Is our baby eating enough? Is this much crying normal? How do I know when she is really sick? This hefty, 671-page guide to your baby's first year is brought to you by the creators of the bestselling What to Expect When You're Expecting. The three authors, all mothers themselves, are calm, clear, and encouraging as they tackle the first year of child-rearing, month by month. The easy-to-absorb, chronological format includes sections such as "What Your Baby May Be Doing," "What You Can Expect at This Month's Checkups," "Feeding Your Baby This Month," "What You May Be Concerned About," and "What It's Important to Know."

Too calloused for my families needs

Let me first state that every child is different and every household has different needs. One method of childrearing may work for one family and child but work horribly for the next.

This book did not fit well or feel right to my family at all. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at most of the methods they advise. For example, they strongly advocate letting your child `cry it out' especially at night. I tried this and it was heart wrenching for my husband and I, not to mention extremely stressful for my son. We discarded that method very quickly. We now respond to my son's needs when he expresses them. This book gives a quiet undertone that if you pamper your child too much then you're going to end up with a spoilt brat. I say that's rubbish.

Also, this book strongly discourages co-sleeping, a method that works very well for my family. I'll be darned if I'm going to get up when my son wakes for a feeding, nurse him, lull him back to sleep, and then try to get myself settled for sleep. I can't tell you how much better our son and I slept when we decided to just put him in the bed with us. Yes, there are arguments on both sides stating pros and cons. You just need to be smart about it.

This book has a very patronizing tone leaving you feel like you need to rule over your child with an iron fist or you'll be left with a kid that walks all over you. Everything about this book felt very calloused and cruel.

The only redeeming aspect of this book is that it does serve as a good reference as far as developmental milestones. It's good for reference, and that's pretty much it.

I strongly advise parents to explore a vast array of books as well as going with their gut. One method that works for one baby may not work for another; every baby is different and has different needs. This book did not work for us. We found `The Baby Book' by Dr. Sears to fit the needs of our family much more appropriately.

make sure you get and review the 2nd edition, NOT the first

The problem with the previous reviewer's comments is that she's looking at the older edition of the book. THe 2nd edition, published in 2003 clearly states on page 437:

"The AAP recommends that breastfeeding continue for AT LEAST a full year and then for as long as baby and mother both want to keep it up..... Many women choose to continue nursing into the second year and beyond, and that's fine.... Older children who breastfeed are just as likely to be secure, happy, and independent as those who wean early."

PLUS -- there's an entire chapter dedicated to breastfeeding... with tons of reasons why it's a good thing. So I don't get why so many reviewers here keep on blasting this book for not being pro-breastfeeding. This book is so well balanced on so many issues -- like co-sleeping and baby wearing, etc. Looking at a ten year old version of the book that's been passed down from friend to friend and then REVIEWING it here -- instead of actually going out to the store or library to get the actual current book is unfair.

This book has been so helpful to me. As a first time parent, this book had all the answers I needed. Sure, I may not agree with everything in the book, but I'm intelligent enough to not take everything I read and treat it as gospel. I'm able to make my own decision when it comes to parenting, and not only does this book give me the tools to do that, but the authors even encourage that parents ultimately do what feels best to them.

I highly recommend it!

I threw this book in the trash can... literally

I didn't want any other parents getting their hands on it. I have several issues with this book. Their view on breastfeeding is that you should wean at age one or you will have problems. Even the AAP and World Health Organization recommends that you breastfeed for at least two years and let your baby self-wean. Also, they repeatedly call parents who won't let their babies cry it out 'soft'. If my baby is crying, I'm going to her: enough said. Also, they give only negatives and no positives to co-sleeping. I really liked their pregnancy book, but this one is garbage and I got the Dr Sears 'The Baby Book' instead.