Hello, and happy Wednesday to you! Today I am excited to share with you another post for #whatimreadingwednesday. That may be a little cheesy but it makes me smile, so I'll stick with it for now. In this post I want to share with you my favorite baby care books that I have collected over the last year and a half of pregnancy/motherhood. Like many other first time moms I know, I scoured the shelves of bookstores and amazon.com for the best books that were helpful and had an approach that I found helpful. Instead of doing a long review on each of the five books listed here, I wrote a capsule review of each to give a brief, yet personal summary in hopes that other mamas will find a helpful recommendation or two.
I wanted to start with my favorite, and this title is definitely at the top. This book was recommended to me based on my interest in the original Nourishing Traditions book, which I have really enjoyed and seen great benefits from following a more traditional diet. I would explain this book to a friend as an encyclopedia on homeopathy and health for babies and kids. It is extremely well researched and sourced, and has links and recommendations to the best quality supplements and food. Obviously, if you are concerned about your child's health or illness, you should call your pediatrician, but this book is a wonderful tool to have on hand to promote health without things like antibiotics that can cause other issues over time. When Logan got his first cold I used some of the remedies listed in this book (elderberry, and cod liver oil), and I saw a huge difference almost immediately.
2. Cherish the First Six Weeks
This title details a method of sleep training that worked so, so well for me and Logan. A friend sent me this title a few weeks after Logan was born and raved about how it had set her daughter into such a good rhythm and schedule. I started right away (she recommends just waking baby up at a consistent time each day), and from there we were home free. Having a gentle training method allowed me to encourage Logan to have peaceful naptimes and sleep longer stretches at night. Even if your baby is older than six weeks so many of the tips and recommendations Helen makes are able to be applied long into the future, as well as from birth. I gravitated toward this book over others because it was straightforward, flexible and effective.
3. Super Nutrition for Babies
This book was referenced in the Nourishing Traditions book I mentioned above. For me personally, feeding baby was SO confusing and frustrating at first. I couldn't find a helpful schedule or serving size chart, and really didn't find anything that gave a good clear guide on feeding baby, until I came across this wonderful title. It gives a comprehensive history of what babies ate, why certain foods are better than others, and how to get optimal nutrition to your baby through their food. I wasn't a fan of starting Logan on rice cereal, and this book gave great alternatives. It breaks up foods by age range, and has lots of recipes. I ended up feeding Logan many things I wouldn't have thought to on my own, but that are SO healthy and he enjoys them immensely. A side note, at 8 months we switched from making purees, to the Baby Led Weaning approach (same foods, just different method of delivery). It made my life so much easier and Logan so enjoys feeding himself too. I would recommend that book to anyone, no matter what exact diet you choose for your baby,
4. French Kids Eat Everything
When Ian and I visited France last year, we both commended on how well behaved literally all the children were. Kids weren't given cell phones to pacify them on the metro, and we didn't see a single tantrum - so naturally, I had to buy this book when I saw it mentioned. Karen Billon is married to a French man, and tells the story of moving their family to France, and how it radically challenged her very North American view of food and diet. Everyone knows the French do food better than anyone else, so I loved reading a discourse on their nutrition standards and manners. It's a lighthearted memoir of their time there, and filled with great tips and direction to anyone interested in a deviation from the standard American diet. Did you know soda ad's on television in France contain surgeon general warnings about their possible detrimental health effects? I love this, and it is one of the many things that contributes to this country's outstanding health and nutrition - passed down from parents to children, This book as much informative as it is enjoyable. It's a great vacation read or something to quickly take your mind off a stressful day.
5. Babywise
I listed this book last, as usually its mention create controversy and debate among mothers. First, let me say that the biggest help I received from this book was the eat, play sleep routine for baby, as well as the information on sleep cycles. We used both of these principles to organize our day, and for us, they just made perfect sense. This book is hugely popular among many mom's I know, so I naturally picked it up when I was pregnant. I know this particular schedule works wonders for so many, but for me it wasn't 100% the best fit. Logan always ate less than the number of times listed in the sample schedule. Even when the author indicated that babies would be nursing four times per day, the sample schedule still indicated 5 feedings, which was sooo confusing. My hesitation with this book is the tone with which the author writes. Much of his advice is helpful, but I think the reason this title isn't well received among many is because the approach seemed dogmatic to me. It lacked much flexibility, and in my opinion it seemed like the author forgot that each baby is different, and that they are little people too! Some babies will want to be held more and that's okay. Good habits and nurturing your baby's personality aren't mutually exclusive and I felt like I had to be extremely rigid and uptight with my baby, and allowing preferences to come in later. I do think that as a parent its helpful to guide your baby into a good routine and teach them good habits, but I think both baby and parent will end up exasperated if we place that goal above all else. I think many people apply the principles in this book wonderfully, and their kiddos thrive - which is the main goal! But as a critique of the book itself, not its various applications, I do not think it is written well or with a tone of love and nurture. I love that was all read books differently, so I am interested in how this book is received by others.
What books have been your favorites in raising baby? What would you add or take away from this list?
XO. B
2. Cherish the First Six Weeks
This title details a method of sleep training that worked so, so well for me and Logan. A friend sent me this title a few weeks after Logan was born and raved about how it had set her daughter into such a good rhythm and schedule. I started right away (she recommends just waking baby up at a consistent time each day), and from there we were home free. Having a gentle training method allowed me to encourage Logan to have peaceful naptimes and sleep longer stretches at night. Even if your baby is older than six weeks so many of the tips and recommendations Helen makes are able to be applied long into the future, as well as from birth. I gravitated toward this book over others because it was straightforward, flexible and effective.
3. Super Nutrition for Babies
This book was referenced in the Nourishing Traditions book I mentioned above. For me personally, feeding baby was SO confusing and frustrating at first. I couldn't find a helpful schedule or serving size chart, and really didn't find anything that gave a good clear guide on feeding baby, until I came across this wonderful title. It gives a comprehensive history of what babies ate, why certain foods are better than others, and how to get optimal nutrition to your baby through their food. I wasn't a fan of starting Logan on rice cereal, and this book gave great alternatives. It breaks up foods by age range, and has lots of recipes. I ended up feeding Logan many things I wouldn't have thought to on my own, but that are SO healthy and he enjoys them immensely. A side note, at 8 months we switched from making purees, to the Baby Led Weaning approach (same foods, just different method of delivery). It made my life so much easier and Logan so enjoys feeding himself too. I would recommend that book to anyone, no matter what exact diet you choose for your baby,
4. French Kids Eat Everything
When Ian and I visited France last year, we both commended on how well behaved literally all the children were. Kids weren't given cell phones to pacify them on the metro, and we didn't see a single tantrum - so naturally, I had to buy this book when I saw it mentioned. Karen Billon is married to a French man, and tells the story of moving their family to France, and how it radically challenged her very North American view of food and diet. Everyone knows the French do food better than anyone else, so I loved reading a discourse on their nutrition standards and manners. It's a lighthearted memoir of their time there, and filled with great tips and direction to anyone interested in a deviation from the standard American diet. Did you know soda ad's on television in France contain surgeon general warnings about their possible detrimental health effects? I love this, and it is one of the many things that contributes to this country's outstanding health and nutrition - passed down from parents to children, This book as much informative as it is enjoyable. It's a great vacation read or something to quickly take your mind off a stressful day.
5. Babywise
I listed this book last, as usually its mention create controversy and debate among mothers. First, let me say that the biggest help I received from this book was the eat, play sleep routine for baby, as well as the information on sleep cycles. We used both of these principles to organize our day, and for us, they just made perfect sense. This book is hugely popular among many mom's I know, so I naturally picked it up when I was pregnant. I know this particular schedule works wonders for so many, but for me it wasn't 100% the best fit. Logan always ate less than the number of times listed in the sample schedule. Even when the author indicated that babies would be nursing four times per day, the sample schedule still indicated 5 feedings, which was sooo confusing. My hesitation with this book is the tone with which the author writes. Much of his advice is helpful, but I think the reason this title isn't well received among many is because the approach seemed dogmatic to me. It lacked much flexibility, and in my opinion it seemed like the author forgot that each baby is different, and that they are little people too! Some babies will want to be held more and that's okay. Good habits and nurturing your baby's personality aren't mutually exclusive and I felt like I had to be extremely rigid and uptight with my baby, and allowing preferences to come in later. I do think that as a parent its helpful to guide your baby into a good routine and teach them good habits, but I think both baby and parent will end up exasperated if we place that goal above all else. I think many people apply the principles in this book wonderfully, and their kiddos thrive - which is the main goal! But as a critique of the book itself, not its various applications, I do not think it is written well or with a tone of love and nurture. I love that was all read books differently, so I am interested in how this book is received by others.
What books have been your favorites in raising baby? What would you add or take away from this list?
XO. B
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