Books

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for books on baby care and breastfeeding - does not have to be the same book. Someone recommended the Happiest Baby on the Block, but do you all have other recommendations.

Thanks - 1st time mom-to-be.

[Anonymous]

My favorite by far is Baby 411.

[Anonymous]

I liked What to Expect the First Year. I also got the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from a friend. It is published by La Leche league, so is very pro-breastfeeding rather than anything else, but I did find it to have some helpful tips.

[Anonymous]

I liked the What to Expect book, too. I also have Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, which is put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It covers newborns through age 5, and deals with issues such as infant care, feeding, expected milestones, safety and illness. That is the book my sister, who is a pediatrician, recommended.

[Anonymous]

the ones i found most useful were the Baby Book by Dr. Sears - not so much for the parenting info but the medical info is great. It saved me from calling the pediatrician every other day during the first 4 weeks. as for breastfeeding, there's a book called the nursing mothers companion (or something like that) and it is the BEST!

[Anonymous]

Baby 411 is great, as is The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Higgins. I also really liked the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, which has newborn care and breastfeeding information in it as well. I read tons of others, but those were the three that I went back to over and over again.

[Anonymous]

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth is a MUST READ.

Even if you don't follow the sleep suggestions (I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't), the explanations of sleep physiology and normal patterns are incredibly valuable.

I also second the recommendation of the AAP Caring for your Baby book. Good reference.

[Anonymous]

"Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" was a lifesaver for me, helping set a routine for DS around 4 months that we continue now at 15 months for the most part. Fantastic section on sleep routine. LOVED LOVED it.

[Anonymous]

Happiest Baby on the Block is a must have for mothers of newborns and should be given out in hospitals and birthing centers, along with a swaddling blanket, when parents leave with their babies, imho

Also vital, if you plan to breastfeed, is the telephone number of a good lactation consultant - who you should call when you arrive home from delivery just to come by for a supportive check-in.