Infant-and-Toddler-Health Books

I came across this book while visiting with friends who kept this book handy on their kitchen counter. Over the course of two weeks I was able to browse and review the book. I found it to be a good collection of basic recipes for babies and toddlers. Other reviewers stated it was basic, redundant, etc. Not a bad thing, really-- I am ordering it now as a source for ideas and no nonsense recipes. For any parent who wants to feed their baby something homemade, but worries that they will have sufficient time or creativity--this book is a perfect start. Note: I will also be purchasing "Mommy Made" as a companion, as I felt that MM takes baby cooking to a more sophisticated, original level that Everything was lacking.

As a new mom this book is good for basics but light on details. I found
myself having to buy other books once my son was ready for solids.
I also felt the information jumped around a lot; it would have been nice to have it organized more month to month rather than topic to topic.
Not a bad choice but don't expect to be your only book on food.
Good luck!

I regret buying this book, since it promised to cover different topics, providing lots of different meals ideas, and it is mostly theoretical and has almost no recipes. If you need theory buy this book, but common sense, obvious theory. If you want ideas for your babies meals look for something else.

This book is a must for all first time mothers and fathers. It gives detailed information on how to feed your baby from birth to toddler with excellent examples and food product information. My husband and I especially found the alternatives to junk food section very helpful. We want to feed our daughter healthy food, and now we know the healthy altenatives to junk food. Also, this book gives examples on how to pack healthy lunches and snacks. Bravo!!!

From the title, I thought I was getting lots of suggestions about foods to prepare for the beginning eater to toddler. I have rasied all my own children and now my children and their friends are having their first babies. I remembered how I poured over baby "cook books" to learn how to prepare good, simple, tasty and inexpensive food for my children. I want to give the same resources to new mothers. This book looks like it will give you lots of ideas but it contains much of the same material you find in "the first (second etc) year of your child's life" which is a wonderful series. Sorry but I was not impressed.

This book was very helpful to me. The games are simple and promote interaction, anyone can do them.

I bought this book as an infant caregiver and was disappointed to see that it was all the things I'm already doing with my babies...there were a few different ideas, but overall, not worth it.

This book was bought due to my concern with, "What do I do with this baby,now that I've got her home?" I've taught fifth graders for many years, but didn't quite know how to begin to "educate" my baby. This book gave me some very quick, easy and simple ideas of games to play to help my child learn. It is also broke down into ages (ie. 0-3 months, 12-18 months, etc.) I definately recommend this book to parents that want to begin the learning process in a fun manner early on.
Kari Koffman

This book is a waste of money. Most of the "games" that they suggest are so OBVIOUS you'd have to be a complete idiot not to figure these things out on your own. And in that case you have bigger problems than how to entertain your baby. One such "game" goes as follows, 'say things like good night sweet baby or rest, rest, rest your little head'. Are you serious? Gee, I don't think I would have thought of that all on my own. What I want to know is who are all these people that are giving it such a high rating? Well, I guess anyone can be a parent.

Just as a I said: Finally, a well-organized idea book! I can look up activities to carry out in my classroom by category (Bath and Dressing Games, Going to Sleep Games, etc.); by age (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months); AND by theme (just for fun, colors, etc.). The activities are simple and clearly described in one page each. But they are not all commonsense ideas, or I wouldn't like this book, and neither would any other experienced under-threes teacher :p. I HIGHLY recommend this book to under-threes teachers and to new parents.

Enjoying the book very much after receiving it as a present from my mother-in-law. My soon to be 11-month-old loves the recipes for carrots, broccoli, spinach... and I like the recipes, too-- so we share some of her veggies and add some of mom and dad's salmon or chicken, and everyone's at the table and happy. I'm also amazed at how much less expensive it is to prepare organic, healthy baby food.

Our children both adore the recipes in this cookbook. The recipes are really easy to make, and it introduces food items that aren't common on a children's menu (or should I say "a junk food menu" since that's all that ever appears on one).

My daughter loves the creamed spinach recipe, as well as the celery root puree, and our son loves the braised pork with apricots more than any other recipe in the book. He's at a very picky age too, so keeping his palette on the advanced side, versus serving him trash like Gerber and macaroni and cheese, is one of the best ways to avoid him sliding into the land of toddler food.

I am still laughing over a reviewer's complaint that the authors claim their book highlights and utilizes "honest, simple food", when his/her version of "honest, simple food" is Gerber (what a bunch of junk), mac and cheese, mushed up peas, etc. Not only are those foods not honest (ever stop to think about what goes into jarred Gerber food? Boxed mac and cheese? Jarred and boxed food is so inferior to homemade baby food), they're not simple. Mac and cheese from a box and jarred Gerber food are so loaded with preservatives and chemicals to give them shelf life...nothing simple about their ingredient list at all. Even more amusing, this is after he/she admitted to the family pediatrician that the pantry at home was bare bones and he/she wasn't into cooking...hence why the pediatrician suggested this book. Maybe the doc was trying you something, ya think??

I firmly believe that it's ridiculous to prepare separate meals for everyone...toddler food for the little ones, a "real meal" for mom and dad. How can anyone expect their children to like decent food if they don't expose them to it? If anyone is looking for a cookbook for your children that has recipes that are enjoyable for everyone, this is the book for you. The recipes are fantastic, and they really are easy.

The recipies in "Feeding Baby" are hit and miss, because the ingredients are either too difficult to find, or too expensive for most people. The remaining recipies are incredibly tasty, however. I would recommend this book to compliment other baby food books and not as a stand-alone source.

Our goal was to raise our daughter to be a willing and adventurous eater, and to steer her clear of the usual all-American pitfalls of corn syrup, sugars, salts, etc that come with jarred baby food and formula (she never had any of that...perhaps a spoonful of rice cereal before we tossed it all out). This cookbook is very much about raising children in a foodie family, where the adults aren't eating processed foods, and are more likely to be getting fresh and rare items for the kitchen. The recipes themselves are almost immaterial - I think the real asset in this book is how beautifully it promotes a very European ethic in feeding your children properly, not bringing up picky eaters and spending too much money on "for kids" branded foods loaded with yech. The proof of its value to me (we got it as a gift) is that my daughter loved the dishes we prepared for her, without fail, and now, at 3 and a half, we get shocked looks from friends when we bring her to restaurants and others' houses for meals and she is happy to eat what the grown-ups are eating. LOVE IT!

why didn't i think to make such good food for my daughter BEFORE i read this book?! she is 9 mos. and every recipe i've tried from this book has been a hit with her and me and my husband. we can all sit down together for an enjoyable meal. what a treat!

to those who may find the ingredients elusive or expensive, simply substitute what you do have in season or available. modify the recipes as you need to, just remember, your baby wants to eat what you eat, and you will find these recipes DELICIOUS and easy.

I found the author's suggestions reasonable and her writing pleasant. You won't feel badgered or overwhelmed when you read this. I picked up some good ideas on combos for the 9 month era, which is good, because I think my daughter is tiring of grain + fruit or veggie at every meal! My favorite discovery is tofu blended with banana. YUM! (so that's how they make those yummy and expensive soy shakes!) There are lots of great toddler recipes, and a few others for all ages that I might try. Overall, good information, presented in a simple and useful format.

I followed this book exclusively when introducing my daughter to solids and am doing the same for my son. So far, knock wood, no food allergies for either one. The thing I found the most useful was the table which suggested minimum ages to introduce particular foods. Also, loved this book because it reinforced for me how easy it is to make your own "babyfood" as opposed to buying the jarred stuff. The book I have was handed down through two other moms. Wish it would come back into print.

This is a great book. Very relaxed and simple presentation. Supportive approach and not extremist. Very balanced advice. I tried the Super Baby Food book, but after I read this one in our library. I took the SBF back and ordered this on-line. Good luck!

This book did reinforce my conviction that my baby can grow up perfectly healthy on a whole foods vegeterian/vegan diet (I don't eat any meat and am lactose intolerant and it appears that he is too). However, the book did not provide nearly enough information to guide me in planning a healthy diet for him. It said which foods COULD be introduced when, but not which ones SHOULD be. It did not address complementing as opposed to replacing breastmilk while introducing solids. I am a working mother, but still breastfeeding my 10 mo. old baby 3-4 times a day (including pumping), and am at in dispute with the day-care doctor who says my baby does not get enough protein (At the day care they normally introduce meat at 7-8 months). I expected to find more information on QUANTITIES of solid foods and certain nutrients (protein and others) babies need at what age.

I found this book to be very helpful, finally making baby food sounds easy. The recipes cover ages from 6 months through 3 years. She also includes many recipes for the entire family. I use the book mainly as a cookbook, refering to other books for nutritional guidlines for my son.

This book is pretty simple and basic. It covers all areas of pregnancy but not too much in depth. Its a good book if you want a basic book to refere to for things. Or you are pregnant for the first time and need to learn all the basics. I purchased other books along with this one for more in depth info on matters that were important to me. Overall this book is easy to read and I enjoyed reading it to review the basic stuff I need to know about pregnancy.

I was a little disappointed with this book. I was looking for user-friendly, in depth information, and it didn't quite make it. Although it is more recent than John Sussman's books, it is certainly not easier to read.

After reading several pregnancy books that either focused way too much on the negatives of pregnancy, or were too flippant and breezy about pregnancy, reading a book like this was a huge relief. Yes, it is somewhat clinical. But frankly, I would rather read a book with a neutral, clinical perspective. It was reassuring in a way. This book does not spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the things that can go wrong with your pregnancy, although it does cover that subject adequately. It does spend a lot of time explaining the medical terminology your doctor will use to talk about your pregnancy with you. That to me was helpful.

There is also a whole chapter on breastfeeding, it's not authoritative, but it does contain helpful information. The explanation about the pain relief options available to you during labor and childbirth is excellent and both reassuring and informative.

All in all, I recommend this book as an excellent reference if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

This book was nice to read, but a little boring. If you listened in biology class then this book is not for you. Just your basic stuff really. If you want a good informative read with really helpful information (especially for 1st timers) then Conception, Pregnancy and Birth (Dr. Miriam Stoppard) is a wonderful book, with helpful information on excersise, newborn care and wonderful pictures!!

Since it has been my experience that you usually have to buy more than one pregnancy book to get all of the information you seek about pregnancy and related issues, I found this book to be direct and easy to read. It covers issues that other popular books do not. Since every person is different, I believe it is impossible to find a book that covers every concern you may have. This book is very informative, without being difficult to understand. The fact that it is written by The American College of Ob and Gyn helps too.

This has to be the most creative, resourceful, and well planned baby name book that I have ever come across. It's not just a baby name book...the author has incorporated nursery rhymes, a pregnancy journal, a photo journal and many other things that set it apart from the traditional books. Thank you Marty Wilson for writing such an extraordinary book, it's truly a work of art. You've allowed me to explore a realm that I have never traveled...a realm, which allowed my wife and I to choose very ingenious names for our twins. Where were you when we were naming our first child? My hat goes off. Thank you!

Buy this book, you won't regret it.

I think this book is one of the best ever for picking out unique names never before heard of and helps you stimulate your own imagination like the author has encourage you to do. It also comes with common names to so its perfect for everyone.

I love this book! It has tons of unique names, many that have never been heard before! If you want a special name for your baby, you should definitely read this book.

This is a great book to find an unusual name for your new baby. The preganacy journal is an added benefit for new mothers. Makes a nice baby shower gift.

Recently, I purchased this book to help find a creative name for our soon to be son. What I loved about this book was that it listed the names and left the rest to me. It allowed me to be creative with each of the names listed. Many of the names could be pronounced differently, depending on your interpretation of it. I liked this because it allowed me to be very creative in coming up with a name for my son. I feel that this book is intended to spark creativity rather than to find a specific name. My goal was to come up with a name that I hadn't heard of and that is what I did. I found several names in this book that I liked. I combined names and different pronounciations to come up with my own unique name. As well as having unusual names, this book has the common ones too. Another thing that I like about this book was that it didn't have the definitions or originations of the names. Frankly, I wanted to find a name that I like; I didn't want to name my child based on a definition. Lastly, the pregnancy journal is great. It has pages for journaling and attaching pictures. It has reminded me to take the oh so important pictures that I would reget not having later. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be creative and find a name that is perfect for your little one. My husband and I did.

I found this book by accident. It is by far the best baby book I have seen. It has just the right amount of information for a new mother - lots of practical advice and is presented in a friendly, flexible tone. I finally was able to pick up on how to burb and establish a routine. These things seem simple, but as a new mother I finally "got it" after reading the very practical, straight-forward information in this book. My baby is 6 weeks and is much happier. She sleeps more on this schedule, but is much less fussy when she is awake. As a result, I am much less stressed and have more time for other things. This book also established the right priority level and family roles in my mind. I don't think this was the intent of the book, but all of the info has worked for us so far and has improved my confidence and coping skills as a mother. This book and author deserves more publicity in the states. I hope she writes a toddler book.

I liked this book. I'm on my second child, and so thought I'd read them all, but then this one came along and I really just wanted to see what it was all about. Probably mostly out of curiosity because the author was nanny to Apple Martin (Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter). I have a 2-year old and an 8-week old and was pretty set on "sleep training" my youngest as early as possible. With my older daughter, we waited until she was about one year, and we just couldn't face that kind of exhaustion in our household. This book was a big help in that it clearly laid out 24-hour schedules from birth through the 1st birthday, something which I've actually not seen in any other book (in my recollection). I appreciated this and started on the schedule when my baby was 5 weeks old and within days (no exxageration) she was sleeping at a 5-hour stretch at night. Now, at 8 weeks, she is sleeping for 7 hours at a stretch, is strictly breastfed (which she will be until she turns one) and is a happy, calm and content little girl. I didn't think it was possible to have a breast-fed infant sleep this long at night, but this book with it's highly detailed schedules showed me otherwise. So if you are interested in sleeping well at night with a newborn, this is a wonderful book. But if you are looking for any other pearls of wisdom, there are a number of other books you can read that have more comprehensive information (I enjoyed the "What to Expect" series and "The Baby Book" from Dr. Sears.) One note: if you are a follower of Dr. Sears and attachment parenting, this is not the book for you.

THIS BOOK IS FULL OF EXCELLENT ADVICE. I LOVED IT. EASY TO READ.

I found this book to be helpful with some tweaking. She mentions that the child should take their long nap in the morning and the short one in the afternoon; I did just the opposite and my 7 month old twins are AWESOME sleepers. They take a 45-55 minute nap in the morning, 2-2.5 hour nap in the afternoon and sleep from 7:30/8pm till 9/9:30am every night! Also, they are exclusively breastfed so I never gave them boiled water since they were hydrated enough from the nursing. Very helpful pointers though overall. If I can schedule and get twin boys to sleep this well, then anyone can!!!

I would reccomend this book to any Mom needing help with setting a routine. I would say though if you are nursing it is much harder to keep up with her every four hour feeding schedule.

I think I got the wrong impression when I bought this book, I thought it would be a little more informative then it was. Most of the comments from other parents are "inspirational," not educational. I was looking for the book to actually give tips on infant care, but there was only a few of them that delivered on that thought. I think it is a good read only as entertainment.

What a pleasant surprise. I was given this book and figured it would be like all the other baby books...i.e. they make you crazy. In the other books some expert tells you how exactly your child will develop and how you should respond. That's not real life.

Every child is different (as is every parent) and that is the strength of this book. The editors have interviewed hundreds of parents who have been through the same new born child experience. They share great and different advice. It is quite frankly a relief to know that there isn't just one way and that other parents share the doubts and experiences that the rest of us do. I highly recommend adding How to Survive Your Baby's First Year to your library.

It got this book for my pregnant sister, and she loved it! Said the stories were hilarious and touching, and the advice from everyday folks was fun and useful.

Somewhat entertaining, quick read, NOT informative. It was more about people sharing briefly their experiences than it was about actual useful tips. It's comforting to read about other parents going through similar challenges but you can read about that for free at one of those online newsletters [...] AND get some real, useful advice from other parents and experts in childcare. Not worth the money to get the book.

I won't be keeping this on my shelf for much longer.

I don't have time to read a book cover-to-cover, so I appreciated 'How to Survive Your Baby's First Year'. I keep it on the night-table by my bed and read a few tips/stories every night. This book isn't meant to be an expert driven in-depth exploration of how to care for your baby. It's meant to share some good advice from real moms and dads on how to get through the first year with your new baby - and it does that well.

My wife & I had our first child 15 months ago. We find ourselves referring to this book on many different occasion. From what to do when the baby gets an ear infection to what to expect when weaning baby off of the bottle. A must buy, trust me, you will be glad you did!

I was surprised to learn that there aren't more books of this type available for black mothers. But this book may be the only reference guide you need! A very easy read, and so full of useful information that I read it chunks at a time! The historical information is invaluable too. This would make a great gift for a special mom-to-be.

This is an excellent book for Pregnant woman from a Black perspective. From the interesting history side stories to the added stories of black woman any black woman will find this useful throughout their pregnancy and through the first few months with baby.

Key things I liked, the section on single moms, down to earth section on going back to work, negotiating leave, creating a budget for the new baby in your life, baby names, and 100% accurate medical information. Paritically on the choices for childbirth, from birthing centers to hospitals and the medications you available now.

This a great book I will keep in my reference for my second child.

I have learned just as much from "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and could really have done without the African names/meanings and tips on how to use kente cloth in a nursery. "WHat To Expect..." is much more thorough, although a lot of the information overlaps. The pictures in "Mama's Little Baby" are great, but not sure that you'll really learn how to bathe a baby based on these pictures...Get "what To Expect" and save the money...

This book offers information needed for pregnant women but it specifically relates to the african american woman's needs. You can relate to the stories told by these women. The pictures are wonderful. mostly it prepares the woman for what to expect during each month of her pregnancy and birth. Highly recommended.

I just got this book today and I LOVE it! I have already read half of it and can't wait to read more. I am an expecting parent and I am finding very helpful information for questions that I already have. The topics of crying, bottle feeding/breast feeding, pacifiers,bathing hints, introducing solid foods, etc...have already been helpful. I am reading cover to cover now, but I am sure it will become a frequent reference once the baby is born...and the topics are EASILY found. (topics are A - Z and in bold across top of page and many topics are cross referenced to help you find what you are looking for more easily). I highly recommend to any new or expecting parents who want really helpful advice from other parents who have been there. It is scary enough to embark on the journey of parenthood, but with sound advice to support you it doesn't seem as scary. Thanks Parent Soup!!!

All those questions that new moms (like me) have, now have a answer. Not only is there advice from parents but it also gives you the pediatrician's and La Leche League's viewpoints on subjects. You even learn how and where you can safely pinch pennies!

This book has become my parenting bible that I will turn to again and again, it will also become the shower gift for expecting friends. With it's real life advice to real concerns and questions, it covers all the bases for being a parent in an easy to read layout. Not only is there baby tips, but there is also advice for the parents as well. Diapers, teething, sex after having the baby, going back to work, child care, pacifiers, circumcisions, getting back in shape, resouce lists for groups such as Moms Clubs, LLL, Fathers groups, Insurance, Special Needs children, etc. There is a wealth of input on each subject so that you can tailor what works best for you, your child and your families unique style. Inserted throughout the book there are insights from a Pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene. And as an added bonus, I love the side notes in the margins that include parent poll results, trivia, recipes and extra tips that you can only get from parents that have been there and done that. All of this advice compiled directly from all parents that have joined Parent Soups online site; my new parenthood "oasis". Bottom line, it is real tips from real parents on all of the issues we face as new parents today. I know I will be looking forward to the next book about toddlers.

Okay, I shoud have guessed it before I bought it, but all this book is is a publication of some e-mails. Most are from the same couple of people who like to hear themselves talk. Please save your money!!! You'll thank me.

I may be one of the few, if only fathers to add in a review of this book, but as my wife thought the book was a good overview I picked it up myself. Once we found out that my wife was pregnant we went out and got an arm full of books in an effort to compete with the library of Congress. This book was one of the better buys. This book was one of my wife's and my favorites of all the child care books we bought. We both thought it was full of very helpful and interesting information that we wanted or needed. You really understand what is going on with each new issue as it comes up.

The book has a good deal of important advice and survival tips that may not be in more straight-laced books on the topic. The book is very easy to use with the topics in an easily found layout. The book is laid out A - Z and in bold across top of page with the topics cross referenced to help you find what you are looking for more easily. The writing is clear and to the point, no working through page after page of Dr speak. The book was unique in that if offered advice from parents, pediatricians and the La Leche League.

I found that I liked reading what other parents had to say about the different topics. It was nice to see what worked and did not work for other parents. The Doctors comments were also very helpful and well written - not dry and dull. Not only are there tips on your new born, but there is also advice for the parents as well. As expecting parents moving into full-blown parenting, this has been a great book. THe one item of caustion I would add is that this is not the only book you will need, it does not go into the detail that a Dr Sears book does. I think expecting and new parents should all get a copy of this book.