The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year (U.S. edition) [Paperback]

Ann Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mother of All | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Oh Boy! Or Girl!

Just had a baby? Relax, lie down and breathe a sigh of relief. The Mother of All Baby Books has arrived! From the author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, comes the guide that all new parents have been waiting for, whether they know it or not. The Mother of All Baby Books is the instruction manual that Mother Nature forgot to include with your new bundle of joy. Packed with important advice and insider tips to coping with the joys and challenges of caring for your new baby, this comprehensive, refreshing guide is an excellent resource for first time or even experienced moms and dads.

Warm and delightful, The Mother of All Baby Books offers a wide range of topics including basic childcare, nutrition, health, and physical, emotional, and social development. Inside you'll find the facts about sleeping patterns, breastfeeding, circumcision, and immunization issues, as well as charts and tables to bring you up to date on the latest information, a handy glossary of baby-related terms, and insider secrets on shopping for baby. Get the inside scoop on how to handle colic, diaper rash and all those pressing questions that have you pacing the floor at 3 a.m.! With an extra-added dose of reassurance, discover what it's really like to become a parent in this bible to babyhood and beyond!

"The Mother of All Baby Books provides excellent advice for topics that are easily overlooked during the pregnancy/baby adventure."
-Sandra Gookin, co-author of Parenting For Dummies and Parenting For Dummies, 2nd ed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Babies don't come with instruction manuals.' Well, Ann Douglas'The Mother of All Baby Books is the next best thing! Coveringeverything imaginable -- from newborn care and bathing basics tobabyproofing your home and coping with sleepless nights -- thisvaluable resource gives you lots of ways to nurture this amazing newperson in your life while still keeping your sanity. Ann's wiseideas, researched information, and real-life tips will help you makethis time even more magical and memorable." - ePregnancy magazine -- July 2002

Review

Acclaim for The Mother of All Baby Books and Ann Douglas

"Indispensable! Every mom and dad should be issued a copy of this book at the hospital!" —Denise & Alan Fields, authors of Baby Bargains

"Down-to-earth, informative, empowering and entertaining, this book holds your hand when you're uncertain, hugs you when you're discouraged, makes you laugh when you're aggravated, and inspires you when you're pushed to your limits. Also, this book doesn't shy away from looking at the issues around childbearing losses.So if you're a mother with special circumstances, you can pick up this book with ease, knowing that your experiences are reflected and gently acknowledged." —Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D., co-author of The Emotional Journey ofParenting Your Premature Baby: A Book of Hope and Healing

"The Mother of All Baby Books is an amazing resource that all new mothers will love. Brilliantly presented, the book is both practical and inspirational, and no topic is left unexplored. Ann Douglas is the kind of savvy and reassuring guide that you'll want by your side as you embark on the monumental journey into motherhood." —Cecelia A. Cancellaro, author of Pregnancy Stories: Real Women Share the Joys, Fears, Thrills, and Anxieties of Pregnancy from Conception to Birth

"The Mother of all Baby Books provides excellent advice for topics that are easily overlooked during the pregnancy/baby adventure. The real life examples do a superb job supporting these topics in addition to giving you creative ideas on howyou can implement these helpful suggestions into your life." —Sandra Gookin, co-author of Parenting For Dummies,and Parenting For Dummies, 2nd Edition

"There's nothing like another 'Mother' to help you navigate the amazing first year with a new baby. The Mother of All Baby Books has advice for almost everything you'll encounter." —Paula Spencer, "The Mom Next Door" columnist, Woman's Day Magazine; author of Everything ELSE You Need to Know When You're Expecting

"With humor, sensitivity, an easy, no-jargon style, and a million 'extras' that the leading baby books on the shelves don't cover, Ann Douglas holds nothing back.
Finally, a baby book written for women of my generation!" —M. Sara Rosenthal, author of The Breastfeeding Sourcebook, and founder of www.sarahealth.com

"A major thumbs-up goes to The Mother of All Baby Books - a fabulously writ-ten, comprehensive guide to baby care that is definitely a must-read for any parent or caregiver. Full of real-life experiences and wonderful tips, this book answers all those nagging little questions that plague parents, as well as providing scads of valuable ideas on how to do a bang-up job of baby care. It covers the wholespectrum-everything from getting prepped for the magical moments (meeting/greeting your brand-new baby), to brass-tack practicalities, such as choosing a baby carrier. (I'll definitely keep this book close at hand for my own new-baby questions this year!)" —Jennifer Shoquist, M.D., author of Potty Training For Dummies

"Ann Douglas has done it again! Like her pregnancy books, this new baby-rearing guide is comprehensive yet easy to read. Parents will find answers to all their ques-tions,from big decisions ('How do we choose a pediatrician?') to minor matters ('Which wallpaper for the nursery?'), from age-old anxieties ('Is my baby eating enough?') to contemporary concerns ('Should we bank the umbilical cordblood?'). Plus, the book is reader-friendly and fun, with its practical suggestions reinforced by lively anecdotes from savvy, experienced parents." —Tamara Eberlein, coauthor of When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads and Program Your Baby's Health

"As the old saying goes, 'Babies don't come with instruction manuals.' Well, Ann Douglas' The Mother of All Baby Books is really the next best thing! Covering everything imaginable - from newborn care to bathing basics, babyproofing your home to coping with sleepless nights - you will find ways to nurture this amazing new little person in your life while still keeping your sanity. Ann's wise ideas, researched information and real-life tips will help you make this time even more magical and memorable." —Nancy Price, Editor, GeoParent.com, ePregnancy.com and ePregnancy Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764566164
• ISBN-13: 978-0764566165
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of numerous books on pregnancy and parenting, including Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler (2006); Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler (2006); The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (2002); The Mother of All Baby Books (2002); The Mother of All Toddler Books (2004); The Mother of All Parenting Books (2004); The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers (2004); Choosing Childcare for Dummies (2003); The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby (2nd edition -- 2004); Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Loss (2000); and The Unofficial Guide to Childcare.

My husband and I have four children (ages 10-19). I have also experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, more for pre-baby, September 10, 2004

By 

Andrea M. Pinto "Proud Chicago Mom" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year (U.S. edition) (Paperback)

This is a great, easy-to-read book with good info. However, the title is a bit misleading--2/3 of the book deal with planning for baby and dealing with the first few days. It is an excellent book, but it is more a book to read in your last trimester than after baby is born.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific parenting and pediatric health reference, September 12, 2002

By 

"parenteducatorandmom" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year (U.S. edition) (Paperback)

I am frequently asked to review parenting and pediatric health books as part of my job as a parent educator. This is one of the best baby books that has crossed my desk in years. It provides an incredibly comprehensive -- and honest -- look at the first year of parenthood from both the parent and child's perspective. I was particularly impressed by the section on planning your "babymoon" (the first week or two of parenthood). This is material that every new parent should have. And the section on not overshopping for baby is equally invaluable. Other highlights of the book include the head-to-toe "tour" of a newborn baby (the material on birthmarks and other newborn features is more comprehensive than anything I've ever seen in a book targeted at consumers rather than health care providers); the no-holds-barred description of what your postpartum body will really feel like (again, the author provides an unprecedented amount of detail); the chapter on breastfeeding (a massive chapter that addresses all of the most common concerns about breastfeeding and a useful explanation of "the science of lactation"); the chapter on common illnesses which includes a very useful section on when to call the doctor); and the highly detailed infant development chart (the chart provides a useful overview of the key social, emotional, cognitive, and communicative milestones you can expect your baby to achieve during that all-important first year -- and guidelines on what to look for if you're worried that your baby may be experiencing a delay in one area). The book is medically accurate and yet still highly readable -- a rare combination in parenting and pediatric health book circles. It's definitely a 5+ star book.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Handy Reference For The First Year, October 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year (U.S. edition) (Paperback)

What an enjoyable and informative book!! After Reading "The Mother of all Pregnancy Books' and finding it both humorous and informative, I rushed out to purchase "The Mother of All Baby Books." I read it cover to cover within a week and have referred to it at LEAST once a week since then. The chapter on breast-feeding is fantastic. The information on baby's health has been consistently valuable to me, a first time mom, who has been checking for every sign of illness. It helped me quite a bit to have a realistic understanding of the physical limitations of my post-pregnancy body and an idea of what a normal recovery period was.

I could go on and on about the multitudes of useful information in this book. However I feel that some of the most valuable portions of this book are the (often humourous) anecdotes that helped me and my husband feel validated in our concerns and less isolated in our experiences. Let's face it, not many of us can call another parent of a feverish 6 month old at 3 am, but we can refer to Ann Douglas's book and find out not only when to be concerned enough to head to the emergency room, but also be consoled that other parents have been through the same thing.