And Baby Makes Four : Welcoming a Second Child into the Family (Paperback)

by Hilory Wagner (Author) "It can happen at any time, when you least expect it..." (more)
Key Phrases: birth centers, labor plan, Candlewick Press, New York, Kids Club (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Done it once? Ready for another? How do you make the decision to have a second child, and what will that choice mean for your family? In And Baby Makes Four: Welcoming a Second Child into the Family, author and mother Hilory Wagner provides funny, friendly, helpful advice for parents considering--or already on their way to--having more than one child. Though small in stature, this book covers a lot of territory. Wagner raises the appropriate questions: Have I had enough time with my eldest? Won't a newborn shatter my firstborn's world as he knows it? When will he understand why I decided to have another? She also acknowledges the ambivalence many parents feel, even when the second pregnancy is planned. Other subjects include planning a sibling strategy; understanding rivalry issues; the father's role; lifting your child; bed rest with a toddler in the house; adopting a sibling; establishing a family birth plan (you can't just run off to the hospital when there's another child to consider); and managing two or more kids while sustaining your marriage. Wagner has clearly done her homework, offering numerous references to appropriate books and Web sites, and her suggestions for the best books for new siblings are well worth the cost of admission. --Ericka Lutz

Product Description
Welcoming a Second Child into the Family

The joy and love that your first child has brought into your life is immeasurable, and now you're ready for another baby. You've been through pregnancy and childbirth before, but this time you have added responsibilities toward a little person who hasn't had that experience. And Baby Makes Four is written specifically to inform and support each member of the family as they meet the challenges that come with welcoming another child. Drawing on personal experience as well as advice from experts pediatricians, psychiatrists, obstetricians, midwives, parents and childbirth educators author Hilory Wagner provides a one-of-a-kind reference to guide parents through the many changes affecting their growing family

Practical guidelines for dealing with the physical and emotional differences in pregnancies.

• An indispensable source for preparing your child for a new baby.

• Fail-safe tactics for getting through the toughest times of pregnancy.

• Special activities to share with your child during the last few weeks of pregnancy.

• Tips for helping every member of the family assume their new role in the larger family.

• A mini-survival guide for understanding and defusing sibling jealousy and rivalry.

• A list of the best books for new siblings.

• AND MUCH MORE!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380795051
• ISBN-13: 978-0380795055
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #177,119 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent refernce manual, great "real life" stories, August 2, 1998

By A Customer

In a light hearted and down to earth manner, the author has created a wonderfully encouraging and realistic view of life with more than one child! I loved it cover to cover - it was easy to read and very easy to identify with many of the scenerios presented. A must for anyone who is planning (or has already started) to take the plunge!

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mommies to be (again) dont read this!, January 13, 2003

By A Customer

I bought this book with the hope that it would lift my spirits about becoming a mother for the second time. We chose to have our kids close together (they will be 22 months apart) and we stand by our decision 100%. If you feel the same way, DONT read this BOOK! It is filled with downers, such as, "children under the age of 2 are not emotionally ready for siblings" or the ever famous "Can we afford two kids?" Also, it fills your mind with doubt - good thing this isnt mandatory for EVERYONE to read, the world would be full of only children. I made it to the 4th chapter....makes you wonder how ANYONE survived with a sibling...

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Acceptable Common Sense Primer with Examples, November 6, 2001

By	"bassaccordion" (West Caldwell, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This book backs up common sense with anecdotes and examples from real life parents in a wide variety of second-child situations (ranging from closs-in-age to far apart, 2-child and 3,4-child familes...). Unfortunately, I found most of the points it made were just that, and that if you were a conscientious parent who studied and tried hard with your first child, you would already have known most of what was in here. If you're looking for a primer that doesn't talk down to you the way many first-time parenting books do, this is a quick and fair read. If you're looking for new examples and things you haven't heard before, there are better books than this one.