Book Recommendations

[BeckC]

My brother and sister-in-law are due to have their first baby in September.

Today, my brother asked me for some recommendations on baby books. The only thing I told him so far was to stay away from Ezzo and I sent him the Ezzo info link. He read like one page and agreed that Ezzo is wrongo.

He's actually serving in the military overseas, and his wife is back here in the states (she's military too, but not for much longer), so he won't be here for the first few months of the baby's life (but he might be able to coordinate his 2 weeks of leave with the birth)

So what info should I send them? I'm thinking "The Baby Book", but what else? I dont' want to send them circ info until they find out the sex of the baby. That one is going to be a rocky road. Plus I want to be able to put a bit of AP thought in their heads before I mention something like no circ - which they'll probably think is pretty radical.

TIA

[LeighB]

Definitely the Baby Book. What about the Breastfeeding Book? Or heck, just all the Dr. Sears books.

[Viewfinder]

The Aware Baby

By Althea Solter, PhD

http://www.amazon.com/Aware-Baby-Ale.../dp/0961307374

This wonderful book prepared me for a peaceful pregnancy, an informed labor and delivery experience, and information I had never heard of on how to form a most tender, loving relationship with a pre-verbal entity. It was brilliant. Particularly interesting and useful is the instruction on how to recognize the messages in your babies' crying, and how to be the best mom in the whole wide world in dealing with it.

VF

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by BeckC

....

So what info should I send them? I'm thinking "The Baby Book", but what else? I dont' want to send them circ info until they find out the sex of the baby. That one is going to be a rocky road. Plus I want to be able to put a bit of AP thought in their heads before I mention something like no circ - which they'll probably think is pretty radical.

TIA

I think that is very wise That is why I like to start off with something like Dr. Sears' The Baby Book. I also highly recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block as another intro-to-AP type book.

[KimProbable]

My first "alternative" child book was called You Are Your Child's First Teacher and I love it. It's sort of Waldorf-y and really got me thinking about kids as sensitive spiritual beings. I would totally give it to anyone who was expecting their first and open to different ideas on parenting.

If they're planning on breastfeeding, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is fantastic. The breastfeeding info is great and the idea of respectful parenting is there throughout.

[thebarkingbird]

i REALLY loved dr sears books. they're not hard core crunchy but they're a great intro to a more attached parenting style. his birth book covers alot and also helps with hospital births which is, i assume all the army pays for. they're my #1 gift for new parents. his breastfeeding book is good too. just so much encouragement in there. he makes it seem very non threatening and a can do kind of endeavor. also, the bullet lists are nice for someone who doesn't have much time.

i know they're not the absolute crunchiest but i find they're a lovely into to a different option than most people know exist.

[lalaland42]

When I was pregnant, I liked Penelope Leach's book. Hmm. I lent it out. I think it was called something like, "your baby and child from birth to age 5". Anyway, just search by author, I am sure on who wrote it.

Oh, and I liked Happiest Baby on the Block too. (DH loved it)

[Staciemao]

How about a subscription to Mothering? Also, I'll second "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". And I LOVE "The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth" by Susan McCutcheon.

Any of Ina May or Dr. Sears' books are great too.

Wow...I'm looking at my bookshelf and it's nearly all taken up by pregnancy, childbirth, and baby/child rearing books. I'm betting I'm not the only one with this addiction, MDC mamas!

[OakBerry]

Another vote for Penelope Leach's "Your Baby and Child, birth to age 5"

[crazydiamond]

I found Brazleton's Touchpoints to be very informative. Not as a "how to" manual like Sears' The Baby Book (which I also love), but as a guide to understand why your child acts the way they do. I think it helps parents understand that children act a certain way because it's developmentally appropriate, not something that necessarily needs to be changed. Unfortunately a lot of parenting books, particularly the ones that aren't AP, focus on appropriate behaviors as "negative" and offer solutions to fixing them. I think if parents understand that behaviors are appropriate and even desired, they may feel less like they want to control them and maybe more that they want to embrace them.

[PrennaMama]

I LOVE Thomas Verny's books...
Tomorrow’s Baby is about: The Art and Science of Parenting from Conception Through Infancy

This website has reviews and notes from the publisher, etc... astralgia.com. Excerpt:

How does a mother's tone of voice affect her unborn child? What kind of music, if any, should a child be exposed to in the womb? Can parents influence the predispositions of their child to traits like depression, or something as elusive as basic goodness? Thanks to revolutionary discoveries in neuroscience and developmental psychology in recent years, says Dr. Thomas Verny, we now know more about these questions than ever...

Next I hit the gentle parenting, GD class, and this is the book we actually used as a text book:
Raising a Secure Child: Creating an Emotional Connection Between You and Your Child by Zeynep Biringen, Ph.D. This book tests the casually tossed about idea of AP by discussing the quality of attachment, and providing tools to assist parents in maintaining that attachment by adjusting our own behaviors to meet the needs of our child, emotionally, as they mature from infancy through teen and early adult years.
Excerpt from summary found on curledup.com:

..."According to this information-packed book, just “being there” for a child is not enough, it is really more about the quality of your attentiveness and the state of your own emotions that allows for true connection. Parents of foster, adopted and disabled children can also find helpful information about their special circumstances in this comprehensive guide to relationship."...

And lately I've been re-reading the Faber/Mazlish book, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk which features ideas on:

• How to listen to-and understand-your child's concerns
• How to have cooperation in your family-without nagging
• How you and your child can deal with feelings
• How to find alternatives to punishment
• How to help your child attain a positive self-image.

Their website, fabermazlish.com, has tons of materials and workshops!

Good luck!