Trying to Find a Great Baby Book

I thought it might be a little quirky at first, but I have found it extremely helpful and insightful. Read What To Expect the First Year!!! It covers every month developmentally, has CPR and first aid, bathing tips, safety information, etc.

The best book I found with my first child was The Baby Whisperer. It is wonderful and gets very specific. It really saved me from loosing it sometimes! Congratulations!

Hi K.,
I happened to watch Oprah not long ago and the show was about the different cries of a baby and how to tell what they were trying to tell you. A lady has written a book called "The Secret Language Of Babies". You can order a copy by going to dunstanbaby.com. The show was amazing! You can also go onto oprah.com and see more info on the show. I wish I would have known about it with my children. Good Luck!

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer also helped me out. Of course, as with most baby books, you may want to take some of her suggestions and leave others. However, I appreciate that the author really focuses on respecting your baby and working with him/her. Anyway, you can see what you think. Several of her suggestions were very helpful to my husband and I.

Hey K.,
When I had my first I loved What to Expect in the first 12mo. or 1st year...cant remember the exact title...but its from the what to expect series! But honestly the book is just for reference...most things come natural as soon as you hold that beautiful boy in your arms!!! Take it from a mom of 2 boys!
CONTRATS! They are the best!
T.

K., I have kids and one more on the way and I have used the Babywise for infants for all of them. I stand by that book proudly because it helped me to understand how our babies' bodies work and how we can help get them into a good cycle. They explain though that it's not just to get them to sleep thru the night, but following the eat, play, sleep cycle helps their digestion and metabolism. It's a great book that really helped me feel like I was in control of my parenting. I haven't ever read the other babywise books, so I can't vouch for those, but I would recommend the first one.

My advice to you is to get several books of DIFFERENT parenting styles and read them all now while you have time. I say this because I had ideas about parenting before I had my baby, but they all went down the toilet once I was holding that precious being in my arms!!! For instance, I thought co-sleeping was completely kooky and ridiculous but once he was born, that closeness felt so natural and so right to me. Parenting is so different than you expect it to be. Nothing can prepare you for it! But if you read a lot of different books, you will know a lot and then be able to adapt what you have learned to your own baby and your own situation. Every baby is different and no one book has all the answers.

Having said that, it turned out that The Baby Book by Sears worked best for us. For those first few months when everything is new (and scary) Baby 411 was a life saver, because it's written in a to-the-point question and answer style -- and you will not have time to read a lengthy chapter on the history of breastfeeding when your baby is hungry NOW!

I also liked The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding as somebody else mentioned, and also the DVD for Happiest Baby on the Block has everything you need to know about soothing your newborn. I would avoid On Becoming Babywise based on the American Academy of Pediatrics warning against it. But the AAP book Caring for Your Baby and Young Child is quite useful. In general, I think it's best to avoid the books where the author claims to have all the answers to making a baby convenient for you. Babies take work, and you want to do it the RIGHT way, not the easy way!

Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

I have the BEST SLEEP BOOK in the world. I used it with my 2nd, 3rd and 4th kids and they all slept like a dream! Believe me, good sleepers will make a huge difference in your life. "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weisbluth. As for the other things, "What To Expect The First Year" was helpful to me when I had my first baby. Good luck!

Dear K.,

Before my baby was born, I was going to be a babywise mom. When our baby got here, I knew instinctively that to put a newborn on a strict feeding schedule was just not normal or natural, and I abandoned the attempt. I have been so happy that I did. Feeding on demand is not hard - it is actually easier. You just feed baby when baby is hungry, and that's all there is to it! We did use two babywise tips: (1) Make sure baby gets a good feeding each time he eats, to prevent a snack-feeder, and (2) use the cycle of eat-wake-sleep. Other than that, letting baby set the timing worked beautifully. Dealing with an infant is simpler than it seems when you're doing all the research pre-birth. We also did co-sleeping, and it was wonderful. With our next I am going to try babywearing and other things that I was too scared to try due to my babywise indoctrination. Whatever you decide, good luck!!!

P.S. I'm trying to think of books for you, but most of the books that I have to recommend are pregnancy and birth books. You could try "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding," or others along that line - they generally have lots of tips for babyfeeding and newborn care.

Hi K.,
My favorite book when my now 16-year-old was little was "Your Baby and Child" by Penelope Leach. She offers very practical, reassuring advise. The book takes you from birth to age 5, so you don't need a whole library of books. I love the book so much, it is a standard baby shower gift from me now. Congratulations on your marriage and pending parenthood. You're in for the ride of your life!

Hi K.,

I never found a "good" book, but I found iVillage.com helped me out the most. From helping me get pregnant, a pregnancy calendar, and so much other things about babies and toddlers. This site is just amazing.

N.

"The no cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantley had some good ideas in it. Good luck!

What to expect the 1st year was a God sent for me.

Good luck,

T.

I believe the name of the book is babywise by Gary Ezzo. It is a great book for getting children on schedules, etc. Also, he and his wife wrote a great parenting series called,
Growing Kids God's Way.

I hope that helps,
K.

Hey, K.! Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is my favorite book on teaching your child to sleep. I also like What To Expect The First Year. It's helpful to know the different stages and sorts. :) E. T.

I love Baby Wise!!! I have used it with all 3 of my kids and will be using it with the 4th due in May. I have been told how lucky I am (with each kid) that they are such peaceful, happy and good sleeping babies, but I know it really has to do with what I have learned from babywise. I will say that I am not a hard core to the book follower of BW. My kids have all had a pacifier (which is a no no) but I do use the other techniques such as the eat-play-sleep schedule. I put them down when they are awake. I will rock them sometimes and always cuddle before I put them down, but I don't "put" them to sleep before they are put in their crib. I also always tell them to have a good sleepy time when I lay them down and ask if they had a good sleepy time (or nap) when they get up. They always wake up happy and the best part is that all of my kids have loved nap and bed time. They go down happy to be there, I love it!!! My 23 mo. old DD naps for a 3-4 hour stretch in the afternoon everyday, when I tell her it is nap time she gets her blanket and paci and heads for bed with a smile. I can't tell you how great it feels to have my kids have such positive feelings toward nap and bed time. I have seen the other side where it is a huge fight everyday and night to get kids to sleep. I know some people have big problems with Babywise, but it has been nothing but a blessing in our lives and our kids are happy and well rested:)
Good Luck with your decision, there is A LOT of info out there, but happy baby sure does = happy parents!

Hi K. -

As a mom of 3, I found it helpful to read anything that struck my fancy - because everyone's opinion had some value. What was helpful for me may not address your concerns at all. Ultimately, it was my daughter (1st born) who wrote the book for me. Our kids don't come with instruction books but every day is a new chapter and each child will begin their own, very individual, book.

Blessings - and remember - ENJOY!

M.

Dear K.,

Please, Please do not use Babywise! I know it does work for putting your baby on a schedule, but it is so much more important to be attached and have your baby trust you. Take it from a mom of 6, when I say "The Baby Book" by the Sears family. It encourages you to follow your instincts and the 3 babies that I used it with were a million times easier to discipline once they hit those rough toddler years! I get comments all the time on how calm and happy my 7 month old is and how well behaved my 3 year old is. Any book that recomends following your God given instinct to pick your baby up when he cries is a good book to me! I mean, when you cry, do you want your husband to lock you in a dark room to "self-sooth" or do you want him to hold you and love you through it. Babies do cry, it's our response as parents that make the difference! I wish you all the best and remember, do what is right for your family. Don't feel pressured to be the perfect parent. Those do not exist.

My husband and I both like The Baby Care Book, A Complete Guide from Birth to 12 Months Old by Dr. Friedman and Saunders From the Hospital for Sick Children. One of the things we really liked was that the explanations have actual pictures of babies. Example when they explain swaddling they give step by step pictures. It seems to be more facts based presentation with the approach of here are the issues and these are the possible solutions or options that may work.
Good luck

I was in your same situation about eight years ago, when I was pregnant with my first baby. I had some wonderful family and friends who introduced me to some amazing books. I highly recommend reading "The Baby Book", by Sears and Sears. They are a pediatrician/nurse (and lactation consultant), husband/wife team. They are so down to earth. They have whole bunch of books most of them called stuff like "The Birth Book", "The Pregnancy Book", "The Breastfeeding Book", "The Nighttime Parenting Book", etc. I'm sure you'll have no problem finding any of their books online. You can also find them at any major bookstore or breastfeeding boutique store. They have such good advice! Their names are William and Martha Sears. Good luck, and Happy Reading!

We always liked the What to Expect The First Year book. However, I caution you against reading too many parenting books until you get to know your baby because your baby has not read these books and is going to do what he's going to do! Overreading can fill your head with preconceived notions and make you doubt your intinct (which is going to be your greatest tool). The what to expect book gives you tips and answers lots of FAQ's, without making you feel like you're doing anything wrong. Congrats on the June Bug! Little boys are the greatest. They love their mommy's the most! =)

One book that I found was very helpful was "What to expect when you are expecting" great book!!! They also have a follow up book for when your son becomes a toddler. I loved it.

Hi K.,

Congrats on your upcoming blessing. How exciting. My all time favorite baby book was "What to Expect - The First Year". As a first time mom, I had several books and found that I consistently went to this book for advice on just about everything.

My daughter is 3 1/2 years and I now have "What to Expect The Toddler Years" and yes, I refer to it all the time.

I also had Baby Wise but I couldn't let my child "cry it out" or sooth herself. I think part of the bonding process comes from responding to your child's cry. A sense of security and comfort is developed - for your child and yourself.

Most importantly, listen to your heart and your instincts. Nobody will know your child better than you, his mom.

Good luck and congratulations.

L.

Hi K.,

Congrats!! I bet you are SUPER excited about your baby. I really found Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg to be very helpful.

Best of luck on the rest of your pregnancy.

E.

I would highly discourage use of the information and recommendations in the On Becoming Babywise book. It is not medically or scientifically (or biologically, for that matter) sound, in the least. True, some mothers have found it works "fine" for their babies and children, but many more have found it caused more problems than were originally there. If you need more info as to why it's not a good idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babywise http://ezzo.info/Aney/aapmediaalert.pdf http://www.ezzo.info/babywise.htm I would highly recommend that you research baby and child development and what babies biologically need - because afterall, that is what is most important. I recommend The Baby Book by Dr. Sears, as a good first-time mom reference. The ideas and help are gentle, kind, and developmentally/biologically appropriate. Also, the book is written by a pediatrician who had 8 of his own children. Good luck with making your upcoming decisions and congratulations on your upcoming birth and life with your new baby!

Try What to Expect the First year. It's helped us a LOT!

Hi K.,
Baby Wise was the best thing that ever happened to my family. I highly recommend it.
Good luck.

You have got to get 'What To Expect-The First Year' That book has helped me get so much sleep!!!!!!!!!!! It's just like 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' but it goes month by month for the first year of your baby's life...any questions you could have from breastfeeding, to developmental milestones, to colds, anything, the answer is in there !!! trust me!!!!! and they also have 'What to Expect- The Toddler Years'! Those books rock...put them on your baby shower registry Girl! you'll be so glad you did!
K.

Congratulations Mommy-to-be! My daughter is now 9 months old, but like you I really liked to do my research. Here's some books I couldnt live without when she was a newborn:

1. 'Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby'
By Dr.Bryan Vartabedian.
Yes, no pregnant woman wants to think that they will have anything but a little angel, but TRUST ME..this book basically saved my daughter's life and helped me to find the proper treatment for her severe reflux and colic.

2. 'The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer'
By Harvey Karp.
I like his philosophy that there is a "4th trimester" that newborns are missing and recreating that womblike environment will help a newborn to thrive without too much fuss.

3. 'Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby'
By Tracy Hogg
Although I do not, a lot of parents follow her "E.A.S.Y." Scheduling plan for their babies...definitely something to consider. She has a lot of other practical tips for parenting newborns and I like and trust her information because she's a nurse.

Best of luck with the birth of your baby!

best sleep/schedule book I know is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. By Dr. Marc Weissbluth - not exactly sure of the spelling of his last name, but the title is right. It's outstanding - explains how much sleep the child needs at certain ages and gives advice on how to help them. It's super and a must-have for those first few sleep-deprived months! Congratulations

My pediatrician referred me to read the American Academy of Pediatrics Birth to Age Five.
I wore it down till it fell apart! Couln't have raised the kids without it!

Hi K. -

I read "Secrets from the Baby Whisperer" and loved it. It takes you through all aspects of learning all about your new baby and compares and contrasts different methods. For example, it talks about both the Babywise sleep method and the Ferber method. It also talks about bottle feding and breast feeding as well as transitioning to solids. It also helps give you ideas on how to bring baby home and how to understand how ALL babies communicate as opposed to certain tempraments. I found it a great overall book for starting motherhood (I read it twice - once at the birth of each child). Once your baby comes and you learn who they are, you can find more specific books to their personality and temprament. Good Luck!!

Oh - and as far as first year milestones, I use "What to expect the first year" because it's really good about outlining that all babies are different and develop at different paces, but has what they should definately be doing as well as questions to ask your ped at each well-check.

Hello!

I loved "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau " for their common sense approach to just about everything and I still have "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Revised Edition: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Caring for your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5) by American Academy Of Pediatrics" close by for opinions on various topics and also a guide to most illnesses, what to do about it and when to see the doctor.
I can recommend both wholeheartedly!

All the best to you!
D.

I still refer to Dr. Williams Sears and my kids are school age now. He and his wife, Martha Sears have written many books covering all ages and issues. They are proponents of attachment parenting, which worked really well for our family. Good luck!

Myself and many other people I know have used "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems." I know it sounds like quite a claim, but it really helps you to take the perspective of thinking about what the experience of being a baby is like for your little one. Good luck!

K.

I too had a boy - now 5. Baby Wise changed our lives for the better. Scheduling made out lives so much easier and the baby liked it too.

Good luck -
L. Smith

Your best bet is to ask the experts, your mom or your mother in-law. What was helpful for me was my sister-in-law, she gave me advise, some I used some I didn't. You have to remember that every baby is different and somethings work and some don't. You will get to know the different crys for what your baby wants, it's really weird, but you get in tune with your baby.

Like everyone says, sleep when they sleep, you will need it.

Good luck and congratulations

Try "The Baby Whisperer." I found it too late and my son is into all the bad habits discussed in the book. So, I'm trying to retrain him.

K.

My pediatrician gave me "Caring for your baby and young child, Birth to age 5" I absolutely recommend it. It isn't so much a parenting advice book as much, but it is an amazing reference book. It talks about milestones, what is normal, warning signs, what they should and shouldn't be eating at what ages. It also has a wonderful section on almost every illness you could think of and how to treat it, when to go to the doc, etc. I hope this helps, as far as all the parenting advice books, read as many as you can and do what works for you.
Good luck! (FYI I'm a SAHM of a 19mo old boy)

i have several, and "the baby book" by dr. sears is hands down the best for me.

Hi, I don't think that one book has it all but I will offer a bit on a couple for you. I used babywise with my first son, also a June baby (I have 3 boys now). it has some good ideas and I used to go to the peds practice in Colorado where the author works. The book needs to be used by someone who will use the ideas within reason and common sense and not take it as absolute advice for your child as far as the scheduling. The main criticism has to do with scheduled versus on demand nursing. Some babies are premature or poor feeders in the new born period and should not be scheduled as soon as they advocate. this could lead to inadequate feedings. I liked the ideas and they helped me get him on a schedule that worked for us (not necessarily the schedule they gave). an example of the good idea was to get the baby used to sleeping without being fed prior. Also they give tips on helping your child learn to self comfort. he was a great sleeper. This time around (I have a 2 year old) I used the Happiest baby on the block and though it helped him sleep better, he has never been a very sound sleeper. my son still does not sleep the night and has difficulty self comforting. I doubt my using babywise tips more would have changed much. I think it is just the way he is. I am in the nutrition field and thought your interests matched mine pretty well! A. D

Hi! I really liked the book, "What to expect the first year", from "what to expect when you're expecting". They give really great ideas and time lines for "what to expect"! One word of advice is to listen to your baby. They will let you know when they are tired, hungry, etc. and that was how I started a schedule for my son. Just going off his normal times, we started making sure that's when he took naps, ate, went to bed at night. Constistancy is the main thing you have to remember. Also...at the beginning, sleep when your baby sleeps if you can...you are up a lot at night so day time "naps" are important! Good luck and congratulations! Baby boys are wonderful!
J.

I found Baby 411 to be invaluable. Whenever I find out someone is expecting their first child I always make them a gift of Baby 411 and Baby Bargains. Baby 411 has everything broken down by subject and gives clear and concise answers to almost anything that might pop up. My favorite feature is looking up symptoms when your baby gets sick - it tells you when to call the doctor right away, when to call the next day, and when to wait it out for a few days. It's saved me a lot of panic.

When I was pregnant all of my mom friends recommended Babywise, so I read that book during pregnancy and still refer back to it at times, but my son is 5 months now and it worked wonders! I definitely believe in routine and schedules. My son is so happy and growing just fine! I attempted setting the schedule around 4 weeks and had him sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks. I still have him on a 3.5 hour feeding schedule, but our routine consists of feeding, waketime and naptime. His crying has never been bad either. I guess mothers don't like it because you decide when the baby will eat and sleep. He has never had a problem with this and I much prefer it over having my breast available anytime he may want a snack! Good luck!

Hi Karrie,

I read a lot of books when I was pregnant. My favorites were Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and The Happiest Baby on the Block. I also read Babywise and had friends that swore by it. I tried to follow Babywise for the first month or so, but quickly stopped. I don't believe in letting a baby cry it out and felt like babywise didn't allow me to trust my own instincts. Babies cry for a reason and it is our job to take care of them. Responding to their cries is how they communicate with us and gain our trust. I ended up following the routine set by The Baby whisperer, and my baby was sleeping 7 hours strait by 6 weeks. By 3 months, he was going 12 hours strait. So I guess I suggest that you read as much as you can and use what you think will work and feel comfortable doing. Good luck!

Secrets of the BABY WHISPERER

I think Baby wise is a great book. I think you should read it and take some things from the book. I'm not a hard core baby wise person but it gave alot of great ideas/examples to learn from!

I personally love "babywise". I am a 34 y.o. mother of 4. Did childcare in my home for 11 years. Every infant that I had the privlegde to love during these years I put on the babywise schedule.(6 babies) I gave the parents an option to do it or not. They just had to give me two weeks to try and put thier bundle of joy on the schedule. I never had any parent not like the results that came from this routine. They felt like they had time to love and enjoy thier baby but, also having the time they needed guilt free to do other things in the evening after a long day at work. (i.e. dinner,siblings,husband and wife time)

However with that said! Some of these parents admitted that if I hadn't helped they would never have been able to do it. Not to say it was me but, them not beening able to let the baby "cry' it out sometimes. It is much easier on both parent and child if you are consistant and start your child as an infant no matter what "program" you use.

Another book you could look into is "baby whisperer". If you trust your instincts and work with your husband I am sure you will do just fine. Keep in mind you could also do your own thing by using different ideas from all the books you read. Parenting is always a changing but, rewarding experience.

Hi,
Try The happiest baby on the block and good luck :)