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Summary: Working Moms forget the Sears and be Babywise!
Review: I bought and read this book on the recommendation of another working mom. I was preparing to go back to work and I knew I would not have the energy to breastfeed my son on demand all night while working. Breastfeeding on demand had made him a snacker. My baby responded almost immediately to the Babywise schedule. He is now 12 weeks and only awakens for one feeding during the night and I am completely happy with that arrangement. I probably could get him off of that one but I enjoy the time with him,it only takes 20 min. and he goes right back to sleep. Even if he doesn't sleep he amuses himself without crying in his own crib in his own room. I feel like a better mom because he has responded so well and is not at all fussy plus I get the sleep I need. I basically just skimmed the early chapters because I didn't find anything value-added in them. The chapters that discuss the Babywise method/schedule were very helpful and they work. I also kept in mind that y! ou could vary the times a bit to keep your baby happy, so we had little to no crying even when I started getting him on the schedule. The whole thing made perfect practical sense to me. The baby's needs are entirely met. I've had no problem keeping my milk supply up by pumping during the one nighttime feeding my son has eliminated and the two he gets while at daycare . I really didn't notice the references to God. I just thought this was very practical advise, especially for Moms who have other kids and/or are working.
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Summary: Ignores basic physiology and child development needs
Review: Bucknum probably studied physiology but doesn't seem to remember that it ought to apply to nursing mothers, and that child development applies to babies. If you follow the Christian (but not scriptural) based ideas of this book, you may see a FTT baby- one who has learned that no matter what s/he signals, her needs will rarely be met. This applies to feeding, sleep, cuddling, being carried, being talked to. (Ezzo says we aren't primitive people so our babies don't need a lot of holding or sling/snuggly use.) They also claim there is no "maternal instinct" but they do all they can to obscure the instinct we mothers know we have. The baby is viewed as a minor inconvenience but a "joy", (how, they don't explore) whereas the parents are the only truly important family members. This is the secular version of "Preparation for Parenting" a Christian program, repudiated by many churches. It doesn't work, and although Ezzo likes to think so, J! esus wasn't raised this way. Oh, it appears to work, if you want a baby who sleeps, plays and eats on cue, but is unable to determine his or her own bodily needs. Read the Sears new Christian parenting book instead, or any of their books if you aren't Christian, or Penelope Leach. (The religious affiliation is not revealed in Becoming Baby(un)wise.) There are too many good books to waste your money on this one. Bucknum often doesn't recommend this method to his patients- maybe he knows something he won't admit in print. :-/
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Summary: This book is a life saver..sleep
Review: I am the mother of two sets of twins who are 20 months apart. This book kept me sane. All four of my kids sleep through the night. They all go to bed wide awake and sleep great. Ezzo's philosophy of parent directed feeding really does work. One must also use their common sense when using parent directed feeding. I have given this book to all my friends who are pregnant. It is a fantastic book.
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Summary: This book changed our lives!
Review: I bought this book when my daughter was 7 weeks old and at 10 weeks she was sleeping through the night! As a first time parent and never being around children, I had no idea what a schedule could do for a baby. I am a firm believer in Babywise and recommend it to all new parents. (it is now my top baby shower present for all expecting mothers)
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Summary: A good set of guidelines for a different approach.
Review: As a first-time parent who was told repeatedly that demand-feeding was the only loving option, I reluctantly read this book in desperation. This is the first (and only) book that I read that provided some basic guidelines and suggestions for scheduled feeding. It was a welcome voice in the dark and helped me get started on the road back from sleep deprivation. As with all parenting advice, it should be adjusted to suit your and your child's own needs. The authors promise a great deal, and parents should not be disappointed if they do not achieve miracles. However, this is an extremely helpful book for parents and children who do not thrive on demand feeding.
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Summary: Gave me confidence as a new mother. Excellent!!
Review: This book was handed to me by a friend when I was pregnant. I am now ordering it for one of my friends who is pregnant. This book makes sense. It is not radical, extreme, or rigid. It is simple common sense and I attribute the happiest time in my life, these past 6 months with my baby, to this book. It gave me confidence as a first time mother. My baby is happy. I am happy. My husband is happy. My daughter has been sleeping through the night since she was 7 weeks old. I am rested and thoroughly enjoying her infancy. I loved this book!
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Summary: Traditional parenting for a modern world
Review: This book provides time-tested and medically-backed advice on how to give your child a great start in this life. Both of our children have done wonderfully through this program, and we know more than a dozen other couples who have had the same positive experience. We were also comforted by the approximately 30 medical professionals providing endorsements at the beginning of the book. Read the book carefully, though. This book provides a methodology, a series of tools, to help with child raising. It is not a majic formula or a rulebook to be followed at all costs, as is stated clearly by the author. But, if you use these tools, you will be amazed at your and your child's success.
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Summary: Extremely helpful
Review: I live in Zurich, Switzerland, and received the german translation of the book from my sister-in-law before the birth of our first daughter, Tanja. Here in Europe feeding on demand is recommended in all the birth classes. So even though I found the book reasonable I wasn't sure if it would work, but I still decided to give it a try. It really did work. Tanja slept through the night after 6 weeks, and I have never ever gotten up at night since! She is a happy, kind baby, and I am a happy mother who gets enough sleep and am still fully breastfeeding. We are grateful to have heard about this method and recommend it to anyone.
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Summary: How does Ezzo know God wants you to use feeding schedules?
Review: I received this book for a shower and at first thought it made some sense to establish a routine for a new family, if not a schedule. The carrot dangled in front of new parents is a guarantee of sleeping through the night by 8 weeks. All I accomplished from reading this book was loss: loss of my milk supply and loss of self-esteem. My baby did sleep through the night by 8 weeks, but by that time she had to be supplemented by formula. This book teaches you not to trust your own instincts, that children are demons who need your guidance not to develop into even worse spoiled brats and that babies should be a minor inconvenience in your life. Because I could not stand to let a tiny baby cry, I made Ezzo's "rules" more flexible, but still felt like I had to watch the clock and felt terribly guilty every time I fed the baby 15 minutes early. I later read several criticisms of the method by lactation consultants who said that many babies whose mothers used the system had similar difficulties. I would encourage anyone considering this book to look up Ezzo on the internet and find out how controversial this is and how his own church has denounced his methods. Ask yourself,"How does this man know that God wants me to put my child on a schedule?" My advice, trust your instincts and buy William Sears' The Baby Book, breastfeed on demand and worry about spoiling later. Your baby will sleep through the night soon enough.
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Summary: helpful for firsttimers and pro parents
Review: This book was recommended to us by many people, but one couple i was really impressed with said that their first two were not 'babywise' babies and their second two were...they said the differences in their 'babywise' children are phenomenol--sleeping through the night was a given, but also with their moral foundation that they developed much quicker than the first two. We have an 11 month old who began sleeping through the night at 5 1/2 weeks...We were not 'rigid' with what it said, but it helped us keep our sanity and brought peace to our household...we know about what he is doing whether he's with his grandparents or a sitter, and the few days a week that I work...he has regular nap and bedtimes, and it isn't a problem....We were definete novices at parenting...I highly recommend at least reading this book and giving it a try for at least the first book!!! We are using the second book now 5-15 months and really enjoy it's guidelines. Having support is very helpful. Keep in contact with other Babywise families for questions and support. Then educate a new parent after your success!! ALSO try Growing Kids God's Way through a large church---same author and format---with a more church-oriented focus...I think there is also a support/helpline included with that program...I know there is a video/discussion group for that which would have been helpful---we saw it afterwards. Lastly, we have many friends who did this and many who didn't....the 'babywisers' are peaceful for the most part (besides teething and normal stuff), and many of the others had a harder time....Some still aren't sleeping thru the night, etc. We heard some critisism, but as far as I'm concerned---it has been very successful for all Babywisers we know, and....if it ain't broke, don't fix it :)!!
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