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1st out of 196 books
—
255 voters
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two
The "baby bible" of the post-Dr. Spock generation, already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents, 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. Dr. Bill and Martha Sears draw...more
Paperback, 784 pages
Published
March 31st 2003
by Little, Brown and Company
(first published January 19th 1993)
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This book has been a great resource book for my first year as a mom. I've used it mainly as a reference book when I have a specific topic I want to look up. It really does a good job of covering the main areas and providing me with the information I'm looking for. I've really appreciated the developmental section which includes ideas on how to play with your child at each stage and what some of their favorite games and activities will be. This has been so helpful for me and I have received some...more
dr. sears is not for everyone but he may be for you. are you distressed or angered or bewildered by modern parenting advice? do you prefer to rock and sing or nurse your baby to sleep rather than make her cry herself to sleep? does it seem weird to you that baby sleep "experts" implore you not to pick your baby up (whatever you do!) when she's crying at night? do you prefer a baby sling to wearing a f*$%ing 30 pound car seat on your arm? (i have seen women do this while shopping. it's bizarre.)...more
Thankfully, I did not buy this. I read most of it at my sister-in-law's house. Dr. Sears provides some good practical advice. I will give him credit (in the form of 2 stars) for that.
A huge part of the book promotes attachment parenting (with little proof of its effectiveness) and the book is easier to digest if you agree with him. My big problem is that his theories are very mother-centered, so the father (or partner) are relegated to support the mother as she is caring for the infant, i.e. we...more
A huge part of the book promotes attachment parenting (with little proof of its effectiveness) and the book is easier to digest if you agree with him. My big problem is that his theories are very mother-centered, so the father (or partner) are relegated to support the mother as she is caring for the infant, i.e. we...more
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Jan 01, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
gluttons for punishment
Shelves:
parenting-motherhood
If you want to feel bad about yourself as a mother, a woman, and a member of Western Civilization, this book is for you. Full of positive information about how if you don't spend every waking minute of your life hugging and soothing (preferably with your breasts) your newborn you are setting them up for a life of failure. Every possible problem your child might have can be traced back to your shameful willingness to let them cry or be without you for any period of time. Although they don't come...more
I wish I could give this book less stars. Aside from the Sears family's love of soy, I think they do a great injustice to society. The expectations they put on women to do things exactly the way they did is insane. People need to tak ethis book with a grain of salt before it make sthem crazy, insecure and unhappy.
Jun 16, 2008
Deborah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Parents. Soon-To-Be-Parents. The tired and frustrated parent in need of fresh ideas.
Shelves:
kid-stuff
The key thing I learned from this book and the key thing I wish to pass on to any parent or parent-to-be looking for THE magical answer book is this: Trust your instincts. They will truly serve you better than anything written in a book. That said, this book will time and again ask you to do just that. Listen to your gut and your heart when it comes to your baby. Many of us have been doing what is called "attachment parenting" all on our own without the fancy label for years. I found many things...more
We love this book and refer back to it often. But then, we are generally unapologetic co-sleeping baby-wearers. My hippy parents and their friends practiced attachment parenting before the term "attachment parenting" was coined. I spent my early years in a commune where small babies slept with their parents, were never left to "cry it out" in a crib down the hall, and spent most of their time in someone's arms. This approach may not be for everyone, but because I was raised this way, it feels na...more
4 likes · like · see review
Jan 16, 2008
Holly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who cares for a baby, or expects to do so anytime soon
When I first read The Baby Book -- an earlier edition, when my son was a newborn in 2001 -- I found it incredibly reassuring. At last, someone who could provide logical reasons that everything I was doing (for example, refusing to just ignore it when my baby cried) was RIGHT! I continued to use it as a general medical reference long past the time my younger child turned 2. Sears assumes that parents have a clue, and his advice about handling various illnesses is a lot more helpful than "call you...more
Excellent book!!!!! Written by Dr. Sears, a baby doctor and a baby nurse (married) with 30+ years of experience who also have 8 kids! So they are writing from personal and professional experience. I liked it especially because it challenges the "conventional wisdom" and "old wives tales" you may have been told by your mother, and supports what they say with lots of evidence. One thing they advocate is to sleep with your babies (called co-sleeping). Most people say "OH NO! You'll roll over on you...more
I mostly used this book as a reference. Although I am a major supporter of baby wearing, breastfeeding, and rocking your baby to sleep, I don't completely agree with all of his ideas on attachment parenting...I'm not ready to let my kid sleep in my bed till he's two even though Dr. Sears endorses it. He does address these issues and note that they are not for everyone, BUT I do find it's a great reference guide for the funny things that happen to baby. A must have for any mom that wants an all-i...more
While some of the things in this book are a bit over the top as in Dr. Sears' other books, I really like his approach that parenting should be about the baby and not about fitting the baby into your schedule as a parent. This may be because I'm happy to find someone actually write in print that if Sarah naps better on me and I need a nap too, it's perfectly fine to let her sleep on me rather than in her cradle where she will awaken in approximately 5.4 minutes. But as a parent the overall tone t...more
This is really two books in one: a primer on attachment parenting and an overview of how to car for your child from birth through age two. The Sears are proponents of a parenting style that boils down to the simple adage of know, and respond with empathy to your baby. They outline their “rules” for positive attachment parenting, but acknowledge that every parent/baby dynamic is different and you have to figure out what works best in your situation. The baby care part of the book is an invaluable...more
This is one of two books I love buying for new moms. Whatever your approach to parenting, this book is chalked full of wonderful information!!! Sears does advocate attachment parenting, but the book is still very valuable even if you don't take that approach. I've never read it cover-to-cover, but it's such an excellent resource to have on the bookshelf for pretty much any topic you may want if you have little ones. I used this and a couple of other books to diagnose my nieces condition at 10 da...more
I'm finding that my favorite baby books were ones recommended to me by family and friends, and "The Baby Book" by William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N., was recommended to me by one of my oldest friends. As with any parenting book, I would recommend taking from it the parts that you find most useful, acknowledging that there might be sections where you disagree.
Dr. Sears and his wife, Martha, are proponents of attachment parenting, a term which is often misunderstood. But even if you're not...more
Dr. Sears and his wife, Martha, are proponents of attachment parenting, a term which is often misunderstood. But even if you're not...more
I have very complex & conflicted opinions about this book. I did read it cover to cover, and that took me several months to do. It probably wasn't necessary as the second half of the book was mostly reference-y, but it was also really the only quality part of the book. The first half of the book was mostly Dr. Sears' opinions on various parenting topics. Whether I agree or disagree with his opinions, I was infuriated by the way he presented them. He said he had done 'research', but then woul...more
I got this book as a gift from a program through our insurance. I think it is an excellent resource, and would be invaluable for a new parent. Even with my sixth child, I found it to be a helpful resource, with information on just about every subject pertaining to child-raising and care imaginable. Dr. Sears has eight children of his own, and is also a renowned pediatrician. I appreciate his helpful advice and perspective. His counsel is empowering and sound. A note: Dr. Sears is an advocate of...more
I am not a fan of "Babywise" or "What to Expect When..." books. This is my go-to baby book. It has, literally, everything you need to know. Time and time again I'd check the awesome table of contents and there was the answer to my question or challenge. I call it my baby bible. I love their focus on "The Seven Baby B's of Attachment Parenting".
1. birth bonding
2. belief in the signal value of your baby's cries Quote: "Pick up your baby when he cries. As simple as this sounds, there are many paren...more
1. birth bonding
2. belief in the signal value of your baby's cries Quote: "Pick up your baby when he cries. As simple as this sounds, there are many paren...more
This book is great from the practical standpoint of figuring out how and when to take your baby's temperature or what the signs of an ear infection are, but don't get me started on parenting advice given by pedeatricians and based on their own personal experiences. The Sears corporation is a big proponent of what they call "attachment parenting," which if you read before your baby is born makes you think everything will be very smooth and wonderful if you just "learn to read your babies cues," w...more
Lots of good information. Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, the Sears ABSOLUTELY state over and over again that you need to do what works for YOUR family. The information is NOT presented in a way that should make anyone feel bad about that caregiving. Nor is "my way is the only and right way" preached or expected. Attachment parenting is the foundation of the book and if you are not comfortable with this kind of parenting, then perhaps this isn't a great book for you to read, how...more
Fabulous!
This book basically reconfirmed all of my natural parenting instincts, (then again, I do consider myself more of an "attachement" parenting type (ie: we support and love co-sleeping as a family, baby wearing, nursing on demand, etc..)
But, even if you don't consider yourself a parent that practices (or understands) the dynamics of attachment parenting, I think this book is absolutely worth a read! I wish I had known about/read prior to having my first child, but luckily, I read it in ti...more
This book basically reconfirmed all of my natural parenting instincts, (then again, I do consider myself more of an "attachement" parenting type (ie: we support and love co-sleeping as a family, baby wearing, nursing on demand, etc..)
But, even if you don't consider yourself a parent that practices (or understands) the dynamics of attachment parenting, I think this book is absolutely worth a read! I wish I had known about/read prior to having my first child, but luckily, I read it in ti...more
Let me start off by saying that regardless of the book, I take all parenting literature with a grain of salt. Parenting is a hot-button issue, and the theories villify each other. I've read up a bit on a couple of them, and I pick and choose aspects that I like and that will apply to me and my child. I don't believe that following one particular philosophy to the letter will guarantee my child's success or failure.
I really liked the Searses' Birth Book, and so I had high hopes for their baby bo...more
I really liked the Searses' Birth Book, and so I had high hopes for their baby bo...more
If you can just put all the sexism aside; shove it all under the carpet; replace she with he; and chuck out anything else that annoys you in a superficial way, it will be worth it because I swear under ALL of that is a LOT of the absolute BEST parenting advice and the best parenting techniques I ever found, anywhere. And I tried to read and watch absolutely EVERYTHING else with a baby on it too. I read this (along with SO, SO MUCH else; I swear I read every book, every magazine and watched every...more
Aug 13, 2009
Jana
marked it as to-read
postpartum doula req. reading. large and daunting but comes highly recommended, lotsa great info.
1 like · like · see review
i'm amazed and overwhelmed by how much information this book contains. it really does have just about everything you need to know, and it presents that information in a natural and attachment parenting friendly context. this book is a must have for anyone who's expecting a baby and is a little bit scared about what to do with it once it gets here.
1 like · like · see review
Nov 09, 2012
Joni Cochrane
added it
I wonder if anyone else noticed that the negative comments about this book were hostile and aggrivated. I used to be like that, before treatment and counseling. I was a "cry it out baby". This book changed my life. It is full of scientifically based information on what babies need most. My daughter has been on antibiotics two times in her eleven years, strep throat and swimmers ear. She is self-confident and fun. She is a joy to be around. I didn't have to do anything but follow my instincts and...more
I kept hearing the phrase attachment parenting but not knowing what it meant- this book defines it well and I like their parenting philosophy. Didn't look at it much before baby was born as they have a pregnancy book too but finding I like this one better. It's nice to have on the shelf next to our "family bed," find myself browsing through when little one is asleep and I'm not (it's rare but happens). A "bible" of sorts for breastfeeding, baby-wearing, co-sleeping, cloth diapering families. Be...more
I want to rate The Baby Book more highly — but I can't. That's a shame, since it's full of incredibly practical tips I might never have thought of on my own. But here's the problem, and it's a big one: I can't trust this book.
The Sears family is quite clear in their intro: this is not an all-purpose baby guide. It is instead a work of 100% advocacy for one particular child-rearing style: attachment parenting. (Imagine a book called "On Cooking: Everything You Need To Know About Food" that only d...more
The Sears family is quite clear in their intro: this is not an all-purpose baby guide. It is instead a work of 100% advocacy for one particular child-rearing style: attachment parenting. (Imagine a book called "On Cooking: Everything You Need To Know About Food" that only d...more
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I started reading this book only to learn more about Attachment Parenting. I was trying to get his perspective on why and how it actually works. I'm trying this method and trust me it works! I'm happy and my son is even happier! Back where I come from, there isn't a fancy name for this type of parenting. It is fine without question or a debate. Cry it out is unheard of in most families. When the baby cries, the mother puts the baby on her breast whether or not he is hungry. Checking his nappy is...more
Fab book... I read most of it during the first weeks of my baby's life and it gave me total confidence to parent and nurture instinctively. It's only omission is that there's nothing on baby-led weaning; only the 'old school' weaning approach. I'm sure they'll include BLW in the next edition as it's so concurrent with all they promote. Ended up being the only baby book I've read as felt it was very aligned with my gut feelings and didn't want to confuse myself by reading other approaches. My bab...more
Had to ban this book from my household as it was only pushing me toward PPD with its impossible expectations towards young mothers to become round the clock slaves to their babies.
I'm giving it two stars as I assume that some of its content was groundbreaking and useful 20 years ago, when formula was promoted as the better nourishment and crying-it-out was standard, but I don't see what the book could provide to any of today's educated women except guilt. I do respect some aspects of attachment...more
I'm giving it two stars as I assume that some of its content was groundbreaking and useful 20 years ago, when formula was promoted as the better nourishment and crying-it-out was standard, but I don't see what the book could provide to any of today's educated women except guilt. I do respect some aspects of attachment...more
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Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his "little patients" call him, is the father of eight children as well as the author of over 30 books on childcare. Dr. Bill is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Bill received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in T...more
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