Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality

by Laura A. Jana, Jennifer Shu

This comprehensive guide for new parents finding themselves overwhelmed dealing with the reality of parenting provides "parent-tested, pediatrician-approved" advice to allay their fears. Written in a compassionate yet authoritative tone by two moms who are also pediatricians, this guide covers a wealth of topics that often prove daunting in the first eight weeks of a child's life. Starting with "Into the Mouths of Babes" (the trials of breastfeeding) and "What Goes in Must Come Out" (a discussion of "pee and poop") and moving on through "Fever: Trial by Fire" and "Seeing Yellow: Jaundice," this guide offers sound advice that will enable parents to feel confident about their parenting skills. Hints on daily living, sleep patterns, crying, the art and science of diapering, and traveling with a newborn are also provided.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health, Family, Self Help, How To, Reference

306 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors give useful advice based on medical research and their own experience as pediatricians and mothers. The book covers feeding, digestion, daily living, traveling, and health. It’s published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Breastfeeding
• Wait until baby gets gist of breastfeeding before introducing artificial nipples (bottles or pacifiers). This may take 2-6 weeks.
• Give Vitamin D drops (200 IU/day) to exclusively breastfed babies starting at 2 months. Babies getting 16 oz formula/day don’t need.

Formula
• Cow’s milk-based formula is fine and cheapest; soy is also OK and slightly more expensive. Elemental formula is reserved for those who can’t drink others, and is much more expensive.
• Powder is cheapest.
• Put powder in dry bottles, then add room temperature or warm water prior to feeding.
• Warming formula is unnecessary. If you do, use bottle warmer or put bottles in saucepan of warm water. Don’t microwave.
• Leftover milk in bottles must be discarded after 1 hour.
• Sterilize feeding supplies and pacifiers prior to first use by boiling for 5 minutes.
• Between feedings, wash feeding supplies in hot water or dishwasher.

Miscellaneous Feeding
For babies that spit up a lot, hold or position them upright for 20-30 minutes after feeding.

Sleeping
• Alternate the direction the baby faces when sleeping, to prevent head flattening.
• "Teach" baby to sleep at night by having her sleep in lit and active rooms during the day, and a dark, quiet room at night.
• You can’t spoil a baby within the first several months, so respond promptly to crying.

Diapering
Baby wipes are safe to use.

Bathing
Washing baby with water is fine, but you can also use baby soap.

Car Seats
• Children should remain in rear-facing seats as long as possible, determined by seat’s upper weight limit or when top of child’s head is within 1 inch of seat’s top.
• Baby’s car seat should be at 45°, regardless of angle of seat in car.
• Register car seat with manufacturer to be notified of recalls.
• Use switchable retractor or locking latch plate to secure car seat.
• Middle of back seat is safest, but not all car seats work there. Next safest is passenger side back seat.
• Have a certified technician check your seat. Find one at http://www.nhtsa.gov/ or http://www.safekids.org/.

Health
• Ways to relieve nasal congestion: nose drops (even homemade), bulb suction (if truly necessary, but fewer than 3 times/day), humidifier.
• Fever temperatures: 99°F axillary (underarm), 100°F oral, 100.4°F rectal.
• Rectal thermometer is most accurate.
• Keep rooms at 68-72°F for baby.
• Dress baby in same number of layers as adults, or add one layer.
• To prevent jaundice, encourage newborns to poop by feeding every 3-4 hours or more. Also, expose baby’s skin to sunlight coming through windows a few times daily, for 15 minutes per time.
• You only need a milder “baby” laundry detergent if baby shows signs of skin irritation from regular “adult” detergent.

Memories
Take pictures of baby with gifts received at birthdays and holidays, and include them in thank-yous.

[Saralyn Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly helpful, and I’m sure I’ll put it to the test when my baby is actually here! The authors make the topics very approachable and balance being lighthearted and serious well. I feel much more prepared to bring my baby home, and I know I’ll be picking up this book again and again over the next few months.

[Lauren Albrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a VERY helpful book to have on hand in the early days after bringing Adeline home! Often when I'd have a question, I'd pull out this book and find a great answer. I still look up some things 3 months later (like fever info!) - would recommend for all new moms!!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've surveyed several parenting guides and I found this one to easily be the most accessible and straightforward. It gives the essentials of what new parents should know to take care of a baby after coming home from the hospital. Other books may be more thorough, but I appreciated that this was a quick read with easy to find categories and straightforward but balanced recommendations. The authors point out in the beginning that every child is different and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. Some of the content may seem basic, but for someone like me with little to no experience with babies it was all welcome. I found the earlier sections about essential baby care to be the most useful and mostly ignored the last chapter or so about things like documenting the birth and early childhood. Overall for its short length and straightforward approach it's my favorite new parent guide.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated: changed my rating to 5 stars (previously 4). It was incredibly helpful for the first two months of my son's life.

I can't quite give this 5 stars since I'm not a practicing parent yet (oh will this baby ever arrive?) but I really liked this book.

My husband and I were both the youngest children in our families and I have no other experience with babies (despite desperately wanting a child for years and liking babies in general, they also kind of scare me and I'm definitely not a natural when it comes to kids) so I learned a lot of new information on daily life with a newborn. I also appreciated that the book delivers straight up practical advice and lacks the unnecessary overuse of jokes, cartoons, religious references (this coming from a weekly churchgoer), and other sentiments that muddy otherwise awesome books like The Happiest Baby on the Block, or Moms on Call etc. I despise fluff where fluff need not be, so I really like the practical nature of this book.

Excepting a few short visits from kiddo's grandparents, we will have no family around to help, so I imagine that I will refer to this book fairly often over the next few months, as long as I can continue to renew it.

[JBF · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only pregnancy and/or baby book I've read all the way through so far. Informative and written in an easy to read but not cutesy style. My only complaint was that the info about cloth diapering was outdated and thus seemed unfairly negative.

Read a second time in 2014

[Ariel Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, informative sections about the basics of taking care of a baby. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no mention of adopting parents, but most of the chapters are applicable to any kind of caregiver.

[U. Ray Eke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a pediatric resident with my first child on the way, I really liked this book! It does a great job of providing helpful tips and essential information without diving too much into the gritty details of caring for a newborn or providing rigid guidelines on how specifically do things. Definitely would recommend for soon-to-be parents.

[Katie Beer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the tone. There was a nice balance between straight facts and a sprinkle of humor. Some chapters are much more useful than others. For example, I think most people can skip the chapters about taking pictures of your baby and documenting milestones at the very end.

[Yomna Sh. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Guide to the most exciting adventure :) What I liked the most is how simple and straightforward the book is.

[Maddie Cudak · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative. helps me feel more prepared.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re pregnant and only want to read one baby book, I recommend this one. It covers everything in just enough detail and doesn’t offer any judgement or bias.

[Kate Kiriakou · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many parenting books that it's hard to know which ones are actually helpful, but I saw this recommended and gave it a try because it covers all the topics you'd expect and is written by pediatricians. I found it to be very informative and helpful and I appreciated the places where they pointed out what new parents *think* they have to do and don't actually need to worry about. I also liked that the tone was neutral and nonjudgmental.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite childcare/child development books are generally those that provide practical information with an undertone assuring parents to trust their instincts. "Heading Home..." does exactly that. While preparing new parents for what to expect during the first weeks after birthday, the authors give good advice while also encouraging readers to set realistic expectations, always consult a pediatrician when in doubt and basically listen to that little voice inside. The information is accessible, well-organized and comforting. A great books to flip through prior to delivery and to keep on hand for reference after your little one comes home.

[Taylor Koerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. As a pediatrician, I would highly recommend it to anyone expecting a baby. It answers many of the questions that my own patients ask me and is full of high quality anticipatory guidance. It sets a nice tone of practicality. It's not as quick of a read as some other parenting books that I have read but that's because it has so much useful information.

[Melissa Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was 100% worth the read. Full of evidence based, practical information it covered so many topics on how to navigate life with a newborn. I have a feeling this will be one that I go back and reference after my baby is born, and I can also see myself gifting this to friends when they’re expecting.

[Efox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. It's incredibly helpful and has answered tons of our questions about what is going on with the baby. Straightforward and so helpful to keep you from calling the pediatrician for every little thing!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid guide to newborn care. The tone is lighthearted, and the guidance is practical and straightforward. I took this out from the library and probably won't buy my own copy (yet). I suspect there is a better newborn care reference book out there.

[carrietracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing as I don't actually have a newborn, I feel a bit guilty rating this, but it was clear, easy to understand and seemed really helpful. I'm considering purchasing it.

[Jennifer N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good straight forward information written in a practical way. Only 4 stars since it is American and Canadians do not have the luxury of calling their pediatrician anytime there is an issue.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great resource that I will be turning to again and again! It had a lot of great information without being overwhelming.

[Roozbeh Zabihollahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of review, I am going to share my notes that I did take when reading the book. Hope it solves a problem for somebody 🙂

Stuff to buy for baby:

* Crib with safety mattress (firm)
* Car seat (w adjustable reclining platform, headrest, FAA approved, less than 16 inches wide)
* Formula (with iron, with DHA and ARA
* Bottles and nipples (bpa free)
* Pacifier (pestoonak)
* Local CPR classes
* Diapers
* The ever-popular vibrating infant seats, rocking cradles, and baby swings also serve the purpose of keeping your baby comfortably moving as well (https://a.co/d/7p0Kwo7 )
* Baby wipes
* Wipes warmers
* Changing table
* Changing pad
* Baby powder
* Baby soap
* Washclothes
* Baby towel
* Baby bathtub
* Baby sleepwear (flame resistant and snug fitting, no strings, no attachable objects, washable
* Baby detergent
* Baby sunscreen
* Baby career ( with nexk support)
* Baby stroller for hewborn has canopy
* Baby headrest for car seat
* Baby nail clipper
* Thermometer (rectal)
* Bulb suction and saline drops
* Diaper cream
* Petroleum jelly
* Baby hat (polyster knit)
* Baby nose drop
* Bulb suction (not recommended)
* Shadow box
* Mold kits

Before discharge
* hearing screening
* Circumcision (if not hypospadias)
* Tooth in birth time
* Cord blood collection in public storage
* Demonstrate nail clipping
* Hepatitis B vaccine
* VIS: vaccines information statement

Stuff to bring to hospital
* car seat
* Camera
* Send a request to whitehouse greeting office
* Newspaper of the day


Find pediatricians
* ask obstetricians
* Background check: AAP
* “Meet the doctor” visit for interviewing
* Questions
* Insurance
* Costs and coverage
* Where do you hospitalize babies
* Availabilities, weekend, after hours
* How to book appointments?
* Opinions (circumcision, antibiotics, potty training, sleep, …)
* Separate waiting room for sick kids


Advice
Sleep on back, put on tummy while awake

Cry reasons:
* hunger,
* poop,
* wetness,
* tiredness—
* fever and
* illness,
* poking pins, an
* eyelash or scratch in the eye, or
* wayward hairs or
* strings wrapped around fingers or toes

5Ss for calming crying baby:
* swaddling, قنداق
* side/stomach positioning while awake,
* shushing,
* swaying, and لرزاندن و عقب و جلو کردن
* sucking

Child care
* research
* Trained and licensed care givers with 4:1 ratio
* CPR and first aid


Questions to ask pediatrician
* circumcision
* How to drive from Phoenix to here
* Formula where to buy
* Do we need toy breastmilk (donated)
* Suggested diaper
* What to prepare for hospital
* Do you have a separate waiting room for sick/non-sick kids?
* Would it be possible to email you our questions?

[Hannah]

Listened to as an audiobook. I probably would have gotten more out of it as a physical reference (assuming the book has illustrations) but I did find the book comprehensive and appreciated that the topics appeared to be thoroughly researched and well-backed with current data.

If I had a complaint this book might actually be TOO thorough—I don’t need a primer on what color clothes to buy or a list of craft ideas. The chapter on airplane travel was surprisingly long considering that only a minority of parents are going to take a newborn on a plane.

I will also note that one of the authors owns a daycare center and the book coincidentally recommends that particular type of daycare center over in-home daycares/family care/Nannies, etc. I don’t disagree with their conclusions and they do disclose this openly, but it does make me wonder if bias might be at least a little present, if not on this subject then elsewhere. (But considering how controversial parenting can be I doubt an “unbiased” manual exists—and this one at least appeared to have sound scientific backing.)

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely could have skipped this one. I would recommend it to the parent who has extremely limited-to-no experience caring for young children and who is looking to read just one book that covers all the basics - down to the actual steps involved in changing a diaper. That's not to say I didn't learn anything from reading this (there was some practical information about newborn jaundice, rashes, infections, etc.), but I had to sift through pages and pages of advice such as "make sure you didn't leave your baby on the roof of your car before driving away,""call your pediatrician if your baby is projectile vomiting" and "you might want to take pictures of your baby in the hospital." If you are interested in just one super approachable manual that leaves absolutely nothing to common sense, this is for you. If you are planning to read other books and articles in anticipation of your baby, you can probably leave this one out.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

We took a "Newborn Care" class with our doula's agency and really should've just gotten this book instead. This is a very practical and accessible discussion of the actual logistics of caring for an infant. We've learned most of it by now, but it will be a go-to gift for any first-time parents without any prior experience caring for babies, who may not have competent relatives to learn from.

The one thing I think they have incorrect is the thing about keeping a bottle nipple filled with milk/formula to help prevent gas. It's what pediatricians are still taught but lactation consultants instead advise parents to use "paced bottle feeding" and that the speed of feeding affects intake of air more, so better to leave the nipple tip half full so that the baby eats at their own pace better.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, especially for the more medical side of things. While not as exhaustive as What to Expect the First Year it's still really helpful and is written very well.

I'd absolutely recommend it for any parents to be and I found it a lot more useful than Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool

[Zakk Kennard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite one that I have read so far, these parenting books seem to fall either on the side of so practical it’s scary, or all comfort with no practical tips. This one was a great balance. The writing felt comforting and approachable, while still being honest and providing a lot of expertise that I found really valuable. I also appreciated how the authors acknowledged they might not be the end all be all, but as doctors and parents, they are just providing their expertise. I will definitely be recommending this one to any friends who are going to have children. A great read, and a great resource to have on the shelf for having a newborn and all the things that come with that!

[Celine Bourdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info! And fun to read

I really enjoyed reading through this book, great overview of what one experiences with a new born. I almost gave a five star but felt that at certain points there was some nuance or information missing. E.g. Would have wanted more discussion about breastfeeding, what is normal or abnormal when starting; how much pain is expected, what to do to prevent or heal. Overall fantastic ressource, just some bits and pieces missing... would be good to combine with information on the mother’s body as well, the healing process after giving birth.

[Lacey Pittman Tomanek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very helpful book on newborn care, written by two pediatricians who are also mothers. My recommendation would be to read this the month before you’re due as I found that I read some of it too early in my pregnancy for it to really stick and some of it too late after I brought my son which if I’d read it sooner could have helped. You don’t need to read it cover to cover like I did, you could more use it like a reference book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part was very helpful and full of good information- how to breastfeed, what to look for in poop, fevers, etc. The last part on documenting your child's milestones and the stuff on social media felt like fluff. I skimmed over most of it, and I doubt I will ever reference those sections again.