I just got this book and skipped ahead to the 7, 8, 9 months chapters and I'm totally not thrilled. I also flipped back to read about diapering and was not impressed. He seems really anti-cloth diapering (says it's the most expensive and non-eco friendly and that "most parents" will go with sposies while out or at night anyway), gives advice like if your baby isn't interested in solids cut back on breastfeeding, and every chapter mentions weaning in detail although he does throw in a token "the WHO says to breastfeed til 2 years" comment...
I sure hope some parents don't take this as the baby bible!!
Drearina
06-01-2009, 12:22 AM
I actually threw mine away. I couldn't even freecycle or goodwill it because I felt it was such horrible crap.
AlliesMommy
06-01-2009, 12:24 AM
My dog took it into the backyard thru his doggie door.... it hasn't been seen since. :giggle2:
calideedle
06-01-2009, 12:29 AM
I actually threw mine away. I couldn't even freecycle or goodwill it because I felt it was such horrible crap.
:yeahthat:
tarah1218
06-01-2009, 03:54 AM
I wasn't happy with it either but am actually okay with "what to expect..toddler years". I just pick and choose what I take from each book, I know that every book I read I am not going to agree with so I just take what is useful to me and highlight and move on. I think it is crazy how expensive these "parenting books" are! It is like 15-30 bucks all for someone's opinion on how it should be done it seems.
katengrace
06-01-2009, 05:11 AM
Someone gave me their copy. I don't think I made it past the first month. It seemed like pretty useless information. I thought "What To Expect While You're Expecting" was even worse. :yuck:
nm45832
06-01-2009, 05:37 AM
I got rid of it as well. It was filled with horrible information - just like what to expect when you're expecting. The only one worth anything in the series is what to eat while you're expecting - and that's b/c it doesn't share opinions, just recipes!
Sleep deprived
06-01-2009, 08:15 AM
I returned all the baby books I was given, including that one. I get plenty of unsolicited advice - no sense paying for it!
mrsbehaven007
06-01-2009, 08:18 AM
WOW.. I almost bought that book about 3 days ago for my cousins GF:yuck:
LilyGrace
06-01-2009, 09:16 AM
I don't like how it presents it all in "you/your baby should be doing this and if you're not you're wrong". It seems to counter any instincts a new parent might have and make them doubly question themselves.
mcbruhn
06-01-2009, 09:18 AM
I can't stand it.
staceyroo77
06-01-2009, 09:21 AM
I knew there was a reason I've never even looked at a copy of this book. :giggle:
malacehinja
06-01-2009, 09:44 AM
I've got it and I would like to get rid of it...yeah, all the detailed weaning and CIO info seems pretty scary to me.
angelikapisadika
06-01-2009, 09:45 AM
i hated it, too! :giggle: :giggle:
theosmom
06-01-2009, 09:50 AM
Worthless, I gave my copy to goodwill. Now I only have Dr. Sears parenting books lying around.
Terra
06-01-2009, 10:33 AM
I don't like how it presents it all in "you/your baby should be doing this and if you're not you're wrong". It seems to counter any instincts a new parent might have and make them doubly question themselves.
:werd: So many people check their instincts at the door when they have a baby it seems.
I had the WTEWE and hated it, threw it away and vowed never to buy another in the series. IMO it rates right up there with the Babywise and Pearl stuff.
gypsy54
06-01-2009, 12:12 PM
yeah that one is in the donate pile collecting dust. Just way too conventional, and lame actually.
EmmaLaurel
06-01-2009, 12:17 PM
i agree about the what to expect book.. is there any book you all LIKE about the first year? i would love to have a good resource or two that i felt like was actually helpful...
Namaste
06-01-2009, 01:11 PM
All of the "What to expect" are junk, IMO.
LilyGrace
06-01-2009, 01:36 PM
i agree about the what to expect book.. is there any book you all LIKE about the first year? i would love to have a good resource or two that i felt like was actually helpful...
In the beginning Dr. Sears is good, but some find him condescending. The best baby resources I've found have been online. The books are GREAT when you're looking at one or two issues, you know? One on sleeping, one on feeding...but online you get to see that sooooooooo much is considered normal that is NOT in the books.
amphibology29
06-01-2009, 02:29 PM
All of the "What to expect" are junk, IMO.
:yeahthat: Someone gave me their old copies of "when you're expecting" and "the first year" and I couldn't donate them to Salvation Army with a clear conscience, so we used them for fire starters last summer when we wanted to toast marshmallows in the back yard. :giggle2:
Terra
06-01-2009, 03:04 PM
:yeahthat: Someone gave me their old copies of "when you're expecting" and "the first year" and I couldn't donate them to Salvation Army with a clear conscience, so we used them for fire starters last summer when we wanted to toast marshmallows in the back yard. :giggle2:
:giggle2:
I threw the babywise book I got from someone in our trash and then cleaned out the frig and poured all the old stuff on top.
simplykat
06-01-2009, 03:10 PM
Worst book ever. I was given it with my first, when i was 18. I tried to follow it, figured it was right. Bfing didn't work out, i gave up cloth etc etc.
I found it awhile ago, after i had my son, opened it up to look a bit, was appalled and recyled it. Felt totally liberated lol
nm45832
06-01-2009, 03:23 PM
i agree about the what to expect book.. is there any book you all LIKE about the first year? i would love to have a good resource or two that i felt like was actually helpful...
I really like Dr Sears "The Baby Book". It's got a lot of great info, is very AP friendly, and if nothing else, has a great reference section in the back for injuries/medicine, solid feeding (what and when), etc. I HIGHLY recommend it:goodvibes:
mc_squared
06-01-2009, 08:05 PM
This thread is awesome! I too purchased the pregnancy/first year books before DS was born but always thought there was something odd about the advice they gave...not to mention that I get furious every time I read the "cloth vs disposables" page. I mean come on, did they even do their research? They're spouting off facts about cloth that just plain aren't true, almost as if they're trying to perpetuate the stereotypes about how cloth is leaky, unsanitary etc.
As far as good baby books, I read The Happiest Baby on the Block before DS was born and I thought it had some good info. It only really pertains to the first three months, but I used techniques in there to calm baby well past that point with DS. It only deals with calming fussy/colicky babies and of course it's all very hands-on, so it's AP-friendly. A very interesting theory though!
emilyinmichigan
06-01-2009, 08:15 PM
I really like Dr Sears "The Baby Book". It's got a lot of great info, is very AP friendly, and if nothing else, has a great reference section in the back for injuries/medicine, solid feeding (what and when), etc. I HIGHLY recommend it:goodvibes:
Totally agree! I didn't get "The Baby Book" right away with DS but over time it has certainly proved to be the most useful first year book.
Liddle1
06-01-2009, 09:08 PM
Ya the CIO stuff bugged me too.
Oh I love the gem about how if the baby starts crying when you're having sex just concentrate and finish up and let the baby cry. UH NO!!!
GEM Cloth
06-01-2009, 09:20 PM
I read through some of it when I was pregnant with my first but quickly discovered that I was not a "by the book" parent, I am a "by the heart" parent. I did enjoy Dr. Sears and reading that through I discovered that we were AP parents. I didn't know it had a name, we were just doing what worked for our family.
Edensmomma
06-01-2009, 09:22 PM
Not a fan of any of the "what to expect" books.
S Starr
06-02-2009, 09:09 AM
I liked WTEWYE. :shrug: But for the first year I like "Your Baby's First Year Week by Week." Every month it has a list of developments to watch for, like "understands no" or "interested in feeding self" or "begins to vocalize consonants."
EBentley
06-02-2009, 09:45 AM
I won't touch anything in the What to Expect Series. We'll get patients who have all sorts of worries and weird questions and I tell them to put that book away.
Terra
06-02-2009, 10:30 AM
I won't touch anything in the What to Expect Series. We'll get patients who have all sorts of worries and weird questions and I tell them to put that book away.
Oh yes, I forgot about that! I actually [before I threw it away!] read in WTEWE that if the baby hiccups a lot it could mean the cord is around their neck! Well DS #1 hiccuped all.the.time and I was so frightened and asked my OB about it. She was the one who prompted me to throw it away!:giggle:
musicalisa
06-02-2009, 10:34 AM
Well I've heard it's not without at least one redeeming quality: apparently it has a great index and is well organized. :thumbsup:
(Too bad the info it's indexing is crap!)
Terra
06-02-2009, 10:49 AM
Well I've heard it's not without at least one redeeming quality: apparently it has a great index and is well organized. :thumbsup:
(Too bad the info it's indexing is crap!)
:giggle2:
Fearless_Strawberry
06-02-2009, 04:33 PM
:yuck: I only used mine to refer to the "your baby is now ___ inches long" part"
