This book does not work for twins., 18. September 2000

Let me forewarn the future readers. This book is only good if you have a "standard" pregnancy. In our case (and we have twins), it did more harm than good.

I started reading this book about 6 month before my wife was due. I planned to heed all the good advice in there, I swear I did! But the recommendations crumbled when faced with the reality of our twin pregnancy. All the wonders of "natural" birth were not applicable to our relatively high-risk pair. My wife ended up having induced labor and a c-section. The twins landed in ICU where they were started on bottle before my wife had a chance to see them (and we went to see them the next morning, so it was not such a long time). Twin A, Daniel, refused to latch on when offered breast, and no expert was able to teach him to suck properly. So, we ended doing exactly the opposite to what the book said, and feeling sllightly guilty for it.

I was very determined to not let the little ones cry at night. So, every time Michael woke up, I would run into the room, pick him up and try to calm him down, preferably outside of the room, to prevent him from waking Daniel. However, this approach led to amazingly bad results. The kids woke up more and more often, with Daniel being especially bad. He would not sleep in my arms, only accepting my wife's. By 18 months our life was living hell, and the twins were showing signs of sleep deprivation too. Daniel was outright manipulative. He would sleep as long as my wife held him in her arms, but raized bloody hell when she tried to put him into his crib or even sit down with him.

Finally, we went to a child psychologist who explained that we are risking giving our kids a sleep disorder. We went through a hellish week of training, during which Daniel managed to climb out of his crib (remember, he was 18 month old at the time).

Now the kids sleep through the night, waking maybe once to drink some water. But we almost managed to cause permanent harm with well-intentioned strategy of Dr. Sears. Daniel is still more capricious and fragile than he needs to be. Please learn from our experience, don't try to implement this book if you have twins.

       A Godsend for Parents of "Fussy" Babies, 28. Juli 2000

This book has had a profound positive influence on our lives. When our first child was born, my husband and I were at our wit's end with this infant who always cried, always wanted to be held, never "just fell asleep" (had to be nursed and rocked), always refused a bottle (exclusively breastfed). I found myself, when he was only 1 month old, desperately searching parenting books for help. Into my life came The Baby Book. What revelations! Attachment parenting! Wear your baby! Sleep with your baby! Breastfeed your baby! These were all the things my baby insisted upon! And Dr. Sears said it was OK! I had been trying to make my infant fit into the mainstream parenting mold and he didn't fit. No doubt about it, without Dr. Sears' advice mother, father, and baby would have continued on a very unhappy course. With the guidance of this book, we have raised this high-needs baby to be a happy, well-adjusted child.

       The best baby book ever written., 16. Juli 2000

This book is clearly the best baby book ever written. The Sears are down to earth with their suggestions and practical advise. I would like to see every new parent get a copy of this book before their first child is born. The Baby Book is very helpful for parents and grandparents of children up until age 2 or so.

       It's my "Baby Bible", 9. Juli 2000

My copy is a hand me down from my sister-in-law, she has four children. I didn't receive it until after my daughter was born, and I feel as if I had it throughout my pregnancy a lot of my unanswered questions and concerns would have been addressed. It prepares you for breastfeeding, child/parent bonding, it gives you chapters of what's normal behvior in infants and toddlers and what's not, it even describes what type of breast pumps are out there and rates them( MY OPINION: get the Medula eletric pump, it's worth every penny. If you can't afford it, rent the hospital's it's the best hands down). The book has been with me from Louisiana to Hawaii and everywhere else we've traveled. Thank the good Lord for Dr. Sears and his wife Martha, because of their book we were able to diagnose my daughter's reflux. We immediately brought her to her pediatrian where she was hospitalized that very day. The information you receive in this book will educate you beyond what some doctors can or will offer you in office visits. In every situation that I have experienced with my daughter, whether it be questions about sleeping positions affecting her walking abilities, side effects and long term effects of immunizations, what signs to look for and steps for diagnosing alleregies, there's even a list of poisonous household and garden plants. There are too many subject matters to list! This is THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GET FOR YOURSELF OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE! My daughter is now 15 months old and we will be using this book for a long time to come. It offers me CPR steps for infants and toddlers, a list of childhood illnesses,causes&symptoms, language development, and much more. It has provided me with contact numbers, and information I may have never received. As a mother, I feel Martha's opinions, ideas and antedotes are very comforting . We must remember though, as parents we all have our own way of doing things. Every piece of information that is offered, or pushed on you you do not have to take. Trust your instincts, asks lots of questions if you're uncertain, find a pediatrician who you trust and feel comfortable with, and most importantly give your children the most love you can. I feel that this book is in full support of all of these important things. It is up to you as a parent the amount of bonding, attention and care your child can or should receive. Don't feel guilty or pressured by anyone or anything to do something that is nor right for you or your family. This book offers a complete A-Z's on what can or should be done for just about every situation, find what information works for you and use it. Get"The Baby Book," it will take a lot of the unknowns out of parenting and will allow you to focus on other things like enjoying your child!

       It's my "Baby Bible", 9. Juli 2000

My copy is a hand me down from my sister-in-law, she has four children. I didn't receive it until after my daughter was born, and I feel as if I had it throughout my pregnancy a lot of my unanswered questions and concerns would have been addressed. It prepares you for breastfeeding, child/parent bonding, it gives you chapters of what's normal behvior in infants and toddlers and what's not, it even describes what type of breast pumps are out there and rates them( MY OPINION: get the Medula eletric pump, it's worth every penny. If you can't afford it, rent the hospital's it's the best hands down). The book has been with me from Louisiana to Hawaii and everywhere else we've traveled. Thank the good Lord for Dr. Sears and his wife Martha, because of their book we were able to diagnose my daughter's reflux. We immediately brought her to her pediatrian where she was hospitalized that very day. The information you receive in this book will educate you beyond what some doctors can or will offer you in office visits. In every situation that I have experienced with my daughter, whether it be questions about sleeping positions affecting her walking abilities, side effects and long term effects of immunizations, what signs to look for and steps for diagnosing alleregies, there's even a list of poisonous household and garden plants. There are too many subject matters to list! This is THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GET FOR YOURSELF OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE! My daughter is now 15 months old and we will be using this book for a long time to come. It offers me CPR steps for infants and toddlers, a list of childhood illnesses,causes&symptoms, language development, and much more. It has provided me with contact numbers, and information I may have never received. As a mother, I feel Martha's opinions, ideas and antedotes are very comforting . We must remember though, as parents we all have our own way of doing things. Every piece of information that is offered, or pushed on you you do not have to take. Trust your instincts, asks lots of questions if you're uncertain, find a pediatrician who you trust and feel comfortable with, and most importantly give your children the most love you can. I feel that this book is in full support of all of these important things. It is up to you as a parent the amount of bonding, attention and care your child can or should receive. Don't feel guilty or pressured by anyone or anything to do something that is nor right for you or your family. This book offers a complete A-Z on what can or should be done for just about every situation, find what information works for you and use it. Get "The Baby Book," it will take a lot of the unknowns out of parenting and will allow you to focus on other things like enjoying your child!