pregnant. We stepped up our search for parenting books at that point. We knew we were really going to need help. My twins came two months early and spent 1 month in the hospital. When they came home they were still 1 month early. Because they were still so early we waited until they reached their due date to start using the advice in Babywise. We were losing our minds with all the night-time feedings and knew once they got big enough that was going to have to change. When they finally got big enough we made the gradual switch to no more night-time feedings and it was easy. They are now 3 months adjusted age old and have been sleeping through the night for over a month. They are happy when they get up in the morning and spend alot of good alert learning time. It has made all of the difference in the world. I also liked that it stressed that your relationship with your spouse is extremely important and as a mother you shouldn't focus your life around your child to the exclusion of your spouse. I have already purchased book two and read it. There is alot of common sense stuff in there that I plan on using. As with any method remember to take from it what you want - you don't have to do everything they recommend.
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Summary: A short-term solution with long-standing problems
Review: The technique that the authors recommends is effective, I'm sure, but the baby truly is being "trained" (much like you would train an animal). From personal experience, I can tell you that "child-centerd parenting" works wonders. While all of my friends who had babies at the same time as I were telling me horror stories of guilt, shame, and worry over ignoring their babies cries so that they would "learn" to sleep, the question/concern of "sleeping through the night" WAS NOT EVEN AN ISSUE THAT I THOUGHT OF. That's right. My baby slept with me, and night-waking was not an issue. It is also more practical to roll over and nurse a baby than to get up, go into another room, and feed a child. (One would think that less-stressed, less-tired parents would be less prone to being abusive and short with their children too!) In addition, the idea of scheduling feeding that the authors promote is ludicrous! (Please also notice that the authors of the book are MALES,who, by way of nature, are not "equipped" to feed infants anyhow, and who's main reading audience is women, who mostly care for children, how to parent. I am NOT EVEN a feminist, but books on childcare written to women by men is as ridiculous as male gynecologists in my book. Think about it.) Contrary to the book, babies are more content when fed when hungry (wouldn't you be?). Contrary to the book's proposal that "child-centered child-rearing" brings up demanding, bratty toddlers, children who are cared for and loved (but who also have limits) are more respectful and willing to comply with adult/parent authority. (Studies have actually confirmed this.) I define limits RATIONALLY, you know, not letting the kid draw on the walls, not letting the kid yell, etc., NOT by isolating the child at night or by scheduling feedings. Also, studies have shown that caressing, hugs, kisses, etc. are good for and stimulate baby's grown. In addition, studies have shown that sleeping with your child will 1.) help start/keep a regular breating pattern for infants,and 2.) coordinate parent/child sleep cycles. Aslo, studies have shown that stress increases one's risk of becoming ill (stress hormones are bad for the immune system.) So the decision is, let your child cry it out, be insecure, learn that mommy and daddy won't come and meet their needs (they are NOT big planners, manipulaters, or thinkers at this age...talk to a three-year old, even, they aren't much of one by that age, either...),and be stressed, or look for signs of hunger, squirmyness, rooting, grimacing face, etc. BEFORE the baby starts to cry, and teach the child that they are secure, taken care of, loved, and keep their anxiety level down. Now, for a great book on why to parent "child-centered", read OUR BABIES, OURSELVES by MEREDITH SMALL. Also read MOTHER AND CHILD by JAN REYNOLDS. Other good books are THE BABY BOOK by DR. AND MARTH SEARS as well as THE FAMILY BED by T. THEVENIN and TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH by DR. WOOTAN. These books are highly informative, and will give you a great perspective as to why it is BIOLOGICALLY/EVOLUTIONARILY smart to use "child-centered" child-rearing. Baby Wise is interesting, and again, I'm sure the tecnique works (the authors went on enough about how it did/does), but HOW and WHY it works aught to be considered, too. The consequences of such child-rearing may not be the price you want to pay for a good night's sleep. (Which your would get anyway if your baby slept in your bed.) BTW, the above books mentioned will give you a good idea of infant sleep cycles, and why they are the way they are. (Also read NIGHT TIME PARENTING by DR. SEARS for more info on sleep cycles.)
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