The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two
Written by William Sears, MD, Martha Sears RN, James Sears, MD and Robert W. Sears, MD
Narrated by Mel Foster and Sherry Adams Foster
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
The million-copy bestseller by "the man who remade motherhood" (Time) has now been revised, expanded, and brought thoroughly up-to-date-with the latest information on everything from diapering to day care, from midwifery to hospital birthing rooms, from postpartum nutrition to infant development.
The Searses draw from their vast experience both as medical professionals and as parents to provide comprehensive information on virtually every aspect of infant care. The Baby Book focuses on the essential needs of babies-eating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort-as it addresses the questions of greatest concern to today's parents. The topics covered include:
• preparing for a safe and healthy birth
• bonding with your baby
• feeding your baby right
• soothing your fussy baby
• getting your baby to sleep
• understanding your baby's development
• treating common illnesses
• babyproofing your home
• understanding toddler behavior
• dealing with temper tantrums
• toilet training
• working and parenting
• first-aid procedures
• and much more
Unrivaled in its scope and authority, The Baby Book presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. Their book is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting-for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.
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Reviews for The Baby Book
127 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5OK, so I don't read much of the important things, but at least Amy does and tells me about it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Dr Sears essential reference.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Overall, I've really appreciated this book in my seven-plus years as a parent. The most useful portion of the book for me was the large section devoted to "normal" or "needs attention" ailments in infants and toddlers. I first used it when my daughter was an infant seven years ago to look up the dosage of infant fever reducers, which never are listed on the medications themselves. It helped keep me calm and out of an unnecessary ER visit several times when my daughter had croup as toddler, and I referenced it just last month when my son started "whooping" during coughing fits. He's vaccinated, so pertussis wasn't really even on my radar, but when I looked up "persistent coughs" in the book and saw the paragraph describing whooping cough, I knew I needed to call our doctor. (Even then it took two doctor visits and a huge amount of time watching pertussis videos online to reach the pertussis diagnosis and get appropriate treatment.)
The conventional "baby in another room" parenting books didn't work for me with my first because I had a baby who refused to be set down or to sleep unless she was in direct physical contact with me. I would think back to my vast experience babysitting and think, "Isn't she supposed to, you know...sleep?" Conventional parenting books only made it worse; my baby didn't do any of the things they said she was supposed to do, and it was clearly my fault. But if I'd had my second child first, those kinds of parenting books might have seemed perfect for us, and I might have found the Sears's book weird (my second is a child who will let me set him down and accepts---and even demands---routines).
I had learned about attachment theory before I'd read The Baby Book, but the book offered helpful suggestions about what attachment parenting might look like. More important, it suggested that maybe it wasn't horrible---and might actually be "normal"---that my baby slept only on me or my husband, and it provided the support of reading about a family who'd lived it (not only with the children they'd birthed but also with their adopted children). I especially liked the section about infant massage and the section that describes the unique comforts that a father can provide to his infant, like a broader, flatter chest on which to rest, a resonant voice to soothe a fussy baby, and confidence in trying off-the-wall holding positions to relieve tummy complaints. And the information about food allergies was integral to identifying the root of the problems my daughter was having and giving me the confidence to change doctors when ours wasn't listening to me.
As much as I've liked The Baby Book, it didn't always accurately reflect what was going on with my child, either. There was one section in which Dr. Sears assures us that if our toddler doesn't want to go to sleep, we shouldn't worry. Just leave him alone for a while and soon we'll find him asleep in the middle of the living room floor. Whenever we were up until all hours with my daughter, my husband and I would joke with each other, "Don't worry. She'll be asleep in the middle of the living room floor in a few minutes."
For the diversity of real-life experiences I needed to witness to make my own choices about day-to-day parenting issues, I relied on the moms I met at the monthly La Leche League meetings I attended. They were the moms who finally taught me how to wear a sling. I swear, I threw that darned thing in the trash half-a-dozen times only to fish it out again and sit down with the demonstration video and try it all again. It's difficult to practice babywearing, no matter how much you buy into the idea, if you can't figure out how to do it.
Basically, I find The Baby Book to be a great reference, but like with parenting advice from any source, you can't rely on it as your only resource. Each child is different, and the dynamics of each family are different, so no advice is going to be helpful (or even reflect reality) for everyone. But if you're able to take what works for you, leave the rest, and look around for support from a variety of other sources, this is a great resource to have available. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An indispensable resource for us over the course of our two kids. It's the gift we buy every couple we know are expecting. It's also the gift for which we're thanked most often.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I borrowed this book from a friend, and read it the December before I gave birth. I wanted to know as much about babies as I could before I birthed them.I was disappointed. I wanted to learn about child development and to find a balanced view about what is best for babies. Instead, I found the authors ascribed to a theory I had never heard of, "attachment theory", and while some of it I found interesting, I was annoyed by much of it. There was little to no evidence for his assertions about the theory. And it was always layered on with a trowel: no subtlety to be found in that manual!The manual is huge, partially because it is so repetitive. Yes, we get it - breastfeed your babies! Don't sleep train! Carry your baby everywhere! These three concepts are throughout the entire book, even where you least suspect it will pop up. The book is also filled with quotes from one of the author's personal journals of using attachment theory in raising her child. I found her tone to be smug, and eventually I had to stop reading her entries.A lot of reviewers have focused on the various provisions of the theory: sharing a bed, breastfeeding on demand, carrying your child everywhere, etc. It is true that the authors are proponents of these activities, and you will not find a balanced view of any of them. If you want to make up your mind as to whether you should sleep with your child or breastfeed on demand, you will need to find another volume for the pros and cons. I have no opinion myself on whether anything suggested by the authors are good or not, and I suspect that how you raise you child really depends on your family and your baby. No one should judge your parenting style, even the Searses.However, all that said, I give the book three stars because I find the chapters on what to expect when your baby reaches, say, two months old, to be invaluable. I have also enjoyed the chapters on first aid and health issues. I also agree with the authors on the importance of getting to know your child and following his or her lead in the infancy.My recommendation? The book is an absolute must if you want to use attachment theory in raising your child. If you want a balanced discussion on the various ways to raise your bsby, find another book, or read this one with a grain of salt.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Couldn't have lived without it. All about attachment parenting.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is amazing. Even if you aren't into attachment parenting there are some extremely helpful passages, charts, diagrams, and other leagues of information that can be devoured. This is more helpful, at least I found, than the American Academy of Pediatrics book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great baby book, just remember to learn it while reading it !
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Really good read. It brings up all the important topics and addresses them briefly. Yes, using the word ‘briefly’ is ironic. That’s why I said ‘ALL of the important topics.’ Very useful.