What to Expect the First Year, Second Edition

by Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway

book data

2,331 ratings, 3.62 average rating, 356 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		22%
4		35%
3		29%
2		8%
1		4%

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published

November 1st 2003 by Workman Publishing Company (first published 1989)

details

Hardcover, 704 pages

isbn

0761131841 (isbn13: 9780761131847)

description

Is our baby eating enough? Is this much crying normal? How do I know when she is really sick? This hefty, 671-page guide to your baby's first year i…more

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Apr 06, 2009

Tracy rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in April, 2005

This book is good, and it's definitely the most popular baby guide. But, there are other books that are better, like the one from the American Academy of Pediatricians, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child. I felt this book included too many topics that were just hype. It also covers topics in an inflammatory way, and then more calmly states the actual facts at the very end of a topic.

For instance, it lists a number of foods not to give your child the first or even second year. ...more

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Nov 03, 2008

Kathrynn rated it:

(review of isbn 0894805770)

bookshelves: 2004-and-earlier, favorites, nonfiction-parenting, own, reviewed

Read in January, 1995

Another manual that should come home from the hospital with the newborn! I devoured this book and have a lot of highlights! A must have for new moms and dads. Nicely laid out.

I'm glad I got this book out of the shelf to add to GRs. I found a Mother's Day card to me inside it from my Grandmother! God rest her soul.

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4 comments

Jul 26, 2009

Holyn rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in June, 2009

This was such a helpful book for me during the past year of Adeline's (and my) life. I appreciated the common sense and no nonsense information found within. It was good to review around Adeline's birthday as she began a new month of life but also proved helpful when unusual events came up during our day to day life. (By the way, I appreciated this book much more than the one about pregnancy.)

Each chapter is arranged in the same order. They begin with developmental milestones - o...more

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Jul 21, 2009

Christina rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in April, 2008

Very unhelpful and I found it to be a bit biased or maybe just one-sided. She definitely has opinions so if that is what you're looking for maybe you'll like it. I also hated the way it was organized by month rather than by topic. If your baby isn't on the exact same path as she expects them to be then you will have to leaf through looking for the info you want. Also the Q&A sections of each chapter are strange. I didn't really find any useful information in the book. I don't know if there...more

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Aug 18, 2009

jacky rated it:

(review of isbn 0761152121)

bookshelves: baby-parenting, currently-reading

I figure this will be on the currently reading shelf for a while.

I started reading it before Natalie's birth, but a lot of the info was a repeat from What to Expect When You're Expecting or from other sources I'd read (like books just on breastfeeding for example). However, I did find the lists of items to get helpful - especially the toiletry / medicine type items.

After the birth, reading the chapter on month one was been comforting. It has provided us with a place...more

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Jan 24, 2009

Jennifer (Jen748) rated it:

(review of isbn 0761152121)

bookshelves: read-in-2010, read-in-january

Read in January, 2010

I actually started reading this book when our daughter, Sammie, was a few days old. It provided many answers to many questions we had from how much she should be eating as a week old baby to SIDS information. We found it to be a good interim resource when the pediatrician's office wasn't open or the question seemed too small for a nurse. The book is very heavy on breast feeding and has a lot of information on that throughout the months. Two things bothered me to the point of annoyance due to the...more

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Jan 22, 2008

Elisa Bieg rated it:

(review of isbn 0894805770)

I got this book after having my oldest was born, a little over 8 years ago. I started reading it, often going ahead of her age, curious of when my daughter would be doing certain things (the book is divided in chapters, by month, and each month you have a list of activities that your baby is likely to be doing at that specific age). I also read the end section of the book, which talks about illnesses and injuries. At times I wondered why I was reading all that stuff, as my daughter was very heal...more I got this book after having my oldest was born, a little over 8 years ago. I started reading it, often going ahead of her age, curious of when my daughter would be doing certain things (the book is divided in chapters, by month, and each month you have a list of activities that your baby is likely to be doing at that specific age). I also read the end section of the book, which talks about illnesses and injuries. At times I wondered why I was reading all that stuff, as my daughter was very healthy and I was a very careful mo, and always at home with her, so it was not likely that she would get hurt. But eventually, I found out how true it is what the philospher L. Ron Hubbard wrote: "Be ready for emergencies, for if you are not, you will have emergencies". One day my daughter, who was about 9 months old at the time, was crying desperately, very odd thing for her. Thanks to the information gotten from this book, I was able to prompty "diagnose": she had an inguinal hernia. I called the children hospital and described the signs and symptoms (the book also teaches you what to take note of and what to describe when you call the emergency room, for speedy handling) and the doctor said it sounded like I was right and to bring her in. We did, and the matter got handled over the weekend, then I took my daughter home. When I brought her to her Pediatrician for a check of the area, a week later, he congratulated me for the way I handled it, and told me he was really proud of me being able to diagnose it correctly and getting it handled accordingly, saving my daughter a great deal of pain and complications. And all thanks to this book. Had it been one of the usual baby books, biased by one current of thought only and hard to read and understand, I wouldn't have read it! Instead it's very informative, easy to read and understand, and on many important issues (breastfeeding/bottle feeding, sleeping schedule and habits, etc) it offers several viewpoints and info on the various currents of thought. (less)

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Oct 29, 2007

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: first time parents

my daughter's first year is almost up, so i'm officially moving this book off the currently reading shelf. truth is, i didn't quite finish it.

ideally, if you're someone who can retain information well enough, then read the whole thing in advance. i wish i had. it was a good safety net and i'm glad i had it, but as far as true usefulness? it falls a bit short. i tried reading it like i read the expecting book: a month or two ahead of the milestone so i knew what to expect. (hur, ...more

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Jun 18, 2007

Amanda rated it:

(review of isbn 0894805770)

recommends it for: new moms and dads

I never finished this book. Much like What To Expect When You're Expecting, there were times when I felt inadequate as a mother because I wasn't doing EXACTLY as the book recommended. I know that every child is different and has individual wants and needs, and there were many good ideas to keep in mind. However, I think there were a few times in the book that I felt the authors were a little preachy about specific lifestyle/child-rearing choices. Also, the book kept giving me more reasons to...more

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Feb 28, 2009

Sera rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: parenting

Read in November, 2009

recommends it for: New Parents

Overall, a useful book but there are some organizational problems with it. Nothing major, though. I'm likely to purchase the next book in this series, because it gives nice examples of interactive activities that you can do with your child to work on development. Plus, it has recipes for those of us who like to make our own baby food, and it has FAQ throughout that in some instances, provides very useful and detailed information.

I read the Sears book in conjunction with this one, ...more

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5 comments

Dec 28, 2008

Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

I used this book's advice sparingly with my first child. The only thing I really liked was the parts about developmental milestones. As a first time mom with no clue whether crawling generally started at 3 months or 1 year, it was helpful. However, there are many better parenting books out there. Now that I know so much more about attachment parenting and health, I will not recommend this book to anyone.

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Apr 29, 2009

Molly rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in January, 2009

I have enjoyed "skipping around" in this book. Unlike some of her other books - the information found within these pages seems to be largely well-researched, "correct", and less biased than her other work. Easily used as a quick-reference resource, I still would not use it "solo." Many topics are "shallow" but will at least give a starting point to begin your trouble-shooting. It's an excellent place to begin.

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Mar 24, 2009

Aubri rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in March, 2006

I got this book because I had heard so much about "What to expect when you're expecting", but I didn't need that book because my kids were adopted. This book just gave me a lot to think about as far as how my kids were developing, and also helped when one of them woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever or something. The book just had LOTS of helpful information.

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Nov 30, 2007

Anne rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: nonfiction

This book has some basic information that's useful, and tables for common OTC drugs based on weight and type of suspension at the back that are great for when internet access is out and you need to look them up. And this book helped teach my husband how to change a diaper.

However, some of the information is just not great. I would recommend skipping the whole section on breastfeeding and reading some better books on it instead. The growth, eating, sleep, and sibling sections have ...more

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Sep 11, 2009

Louisa Chayavichitsilp is currently reading it (review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Read in September, 2009

I read the other book in this series "What to Expect when you are Expecting" and found it helpful. It is written in girly (sometimes annoyingly cheeky) language as if written by your girlfriend. It is a great resource, but the month-by-month descriptions aren't always relevant to your child at that particular time. You may spend a lot of time reading the index.

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Jun 12, 2009

Annette rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: non-fiction---self-help, parenting-and-childhood, reference, will-not-finish

Read in June, 2009

Good, solid information and advice - a must-have for new and experienced parents' bookshelves. Much too hefty, though, to read in total, especially during your infant's first year. I expect to use it as a reference book: I'll read the appropriate chapters just before my baby gets to that age, and any of the ancillary chapters as they apply.

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Mar 01, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Am reading this one month at a time - to see what things might be going on each month. So far, I am enjoying it. It is very reassuring, especially for 1st time parents. The chapters so far have been very well organized in that all but one have concentrated on addressing the topics that are current concerns / questions for us.

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May 15, 2009

Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0761152121)

Read in August, 2009

recommends it for: new parents

As with "What to Expect When You're Expecting", this book is okay, but certainly nothing exceptional. It offers good basic information, but nothing too in-depth. What I liked about this book was a breakdown of every month (other parenting books lump too many months together).

What I don't like about this (and other "What to Expect" books) is the format in which they organize info. I can't stand the Q & A format!! It is cheesy. I would rather see information or...more

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Jan 26, 2009

Sandy rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

bookshelves: i-own-it

It's hard to tell whether or not I read this entire book. I picked it up so many times to look something up, that I very well could have read the whole thing. Some parts a lot more than once.

This is a wonderful, must-have reference guide to have around the first couple of years after you have a baby.

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Feb 16, 2010

Tina Gauthier rated it:

(review of isbn 0761129588)

Read in January, 2006

This is a book every new parent must have. I had a ton of questions about my baby's body, my body, and our behaviours during that first year. This book explained everything that was going on and put my mind at ease that everything is "normal." Every first time mom should have this.

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