The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition) [Paperback]

William Sears (Author), Martha Sears (Author), Robert Sears (Author), James Sears (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003 | Series: Sears Parenting Library

The "baby bible" of the post-Dr. Spock generation, already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents, has now been revised, expanded, and brought thoroughly up-to-date -- with the latest information on everything from diapering to day care, from midwifery to hospital birthing rooms, from postpartum nutrition to infant development.

Dr. Bill and Martha Sears draw from their vast experience both as medical professionals and as the parents of eight children to provide comprehensive information on virtually every aspect of infant care. Working for the first time with their sons Dr. Bob and Dr. Jim, both pediatric specialists in their own right, the Searses have produced a completely updated guide that is unrivaled in its scope and authority.

The Baby Book focuses on the essential needs of babies -- cating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort -- as it addresses the questions of greatest concern to today's parents. The Baby Book presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. The Baby Book is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting -- for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

William and Martha Sears, a pediatrician and a registered nurse respectively, team up with two of their doctor sons to update their 1993 guide to "attachment parenting." Advocating a "high-touch style of parenting to balance the high-tech life of the new millennium," the authors teach new parents how to bond with their babies through seven fundamental behaviors, including breastfeeding, "babywearing" and setting proper boundaries. When parents keep close to their babies by bringing them into bed at night and picking them up when they cry, the infants develop better, the authors argue; rather than becoming spoiled, they become more healthy and independent. From tips for a healthy birth, getting your baby to sleep and feeding him the "right fats," to information about early health concerns, the major steps in infant development and troublesome but typical toddler behavior, the authors of this comprehensive volume (who share their own parenting experiences along the way) are assured and reassuring experts.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Dr. William Sears is a pediatrician in practice for over 30 yrs. Martha Sears is a registered nurse, childbirth educator and breastfeeding consultant. They have eight children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 769 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Revised edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316778001
• ISBN-13: 978-0316778008
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (593 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Children's Health

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

353 of 374 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Parent by their principles, not all the details June 28, 2004

By Nina Abbott VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I'm a full-time working mom of a 2.5 year old, incredible boy.
Initially when I read Sears my reaction was that to be a good parent I would have to quit working, spend my whole day breastfeeding and wearing my baby and never get a solid's night sleep again. (And, I've have to grind my own wheat, grow my organic vegetables and move to an unpolluted island...well, not quite, but that seemed to be the general drift.)

But, what the Sear's approach or Attachment Parenting approach to me comes down to this:

Know your baby.
Respond to your baby's cues.

Understand that your baby isn't a mini-adult who just happens to live in a diaper. Understand that your child comes with his own personality and developmental timetable. Understand that when he cries he needs you. Understand that cuddling, holding, touching your baby is good for him and is not "spoiling" him. Understand that being given a brand new soul to nurture can be exhausting, but that everything you do which demonstrates empathy will come back to you 10 fold in the bond you will have with your child.

I do wish that the AP "movement" was less associated with "crunchy granola" types of parents. AP (and the Sears as the best known proponents) is really doing what comes naturally: We are hardwired to pick up our babies and care for them when they cry. We are hardwired to feel the intense desire to protect them from discomfort. This isn't a "movement" this is how we are made, and Mother (and Father) Nature are brillant!

Updated in 2012: Our son is now a happy 10 year old. And, I would say that though we are hardly an organic, crunchy family (though we do love Cheetos Crunchy a lot in our household....), the core principle of "Know your baby (now child), and respond to your child's cues" remains our abiding guideline. We looked at our baby's tantrums as a 2-4 year old and acknowledged that they were emotion, not disobedience; we looked at our 5 to 7 year olds struggles with school and saw confusion and a need for reassurance and not laziness or lack of intelligence, we looked at our older elementary school aged child's peer identification and saw a need for belonging and not "sass".

In addition to Dr. Sears, we've found Positive Discipine by Dr. Jane Nelsen to be a wonderful guide.

220 of 251 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Ideas but PLEASE get other views as well March 11, 2004

By Shirley Lane

Format:Paperback

I started my pregnancy with the Dr. Sears pregnancy book and also read the breastfeeding book and I loved his natural, gentle approach to everything so I registered for The Baby Book. I devoured this book and loved everything I read. I felt so confident going into parenthood! Then I had my baby and I was shocked to find I was completely unprepared in some ways. I followed some dangerous advice about not supplementing her with formula while my milk was coming in and she ended up in the hospital dehydrated and with dangerously low blood sugar. The day we left the hospital I bought the American Academy of Pediatrics book "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child," and this is my new bible for illnesses in my baby. It is much more thorough, and I feel comfortable knowing this is what is reccomended by a community of professionals instead of one Dr with one philosophy. Another example, we tried the family bed until she was five months and we never let her cry for a second. At four months old she was fussy, clingy, and was sleeping less that ten hours a day. I finally broke down and bought "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." After some gentler approaches and limited crying it out she will only sleep through the night (12 hours) in her own bed because our moving wakes her, and she gets about 13-15 hours of sleep a day. She is happy every morning and much more playful and engaging, and our bond is even stronger. My point is that you really need to find your own approach to problem solving the ups and downs of parenthood, and this book will only present you with one method. I still practice attachment parenting, but I also respect my child's needs to sleep and to play on her own. I love Dr. Sears and Martha's loving approach to parenthood, but I have developed my own loving approach now thanks to the input I have gained from other professionals in the field.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great general baby book, but heavy on the guilt March 12, 2009

By snowqueen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought and read this book before I had my baby on recommendations from friends. I loved it and thought I would follow the Attachment Parenting philosophy to the word. Then I had my baby and all my preconceived theories and opinions on baby care went out the window. While I still believe in (and did myself) baby wearing, responding to their cries, breastfeeding if you can, and many other of the aspects of AP, there were some things we ended up doing differently....

1.I had planned to use a co-sleeper next to our bed but my baby made so much noise in her sleep that we ended up moving it to the other side of our bedroom and ultimately put her in her own room at about five months. My husband and I were very happy to have our room back and she seemed very happy in her own room.

2. Even though we carried our baby all the time in a sling the first two months, she still cried A LOT. The book says that carried babies cry less, and maybe she would have cried more had we not carried her, but don't expect a miracle if you have a crier. She also really liked to lie on the ground or in a bouncy chair looking at our faces so we ended up not carrying her as much as we thought we would after about two months, although we still do wear her for walks and to do chores around the house. etc.

3. I thought I would breastfeed until a year at least, but after about six months, my baby just got fussier and fussier wanting the bottle instead (we had given her one (with breast milk) a few times a week so my husband could help out), so we ultimately weaned her to formula after seven months. Also, I realized pretty early on that totally on-demand-nursing wasn't for us. I just couldn't figure out some of her sleep cues from her hunger cues and ended up getting frustrated. I used a relaxed version of the E.A.S.Y method from "The Baby Whisperer" instead and it made such a huge difference in my confidence and understanding what she needed. (I highly recommend that book for helping you understand babies' body language/cues etc. but beware, it can feel very anti-attachment parenting at first if you are used to Dr. Sears' books).

4. While she slept well from about 6 weeks to 13 weeks, her sleep took a turn for the worse, waking every hour to two for many, many weeks. I was totally exhausted and miserable during the day. I re-read Dr. Sears' advice on sleep and he pretty much says just to live with it and it will eventually work out. I had to turn to other books to help me with her sleep and ultimately had to use a modified, gentler Ferber method (and Baby Whisperer methods). She needed to learn to sleep without our help. (She was getting quite heavy to be carried and rocked every time). We still do rock her a little before bed and naps to help her settle down, but letting her cry a little at bedtime and night time really did help her learn to self soothe. She is a lot happier baby during the day because she is well rested and I am a much better Mommy when I am well rested. "The 90 Minute Sleep Solutions" is also a very helpful book in understanding babies sleep cycles. My baby had awake/sleep cycles like clockwork (just as this book says). It really helped me know when to put her down for naps.

So, basically what I am saying is when you are a new parent you HAVE to be flexible and open to other ideas if something isn't working in your family. Dr. Sears even says this in his book, but I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have to do everything by "the book". Dr. Sears is very convincing in making you believe his way is best and very guilty if AP doesn't work out for you or have the results he says they will. You really have to do what feels right in your heart and works for your family. I have found parenting to be LOTS of trial and error until you find something that feels right or works for your child.