Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
by Tracy Hogg
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 906)
Read in October, 2008
recommended to April by:
Britt-Marierecommends it for: new moms, pregnant moms, anyone planning on having kids
I really loved this book. I will recommend it to everyone who would like to understand how their baby communicates. I really feel like I can understand what my babies are saying and asking. I like the author's style of writing because I felt like she was my friend and right here helping me.
People complain that she bases everything off of experience and not science and that she doesn't know anything about breastfeeding. Well, I've read two la Leche League books and I really have had enough o...more
People complain that she bases everything off of experience and not science and that she doesn't know anything about breastfeeding. Well, I've read two la Leche League books and I really have had enough o...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Formula feeding moms who are also not into attachment parenting
This book has horrible misinformation on breastfeeding. The storage time for breastmilk is WRONG, and it even says to shake breastmilk after warming (breastmilk should only be swirled, shaking is bad for it), and her method of feeding a newborn only every 4 hours would lead to not enough milk production for most mums.
Most of this book was fluff. Some of it was flatout wrong from what I've seen with my baby - she says mobiles are of no use until baby is 2 months old, but my baby has absolute...more
Most of this book was fluff. Some of it was flatout wrong from what I've seen with my baby - she says mobiles are of no use until baby is 2 months old, but my baby has absolute...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Jodi by:
Jaime
Loved it! It has reinstated my sanity. Jack is less fussy now as I am better interpreting his cues and knowing what to expect with his schedule actually allows me to plan a little. It has greatly reduced my stress. The E-A-S-Y schedule is brilliant, except for the Y (Your time) part has become Rocky's time. Somehow, I will have to fit myself in somewhere. This is my only criticism: I wish it talked about juggling a toddler with a new baby. This book is perfect for a new parent, but some of the s...more
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3 comments
Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
New parents
I feel like I can't really rate this book until I can try out some of the author's advice, but with that being said, I though this book contained good advice for new parents. So much of it just seemed to be good common sense. My favorite bit of advice was "Start as you mean to go on". What she means by that is that if you don't want to have to carry around a 30lb toddler to get him/her to go to sleep, you shouldn't start by doing it while he/she's a newborn. Because of that advice ...more
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
pregnant women, first time moms
I knew zilch about babies, so my friend picked this up for me at the library. In those first few weeks, I found the book helpful because it had charts to help with understanding a baby's cues.
When my son was less than 6 weeks old, I thought the author's E.A.S.Y. method was bunk. I mean, if a baby wants to fall asleep while eating, no cajoling seems to help. But by the time he was 2-3 months old, I realized he was on E.A.S.Y. - eat, activity, sleep, you time. And I was saner for it. ...more
When my son was less than 6 weeks old, I thought the author's E.A.S.Y. method was bunk. I mean, if a baby wants to fall asleep while eating, no cajoling seems to help. But by the time he was 2-3 months old, I realized he was on E.A.S.Y. - eat, activity, sleep, you time. And I was saner for it. ...more
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Read in November, 2006
recommends it for:
new and expectant parents
My big take-aways from this book:
1) Slow down with your baby - go at your newborn's pace, which is way, way slower than you'd expect
2) Respect your baby's personhood - develop an attitude toward your baby like they are a person who is in the room, which they are! Let them know what you're going to do next ("Now we're going to change your diaper... Now it's time to eat... Now it's time to go to sleep...")
3) Give your newborn a tour of the house when you first ...more
1) Slow down with your baby - go at your newborn's pace, which is way, way slower than you'd expect
2) Respect your baby's personhood - develop an attitude toward your baby like they are a person who is in the room, which they are! Let them know what you're going to do next ("Now we're going to change your diaper... Now it's time to eat... Now it's time to go to sleep...")
3) Give your newborn a tour of the house when you first ...more
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Read in February, 2008
Another baby book that is not based on science or research but rather one person’s experience. That said, even despite her trying to sound like she’s your friend throughout the book by addressing the reader in colloquial terms, I did learn some things which she, just like the best baby on the block author, conveniently summarized on a few pages. Here’s my notes from her summary in case you can’t just photocopy her summary pages:
0-4 months
- remove baby from the breast before she...more
0-4 months
- remove baby from the breast before she...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Adrienne by:
my older sisterrecommends it for: anyone, mainly moms or soon-to-be
I'm loving this book so far! It points out so many good things about understanding babies and how to read their cues and begin routines. I gotta hurry and finish, only 7 weeks left until baby comes!
I LOVE THIS BOOK! The E.A.S.Y. method that Tracy talks about really works! It takes time to get it started and to figure out how it will work for your unique situation, but it really does work! Basically it's this: Eat, Activity, Sleep/You Time. It really helps for baby not to depend on the ...more
I LOVE THIS BOOK! The E.A.S.Y. method that Tracy talks about really works! It takes time to get it started and to figure out how it will work for your unique situation, but it really does work! Basically it's this: Eat, Activity, Sleep/You Time. It really helps for baby not to depend on the ...more
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Read in September, 2006
recommends it for:
no one
At first the advice in this book seemed so logical that I was excited to have a plan for how to be a mom for the first time. Once my son arrived, I decided that this book was evil.
Hogg's basic idea isn't terrible - it's the guilt she assigns to anyone who doesn't use or can't follow her method. I was in tears more than once because I felt like a failure when her advice wasn't working. One day I literally threw the book against a wall with frustration. I think that action surprised enough...more
Hogg's basic idea isn't terrible - it's the guilt she assigns to anyone who doesn't use or can't follow her method. I was in tears more than once because I felt like a failure when her advice wasn't working. One day I literally threw the book against a wall with frustration. I think that action surprised enough...more
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3 comments
Read in February, 2008
This book is b/w 2 and 3 stars for me. It was okay and I liked some of it (her desire not to let a baby scream for hours for instance, that seems commendable). I think it's a good idea not to let a baby fall asleep nursing--I was able to do that until teething began and then that little plan was out the window! It is really good to try to learn to read your baby's cues. I definitely liked that part of the book.
The things I did not like--
calling the reader 'luv'--a few times might be...more
The things I did not like--
calling the reader 'luv'--a few times might be...more
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Read in June, 2007
This was my favorite baby book that I read. Tracy Hogg is British - sometimes reminiscent of the Super Nanny - and is interesting and clever. I felt so prepared for those first days and weeks home from the hospital after following her advice. My favorite thing about the book is that she helps you evaluate your baby's temperament and parent accordingly (for example, I could tell right away that my son had certain qualities of Hogg's Touchy Baby description and so he needed to stay with a pretty c...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2003
Well, I would definitely have to say this book has good points and not so good points. There are some very useful tips in this book, however it all needs to be taken to heart with a good dose of reality. It is very important to begin to get your child on a routine as early as possible, but let's be real, you are never going to get a 3 day old newborn to space feedings out to 3 or 4 hours between each one. Neither are you going to get your newborn to sleep through the night right out of the ga...more
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Read in July, 2008
Mom read through this just recently (Ms. Hogg has several very good techniques for caring for babies that Mom wanted to learn about and implement in our care of my baby brother), and asked me to read through parts of it as well, to help her remember things, and so that I can help her more with my brother. There were certain chapters I skipped, either because of age innappropriate content, or because, as a sister rather than a Mum, I don't need to know those things yet, but I read most of the boo...more
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Read in September, 2003
Perhaps the title of this book over-reaches a bit. I'm not sure I learned out to fully connect and communicate with my baby. However, the routine laid out in this book proved useful.
My wife and I read the book just prior to our first child being born. In a nutshell, this book talks about the kind of routine that will allow a parent to easily predict the needs and wants of their baby. It's simple - after waking up, you feed the baby, play with the baby, and then put the baby back down for a nap...more
My wife and I read the book just prior to our first child being born. In a nutshell, this book talks about the kind of routine that will allow a parent to easily predict the needs and wants of their baby. It's simple - after waking up, you feed the baby, play with the baby, and then put the baby back down for a nap...more
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Read in February, 2008
I had high expectations for this "miracle system" that my sisters have advocated, but after reading the book I still have a lot of unanswered questions about this system. Like all parenting books/philosophies there is no "cure all."
There are definitely things in this book that I both completely agree with and completely disagree with (i.e., I don't think the swing is a "dreadful" thing, and I am definitely not a fan of cloth diapers as she is, but her little encyc...more
There are definitely things in this book that I both completely agree with and completely disagree with (i.e., I don't think the swing is a "dreadful" thing, and I am definitely not a fan of cloth diapers as she is, but her little encyc...more
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This book was recommended to me by a friend. I found it really helpful, although the author goes a bit overboard with the mnemonic devices. I liked that she gave some useful tools for how to provide babies with structure & guidance. The best thing was that she taught me it was ok to pause before reacting/responding to whatever my baby was doing. And that the best way to parent is to respect your baby as a person with his/her own personality, interests, likes & dislikes (which is harde...more
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Read in January, 2002
I gave my copy to Eileen; this was my favorite of the many parenting books I read when our first son was born. She has respect for the infant as an individual that I found lacking in so many parenting books (especially those Baby Wise kind).
I think the one thing all of these books have in common is the emphasis on having a schedule/routine for the baby. The details of it depend on your family and child, but consistency is key for all children.
I liked her 5 minute rule---she is also sadl...more
I think the one thing all of these books have in common is the emphasis on having a schedule/routine for the baby. The details of it depend on your family and child, but consistency is key for all children.
I liked her 5 minute rule---she is also sadl...more
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Read in September, 2007
The greatest benefit from this book is the chart that explains how to differentiate between different baby cries. Example: hungry vs. overtired. Baby is a lot less fussy now that I can better understand what he wants.
The author sure thinks highly of herself! She blames all baby's eating & sleeping problems on parents. Nevermind that no method works for 100% of babies because all babies are unique individuals. Hogg says that if HER method doesn't work for your baby, it's because YOU ...more
The author sure thinks highly of herself! She blames all baby's eating & sleeping problems on parents. Nevermind that no method works for 100% of babies because all babies are unique individuals. Hogg says that if HER method doesn't work for your baby, it's because YOU ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
every pregnant woman or new mom
I got this book as a gift when my first son was a few months old. It was a godsend. He was a colicky baby and the recommendations from this book helped me learn to read his crys, plan a schedule and basically survive. I have re-read it for my other two children and each time find something differnet to be most helpful (each child is so different, after all). I think it is a must read for all new parents.
Of coure not every single suggestion is going to work for every single child and a 3 day...more
Of coure not every single suggestion is going to work for every single child and a 3 day...more
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This book saved me from becoming a robotic slave to my new baby. It's filled with sensible advice and suggestions to taking back time for you meanwhile integrating your new baby *into* your life and learning to live together as a family. It didn't all apply to me, and I didn't follow it exactly, but the "EASY" method of "baby" child rearing and loving while you care for your new one was heaven sent. Read the first couple sections, and skip forward to the last for the meat of ...more
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