HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months [Paperback]

Robert W. Sears (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A healthy baby is a HAPPYBABY!

From the most respected names in parenting come this definitive book on child rearing the all-natural way. HappyBaby combines decades of medical expertise from Dr. Robert W. Sears, renowned doctor in the Sears family of pediatricians, with the nutritional know-how of Amy Marlow, registered dietitian for the popular HAPPYBABY line of organic baby food. Look no further than between the pages of this jam-packed guide to find answers to critically important questions in the life of your baby, such as:

• What should I eat when nursing my baby to ensure the most nutritional feedings?
• What simple tips can help me manage the inevitable stress that comes with a new baby in the house?
• I'm worried about toxins in my baby's nursery. How can I green the new room?
• When do I introduce my child to solid foods, and how can I do it in a safe and fun way?
• How can I develop healthy eating habits in my children?

This groundbreaking book offers a proactive, harmonious approach to parenting that's easier, greener, and just plain better for your precious infant or toddler.

About the Author

Robert W. Sears, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. The father of three sons, he is a coauthor of The Baby Book and The Vaccine Book. Dr. Sears works with the HAPPYBABY team to develop healthy meals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061711365
• ISBN-13: 978-0061711367
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #12,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #22 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Children's Health
  #32 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Motherhood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good information and breastfeeding friendly, October 24, 2009

By	K. Tier (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months (Paperback)

I was really excited to see this book. I am a certified nutrition educator (holistic nutrition), LLL leader, a new IBCLC, retired API leader, and mother of 4. I am also a big fan of Dr. William Sears' "The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood" and "The NDD Book".

Overall, this is a very good book that I would recommend to new moms, with a few caveats. First, they have good breastfeeding information and discuss why using an IBCLC is important, but they did not consult or include an IBCLC in the writing process. They encourage moms to wait until 6 months to start solids (which is best practice and evidence-based) and they give tips on how to delay solids for the 4-5 month old who is eyeing the plates at dinner (I loved that). However, they advocate starting with highly processed cereals (which just happen to be made by the HappyBaby company, who wrote the book). Many holistic nutritionists believe in the value of sticking with whole foods, such as avocado or banana, as first foods and believe that processed cereals (even organic ones) are not necessarily healthy choices.

After reading the book, I noticed all the HappyBaby organic processed food products at my local Whole Foods. It is not my place to debate the merits of these products (which do contain many good ingredients), but I think it is important in a book review to point out the product tie-ins.

Overall, I do believe this is a good book and I am glad it was written. Having Dr. Robert Sears' name on it (loved his "The Vaccine Book") will help it to reach a wider audience. It is worth buying.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice organic guide for parents, December 20, 2009

By	M. Talalay "Edamommy - Mom, Reviewer, Writer,... (Lutherville, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months (Paperback)

HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months by Robert W. Sears and Amy Marlowimages
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Whenever I see a book about raising baby, I always look at the author's credentials. In this case, I was happy to see that Dr. Sears is a board-certified pediatrician, the father of three sons, and a co-author of several titles on the health and well-being of children. This book is comprehensive, readable and medically sound. It's also nearly 400 pages, but it is well-organized and has a comprehensive index so it is easy to find what you want, even if you're a sleep-deprived new parent (see pages 142-143!).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Focus on Organic and Whole Foods from the Beginning, February 4, 2010

By	Mamastar (Los angeles, CA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months (Paperback)

When I saw this book, I thought "Oh, boy...another book about feeding my baby. What can this add to my knowledge?" I was also kind of suspicious that it was produced by a baby food company, Happy Baby Food, which I thought could only be self serving. Then I noticed that the book was co-written by Dr. Robert Sears, who wrote or co-wrote a whole series of baby books that I really like and trust, most especially, The Baby Book, which was my bible for the first months of my son's life.
So, based on my trust of Dr. Sears, I gave this book a chance and I was pleasantly surprised! The emphasis is on the importance of whole, fresh, organic foods from the very beginning of eating (no earlier than 6 months old) with focus on the value of DHA in the diet to promote healthy brain development. It has helpful hints for feeding picky eaters and promoting a taste for a wide variety of foods. There are also great recipes for tasty sounding things that I had never thought of before. I also liked the discussion of probiotics in baby food and wished that I had known more about the benefits of those as i was starting to feed my son.
Of course, there are product tie-ins to the Happy Baby Brand Foods, but they aren't at all obnoxious, as I had feared. In fact, I became kind of curious and sought out some of their products. I liked how the frozen pureed foods for babies came in three distinct stages, just as discussed in the book, and that they were pretty much unadulterated organic fruits, vegetables, and grains. I can see how the foods might make meal time easier for a busy mom like me who wants to make all her own food, but can't always afford the time.
Anyway, I found the book to be valuable, all in all, with a lot of clear and helpful information, thanks to Dr. Sears and his competent co-author, Amy Marlow, who is a a Registered Dietician. I'm glad that I added it to my library and will probably recommend it to all my health conscious (and health oblivious... they need it most of all!) mommy friends.