Infant-and-Toddler-Health Books

I received a copy of "Diaper Changes" and found it to be totally biased against mothers like myself who still choose to cloth diaper the (old-fashioned) way meaning folding, pins, and rubber pants. Theresa is overly opinionated regarding her own personal preferences and too quick to put down everything else that she doesn't prefer using in the way of cloth diapering needs. I wouldn't at all recommend the book to anyone.

I have very rarely read a book that is written by a mother who shows so much compassion towards children and mothering. This book was extremely helpful in both its practical and philosophical persepctives on mundane issues such as diapering, and deeper issues, such as breast feeding, loving your children and attachment parenting. Truly this is a woman of great conviction and wisdom.

I'm a first-time mom-to-be considering cloth diapering our baby. I find the world of cloth diapering really overwhelming (who knew there were 18 different ways to fold a piece of cloth, and then 24 different accessories that work with each different fold!?). I bought this book becuase I wanted an overview of the options, and a description of what would be necessary to do cloth diapering.

The focus in the book is very heavily on home-washing, which is great, but it tends to neglect other options like diaper services. We intend to use a diaper service, and after reading the book I'm still wondering, for example, what paraphenalia I need to purchase? What is typically supplied by a diaper service? How should I choose one service over another?

The author makes a great case for cloth-diapering, but the book does have a tendency to stray into the irrelevant - there are a number of sections on how to bond with your child while changing, how parents should enjoy every minute with their children, etc. Great information for a baby book, not really necessary for one about diapering!

The resource section is great and I really appreciate the links to a lot of different online sites where I can purchase the pieces for cloth diapering. I would recommend getting this book if you are considering cloth diapering, but I am also going to keep looking for a more comprehensive resource.

I purchased this book during pregnancy of my first child. I'd already decided to use cloth diapers and was looking for information to help me make more informed choices. While I still felt a bit overwhelmed after reading the book cover to cover, the book is a must read for familiarizing yourself with the broad spectrum of cloth diapering. There is helpful information on the wide variety of cloth diapers and covers available today, how to care for them, how to use and clean, even how to make your own diapers, etc.

However, I feel that you will still need to spend some time doing your own research and getting opinions from others, such as from an online message board or from the folks that run websites that sell cloth diapers (many of whom are moms with children in cloth diapers). Eveyone's needs are different -- for both the parents and the baby.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that there are even more types of diapers than mentioned in the book and some of the references are out of date.

I found this book to be extremely helpful when I was just entering the world of cloth diapering. I started doing some online research on the DiaperPin and MDC sites and found it to be information overload. It is all so overwhelming - I needed a basic place to start. There are TONS of online resources - but if you are like me - and get a headache when you read too long/staring at the computer screen - you prefer a book you can hold in your hand and read.

This book goes over all of the different types of diapers, diaper covers, soakers, pants, and diaper accessories. It offers a good basic breakdown for someone unaware of what cloth diapering is all about. The costs of each kind of diaper is covered, and compared to disposable diapers. The environmental and health and safety issues relating to diapering are covered. Instructions are given on how to actually diaper a newborn and toddler and how to launder diapers.

I like the gray boxes scattered throughout the book - they give a rundown of the facts just covered in that chapter - sort of like a quick reference. There is also a "make-your-own" section that I found helpful. I am going to try this before I invest any big money into WAHM or diaper company purchases.

The end of the book has a Company and Resource guide that list diaper/cover reviews and Diaper Company reviews. This is a bit outdated. But in the dynamic world of cloth diapering (with so many new diapers coming out) its hard to have reliable "in print" list.

The author does give her opinion throughout the book - based on her experience with her six kids. This doesn't bother me as I think a previous reviewer mentioned being upset by this. All moms have their own opinions (usually very strong ones!) This author is no different. Although she is a bit negative when referring to washing cloth diapers which I think is a disservice to the cloth diapering community - and kind of strange considering she write a book to PROMOTE cloth diapering - her opinion is kind of backwards.

Washing diapers can be the most daunting task to those just entering the world of cloth diapering. And to play the laundry part up as a negative - well that's just discouraging. Don't get discouraged Parents! It's not that bad. It becomes part of your routine and after a few weeks it becomes like doing any other laundry. Invest in a Diaper Sprayer and a good wet bag. And chose one kind of diaper (All In One, Pocket Diaper, Prefold and covers, etc) then pick a few brands to try. Stay focused and don't let all the info out there scare you. You will settle into your own routine in no time.

All in all this is a good starting point for someone new to the diapering world wanting a layout of the basics. Although someone who is already "in the know" may find this book too basic and a waste of time. There are Moms out there that REALLY know their stuff when it comes to CDing - this book is not for them. But it was a good primer for me." Now that I have more info and have been cloth diapering for a while - I have my favorite online spots I can to stay current.

My grandson and I found this product to be excellent. As a little boy he enjoyed the flushing sound and it seemed to aid him in wanting to go to the bathroom more. Thank You

Fantastic and fun book for toddler boys! It's a sturdy, perfectly sized book with a fun button to push to "flush" with lots of giggles. It's simple but colorful and explains going to the potty in terms easy for toddlers to understand. My son loves this book and insists on reading it over and over and over again!

As you start to introduce your son to potty training this is a good book. It is a board book with colorful pictures that show a young boy using the potty. It has simple wording that is easy to follow. However, I, too, found that after a few pushes of the flush button it stopped working.

The book is basic though. So if your son has already started sitting on the potty it may not be as relevant. It doesn't talk about having accidents, that you need to sit and wait sometimes for the potty to come out, or how to know when you need to go. But it does talk about the process of peeing or pooing, wiping, flushing, and washing your hands.

It has a cute write on/wipe off success chart in the back of the book. I didn't find that useful, but some parents might.

I simply love this potty book. I have two children of potty training age...a boy and a girl and I bought both versions of it. My kids love the book and really like the flushing sound. Now when we have "Potty Time" the kids even say "flush, flush, flush" just like the book.

My son just turned 2 and we're not quite ready to potty train but wanted to start giving him the idea. He likes this book and we read it quite a bit. Despite talking about the concepts of using the potty in addition to the book he's still showing no interest. It's still early so I can't blame the book. I give it 4 stars because he does choose this to read sometimes.

My little girl is 20 months old, and I had already purchased this book with the Caucasian girl quite some time ago. I was happily surprised that the book was available on Amazon with an African-American girl. My daughter loves this book. I let her read it when she sits on the potty, and she loves pushing the button to make it flush.

My daughter loves to read this book. She laughs when she "flushes the potty" and the little girl is giggling. It does a great job explaining what to do on the potty and that the potty isn't scary. I bought this book from the store so the child on the front and inside the book is different but it is the same content. So cute. The only thing I don't like is that you can't adjust the sound and it is LOUD.

While the flushing sound is somewhat annoying, the chart on the last page was fun for my daughter to fill out. We bought several potty training type books and I would say that overall, my daughter liked this one best.

Even before my daughter was close to potty training, she loved this book. There is a little button in the book that, when pushed, makes a little flush sound followed by a little girl's giggle. Whenever my baby would hear the giggle, she would start laughing. Now that she's ready for the potty, we'll use the book as it was intended. There is even a little chart included for tracking "potty progress."

I simply love this potty book. I have two children of potty training age...a boy and a girl and I bought both versions of it. My kids love the book and really like the flushing sound. Now when we have "Potty Time" the kids even say "flush, flush, flush" just like the book.

I am using this book for the second time around. It's still full of fabulous information. As with anything you have to take it all with a grain of salt. I use this book reguarly to determine if I should take a toddler into the ER on the weekend or if it can wait until Monday.

I wasn't totally impressed with this book. It definately has some good points and advice and there is information to be learned, I just thought it was average in the format.

I had to buy this book because The Mother of All Pregnancy books was so helpful. I found the book useful already with my 14 month old and find that I need to reference it whenever new toddler behaviors decide to surface.

I had liked The Mother of All Pregnancy Books and decided to try this one. But I don't find it nearly as complete or helpful as "What to Expect the Toddler Years". I haven't read it cover to cover, but so far I find that the sections don't delve deeply enough into topics or offer unique suggestions/advice.

How can you not like a book with this title? It is a huge book with tons of information. I find it a lot more helpful and user friendly than the what to expect series....but that's just my opinion...Great information - I keep it out for ideas, suggestions and to check up on my toddlers progress.

I keep both Newborn Head to Toe and Toddler Head to Toe on my nightstand to refer to questions I have about my 2yr old and 10mos. old. This book discusses a lot of common problems that your kids may have in a very matter of fact, non-alarmist, informative way. I have some of the other books that people have discussed in earlier reviews but, they are so bulky and dense, it takes a while to find the answer you need. This one is great for a quick reference and has been helpful for when I should call the Dr. and what questions to ask. Absolutely indispensible!

I found this to be a great compliment to my list of reliable resources. If my kids aren't bleeding or have a raging fever, I consult this book before I call the doctor's office with minor concerns. It has helped me get "smart" on infant conditions and what I can do about them. But although I like this book I woulld NEVER substitite it for a call to the doctor if I had doubts or questions.

Dr. Natterson overviews all sorts of concerns that new parents have about their babies, in an informed and comforting way. Her attitude on breastfeeding is encouraging and realistic. She certainly reccomends breastfeeding in all situations where it is possible, but supports those mothers for whom it is not feasible. Too often these women are made to feel like failures and are unable to discuss these problems with their pediatrician. Better to provide informed advice than pressure.

Although a small part of the book, her sections on breastfeeding are misleading and inaccurate at best. You can tell that she is strugling to make it sound like she thinks the breast is best, but is really not convinced of it herself. She makes many suggestions that can be actually detrimental to the establishment of a breastfeeding relationship, including just about any excuse to supplement with formula and sugar water. She also seriously neglects to state the advantages of breastmilk.

In the section on circumcision, she is also out of date. She suggests that circumcisions are not painful to infants less than 1 month and do not require anesthesia. This has been proven false in several studies. She also understates the risk factors and complications of circumcisions, while overstating the complications of leaving the child intact.

If you are looking for a book to repeat all the same information you have been hearing about babies for the last 20 years, this is your book. If you are looking for an accurate, upto date book on children, look elsewhere.

In a word, this book is simply a TREMENDOUS resource for any parent. Cara Familian Natterson is a very highly regarded pediatrician is the greater los angeles area. Although she trained at Harvard, UCSF and Johns Hopkins, she approaches all subjects in a thoughtful and non-intimidating approach. She is able to use her superior knowledge of pediatrics to provide an informative overview for any parent. All (or almost all) of your questions will be answered by this read. THIS BOOK IS A MUST BUY. If you buy one book to learn about your newborn -THIS SHOULD BE IT!!

I have given this book to new moms in my life and they have loved the book, the spirit of the text, the helpful photos and clear instruction. This book is excellent for new mothers with or without yoga experience. As a certified yoga teacher, I highly recommend it!

This book offered a great deal of information that was intellectually interesting. For the new Mom looking for a way to incorporate yoga into her life with a new baby it this is not the book.

There are a number of things wrong with this book, but the most glaring are her attempts at advising parents on the health of their child. Everyone who bothers to learn about childhood health on any level should be aware that giving young infants water is a bad idea. It messes with their electrolyte levels. She advises mothers to do so anyway. She also (in a hilarious attempt to address a concerned parent who feels that her child eats too much) tells mothers to thump the bottoms of the feet to get a child to eat every drop of milk possible. So wrong. That's a technique to make a child gasp and start breathing in the event of apnea.

She also takes a really narrow and negative approach toward fathers. One would think if you're enlightened enough to be doing yoga, you'd be enlightened enough to find a mate who participates in childcare without needing to be wheedled and cajoled into it.

Save your money on this one.

YOGABABY by DeAnsin Goodson Parker, Ph.D. with Karen W. Bressler, Broadway Books, 2000.

This book and this concept will surely be an inspiration to many mothers and those hands on fathers who want to make sure their baby gets off to the best possible start. I have not seen anything like it before. It is especially valuable in light of the mounting research indicating that the quality of the mother's physical and emotional interaction with infants has profound, life long effects on the mental, emotional and physical development of the child.

Dr. Parker, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, realized the book was needed because of the response she recieved from the YogaBaby program she has offered for years at the Goodson Parker Wellness Center in New York City. This a truly innovative, psychologically insightful, beautifully written and illustrated work. Dr. Parker shows how to use both ancient and modern strategies including massage, stretching, exercises and purposeful playing in order to bring about a deeper bonding while nurturing and awakening eight 'centers' in the baby.

Although, the book focuses primarily on the first two years it is reasonable to expect the benefits will last a lifetime and would include but not be limited to the creation of special time and a high order of communication fostering more trust and confidence, stimulating the immune system, promoting better sleep (possibly for the mother as well), aiding in digestion and assimilation, stimulating body circulation, encouraging neuromuscular development, preparing the baby for mobility, calming the emotions, soothing the baby, teaching the baby a way to soothe itself.

Although, the book is dedicated to first time mothers, as the oldest of nine with twenty six grandchildren, nephews and nieces I feel it offers wonderful insights regardless of how many children the mother has had. Reading this book as a man I was reminded how sublime and inexpressibly incredible is our debt to mothers who make baby nurturing an art form of the highest order.

R. Adam Crane, president American BioTec Corp., founder Health Training Seminars, author of MindFitness Training: Neurofeedback and The Process.

If you just had a baby you obviously want the best for your new one. So babyyoga is one of the things you try. And it does work. But not with this book. You will never actually get started with babyyoga as this book is too difficult to handle for a beginner. There are no pictures of the actual moves so you have to read the whole thing. And tell me, which mother has extra time on their hands to read a yogabook from cover to cover?

This book helped me more than anything which made me a better mom to my high needs baby. I was hearing all the same things from family that he was so needy because I was spoiling him and I was really doubting myself. This book turned it all around. I bought it when I was at witts end due to lack of sleep and excessive crying. Within a month, I started getting compliments on my son's wonderful personality and what a change everyone was noticing.

The Sears' do not have any rocket science in their book. They have great wonderful common sense type of items that we sometimes need to hear when we are unsure if anything will work. They also have parenting systems. Every part of the book was not for me but the parts I chose to implement helped me love my son and give him what he needed.

He is now a smart wonderful 22 month old that everyone wants around. He is not like other children but now in wonderful ways.

Great book, gave some great ideas for how to calm a fussy baby. Was an eye opener. Would recommend this to anyone who is looking for some suggestions

a really great directed approach for attachment style parenting. my only criticism is that the intended audience seems to be moms who are able to stay at home and dads that are away all day in the workforce. there aren't any approaches or direction for moms that need to return to work and dads who stay home, or for both working parents. it would be great to just be able to make the choice to not use babysitters, but that is not a viable option for a large majority of parents these days.

This book gave me comfort that there are other babies out there like mine (because none of my friends' or neighbors' babies are) and that there is nothing wrong with my baby or with me. It also confirmed what I figured was just common sense - follow your instincts and pay attention to your baby's cues. It's been a long road but now we're at 5 1/2 months and her temperament is dramatically improved. No plan or program can substitute for unconditional love. I recommend this book as a source of support to the minority of us who are blessed with high-need babies. We need all the support we can get!

I am a new mother of now a 3 month old daughter. From the beginning people would always remark how alert she was being that she is so young. Ava was a very restless sleeper, so I started to sleep with her on my stomach. Now she sleeps 8-9 hours a night. Everyone tells me that I am spoiling her and that is why she always needs to be held and I should put her in her crib to sleep. YOu start to doubt what is best for your child. This book really helped to reassure that I am doing what I FEEL is best for my daughter. Never doubt your instincts is a good message this book delievers. I suggest this book to anyone, regardless if they have a high needs baby or not!

I've used this book for years, from the time that my son was a toddler in a sugar-free pre-school (That was about 17 years ago) to the present time, when I cook sugar-free baked goodies for cancer patients. Many recipes have become family favorites. My copy is dog-earred and stained from much use. I love that the recipes use fruit juices and dried fruit as sweeteners, no chemical substitutes. We've also tried using gluten-free flours in many recipes, and they work just as well. It's a terrific book, good not just for toddlers, but for anyone who loves treats but wants to explore healthy, tasty alternatives. Thank you Susan!

We discovered that both my daughter and I are Sugar Sensitive and needed to start cutting refined sugars out of our diets. I got this book from the library and ended up using almost daily so I had to buy a copy. Many of the recipes use concentrated fruit juice or real fruit to sweeten things up. This cookbook saved me when I started cutting out sugar and allowed me to still look forward to baking!

I almost wasn't interested in this book because the title made me think that this book would have bland and boring recipes. But after flipping through it I saw lots of things that sounded good to try. And almost every recipe so far has been a huge hit with my 18 month old son. This is amazing to me because I thought he was picky. I guess I just wasn't giving him the kind of foods he likes. This book is, as other critics have noted, NOT sugar free. Fruit juice is a sugar. But I do not consider this a drawback because I think that people who don't eat any sugar of any kind are kidding themselves. The key is to use healthy forms of sugar and not too much. The main reason I was anxious to try these recipes is that nearly all of them use whole-wheat flour or some other whole grain flour and I am a big believer in using whole grains. So nutritious and full of fiber. Best recipes so far that I can highly recommend: Orange-date snack cake, Pilgrim pancakes, and Toddler date bread stix. The Coconut Pineapple cookies, however, were not very good. They were not even remotely sweet enough and were more like a pancake than a cookie. But I heated them up and buttered them and my son ate them for breakfast! So really, what it comes down to is that toddlers DO like these recipes. My son prefers them over the white flour, preservative laced stuff from the store. You can't protect your kids from sugar their whole lives, so give them a healthy alternative.

I'm really glad to have this book. It's my favorite recipe book for baking with and for my toddler. Some of the recipes have been disappointing, though (because they taste rather bland), but some are really good. My suggestion would be to start these before your child ever tastes table sugar, and then they'd probably all taste good. The pumpkin muffins, called "Peter's Favorite Mini Muffins" are my 3 yr. old son's favorite. He'll eat 5 or more in a day, if I don't pay attention. I've found that they act like a laxative if he eats more than a couple. The handy thing is that we've substituted all kinds of ingredients (apple sauce combined with any fruit juice for the apple juice concentrate, other fruits for the raisins, etc.) and they still turn out great! We also like the Apple-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies. And the recipes are mostly easy to make and quick, which I really appreciate.

This book is a blessing! All of the ingredients used are normal and easy to have on hand. The recipes are delicious. My five year old loves them and so do my husband and I. We are trying to eat real food and still maintain a healthy weight. This book is a great help!

My doctors office recommended this book along with Super Baby Food. I would highly recommend Super Baby Food over this book. Too much talk about the evils of the baby food industry. Of course I already agree or I wouldn't be making my own baby food, which is very easy and I highly recommend it.

I love this book! It has everything I need to know about making my own healthy nourishing baby foods. It's very easy to read. It tells me when I can feed my baby certain foods and also includes recipes for the whole family.

I have found this book to be a wonderful resource since I started making food for my baby 4 months ago. The info and the recipes are great and making food for my baby has been a lot of fun and very rewarding.

This is a great book. As a nutritionist, I did not look at the facts this book poses about baby food manufacturers and the benefits of breast feeding as lecturing. The truth may be hard for some to grasp, but lets face facts--baby food/formula companies are in business to make money. They are not in business for the best benefit of the baby. Those are two things they do succeed at....making money while providing a substandard product--and to think they want us to feed our children substandard food items while trying to take our hard earned money. I was fairly sure they would not get our families hard earned dollar before reading this book, but after reading it, they definitely will not get it.

I feel more determined to make sure our daughter eats only what mom and dad eat--nutritious whole foods--which only makes sense, right? If you are not all about convenience foods this is the book for you to read.

I just dug through my baby cookbooks looking for a recipe for crackers. I made one out of this book, it called for honey. So, I assume because there's no warning on this recipe, that honey must be okay for under a year when it's baked, right? Wrong, it's not. Why is it that out of the five baby food cookbooks I own, not a one of them does an adequate job of explaining the theory behind waiting to introduce certain foods? Infact all the books I own have different introduction schedules! So, I'm just completely confused. And now that I've fed my baby honey I'm irritated as well.
The recipe is good though, my preschooler and I like it.

I just love this cookbook! Its super informative and the recipes great! I love that the none babies in the house can enjoy the food as much as the baby. I also loved learning about incorporating spices into baby's diet. The california chicken with avacado is great.

I used this book as a reference and guide in creating a diet for my son from the moment he was born. He is now 12 years old and eats almost any vegetable (as long as it's cooked well), fruit, or grain without coaxing. He is not overweight and enjoys and appreciates a well thought out meal. I think this book is a good start on the road to healthy dietary habits.

Usually I don't write reviews but with this book I had too. I bought it bc my 10 month old won't eat baby food anymore and I was hopeing for some better ideas for what to feed him now. All of the recepies for people under 12 months are either pures or contain egg. Almost all of the ones for children over 12 months contain lots of milk and cheese some even contain nuts. Also most of the recepies take a long time to prepair and cook. In short their is not a single one I'm looking forward to trying and I'm glad I bought it used.

The book is outdated in that it refers to the four basic food groups (pyramid food groups have been around a long time now) and shows pictures in each recipe for which food groups are included. I did not notice that the copyright date was old. And, I think it had a couple of suggestions for feeding things to little ones that I wouldn't follow (but every mom makes those decisions on their own anyway). I almost returned it but since I really don't know anything about cooking (I had to read directions to make rice) I did find some useful information. And, for moms who want to do the more healthy thing for example there is a recipe for healthy yogurt instead of buying yogurt with sugar in it.This is the kind of thing I found helpful. There are some really good looking recipes for a beginner cook like me.

Has many good recipes for steaming veggies and fruits in combination with other fruits and veggies. Most can be eaten by family and leftovers frozen. Easy to follow directions. AND the book lays flat when you have it open to a recipe! No more loosing your place! I bought two other baby food books and this one is by far the best I got. Great deal!