What to Expect the First Year

What to Expect

by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel, Arlene Eisenberg

Some things about babies, happily, will never change. They still arrive warm, cuddly, soft, and smelling impossibly sweet. But how moms and dads care for their brand-new bundles of baby joy has changed—and now, so has the new-baby bible.

Announcing the completely revised third edition of What to Expect the First Year . With over 10.5 million copies in print, First Year is the world’s best-selling, best-loved guide to the instructions that babies don’t come with, but should. And now, it’s better than ever. Every parent’s must-have/go-to is completely updated.

Keeping the trademark month-by-month format that allows parents to take the potentially overwhelming first year one step at a time, First Year is easier-to-read, faster-to-flip-through, and new-family-friendlier than ever—packed with even more practical tips, realistic advice, and relatable, accessible information than before. Illustrations are new, too.

Among the changes: Baby care fundamentals—crib and sleep safety, feeding, vitamin supplements—are revised to reflect the most recent guidelines. Breastfeeding gets more coverage, too, from getting started to keeping it going. Hot-button topics and trends are tackled: attachment parenting, sleep training, early potty learning (elimination communication), baby-led weaning, and green parenting (from cloth diapers to non-toxic furniture). An all-new chapter on buying for baby helps parents navigate through today’s dizzying gamut of baby products, nursery items, and gear. Also new: tips on preparing homemade baby food, the latest recommendations on starting solids, research on the impact of screen time (TVs, tablets, apps, computers), and “For Parents” boxes that focus on mom’s and dad’s needs. Throughout, topics are organized more intuitively than ever, for the best user experience possible.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, Health, Family, Education

806 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 1989

About the author

Heidi Murkoff is the co-author of the What to Expect When You're Expecting series of pregnancy guides. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and founder of the What to Expect Project.

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I liked What to Expect When You're Expecting. I liked this one even better. It's packed with facts and practical advice. As a first-time dad, I found it especially useful.

The chapters on illness and first aid are overwhelming; I quickly gave up on trying to take notes. I skimmed the chapters to become aware of what could happen, but I'd rather rely on advice from the pediatrician or medical staff in the event of serious sickness or injury.

I found the section on baby sign language interesting because someone recently told me how she used sign language with her daughter, and it made communicating much less frustrating.

Notes

Feeding
Bottles
• Introduce bottle around 5 weeks, after breastfeeding is established. Introduce 1st bottle 1-2 hrs after breastfeeding and gradually build up by swapping bottle for breastfeeding.
• 1st bottle shouldn’t be offered by mother.
• Feed until baby stops eating.
• Start with 1-2 oz formula at each feeding and gradually increase.
• Start with 1 bottle feeding per day for 1 week before switching to 2/day.
• Boil bottles and nipples before 1st use. After that, dishwasher or hand-washing is sufficient.
• Discard milk or formula remaining in bottle after feeding.
• Start weaning from bottle at 8-11 mos; may take 1-2 mos. Finish by 1 yr.

Storing breast milk
• Refrigerate as soon as possible.
• Room temperature up to 6 hrs.
• Refrigerate up to 48 hrs.
• Chill for 30 mins, then freeze 1-2 weeks in single-door refrigerator (3-6 months for models that freeze foods solid).
• Thaw in fridge and use within 24 hrs, or thaw under lukewarm tap water and use within 30 mins.

Solid foods
• Introduce solids at 4-6 mos, depending on doctor’s orders.
• Introduce foods 1 at a time, 3-5 days apart.
• Iron-enriched cereal is the easiest source of iron for non-formula-fed babies.
• You can freeze homemade baby food in ice cube trays.

Early foods
• 4-6 mos: rice cereal.
• 6 mo: barley cereal, oat cereal, applesauce, bananas, pears, peaches, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potato, squash.
• 7-8 mos: chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, avocado, egg yolk.
• 9 mo: yogurt (whole milk), cheese (Swiss, Cheddar), pasta, beans, tofu

Cups
• Start teaching to use cup at 5 mo.
• To motivate switch from bottle to cup, use bottle only for water, and cup for other drinks.
• Sippy cups have many negatives, so avoid if possible. Start with spoutless cup and use sippy later if necessary, but limit sipping to meals and snack times.

Miscellaneous feeding notes
• Powder formula is least expensive.
• By 4 mo, babies don’t need to eat during night.
• No nuts or honey until doctor okays, around 1 yr.
• It’s OK to let baby eat food dropped on house’s floor.
• Try to hold off on sweets for at least 1st year.
• Limit sugar and salt.
• Don’t forbid foods; allow occasional treats when child understands the concept of rare treats.
• When doctor okays cow’s milk (around 1 yr), give only whole milk until age 2.
• Don’t push food on baby. If she likes only one food for a week or more, let her eat it. However, try to sneak other foods into or onto it.
• Don’t laugh at or scold high chair antics, or baby will be encouraged. Don’t comment on manners except for praising good behavior.
• Brush and wipe baby teeth with washcloth after meals and at bedtime.
• Don’t use fluoridated paste.

Sleeping
• Don’t try to implement a sleep schedule until baby is several months old.
• Breastfed babies don’t usually sleep through night until 3-6 months.
• You won’t spoil a baby by consistently responding to crying within a couple minutes. Studies show these babies cry less as toddlers. But, if you’ve met baby’s needs, it’s OK to let her cry for 10-15 mins.
• By 6 mos, OK to let baby cry it out at night.
• Feed baby a while before intended nap or sleep time so she doesn’t fall asleep during feeding. Put to bed when drowsy.
• Teach baby to fall asleep without breast or bottle at 6-9 mos, but you can try earlier. Put to bed when drowsy.

Schedule
• By 3 months, some babies have a regular rhythm, but many don’t.
• Don’t try to use a schedule before 2-3 mos; let baby eat and sleep on demand.

Playing
• Limit baby swing to 30 mins, twice daily. Move her to crib before she falls asleep.
• Children don’t understand that items can belong to someone else until 2.5 yrs, and don’t understand sharing until 3.

Talking to baby
• Avoid pronouns; say “mommy”, “daddy”, and baby’s name.
• Use simple words some of the time.
• Talk about here and now.
• Imitate baby’s sounds.
• Raise your pitch; babies prefer high pitches.
• Start pronouns around age 1.
• If teaching a 2nd language, start at 2.5-3 yrs.

Baby sign language
• Baby sign language doesn’t impede spoken language skills.
• Begin as soon as baby shows active interest in communicating, by 8 mo or earlier. Most babies sign back by 10-14 mos.
• Develop your own signs by using simple gestures for words or phrases.
• Speak and sign simultaneously.
• Encourage others who spend time with baby to sign.
• Use signs that baby invents.

Discipline
• With each “no”, try offering a “yes” in the form of an alternative, to avoid frustrating baby.
• Correction and reward work better than punishment.
• Your anger triggers baby’s anger; avoid angry outbursts.
• Research shows spanking promotes violence, aggression, and antisocial behavior. It also teaches to settle disputes with force.
• Alternatives to spanking: consequences such as time-outs, and positive reinforcement.
• A spanking or hand smack may be warranted when a child who’s too young to understand words does something dangerous.

Walking
• Children may first walk at 9 mo, or after 15 mo.
• Walking barefoot helps baby learn best. When she walks outside, choose shoes that are closest to bare feet (simple and flexible).

Medical care
• Keep baby calm for 30 mins before taking temperature so crying doesn’t elevate temp.
• Call doctor if baby under 2 mo has rectal temp over 100.2° (105° for over 2 mo).
• Don’t give aspirin to children. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is OK under 6 mo; acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Advil) OK over 6 mo.

Miscellaneous notes
• Pair short last names with long first names (and vice versa). 2-syllable first complement 2-syllable lasts.
• Keep nursery above 72° in summer, 68-72° winter days, and 68° winter nights.
• Wean from pacifier between 3 and 6 mos.
• You don’t need to wash baby’s clothes separately or with different detergent.
• Most experts agree that there’s no evidence that intense early learning (such as Baby Einstein) provides a long-term advantage.
• It’s OK for baby to suck fingers until age 5.
• A woman’s body takes at least 1 yr to fully recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Ideally, wait that long to conceive again.

[- Jared - ₪ Book Nerd ₪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babies are definitely scary your first time. I mean there's this new little life that's counting on you get things right and if you screw it up they might die! No pressure though, right? Thank God our child came with instructions. Amazon claims that the book was published just like any other book but I swear it must have been hidden somewhere in the placenta. Because shortly after the birth of our baby, it appeared out of nowhere and it never left my wife's side until she finished it. The book was of course What to Expect the First Year and it really helped my wife out a lot. Generously, I allowed her the pleasure of reading through the 800 plus page baby bible. She sifted through it and passed along the important parts.

I remember one day I was going to make my baby girl a snack then my wife says, "You know not to give babies honey, right?", from way off in our living room, in a tone suggesting that it was ridiculous for her even to mention it. She was laying on the couch reading the baby bible and watching our baby doing her tummy time. Our baby girl was just old enough to eat a sandwich. Peanut butter and grape jelly was her favorite food for the week.

Standing in our kitchen pantry, wearing an expression as if I just bit into as lemon, I answered, "Pffftt... of course, who doesn't?", raising my voice to be heard across the distance while jerking my hand away from the bottle of honey I had been reaching for. "Why is that again anyway? I- I forget." Asking nervously but trying to play it off as nonchalant as possible.

"Because of a spore of a bacterium called clostridium botulinum that could kill them…," saying it as if she were stating a rather obvious and well known fact. Of course, now I felt as if I was a complete idiot. “...that is at least until they’re about one years old.”

"Oh, that's right!", came my reply, followed by a nervous laugh. Now staring at the honey, my face flushed and my nervous smile turned to a look of dread. ‘Whoa, honey can kill a baby?’ I thought.
My heart almost stopped as it dawned on me, 'I almost killed my child'. I made as if to grab at the honey again, as a compulsive urge suddenly overcame me to take all our honey out and throw it into the street. I stopped short as, in horror, I glanced at a hateful bag of Honey-Nut-Cheerios. I let out a gasp when I saw the Honey Roasted Peanuts on the shelf below. I almost screamed when I turned to see the Honey BBQ sauce flanking me at my left. I was surrounded by baby death!

With my heart racing, I grabbed the wheat bread and fled from the pantry. I shut the pantry door, leaning with my back to it as if the honey and its minions would try to force their way out. I felt as if my pantry should have a deadbolt on it to protect my child from the numerous dangers lurking from within. Catching my breath, I walked over to the fridge and fished out the strawberry jam. We had apparently just run out of her favorite grape jelly. As I regained my composure, I calmly began to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Shaking my head and letting out a sigh, I thought, 'What a terrible world we live in! So inhospitable to babies'.

Within seconds of laying out the bread and opening the jar of strawberry jam, my wife walked into the kitchen. Stopping abruptly in her tracks, she glared down at the sandwich I was preparing. Grabbing the butter knife, I scooped a hefty portion of jam on the knife, making ready for an application to the bread. Then my wife stared at me with an incredulous expression. Holding the knife above the bread, I froze as if she was holding a gun to my head and just pulled back the hammer. Gingerly, as if any sudden movement would make her flinch and fire a round at me, I slowly returned her gaze. As if to escape the dreadful glare of my wife, a portion of the gelatinous strawberry jam slid off the knife, falling on the counter with a plop and missing the bread. 'She knows...' I thought in surprise as my eyes slowly widened. 'Somehow she knows I almost poisoned our child with the vicious honey!' That was moment I envied the retreating jam.

With a guilty conscience and an expression looking as though I'd been caught cheating on her, I asked, "Umm... wha-wha-what's wrong, honey?" cringing at my choice of words.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked sternly, throwing her hands up in front of her, palms up, to emphasize the word 'doing'.

"Didn't you ask me to make our baby a sandwich? I mean a-a-a snack..?"

At this, she put her hands down and rested them on her hips while gaping at me, wide-eyed, as if she was shocked to be observing the world's dumbest person. Leaning forward slightly, she let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Don't you know you can't give her strawberries? She might develop a rash or maybe even go into anaphylactic shock!" At the word 'shock,' her right hand leapt from her hip and flew out in front of her and, to further stress her point, abruptly jerked her head slightly to the right.

In response, I looked down at the evil strawberry jam covering the knife I held and dropped it on the counter, as if it become electrified by my wife's eyes. I could almost swear that I heard an evil suppressed laugh escape from deep within the jar. The label on the jar suddenly took on an ominous look to me by appearing to sneer at me sardonically. Even more nefarious dietary monsters were lurking in our very own kitchen! It was almost too much to believe! As if honey didn't have enough minions in its army, unbeknownst to me, it had many seasoned generals in its ranks too. I began to feel claustrophobic as if there was an army of devilish food closing in on me from all sides.

"And, by the way...", my wife began again, "that bread HAS HONEY IN IT!"

Epilogue:
True story... well sort of. It didn't happen exactly that way, this is funnier. Real life inspired this. I do actually remember learning about honey and strawberries being problematic when she was only about three months old. I recall the feeling of horror at the discovery that I could have unwittingly killed her on several occasions, and I felt that she was lucky to still be alive. For the sake of accuracy, the bacteria in honey clostridium botulinum is actually quite rare in commercial honey these days and strawberries, while somewhat commonly causes rashes in some infants, is not usually life threatening and anaphylaxis is also rare. This is not all the book has to offer either, it’s much more involved and goes way beyond diet. Thanks for reading!

[Tijana]

Fenomenalno praktična i korisna knjiga za friške roditelje, ne samo zbog toga što pregledno i obuhvatno pokriva gotovo sve probleme i "probleme" s kojima se suočavaju, nego pre svega zbog utešno-ohrabrujućeg tona kojim na hiljadu načina varira iskaz "Opustite se. Sve je to normalno kad su bebe u pitanju. Nećete zabrljati."

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dislike this whole series of books. The author spends too much time making her beliefs sound like facts in some areas (like against co-sleeping and for "crying it out") and then pandering to both sides (like bottle feeders and breastfeeders) in other areas in an obvious attempt to sacrifice the best baby advice for coddling to readers who may not have gone the path that's best for baby and don't want to feel bad about it. The advice is more along the lines of my mother's generation than the current practices and research that is so much more baby-friendly. I like Dr. Sears' "The Baby Book" much better.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good, and it's definitely the most popular baby guide. But, there are other books that are better, like the one from the American Academy of Pediatricians, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child. I felt this book included too many topics that were just hype. It also covers topics in an inflammatory way, and then more calmly states the actual facts at the very end of a topic.

For instance, it lists a number of foods not to give your child the first or even second year. I was starting to get worried. Then, as a disclaimer at the end, it says not to worry unless you have a family history of allergies to those specific foods.

Another example is the list of things your child should do at each milestone. I felt like we kept up pretty well until the last milestone at one year when my child should have been doing everything except fly a rocket ship. Again, I felt panic that we were doing something wrong until I read a little further and figured out that nobody else's kids were doing it either. The next chapter said things like "30% of children won't do this until they're 18 months old."

Spend your money on some other book, if you have a chance. But if you're at Wal-Mart, and this is the only book they have, it'll still give you the necessary information.

[Hayam Al-Rashed · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب حجمة كبيير جداا وحقيقة لم استطع قراءته دفعة واحد هو أشبه بالمرجع لكل حالة.. نصائح ممتازة ومناسبة لكل أم .. من أهم الامور التي استفدت منها جداول الاعراض للامراض كثييرا لا نعلم ماسبب صياح الطفل لكن هناك بكل مرحلة عمرية تقريبا يوجد جدول للأعراض ومتابعة حالة الطفل من لون البراز ودرجة الحرارة لمعرفة حالة الطفل وسبب بكاءة.... أفادني كثييراا الحمدلله .. وأخيرا أتمت سارة عامها الاول وأتميت قرائتي للكتاب:)

[Amy Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like the tone of this. And when I read that you shouldn't buy your baby yellow or green as a gender neutral option "because many babies can't pull off those tones" I was out.

[Ashley Kvasnicka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.75/5

A great guide to the ever growing unstable wet squish that is your baby!

I didn't find this book as important as the first one (which was my savoir having known NOTHING about babies!), though it is still very well written. It's incredibly informative and a great guide for following the development of your baby during his first year of life.

My rating isn't indicating anything wrong with this book. There's nothing wrong. It's perfect. But I found it to be more of a fun guide - like keeping track of milestones, excited to see which one's were on the mark, which needed improving and which he was 'excelling' at - than a lifesaver and any book after this, I'm 99% sure I won't bother with. The only reason this one even ended up in my paws is because I got it in great condition at my local Charity Sale for $.50 so *shrug*

Overall, I would recommend this one but I won't shove it in someone's face like I might the first one. Because honestly, if the women in my life who had already raised their babes didn't, I would have ignored this series altogether. I thank those ladies and these books for getting me through my first year being a new mommy and helping me not accidentally kill begin the process of raising my little squish!

[Kathrynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another manual that should come home from the hospital with the newborn! I devoured this book and have a lot of highlights! A must have for new moms and dads. Nicely laid out.

I'm glad I got this book out of the shelf to add to GRs. I found a Mother's Day card to me inside it from my Grandmother! God rest her soul.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I will preface my review by saying that, apparently, my parenting style is referred to as "Attachment Parenting" which I understand is an institutional term for "Damn Hippie". I simply do what feels natural and right for me and my baby. I have learned to trust my baby, listen to her pediatrician (with a discerning ear), and phooey on anyone that tells me I HAVE to do X-Y-Z to make sure she scores high on the S-A-T. (seriously, if she doesn't eat solids at 120 days old, she will still learn to eat with a spoon!).
If you are a control freak who thinks that nap times should be scheduled, or if Clorox is your BFF, than disregard everything I have said and will say in this book review***

This book is like the sequel to a movie. The first was good (What to Expect When You're Expecting), but the second installment exists because the producers know it will sell at the box office, no matter how good (or not) it is.
***Excepting, of course, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", which far exceeds its predecessor in every regard***

This book has some well thought out advice and handy information for the first time parent. However, I gave up on reading this cover to cover, as I did with the first book for nine months, and eventually only used "What to Expect" as a reference guide.

My attempt to read this chapter by chapter each month was met with several difficulties.
Firstly, Heidi Murkoff must be crazy, or Super Mom to think that any Mother of a newborn or infant has the time to read this monstrosity; it simply cannot be held in one hand while the other hand cradles a nursing baby, the weight of the book will possibly break the hand in such an attempt.
This coincides with my other difficulty with the book: there is just too much information for the average parent. This book covers so many topics, that much of the information was irrelevant to me, and only served to cause mild paranoia. Reading this book made me more paranoid than I had the right to be. I was worried about all of the rare and uncommon diseases, calculating my daughter's chance of SIDS, and being altogether too calculating about what to do the first year.

The useful part of this book is the first page of each chapter, the only part that actually tells you what to expect each month of the first year. What the common developmental milestones are, accompanied by a mild reassurance that every child develops at their own rate, and what to anticipate at the pediatric check up each month.

This book is better used as a reference. Instead of implanting worries into the mind of a new parent, the glossary at the end of this book can be a quick go to for questions like "Is my baby sleeping too much?", "What is nipple confusion?", "Is what my Mother in Law said REALLY true?!" and other ridiculous things every parent wonders and ends up calling the pediatrician's office about.

I have found that signing up for the whattoexpect.com email subscription to be a good way to get much of the information found in this book in a chronologically relevant manner to my inbox.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sure this book is perfect for some people, but it’s definitely not for me. Aside from it being a book essentially mostly about breastfeeding and how it’s really the only thing you should focus on, the tone was grating. Consistently referring to baby as “your little cutie” or “little cookie” or similar for nearly 600 pages is annoying AF. Next, I feel like there’s constantly little bits of harmful reinforcement of toxic concepts of parenting, gender roles, in particular on the birthing parent. Examples: gently explaining that a husband might be put off by your breasts or jealous of the baby now that they’re being used to feed a baby and that’s normal and acceptable. Or assuming the mother is eager to shed pregnancy pounds. Or just the complete lack of sympathy towards women who struggle or just plain don’t want to breastfeed, the author’s advice is that it’s best to just stick it out and keep going because breastfeeding is best for the baby…I mean sure I’m no author or expert but I don’t think a miserable mother is best for anyone involved. And then there is just the complete lack of postpartum depression and anxiety information. There’s a mention, but there were far more mentions about keeping romance and sex life sustained after having a baby and honestly who gives a fuck compared to a literal life threatening condition that is so very often minimized and overlooked. Don’t even get me started about the joking tone the author takes on when discussing getting no sleep and skipping showers as if that should be widely accepted as funny and ok—like no, give us information on how to change that dynamic for the better. Self care is critical, especially in those first few months of healing and trying to get one’s feet under them. How about how the partner can step up? It’s just all so dated and not how I wanna go about things. For others it might work, but this is one big tome of how I don’t want to do things so I guess it was good in that regard? Please let me know when someone younger than a boomer writes a decent book. Until then, imma keep going to my dr, chatGPT, and TikTok for advice and anecdotes because it’s proven substantially better than whatever this shit is.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some basic information that's useful, and tables for common OTC drugs based on weight and type of suspension at the back that are great for when internet access is out and you need to look them up. And this book helped teach my husband how to change a diaper.

However, some of the information is just not great. I would recommend skipping the whole section on breastfeeding and reading some better books on it instead. The growth, eating, sleep, and sibling sections have been spectacularly unhelpful for our family. And a lot of the stuff is just redundant, not to mention some of it is confusing. Overall, a basic book with an okay knowledge base, but I would recommend getting more in-depth books on topics you need to know about, as well as looking for more up-to-date information on websites such as BabyCenter, Kelly Mom, or WebMD.

[Боби · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тази книга ми харесва с разностранната си изчерпателност. Има въпроси и отговори и информация в много посоки, някои от тях неподозирани от мен аспекти на живота на бебока. Насочи ме да търся и чета по успоредни теми, други книги и тн.

Както всяка книга-справочник, и тази не може да се изчете лесно от-до, а по-скоро седи на масата и току я прелистваш. Също така, не е добре всичко да се приема 1:1, винаги пречупвайте информацията през призмата на вашия живот и вашето дете.

(това по-долу важи за всички бебешки книги, които ми харесват)

Добрите бебешко-детски книги имат една основна функция, по моему. И тя е да успокояват родителите, като им осигуряват нещо като дъска, по която да преминеш плаващите пясъци.

Каквото и аварийно да се случи с детето ти, от подозрително кихване до брутални травми и инфекции, най-важната първа стъпка е да запазиш спокойствие. Което идва от информираното отношение.

Отделно, плаващите пясъци (баби, лели, стринки, комшийки, напълно непознати - всички преизпълнени с акъл, най-често тотално неприложим към твоето дете), с които се сблъскват всички родители, са много по-лесни за преодоляване, когато имаш твърда линия, която да следваш.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very unhelpful and I found it to be a bit biased or maybe just one-sided. She definitely has opinions so if that is what you're looking for maybe you'll like it. I also hated the way it was organized by month rather than by topic. If your baby isn't on the exact same path as she expects them to be then you will have to leaf through looking for the info you want. Also the Q&A sections of each chapter are strange. I didn't really find any useful information in the book. I don't know if there are better ones out there, but for me babycenter.com and Goggle solved all my parenting questions better than this book ever did.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing truly helpful in this for me was the list of milestones. Otherwise, the writing felt a little overly judgmental. Parents have it hard enough with hearing conflicting recommendations on how to raise their child. The advice in this book is a bit over the top in terms of its ability to be realistic for the average parent. Instead, it seems to just add stress by insinuating that those who don't make efforts to follow all of the "guidelines" in the book are doing their little ones a disservice. I honestly expected better from the person who wrote "What to Expect While You're Expecting". I expected to read a bit more of an open-minded and comforting dialogue.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward survey of child development during a baby’s first year written largely in a question and answer style. I especially appreciated the “Developmental Milestones” section (to see what the average baby should be doing per month) and the “Baby Basics at a Glance” boxes (to see what each month of your baby’s first year should look like in regards to sleeping, eating, and playing). Like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, I didn’t read this cover to cover but only read the sections which I had interest in or questions/concerns about.

[Raven · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really uncomfortable with some of the things this book said. Talking about the father being jealous and uncomfortable about breastfeeding??? Really? I would never be with a man who would be that petty. It also said not to buy too many clothes in yellow and green in case your baby’s complexion couldn’t pull it off.

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you need to know about your child's first year of life. From picking a doctor to the milestones your child should be reaching, In-depth information about a babies diet and what you should avoid. Highly recommend.

[Aine Lucido · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book really helpful when I read it month by month. It helped give an overview of what milestones can be expected when and what to look for each month. It does have a lot of information and can be overwhelming, but that also can be helpful if you use the index to look up a specific concern. As a first time parent, I really appreciated it!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would highly recommend!
Great read, tons and tons of information. Just as much as What to Expect when you're expecting.

[Amanda Coak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babies don't come with instruction manuals, but if they did, it would probably be this book - which is a beast of a read filled with monthly data/milestones to expect, medical information, and tons of feeding advice. I was overwhelmed reading it, but I'm glad I have it on hand for the future. I also realized that I KNOW NOTHING as a new parent AND WHAT AM I GETTING MYSELF INTO?!, but at least there are books like these that provide tons of important info.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book often made me feel like the worst parent in the world. It is very single-sided about most parenting stlyes that my husband and I are practicing, such as co-sleeping. If you are approaching parenting in a very loving and nurturing manner, I do not recommend that you read this book.

[Tessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good basic overview that shows both sides of parenting traits, even if it is slightly biased towards one side.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO useful as a new parent!

[Abby Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will answer any question you could possibly have about raising a baby in the first year but very wordy. Could have been a lot shorter.

[Sanjida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was so very great and wonderful - until I had the baby. 😂

My experience was not adequately met by this book. For one, I couldn't breastfeed, so the hundreds of pages explaining and detailing and promoting that just didn't apply. As the baby grew, I found that it got less and less helpful. A lot is common sense, a lot was not relevant, some seem outdated .

Obviously, your mileage may vary, especially if your experience is closer to the one she writes about. But also, these days, there are so many good blogs and Reddit threads for those looking for support and reassurance on all the strange things your own baby might do.

[Marysya Rudska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книжка побудована переважно у форматі "питання-відповіді", а також різні інформаційні блоки. Мені інформація була дуже корисна і цікава!
Крім питань безпеки і базової медицини- книжка переважно не дає аж надто категоричних суджень, зате дає багато ідей, орієнтирів і толкових порад.
Раджу всім молодим батькам!

[Danielle Matlin]

It feels like such an accomplishment both to finish this book and to get through baby’s first year! Very helpful guide and fun to read along every month with new milestones.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had an older edition of this book which I found helpful, because like 60% of advice for new moms not only changes wildly from decade to decade, but is frequently contradictory. If you are only reading newly printed material, you are missing out on CONTEXT. The specific edition I had (2nd?) Was concerned about baby's cholesterol levels. No one in the year 2019 or 2020 has ever inquired about my or the baby's cholesterol.

I began reading "historical" pregnancy documents out of frustration about the lack of good information about childrearing and pregnancy. Reading the older texts helped to provide context for the information I was recieiving now and to help me explain things to people who offered well intentioned advice from a different time. It felt much more polite to say "oh yes! That is the advice that was given in the 8o's. This is the advice that is given now...."

Any who. Just do what your guts say is right.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have greatly evolved my opinions of this book since starting it in the hospital! Throwing this on the “did not finish” pile, and I think we’re unlikely to pick it up again.

Early opinion – helpful! As we sat in the hospital waiting for our daughter to be born, we really enjoyed reading the early newborn sections on baby care, bottle feeding, and especially how weird new babies can look. I remember also enjoying the earlier chapter on “buying for baby” many months ago, as a way to cut through the endless recommendations for baby stuff online, and understand that you don’t really need all that much to begin with.

But now that we’ve been through the first and especially second month chapters, we really feel rubbed the wrong way by this book. I am an adult. I do not need cutesie wootsie baby language to tell me how to care for an infant. I need information, facts, and advice delivered in a palatable way. This book apparently cannot serve that need. Just flipping to a couple random pages, I see babies referred to as “your cutie”, sleep as “nighttime z’s”, and the line “there’s nothing quite the same as having your mommy or daddy around to hold your hot little hand… and administer specially prescribed doses of love and attention.” Blech! Is this written for me, or for the baby to read?

There’s obviously way more information about breastfeeding and pumping than these adoptive parents could ever need, and a lot about baby boy health issues that don’t apply to our situation either. I can skim past all that stuff. But the last straw for us was “The New Face of Fatherhood” section in month 3, with its reference to rocking a baby with one arm “while checking last night’s scores or today’s market prices on your smartphone with the other” – because you know, men only care about sports and investing, and women don’t care about those things? Shortly followed by the parenthetical exclamation “(instincts – you have them, too!)” How incredibly patronizing, especially in a section claiming to recognize that men and women don’t have to fulfill traditional, gendered parenting roles anymore.

There’s plenty of useful info in here, and I liked the idea of reading each chapter month by month, but maybe we’ll just keep it around as a reference book now and pick it up as needed. Not worth reading the whole thing, for us. Read enough to add it to my 2019 list.