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Summary: Baby Wise was a god send after my first son was born
Review: I was breastfeeding my first son and everyone was telling me that I should forget about putting him on a schedule. "When you're breastfeeding you must do it on demand." My husband and I felt that it was also important to put our baby on a schedule but how can we do that if we're feeding on demand. One day I picked up Baby Wise in a bookstore and thought let me give this a try. I'm so glad I picked it up. This book makes so much sense. It's so important to give your baby a routine and they're much happier for it. My son started sleeping through the night at 9 weeks. My second son was sleeping through the night at 11 weeks. They are 5 and 3 1/2 today and they have always had amazing bedtime habits. I recommend this book to all my friends that are having babies and have also recommended it in my book "Baby...I Can Hardly Wait!"
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Summary: A+ for Theory, C- for Execution
Review: Let me start by start by saying I wholeheartedly agree with the Parent Directed Feeding model. We have a 2 1/2 month old daughter who is already sleeping 9 to 10 hours a night -- and she's the happiest baby you'll ever see. To top it off, she even has reflux, so we are extremely pleased that she is doing so well under those conditions. And we have plenty of friends who have used Babywise, and their kids are great! The problem with this book is that it needs a thorough editing to clarify and correct the contradictions throughout the book. The basic premise is very simple, but they need to clean up the charts, make the numbers consistent throughout. Someone else (a GOOD writer) ought to write a book on Parent Directed Feeding, make it smaller, simpler, more charts and schedules, and they would have a winner on their hands. But until that day, Babywise is the best choice out there. So, if you want to raise a whiny, demanding, self-centered kid, follow the 'popular' Demand Feeding approach espoused by many of the liberal reviewers of this book. If you want a happy, healthy kid, use the Parent Directed Feeding method promoted in Babywise.
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Summary: Night Nursing: Nature's Way
Review: When my pediatrician advised me to begin sleep training my baby, I did my research. Prolactin, essential to maintaining milk supply, is generated in greater quantities during night nursings. Why would nature make this so? Lactoferrin, a compound found in breastmilk but NOT in formula, kills the strepmutans that cause tooth decay, so rather than being detrimental, night brestfeeding PREVENTS tooth decay. But never mind Nature's design: do the CONVENIENT thing so you can watch your favorite TV programs ON SCHEDULE.
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Summary: My child almost died
Review: I wish I had known when my baby was born that the American Academy of Pediatrics and most baby experts are strongly opposed to the methods in this book. Instead of following my motherly instincts and caring for my crying, hungry baby, I enforced rigid schedules, allowed my baby to cry, and spent a miserable 2.5 weeks post=partum wondering why I was so stressed when this book had been so highly recommended. And here I was, following it to a "T".At my first checkup, the doctor was appalled to see my lethargic son (who had not gained any weight since I left the hospital) and told me to head straight for the ER. My boy was suffering from dehydration and was diagnosed failure to thrive. I was thankfully given a lot of wonderful and correct information by caring hospital staff and social workers and the best thing i ever did was THROW THIS BOOK AWAY. It is dangerous. I should have known, all my instincts told me to hold and feed my baby when he cried, I shouldn't have done otherwise. Thank God my baby is happy, healthy today and he is now breastfed on demand and cuddled all he wants and needs to be! It's not about "control" it's about being loving and kind to your trusting, helpless baby.
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Summary: excellent guide
Review: This book was given to me by my cousin when I was 8 months pregnant. I also had a copy of "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". I far prefer Babywise and the methods it teaches. My 5 month old is the happiest, most content baby I've ever known, and is the delight of nursery workers and friends who watch her. As a new mother, I was always concerned "what does this cry mean? what is she trying to tell me?" Babywise helped me differentiate between my baby's cries, and respond appropriately, sometimes with food, other times with a quick hug or gentle rocking, sometimes just putting her down for a nap; it never says to ignore a baby's crying (beyond 5-10 minutes) My daughter has been sleeping through the night since she was 8 weeks old (9-10 hours at a time), and not through "forced" methods such as over-feeding before bedtime. Anyone who criticizes this book for being too rigid obviously did not read very carefully. Many times, Ezzo clearly states that the methods are a guide only, and parents need to be flexible and responsive to their particular child's needs. The only problem I had with the book was the emphasis on the first 3 months, and referring me to BabywiseII for more information. I would like to see a more comprehensive discussion contained in a single volume. This book is a must-have for any parent who still wants a life, and doesn't want to be tied to the house because of their baby's completely unpredictable wants.
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Summary: WONDERFUL BOOK....use your common sense
Review: I am a first time mom and I bought this book about 2 weeks ago when my baby was a month old. At that point I was pretty much nursing round the clock, sleeping on the couch with Owen lying on me so we could get a little rest and so could my husband. During the day I was holding him or he was in the Snugli thing if he wasn't nursing or using me as a pacifer. **2 WEEKS LATER** after reading the book, we are on a routine, he takes naps IN HIS CRIB during the day with just a little crying when I first lay him down (not every time) and he is sleeping 7-8 hrs most nights, and best of all we BOTH know what to expect next (when we eat,play,sleep) I can now plan household stuff, trips to the park, grocery shopping, etc. In response to the negative reviews...USE YOUR COMMON SENSE....the book is only to be used as a guide and you and your baby have to be ready (maybe a few weeks old, not just home from the hospital), that way you know your baby well enough to tell if he's is gaining weight, happy and a little about how and why he crys. This book has worked out great for our family, I can't imagine what things would be like without it. I wish my cousin had told me about it when I was pregnant.
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Summary: Please ignore the critics...this book is beyond wonderful!!
Review: I am horrified at all the negative comments that people have written about this book! I first heard about this book when a friend of mine from our bowling league bought it when she had her first baby. This child was an absolute delight to be around. He was sleeping through the night around six weeks ("sleeping through the night" to mean around six-seven hours) and just happy as could be. So I bought it for my first baby...and she was sleeping through the night at six-seven weeks, up to 9-10 hours around eight weeks...and no, I don't have a "sleeper" for a child. And I'm not "just lucky." I am a practical, LOVING mother who bought into the principles taught by this book. Namely that this child is a welcome addition to the family, but that we are NOT going to be child centered. You would not believe the compliments we receive from just about everyone who comes in contact with our daughter. She is a delightful child who is a pleasure to be around. And no, it's not all "just her disposition." She was trained to behave the way we want her to behave...she was trained correctly the first time so that we don't have to re-train a bad habit (and no, I don't think of my child as a dog when I use the word "train.") The problem with so many children today is that they were raised in a me-me-me environment and have always gotten their way. To be a good parent, you have to say "no" sometimes and you HAVE to set boundaries. Otherwise you will have a horror for a child whom no one will want to be around. Do you know that my daughter has NEVER thrown a tantrum? I attribute just about everything that has to do with how my child has been raised to this man and his wonderful books. I have bought all three and if he keeps 'em coming, I'll get them through adulthood.
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Summary: On Becoming Baby Wise
Review: I read Becoming Baby Wise before my now 2 1/2 year old son was born. This book was a life saver! He slept through the night at exactly 8 weeks, and by 12 weeks was sleeping 12 hours per night. I had another baby this year, who is now 5 months and also slept through the night at 8 weeks. Both kids are happy, very well fed, great nappers & night-time sleepers. All kids need some type of routine in their lives, and the best time to start is right at birth. I've encouraged all my new mom friends to try this method.
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Summary: This is a dangerous book.
Review: I had heard the hullabaloo about this book, and decided to give it a read. I was shocked! I never thought it would be as bad as it really is. Cold, and cruel, and dangerous. I answer breastfeeding help calls from people who are doing Babywise, and their children are DYING. I am serious. I have gotten serveral calls from people whose babies were not waking up, because they were starving to death from using this method. Please read anything else.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book if you have a semi easy baby
Review: This book was recommended to me while I was expecting my first child, by friends who had a three month-old who was sleeping through the night. When my baby was 2 weeks old, I read the book in one sitting. I have a "high need" baby, who cried almost all the time for the first 6 weeks. He used to fall asleep for about two minutes after nursing, then cried until the next feeding, barely getting any sleep. After reading the book, I tried to keep him awake right after feeding and then let him have a nap. This did actually make things a bit better, but nothing like what my friends described. They have an 'easy' baby though, and I wonder if anything would have worked for them. It would have been very helpful if he discussed the difficult and colicky baby, and perhaps what to do if you have a baby who's constant crying makes it nearly impossible to determine when he's truly hungry, and a baby who never falls into any kind of schedule on his own. He also shuns co-sleeping. I never thought I would sleep with my baby, but I brought him to bed with me at two weeks, planning to transfer him to the cradle once asleep, but when we both woke up, it was time for a feeding. He finally slept well-- sleeping 5 hours the first stretch. He slept with me until 8 weeks, when we finally transferred him to his crib. We missed him the first few nights! I think that Ezzo's theory has merit, but the bottom line is you have to do what works for the family and the baby.
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