 Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)
There may be no greater miracle in life than giving birth to a new life. The BABY Book: Best Advice for Baby & You is an extraordinary, enlightening, highly-educational, and—best of all—useful book for expecting mothers (and their loved ones) by Karen Brewer. Childbearing is one of the most incredible aspects of human existence, but it is also one of the most stressful. A lot of that stress comes from one aspect of the experience: the uncertainty. This is especially true if you've never had a child before (and this happens to be your first). Uncertainty naturally leads to confusion, fear, apprehension, frustration, and anxiety. What does my baby's complexion mean? What does their breathing mean? What if they're pinker or redder than what I would expect? What if they're making strange noises or breathing funny? Why are they so warm/hot? What am I supposed to do if they start crying? What does my baby want/need? What if breastfeeding hurts too much or the shape of my nipple makes it difficult or impossible to breastfeed? Will my baby suffer because of me? What if I have a C-section or have to have a C-section? Does that make me a failure as a mom because I couldn't have the baby naturally? What if the baby is premature? Will it be ok? The baby's head and body are so big yet my hoo-hah is so small! How is it supposed to fit through there? What do you mean the baby's skull is actually not one hard, solid dome but actually six fragments?! What can I do to improve my baby's chances of survival? What can I do to help my baby to thrive and grow? What about all of these medications that are being pushed on us? What are they? Can I trust them? What about vaccines? How am I supposed to hold the baby? What are the different types of holds that have different strengths and weaknesses? What if I feel like one nipple is running out of milk and I need to feed with my other one? Can my baby see me or hear me? How much can they see and/or hear? What about circumcision? Why is it done? How is it done? Does it have to be done? What happens afterward? Why should I pay attention to the first pee? Why is gas build up so important? What do I do about vaginal swelling? What is penile torsion, a surprisingly common condition that impacts 1 in 80 baby boys? What do I eat or drink before, during, and after having my baby? Will I ever be normal again? When can I resume normal activities? How does walking up and down the halls of the hospital actually do anything to help? What if my body experienced damage from the experience? Will I be ok? What is mastitis and how do I avoid it? What is jaundice? How do I recognize it? What causes it? How do I avoid it? What do I do if I recognize that my baby has it? What about heart murmurs? Minor and severe ones? What do they mean and what do I do about it? What are the different maneuvers involved in childbearing like the McRoberts maneuver? Why is the reason this one nurse keeps pressing on me and massaging so hard? Are they sadistic or is there a purpose? What about postpartum depression? What causes it? How do you recognize it? What do you do about it? Why does my baby keeping spitting/spitting up? Is this really normal? Could it be caused by overfeeding? How are ice, broth, and clear liquids useful “snacks” for a mother after childbirth? What happens if an expecting mother is on drugs? Should they let the healthcare professionals know? Why? What is surfactant and how does it allow babies to breathe? Why is it often missing in preterm babies? What do I do about visitors before, during, and after birth? Should they be touching, kissing, hugging, and handling my baby? Is this increasing my baby's risk for illness in their vulnerable state? Is this leading to overstimulation and, thus, stress for the baby? What happens if a visitor/guest is unruly? How do I set boundaries for what can be shared by people on social media about me and my baby? What about hospital gifts? Who deals with them and brings them home? How do I ensure I'm not overwhelmed when it comes time to leave the hospital with my baby? Why shouldn't I co-sleep with my baby even if it calms them down? How is it dangerous? What is SIDS? What about binkies and pacifiers? Can/should I use them? Why can't hospitals provide them? What if the husband is not the father? Why might it be important to reveal who the biological father is? Could it reveal the baby's propensity for possible conditions, illnesses, and diseases? This book is encyclopedic, thorough, and exhaustive! So much thought, research, and effort went into putting this all together! We loved and appreciated that! Most of all, it's useful! Perhaps the most useful part of this entire book is how to identify why your baby is crying. Usually, it comes down to a baby trying to say/get across:
- Swaddling - Side/stomach positioning - Shushing - Swinging - Sucking Shushing and swinging for example replicate conditions the baby experienced inside of the womb (sound and movement). One of our favorite lines from the book is “just because it came out of the oven doesn't mean it's fully cooked.” This means that you may have successfully given birth to a baby but they still need time, room, and nurturing in order to develop. For example, their eyesight will be very limited at first. This book, while educational, is also funny, entertaining, and personable at times. For example, private parts are often referred to as “hoo-ha” or “hoo-hoo.” It often feels as though the author is speaking comfortingly and directly to the reader. Check it out on Amazon!
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