Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year

Summary (from the publisher): You are having a baby! Congratulations! Now, the reality  hits you - what the heck am I doing? What if you could bottle the wisdom of all those parents who've come before you...and mix it with the solid medical advice from a nationally-renowned pediatrician? Baby 411 is the answer! Think of it as the ultimate FAQ for new parents. Inside you'll learn:

• How to pick a pediatrician with savvy questions to ask and insider tips.
• Sleep. The best way to get your baby to sleep through the night.
• First aid - when to worry, when not...and what to do when baby gets sick. No-nonsense, down-to-earth advice you can trust.
• Fussy baby 411. Is it colic? Acid reflux? Or something else? Discover the secrets to soothing a fussy baby.
• Detailed nutrition info with a step-by-step guide for successful breastfeeding, introducing solid food and using formula. Plus: simple steps to avoid food allergies!
• Is my baby normal? Learn how your baby will grow and develop!

Review: Written largely by a pediatrician, this book gives useful information and advice on baby health, sleep, and nutrition through the first year of life. Designed as a reference text, the book is broken up into categories and has questions and answer formatting throughout for parents to turn to as needed. While I originally intended to use this book as a resource and consult it as needed, after flipping through this book one day and finding it informative, I ultimately decided to read it straight through and was glad that I did.

 

I particularly liked that, unlike other pregnancy and parenting books I have read, this book presents the multiple opinions on controversial topics and then gives the author's two cents. I wouldn't say its unbiased, but it makes it clear that there is more than one approach to some aspects of parenting. For example, the book outlines the various baby sleep theories, gives input on the authors' thoughts on the matter, but ultimately leaves it up to the parent to select what works best for them. The book takes the same approach on advice for choosing a parenting style: "You and your partner will need to discuss these issues and come to terms that are agreeable to both" (67). I found this book particularly helpful as a resource to how much milk and later solids my child should be eating at any given age through the first year. Additionally, other tips, such as how to make your own pedialyte at home for a sick child, were appreciated, and might have been overlooked had I not read the book in full.

 

As a first time parent, I found this book really helpful and thought it gave solid and clear cut advice. I'm now hoping to read the other text by the same authors that focuses on toddlers.

Stars: 4.5

 

Related Titles:

• What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff
• Baby & Me: The Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Newborn Care by Deborah D. Stewart and Jenny B. Harvey
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International