Some good tips, not enough specifics
Rating:
3 / 5
This book addresses a wide scope of topics, but rarely treats any of them with the amount of detail I'd like to see.
Soon to be classic attachment parenting guide
Rating:
5 / 5
Gentle Baby Care is an excellent companion book to The Baby Book by Dr. Sears. While Dr. Sears' book is organized by the age of your baby, Gentle Baby Care is organized alphabetically by topic. Both books will appeal to parents who have chosen to follow an attachment parenting style.
Parents who are looking for other helpful first-year reference guides may also want to consider The Mother of All Baby Books by Ann Douglas; Baby 411 by Ari Brown and Denise Fields; The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Karp; and The No Cry Sleep Solution, also by Elizabeth Pantley (author of Gentle Baby Care).
A thoughtful, reliable resource
Rating:
5 / 5
This helpful resource has a lot of heart and a friendly tone. Though hefty, the book's appealing format, well-organized material, supportive writing style and clarity make it inviting and accessible. Readers need only look inside to appreciate the author's positive attitude and notice how practical and thorough the information is.Each of about 125 brief chapters uses a similar pattern designed to provide quick factual direction and encouragement for its intended audience of parents of normal infants. A wide selection of topics, from health issues to overzealous grandparents, swimming, test driving strollers, developing a read-aloud family culture, and teething, is arranged alphabetically with labels that, for the most part, make sense. The table of contents and extensive index are well-conceived. Lots of white space, attractive type, and logical layout make skimming for specific advice easy. Reading the book straight through is pleasant and informative too. Comparative parenting philosophies are not covered. Pantley is forthright about concentrating on attachment parenting. She supports her preferences well and discusses many approaches in a broad context. Breastfeeding, for example, is assumed, yet she doesn't belittle readers who opt for formula. Curiously though, homeopathic medicine is suggested a few times with no further explanation about it. In general, Pantley speaks sensibly to hands-on, involved parents interested in natural ways to rear secure, strongly attached children safely. Development itself is covered here only as a minor topic with lists of normal milestones. Helping parents understand particular issues and evaluate their best options is Pantley's focus, so her sound advice includes tips with developmentally appropriate variations throughout the book. She is adept also at sharing pertinent considerations for each subject without prescribing, except for certain definite procedures or emergency requirements, what choices a family should make. Her presentation of current knowledge and research is concise and responsible. She provides additional websites and resources for further interest and respectfully leaves the outcomes up to her readers' values and decisions. Gentle Baby Care has a more developed style than Pantley's earlier Perfect Parenting. The same sensitive logic in her No-Cry Sleep Solution is in her writing here. She considers each topic thoroughly with particular awareness of safety issues, and cogently presents, with the utmost respect for parents and their babies' well-being, the practical information and thoughtful opinions they will find useful. Expectant, new and experienced parents will all find this book a handy and reliable reference.
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