Accessories

Informative and reassuring
I found this book to be the best of all baby books (including, What to Expect the First Year.) Unlike the others, it was fun and very educational. There aren't as many "absolutes" and you don't feel judged when you don't perfectly fit the rules in other books. A must read...especially during the last trimester of pregnancy. I waited til baby was born and wished I had read prior to her birth.

One sentence in the book bothers me
So, I was happily reading this book and kept telling my husband about how much I like this book & that it ranks # 2 as far as baby books go (Baby 411 is the absolute BEST one) & I have read ALOT of baby books. Anyway I get to this sentence that really makes me mad - it is better to smoke & breastfeed than to not breastfeed at all - I tried to breastfeed my son for 3 months and we just could not do it. He was born with low blood sugar thanks to my diabetes & was given a bottle as soon as he was born. On top of that he had severe jaundice that required us to supplement and he preferred the bottle over having to work for milk. I never felt a let down of milk, I pumped every 30 mins. for 2 weeks straight & all I produced all day long was 2 oz! After going to 3 different lactaction consultants (not to mention the several nurses while in the hospital) none of which could help my baby latch on properly I finally gave up when he was 3 months old. I now have a BOTTLEFEED baby who is 7 months old & is already learning to walk, according to his Dr. he is way ahead of his peers developemently. I babysit a exclusivly BREASTFEED baby who just last week has learned to turn over (my son was turning over both ways at 3 1/2 months old) & has gotten sick double the amount of times that my son has. I feel bad enough about bottlefeeding without hearing sentences like that, I smoked for 11 years and quit a year before getting pregnant because I didn't want to expose my child to that let alone breastfeed a baby while smoking. I don't think that statement makes bottlefeeding mothers feel very good about their decision, we already get enough grief from everybody else and don't need books to make us feel more guilty. And besides second hand smoke can contribute to lung cancer, bottlefeeding can't. If you ignore that one sentence in the book then it's a wonderful book.

Good resource
You can never have too much information since a newborn doesn't come with an instruction manual.

Comforting and Funny!!!
Bored with all those "stage" in life books for your baby to be? Perhaps you are (as I am) soon to be expecting and realize that you won't have a lot of time to read up about what your baby may/may not be up to and if it is normal after your baby arrives. Well then this book is for you!
I eagerly started the book on Friday and finished it (yes all 500 pages) on Saturday. What a delight. The author uses plenty of references from real life Moms and Dads which add wonderful insite and humor. Be warned though, if you are looking for the "What to expect book" format this is not for you. This is a realistic, warm, and funny look at life that tackles hard to discuss topics in a safe and humorous way.
If you are tired of the same old at this age your child will _____ books then definately pick this up. Its like talking to an old friend that you haven't met yet who has been there and knows the struggles and confusion that comes with having a baby.

Great book for new mother
I purchased this book for a young friend of mine who was about to have a baby and had lots of questions about not only the baby, but about what her body was going through. She loves it and refers to it constantly.