Your Baby's First Year Week by Week [Paperback]

Glade B. Curtis (Author), Judith Schuler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2010 | Series: Week by Week

Let the trusted authors of Your Pregnancy™ Week by Week—the book you relied on while you were pregnant—guide you through baby’s remarkable, sometimes mind-boggling first year. With easy-to-understand information at your fingertips, you’ll know what to look for and understand what’s happening. This book will provide you with the skills necessary to support and encourage baby’s growth.

Thoroughly revised and updated, Your Baby’s First Year™ Week by Week includes the latest pediatric guidelines and recommendations, plus more than 50 new topics—everything from food allergies to cord-blood banking. It also features the essential milestones of baby’s social, emotional, intellectual and physical development on a weekly basis. Valuable information includes:

• Common medical problems: what to look for and when to call baby’s pediatrician
• Bonding with baby: from baby massage to talking, what you can do to create a meaningful connection
• Feeding baby: breast milk or formula? and introducing solids
• Sleeping habits: how to improve the situation for the entire family
• Vaccination guidelines: learn about the latest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• Playing with baby: how to help develop baby’s cognitive, social and motor skills through play and with toys, many of them homemade
• Baby gear: the latest on carriers, high chairs, swings, cribs, clothing, diapers and everything else you may need

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tundraco’s Daily Living Guide, 3/3/10
“An essential reference for all mothers and mothers-to-be…First time moms will find the guidance that the book offers will help soothe their new-mom nerves and to help them learn what their baby should be doing—and about when.”

InfoDad.com, 3/25/10
“Outstanding…658 pages of clear, carefully written information—much of it highlighted in easy-to-read boxes…Filled with so much material that, even if your child does not follow the exact order in which the data are presented (and he or she probably won’t), the book is excellent at putting early developmental milestones and difficulties in perspective…A useful, trusted resource…Parents who refer to it often during their baby’s first year will find it packed with solid information, intelligently presented.”

Bookviews.com, April 2010
“Filled with information on every aspect from common medical problems, feeding, bonding with your baby, sleeping habits, vaccination guidelines, and baby gear among many other topics. This is an invaluable guide for new parents and those expecting their first child."

Deseret News, 5/11/10
“A concise and easy-to-understand guidebook for each week of your baby's life. Busy parents will find a wealth of information they can absorb in small snippets according to the age of their child…When compared to other child-care books on the market, Your Baby's First Year, Week by Week has a wealth of information. You won't just learn general facts about how your baby should be moving and growing—the weekly format allows you to learn in great detail how your child should be acting, moving and growing.” 

Tucson Citizen, 5/13/10
“A guide that new mothers and fathers have come to depend on. Each of the fifty-two weeks of the baby’s first year features a wealth of medical facts in addition to invaluable coping and planning advice.”

Fresno Book Review, 5/31/10
“A helpful reference for new parents…Provides helpful forms for recording information and important dates. Selected topics, such as breastfeeding and well-baby checkups, are covered in depth in the appendices…The subjects covered are topical and up to date. The information is presented in an easy-to-understand format with a minimum of medical jargon…The first aid and medical guidelines will be useful beyond a baby’s first year, including suggestions for home care and when to call the doctor…The complex task of caring for a baby is made easier by having a comprehensive reference such as this.”

About the Author

Glade B. Curtis, MD, MPH, is board-certified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the father of five. He lives in Utah.

Judith Schuler, MS, the mother of one son, has a master’s degree in Consumer and Family Studies. She divides her time between Wyoming and Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Third Edition edition (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738213721
• ISBN-13: 978-0738213729
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars medical mis-information October 29, 2010

By Dara Hogue

Format:Paperback

As a pediatrician with pre-teen/teenaged children, I didn't have this book on my own shelf, so I didn't read it until one of my patients quoted it to me because it went against the advice I gave her. It says that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving babies under 2 months old 200 IU of Vitamin D each day, and to not use the straight Vitamin D preparations. This is false information. The current recommendation for Vitamin D supplementation (which is not new) is 400 IU daily for babies who are exclusively or primarily breastfed until they are taking Vit D milk after their first birthday. The infant Vit D supplements on the market are safe and nontoxic.

I'm worried about what other information about health issues in this book is also blatantly wrong. Please note: this book is written by an Ob/Gyn, not a pediatrician. Look for another book written by a pediatric specialist if you want more accurate information on child health (there are MANY good ones out there!)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I went back to this book dozens of times! September 5, 2010

By T. Greenfield

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is abundant with useful information. All the important milesstones for each week are highlighted and different topics applicable to that week are written about in detail. I loved children prior to having my own but was clueless in the infant entertainment department. In addition to the basics, the tips on how to play with your new baby through all of his/her stages was very useful. The authors explain how the simple games help your baby develop and learn. The baby massage sections are an excellent way to learn to calm baby and bond with her as well. My husband and I used this book as a reference numerous times during the first year for both our little girl, who is now four, and currently for our 6 month old son.

There is a short but sweet summary on how to Ferberize your baby in week 23. What a lifesaver! In just 2 days this method helped our infant sleep though the night and put himself back to sleep. The book states clearly that this is not a method for infants younger than 6 months. Ferberizing is not letting your baby cry it out alone as some critics have mentioned. Each parent must use their common sense and do what is best for their baby. We used a timer and never let our 6 month old baby cry for more than 7 minutes. We always stayed in the room to soothe him. After 3 rotations of this he became better at putting himself back to sleep. If he cries in the night, do we leave him on his own "to cry it out"? No of course not, clearly that would be dangerous. Since using the Ferber method he is able to sleep better and the whole household has benefitted. If you don't choose to Ferberize there is other advice in this book that any parent will find useful.

There is a chapter on feeding your baby solids at four months. These are suggestions, not absolutes. Ultimately it's your choice as a parent if you give your child solids at 4 or 6 months. The book is simply letting you know that it's safe at 4 months. Previous reviewers have criticized this aspect of the book sharply. Have these same reviewers noticed that babyfood containers at the store print on their labels that it is safe to feed solids to a 4 month old baby? Does it mean you have to give solids to your 4 month old infant? I don't think so. My son was 20 lbs at 4 months, sitting up and reaching for my food. He was clearly ready to eat solids. This book gives guidelines to assist you in being mindful and making the best choice for your baby.

Curtis and Schuler do a comprehensive job of giving the reader different points of view and ways to care for a child in the first year. All the information is arranged in short peices never more than a few pages long. These small sections cover everything from strollers and gear to infant sleep and illnesses. This is a modern, relevant book on how to care for your newborn. It can smooth out some of the bumps in the road for first time parents.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars If you plan on breastfeeding find another book July 4, 2011

By kafkita

Format:Paperback

My main problem with this book is that, while it does include information on breastfeeding, overall it is not friendly to doing so (or pumping and bottle feeding) as the sole food source for babies under six months and at points actually disparages mothers who choose this approach. I love nursing, but at times it has been difficult and time consuming. I certainly do not need a book that is not fully in support of this process.