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Is our baby eating enough? Is this much crying normal? How do I know when she is really sick? This hefty, 671-page guide to your baby's first year is brought to you by the creators of the bestselling What to Expect When You're Expecting. The three authors, all mothers themselves, are calm, clear, and encouraging as they tackle the first year of child-rearing, month by month. The easy-to-absorb, chronological format includes sections such as "What Your Baby May Be Doing," "What You Can Expect at This Month's Checkups," "Feeding Your Baby This Month," "What You May Be Concerned About," and "What It's Important to Know." Part Two addresses special concerns such as illness, first aid do's and don'ts, the low-birthweight baby, the adopted baby, becoming a father, and sibling relationships. You'll also find discussions of breastfeeding and bottlefeeding, selecting a physician for the baby, diapers and clothing, safety, and many ways of stimulating the baby's development. The recipes for babies and toddlers in Part Three are useful, as are the recommended home remedies; charts on common childhood illnesses; height and weight; and the thorough index. (A particular strength of the book is the authors' careful attention to diet and nutrition for both mother and baby, incorporating the American Academy of Pediatrics' latest recommendations on infant nutrition.) While some of the authors' perspectives are controversial (such as whether to let your baby "cry it out" or not), this book remains one of the most comprehensive resources for new parents as they toddle through their baby's first year.
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 I was suprised |
| Review Date: May 24, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Molly, |
I was suprised how much I liked this book, since I didn't like the What to Expect pregnancy guide. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, with three sibilings I helped take care of and a I was a Red Cross certified babysitter for years. But, when I had my own baby, I realized how much I had forgotten or simply didn't know. What is the normal body temperature for an infant? How many times a day should he have a bowel movement or a wet diaper, and why is that something important to know to keep track of baby's health? When is it okay to begin feeding your baby rice cereal? When is it okay to start on solids? When can you begin giving him those "risk of allergy" foods, such as strawberries, nuts and wheat? I found this book a wonderful resource of imformation, since the doctor's office is not open at 3 a.m., but I'm up taking care of the baby, wondering these things.
There are some very sensitive childraising issues which they present in this book. One of which is breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding. This book presents a non-biased view of the reasons behind each choice. If you are bottlefeeding, it contains information on how to do it safely and with love. If you are breastfeeding, you will need more information than is presented here, and I suggest you read up on books specifically covering breastfeeding and join the la leche league for support and to answer your questions.
The other huge issue in this book, is laying your baby down to "cry it out" and training your baby to sleep through the night. If you are a supporter of the family bed, just ignore the information on sleeping through the night and make use of the rest of the advice in the book.
This book DOES NOT accuse your baby of being manipulative, or accuse you of spoiling your baby by picking him up and holding him. This book also does not demand that you put your baby on a rigid schedule to supress their little will. A matter of fact, the book states specifically that you cannot spoil a baby by holding them, and tells you that it is medically necessary for the baby to wake you up in the middle of the night to eat during the first three months of life. What the authors are talking about when they talk about "crying it out" is that, babies will cry because they are tired or overstimulated, in which case they NEED to just lay down for 10 to 15 minutes so that he/she can go to sleep. If you believe differently, fine. You should raise your baby how you believe is right, not how ANY book tells you to. But, dismissing this book in entirety means missing out on a very useful informative source. |
Handy reference
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| Review Date: October 26, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Mommy, |
| This book has great monthly "what to expect" lists that tell you what most babies at that age are doing, or learning. It covers the typical issues for a certain month of age and gives lots of tips. The index is complete so you can find what you're looking for. One warning! If you are a breastfeeding, co-sleeping, slinging type of family you'll need to read this with caution as much of the advice is not supportive of these things. I'd recommend you also look at Gentle Baby Care by Elizabeth Pantley for a more supportive read in these areas. |
Invaluable Reference Book
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| Review Date: November 17, 1998 |
| Reviewer: , |
| I too was absolutely flabbergasted at the number of people (or is it one person posting several times?) who dismissed this 800 page encyclopedia because of two small and unimportant sections on breast-feeding and "cry-it-out." You're not going to agree with everything in here. But the authors never intend that. Instead, they offer an invaluable reference book for parents. Want to know what that red blotch on your kid's arm is? This is the only book that will tell you. (It's probably a strawberry birthmark, very common, rarely lasts beyond age 10, etc.) The Q&A style is great, it leaves you feeling that you're not the only one who has these questions. And 99% of the book's content is pretty straightforward (why is my baby fascinated by mirrors? why are her eyes that weird bluish-brown color?)We found the authors' pregnancy book invaluable for the same reason-- it was a bit too treacly about pregnancy (e.g. "If you're feeling nauseous knit a sweater") but provided a wonderful, factual guide to what was going on with both fetus and mother.Parenting is 99% instinct. You can't rely on a book to tell you WHAT to do. This book is great in that it explains WHY things are happening.We find the Sears to be unrealistic and believe that people who fanatically follow their advice run the risk of losing any sense of self, which is way more harmful than the occasional bottle of formula, since babies rarely thrive with parents who resent them.A good supplement to this book (What to Expect) is Vicki Iovine's "Girlfriend's Guide To The First Year." It's hilarious and guaranteed to make you feel that you're a pretty good parent after all.Use this book to answer all the "why" questions you have. It'll cut down on the number of calls you make to the pediatrician (or at the very least make you feel a little more knowledgeable when you do.) |
A Great Reference Guide.. give it a chance
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| Review Date: January 28, 2000 |
| Reviewer: , |
| A very good book for quick reference. It seems like every question that my husband and I have had, has been found pretty quickly in the book. A lot of the following give terrible reviews especially when it comes to breastfeeding. I certainly don't agree with them. I breastfed my first for 1 year and I'm planning on breastfeeding by 10 1/2 month old for another couple of months. Believe me, I agree whole-heartedly that breastfeeding is the absolute best for your baby, and I did not find this book opposed to it at all. Don't read this book from cover to cover while your pregnant.. it will scare you.. but read it month by month as your baby grows. Or, just get it off the shelf when a question comes up.. you're sure to find the answer. This book is not a bible, but it sure is a helpful guide. I would highly recommend it for any new mother! Have fun and welcome to the most precious honor ever to be given.. motherhood! |
An excellent guide
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| Review Date: January 5, 2001 |
| Reviewer: Stacey Meyer, Bothell, WA USA |
| I was very surprised by the negative reviews of this book that I read here and decided to add my two cents for some balance. While the authors certainly have definite opinions on subjects like the family bed, they present some very clear and logical reasons for their positions. Further, having used this book extensively for the first 10-1/2 months of my child's life, I have had no issue with the information presented on nursing (which I still do) or getting baby to sleep through the night. The authors are not heartless, as some of the reviewers here would have you believe, and do not suggest that parents always let babies cry it out. That's ridiculous and I don't know how these readers got that from this book. I live in a town where we only have family physicians, no peditricians. The information in this book with regards to developmental milestones (which they are very careful to note are only guidelines with a wide range of what's normal), nursing (of which they are very supportive), how and when to start feeding solid foods, disciplining baby with heart, medical and first aid guidelines, stimulating baby to encourage development, and other areas is excellent. This book has been a real lifeline in the absense of a good pediatrician. As an overall guide, this book is truly outstanding and has been my main reference book. Additionally, there is excellent information dealing with premature infants, babies with special needs, postpartum depression, and sibbling issues, as well as other areas. Do the authors have definite opinions on controversial issues in baby care? Yes, but they do present thorough reasoning and facts in support of their positions. And if you don't agree, you can find information that supports your position on these issues! I am well-read and quite opinionated myself, but I found the book logical and not overburdened with propoganda. It is easy to read, well-organized, and thorough. This book could easily be your only guide for parenting in the first year of your child's life, although it makes no claim to be the definitive book on baby care. Obviously, I recommend it at least as a good addition to your library of books on the subject. |
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