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The Premature Baby Book : Everything You Need to Know About Your Premature Baby from Birth to Age One
This major new addition to the Sears Parenting Library is a comprehensive, authoritative, and reassuring guide for parents of premature babies. 20 line drawings & photos.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2004
About the author
William Sears
130 books172 followersDr. 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 Toronto -- the largest children’s hospital in the world, where he served as associate ward chief of the newborn nursery and associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Sears is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Pediatricians (RCP).Dr. Bill is also a medical and parenting consultant for BabyTalk and Parenting magazines and the pediatrician on the website Parenting.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 28, 2018
Two weeks ago, our daughter was born prematurely at 35 weeks and six days gestational age, was small for her age, and fighting an infection and thus entered the world in an isolette in the NICU. I was frantic with worry and felt horrid and basically moved in at the hospital. I can't remember not smelling of disinfectant anymore, frankly.
This book was a huge relief to read in the past two weeks. It does repeat some parts and is not very specific in others, but I felt tremendously comforted and understood by it during a time when I did not know how to get up in the morning.
Since I suppose that most people reading this book are reading it in similar circumstances, I would heartily recommend it!
This book was a huge relief to read in the past two weeks. It does repeat some parts and is not very specific in others, but I felt tremendously comforted and understood by it during a time when I did not know how to get up in the morning.
Since I suppose that most people reading this book are reading it in similar circumstances, I would heartily recommend it!
March 8, 2021
A book I didn’t plan on reading, with information that has made our NICU experience less intimidating. I probably could have figured out most of the information in this book by talking to our support team at the hospital, but having all the info in one place and having the vocabulary that this book provides to ask questions is a gift and is less exhausting. Would recommend for anyone going through the NICU experience.
March 27, 2010
I try to go into situations with knowledge with the hopes of not needing it. This book was very informative about what happens in many NICU's and even discussed NICU etiquette. It was a great and easy read that I recommend if you're going through a high-risk pregnancy with the possibility of pre-term delivery.
October 24, 2017
TLDR
The book was a good read. I have learned some interesting facts, but I have a feeling I knew most of the stuff already. I might be biased because we already had one premature baby.
The story
I am blogger since 2005.
I have read a lot of books in that time. For most of them, I have written a short review. For some books, that are not related to the topics I usually write about, I did not write a review. I thought the readers of my blog would not be interested in them. But then, most of the stuff I write about is not so interesting. I write blog posts for me. It is a side effect that sometimes other people find them useful.
A few years ago, when our first son was born, I have read a few good books on kids and parenting. Since I did not write anything about them, now I do not even remember which books I have read, and which of them were good.
I am changing that now.
A few months ago, our second son was born. Like his older brother, he was born two months earlier. If you have a child, you know how the first few weeks (and months) look like. If the child is born earlier, it has to stay in hospital for weeks, sometimes months. You can imagine how much fun it is to travel twice a day to the hospital to spend what looks like a few seconds with your child, instead of enjoying the first days at home.
My wife has bought The Premature Baby Book. It took me months to read it, but I have finally finished it a few days ago. Since this was the second time I was in the same situation, there were almost no surprises. The second child was even doing a bit better than the first one at his age, so I knew what to expect. The book does not try to scare you with all the things that could go wrong. It mentioned some problems that a premature baby could have, but also mentioned how rare they are.
What have I learned (not everything from the book)
- How to properly wash my hands.
- How to properly handle a baby.
- How to assemble and disassemble a stroller in seconds. Sometimes with just one hand.
- How to sing nursery songs like I mean it.
- A baby born two months earlier has more than 98% chances to survive. The first days, weeks, months and years are harder than usual, but there are usually no long term problems.
The book was a good read. I have learned some interesting facts, but I have a feeling I knew most of the stuff already. I might be biased because we already had one premature baby.
The story
I am blogger since 2005.
I have read a lot of books in that time. For most of them, I have written a short review. For some books, that are not related to the topics I usually write about, I did not write a review. I thought the readers of my blog would not be interested in them. But then, most of the stuff I write about is not so interesting. I write blog posts for me. It is a side effect that sometimes other people find them useful.
A few years ago, when our first son was born, I have read a few good books on kids and parenting. Since I did not write anything about them, now I do not even remember which books I have read, and which of them were good.
I am changing that now.
A few months ago, our second son was born. Like his older brother, he was born two months earlier. If you have a child, you know how the first few weeks (and months) look like. If the child is born earlier, it has to stay in hospital for weeks, sometimes months. You can imagine how much fun it is to travel twice a day to the hospital to spend what looks like a few seconds with your child, instead of enjoying the first days at home.
My wife has bought The Premature Baby Book. It took me months to read it, but I have finally finished it a few days ago. Since this was the second time I was in the same situation, there were almost no surprises. The second child was even doing a bit better than the first one at his age, so I knew what to expect. The book does not try to scare you with all the things that could go wrong. It mentioned some problems that a premature baby could have, but also mentioned how rare they are.
What have I learned (not everything from the book)
- How to properly wash my hands.
- How to properly handle a baby.
- How to assemble and disassemble a stroller in seconds. Sometimes with just one hand.
- How to sing nursery songs like I mean it.
- A baby born two months earlier has more than 98% chances to survive. The first days, weeks, months and years are harder than usual, but there are usually no long term problems.
Read
April 30, 2016 is a good basic text. Most of the Sears Parenting Library books are. I noticed the extremely bland, reassuring tone more in this one, though, because it's about such a terrifying topic (at least to me).
I worked with a family once who had premies born at . . . hm. I don't remember exactly how many weeks anymore. Something in the mid-20s I think. This was while I was pregnant with my first baby, over 7 years ago. That's an impressionable time, and that NICU made an impression. I was pretty horrified by the idea of that much suffering, that much separation from their mama, that much struggle on the part of the mama to stay connected to those babies while also caring for a teenager and a toddler at home. I think as an uninitiated woman, who had not yet given birth, not yet discovered my full strength as a mother, I was unable to appreciate how, like birth, this NICU experience was not perhaps just painful, but strong.
When dealing with things like that, things that stretch you to the very limit of what you are capable of, bland and reassuring may not cut it. But this book was a good introduction to the topic. I hope I never need to know the details in it for myself. I hope I can be present to parents I work with in the future despite my emotional response, or through it, if we end up in the NICU, earlier than planned.
I worked with a family once who had premies born at . . . hm. I don't remember exactly how many weeks anymore. Something in the mid-20s I think. This was while I was pregnant with my first baby, over 7 years ago. That's an impressionable time, and that NICU made an impression. I was pretty horrified by the idea of that much suffering, that much separation from their mama, that much struggle on the part of the mama to stay connected to those babies while also caring for a teenager and a toddler at home. I think as an uninitiated woman, who had not yet given birth, not yet discovered my full strength as a mother, I was unable to appreciate how, like birth, this NICU experience was not perhaps just painful, but strong.
When dealing with things like that, things that stretch you to the very limit of what you are capable of, bland and reassuring may not cut it. But this book was a good introduction to the topic. I hope I never need to know the details in it for myself. I hope I can be present to parents I work with in the future despite my emotional response, or through it, if we end up in the NICU, earlier than planned.
September 5, 2011
I disagree with previous reviews calling this book worthless. It is an extremely helpful guide for parents- neonatology 101, but will obviously not help you earn your medical degree. It includes helpful information for interaction with your baby's medical staff, who would answer any further questions you would have.
I came across this book after going into preterm labor and highly recommend it to moms and dads who like me, want to prepare themselves as much as possible for what to expect. The descriptions of tests and treatments as well as an extensive chapter on breastfeeding a preemie were especially useful in putting my mind at ease.
The last section of the book covers caring for your preemie at home. I did not read this section because I figured I would cross that bridge if I came to it. With this section though, the book would also be a valuable resource to parents who have already navigated the NICU.
I came across this book after going into preterm labor and highly recommend it to moms and dads who like me, want to prepare themselves as much as possible for what to expect. The descriptions of tests and treatments as well as an extensive chapter on breastfeeding a preemie were especially useful in putting my mind at ease.
The last section of the book covers caring for your preemie at home. I did not read this section because I figured I would cross that bridge if I came to it. With this section though, the book would also be a valuable resource to parents who have already navigated the NICU.
June 8, 2010
The Premature Baby Book is written at such a low level that it is nearly worthless. For example, we wanted information on iron supplementation. The Book informed us that premature babies need iron. That's it. No information on dosage. No information on duration of treatment. No mention of products available. No mention that iron is only recommended for preemies below a certain birth weight. The Book tells us that preemies need a multivitamin, but does not tell us which specific vitamins they need, why they need them, or anything beyond that they need a multivitamin. I was very disappointed that a sizable book written by three 3 MD's and an RN, who happen to be authors of other excellent books, could be so completely uninformative.
December 24, 2016
This was a good informational read about preemies delivery, their care in the NICU, and how to care for them once getting home. It helped me better understand what medical procedures were done and why on our baby during his first few days. Reading about these procedures is especially helpful for moms to read because if they were anything like me, delivering prematurely is such a whirlwind that there is no way to completely understand everything that is happening around you. Although some information about preemie care contradicted what my husband and I have been taught in our NICU, I still appreciated hearing a different side. It helps me better informed as a mother and then use my intuition to make the best decision.
September 21, 2013
Very sound advise for caring for a preemie. Pro-breast-feeding, pro-family bed. "Help baby thrive and flourish... medical decisions... anticipate developmental issues... unique features and needs head to toe system by system... common concerns and med challenges... breast feeding... bonding..." This book is very comprehensive and easy to understand. Very thorough. Sear's is highly respected.
Note: Nick, our preemie grandson, caught up quickly to other boys his age and is actually big for his age, thanks, in part, to his dad's genes. Sure didn't get any height genes on this side of the family tree! Was a helpful book back when g'ma here was first caring for him.
Note: Nick, our preemie grandson, caught up quickly to other boys his age and is actually big for his age, thanks, in part, to his dad's genes. Sure didn't get any height genes on this side of the family tree! Was a helpful book back when g'ma here was first caring for him.
September 2, 2014
I read this book while I was on bed rest preparing to deliver our premature baby. It was helpful in easing many concerns I had as well as helping me navigate the world of the NICU. A lot of the book is repetitive from all other Sears books in emphasizing the importance of attachment parenting but this book also included the ins and outs of attachment parenting when you aren't able to be with your baby right away or able to touch and hold your baby.
September 19, 2015
It was a book I was reading each month with my baby growing up. I learnt some things (it is positive about the book). Though some parts were tedious and should not have taken a place, to my mind (I see it as a 'minus'). Overall, I do not have an extreme opinion about the book... But if I would be asked for an advice "what is worth reading for a parent?", I am not sure whether I would remember the name "The premature Baby Book"...
August 23, 2009
If you have or are likely to have a preemie or are having a high-risk pregnancy, this is an excellent resource. It's a great intro of sorts to what NICU life is like and may help alleviate concerns or fears you have about various treatments, machines, medicines, and other things you can expect in a NICU.
April 27, 2011
This book is a great tool if you are expecting to deliver early or have a preterm baby. It is a great introduction to life in the NICU. It will provide you will so much insight as to how things work and what to expect so you won't be overwhelmed & can focus on your new arrival.
August 20, 2012
Very helpful. Detailed explantations of the NICU as well as common issues with preemie babies and the care they need. I appreciated the advice on talking to the medical staff. My biggest regret that I didn't get this book soon enough!
March 4, 2013
While this book has some helpful information I found a lot was "fluffy". There are better books out there but this one is worth a quick look through anyway. If you do pick this one up, the most helpful section was on attachment parenting.
January 26, 2008
Great book for feeding issues and post NICU work ups.
January 5, 2009
I received this book as a gift after our daughter arrives at 33 weeks. It was a fantastic book it really helped me get through life in the NICU and beyond.
October 16, 2009
One of the newest books on premies. Bought a copy for additional reference
March 1, 2011
love love love...even though if you have other books in the Sears library you get some amount of repitition (mostly regarding breastfeeding, co-sleeping and attachment parenting).
January 3, 2012
As my baby has not arrived yet, I'm not sure just how useful the information is. However, it did serve to alleviate some fears!
December 5, 2012
There was quite a bit of good information in this book, but it would have been much more helpful if I had read it while my son was in the hospital instead of after he was released.
July 28, 2013
I think "Preemies" is more detailed and helpful, particularly about the NICU experience, but this one is still useful and informative.
April 22, 2014
Good resource for parents who could have NICU babies. This was recommended to me by multiple moms of preemies and it will be something I'll revisit as it becomes more applicable.
July 25, 2014
Best premature baby book I read..there are not enough of these types of books but this one has covered every question I have ever had. Thank you Sears family for publishing this book.
August 17, 2014
Simple read. Sometimes the information seems to repeat itself.
June 28, 2015
This book is for you, if you have a baby in intensive care and you want to practice attachment parenting.
April 23, 2016
Really disappointed with the book
I am really disappointed with this book. It contained a lot of opinions (with a side of judgment) but not a lot of science.
I am really disappointed with this book. It contained a lot of opinions (with a side of judgment) but not a lot of science.
January 11, 2017
Heavily pushes attachment parenting but very readable.
December 30, 2011
This book was a great help in preparing me for my preemie twins.
February 9, 2012
Best book about premature babies that I have read. Lots of useful information.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews