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This is a good parenting book to have in your library but it should definitely not be the only one. All parenting books have their own bias about co-sleeping and breastfeeding and this one was definitely biased against co-sleeping at all and breastfeeding after the 9th month or so. When I first brought my baby home from the hospital, the only way she would get a decent night's sleep is to sleep with us. Otherwise she cried and fussed the entire night. After two months she was ready to sleep in a cradle but initially we had to adjust our parenting style to include co-sleeping because it was the only thing that would comfort our daughter. If this was the only parenting book I owned I probably would've felt incredibly guilty about having done this--the section of this book that addresses co-sleeping has nothing but negative things to say about it. I found "Good Nights" and "Gentle Baby Care" (perhaps because they were written by attachment parenting advocates) to be very thorough about the topic, with plenty of practical advice. As noted by other reviewers the book also contains some misleading information about breastfeeding and seems to assume that you'll begin weaning sooner than currently recommended by the govt. I also found this book to be very poorly organized. Because all babies develop according to their own schedule, it doesn't really make sense to have much of the information organized chronologically. I read "What to Expect When You're Expecting" when I was pregnant and they advised you in the beginning not to "read ahead" so I was doing the same with this book until I realized that it wasn't answering most of my questions! I needed a babysitter when my daughter was two months but for some reason that section was stashed in the third month section! Why? So now I have read into the 10-month section even though my daughter is only 3.5 months because I'm wondering if there are other tidbits of information hidden away in there. And I expect I'll have to reread it all again when she's actually 10 months. Finally, there was some conflicting information. I'm thinking of the alcohol and breastfeeding references in particular. At various points in the book it says to (a) have a single drink rarely if at all and then to wait two hours before nursing if you do have a drink, (b) have a drink just before nursing to "relax", (c) consult a doctor if you find yourself unable to stop at two drinks a day (what happened to the "rare" drink?!). And finally, it referenced no actual studies about the effects of alcohol on a nursing baby. For such a serious topic, it seemed amazing to me that they could have included so much conflicting information and no scientific backup. And finally, as someone who is using cloth diapers, I was put off by the offhand remark that (to paraphrase) "in your mother's day, diapers were cleaned and boiled and reused and now people simply throw their diapers away." There is a significant percentage of people who actually use cloth diapers but to read this section you would never know it! This was just one of many cases of the authors assuming that everyone does or should do things their way. All that said, the book did include good information about safety issues and child development and for these reasons I'm glad to have it on hand. The authors must seriously revise this book, however, for future editions.Read full review
What to expect the first year is an addition to the "what to expect when you're expecting" book collection, a great manual like book . its very descriptive and it explains things very easily. I bought this book for my cousin as a gift for her baby shower, this is her very first time expecting and ive heard such good reviews by the same author that it just seemed like a perfect gift. It doesnt have any color illustrations. overall good book good advice and a great gift!
This book help me out when my son was born, there were questions that I had and the book had the answers. It help me out when I couldnt reach the doctor. I wouldnt just relie on this one book, there is always two sides to every story. But this is a great book to start out with and is very informative. This book does each month and lets you know what to expect your child could be doing for that peticular month. It also has first aid information in back. And a shot record and weight chart in the back. This book would be great for any first time mom as a gift. If she doesnt already have it.
This was my second purchase of this book. I had my first baby 10 years ago and don't think I would have gotten along as well as I did without it. So, with the news that I was having a second child, the first thing I did was buy What to Expect When You're Expecting, as well as this book. I watch new mom TV shows all of the time and see them constantly calling the doctor about every little question they have. This book answers tons of the questions that come up with a new baby. It also has a section about breastfeeding that really helps. It is alot harder than people think, and the chapter on it really helped to calm my nerves and remind me that it isn't easy and nothing was wrong with me or my baby. If you know a new mom or someone who is expecting for the first time tell them to get these books or buy them as a gift for them. These books are a must have!Read full review
This book is highly informative for any woman going through her first pregnancy as well as any following her first! It is a great reference book on what is happening in each stage of a child's first year. Each child being different, I found this book to be a great resource book on all my questions! I have used this book for myself as well as giving this book at baby showers many times! The series is wonderful also - "What to expect while your expecting" is the book that made me want to buy this one. I give them as a duo often to those expecting their first child and recommend them as often as I can due to their vast amount of information to ease the parents minds of all those 'things' that can be scary, confusing and that cause more questions - in the minds of parents - it is especially helpful to those who question whether a doctor should be called - and those times when you just don't know what to do or if behaviors are 'normal' or not...Read full review
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