Baby Books?

All of the books by Dr. Sears. One to start with is simply called The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears. Most of the other books that I tried to read I found confusing and promoting a parenting style that I did not feel comfortable with. Also worth looking for is a baby or toddler book that goes month by month so that you can read about their development. I found that interesting when mine were babies..

My one bit of advise for you is to keep Ava in her own crib from day one. My children are 4 and 1 years old and they have always slept very well because my husband and I have done this. There is no fighting at bedtime and we never had to transition them into their own beds.

I like T.B. Brazelton's "Touchpoints" series.

Congratulations on your new baby girl! Instead of books - because what new mom has time to read?! - I got subscriptions to parenting magazines - Parents and Parenting are both super-cheap, and Babytalk and American Baby are free. You can read any of these magazines cover to cover in about a half an hour, and they're full of interesting and helpful information for all ages.

Then to save space when you're done, you can either recycle them or cut out the baby pictures and put them in plastic photo album sleeves for your baby to use as a picture book. I did that for my son and he loves it.

You can also sign up at ivillage.com for a weekly newsletter-email that's specific for your daughter's age. It has a lot of interesting links and articles.

If you do prefer books, though, I found that What to Expect in the First Year was only semi-helpful. I couldn't find answers to a lot of my questions. That's the only book I bought. I got most of my reliable and relevant info from my family and friends.

Good luck!

Hi M.,

Congratulations! You've got some great book recommendations and La Lache League support groups are the best. Be sure to hook up with a new mom group in your area and you can make some new friends with ready ears for whatever comes up with you and your daughter.

When we are first time moms we really want to get it right and have a good baby bible. In addition to that, TRUST YOURSELF and your instincts. You really can't go wrong if you give lots of love, smiles, songs and music, eye contact, carrying as much as possible, loving touch, reasonably timely responses to crying, nursing as long as possible, provide a peaceful home environment, eat well yourself.

Good luck!

Barbara

Congratulations M.!

I hope you and Ava are doing well! For me and my husband we found "What to expect the First Year" really helpful. Also, I recommend any book written by Dr. William Sears. He is great!!

If you are a nursing mom, La Leche League has some great books on breastfeeding and even great books about parenting as well. One that comes to mind is the "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." Also La Leche League is a great organization for supporting women in breastfeeding and mothering as well. They have a 24 hour 7 day a week number to call if you need support. 1-800- La Leche.

Best wishes to you and your family!

"Baby 411" was SO helpful. Now that my son is 10 months old, I've just purchased the sequel, "Toddler 411." I had a copy of "What to Expect Yout First Year" but found I didn't turn to it as often as I did "Baby 411." Go to Borders and flip through a copy -- it's so easy for finding the info you need quickly (like, how many times should a 2 month old poop in a day?) and it's written in a style like one of your friends might speak to you.

It depends on your philosophies on babies but I love Dr. Sears. He's very pro co-sleeping, breastfeeding and not for letting them cry it out. I never co-slept but most of his theories I think are great. Sometimes it's a little too "mother earth" for me but generally I like his ideas. What to Expect is great too. Use the internet alot . I 've found that and this website a huge resource. I"m not a big fan of depending on your pediatrician for parenting advice. They are great when they're sick but they aren't any better moms than we are so I don't go to them for advice. Good luck. If you have any questions please let me know. My daughter is a year old now so everything is still fresh. ____@____.com

I like what to expect the first year and your new baby week by week! Congrats!

Hi M.,
Congratulations on the new addition to your family!
I read "what to expect the first year." It answered most of the questions that I had. It outlines the child development month by month. It's a great book.

"The Baby Book" and "Night time Parenting" by Dr. Sears

Dr. Sears coined the term "Attachment Parenting" which is by far the most responsive and developmentally appropriate style of parenting I've ever seen (and I'm an Early Childhood Specialist)

Good luck! And remember, follow your instincts. This will usually tell you more than you will ever fine in a book.

Congratulations! We used the BabyWise books (there's a newborn and after the first year book). Our daughter loves being on a regular schedule as promoted by these books. We also read What to Expect the First Year. Great month by month tips and advice. Also it has just about every question we've come up with answered.

Congratulations! I love the Dr. Sears books, particularly "the Baby Book". It covers everything and gives good tips on how to soothe a fussy/colicky baby (that was the case of my baby).
J.

A great book - What to expect the first year!

Congrats M.! I highly recommend BABY 411 for the health-related stuff (plus it has a great section on what to do the first few weeks at home, step by step. It was immensely helpful in calming my anxieties. For develpmental milestone type stuff, Touchpoints was a really good read, too. I also bought The Baby Book by the Sears, and it's ok but HUGE and not that easy to look things up in. There's also a good book called somethign like "caring for your child from birth to age five" that's published by the american academy of pediatrics that is a good back up to get a "second opinion" if you don;t find enough information in the Baby 411. good luck!

I agree with Karen, T.B. Brazelton's "Touchpoints" - he is a wonderful pediatrician who seems to really "get" not only what is going on for the baby but also what the parents might be going through.

No book will have all the right answers. When in doubt call your mom, grandma, aunts, girlfriends, etc. But when all else fails, just remember to breathe and that you are doing a great job.

Congratulations on Ms. Ava!!!

I thought the book entitled "What to Expected the First Years" was very helpful.

I would highly recommend "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, MD. It is a great book to help with new little ones 0 - 3 months old (and beyond). It was a lifesaver for us when our son was born! He writes in a very friendly and reassuring style, and it's an easy book to read. I also have "What to Expect the First Year" and the American Academy of Pediatrics book for 0 - 5 years old, and they are both helpful as well. I would not recommend any Baby Whisperer books. I personally was very turned off by the starchy style of the author and her "do it my way or you are wrong and a bad parent" attitude, but that is just my opinion. I know other people like her books, but I just thought I would give you my two cents in case you were interested.

Good luck with your new daughter - beautiful name!