Great book for those mothers who are afraid to read their babies cues and understand what is normal. ( )

I would recommend this book to anyone that is having or adopting a baby. Many of the guidelines and theories in this book evoked the "well, of-course" response from me as I think (hope) they would for most people, but it provides support and back up for some of the ideas I might have questioned had someone asked me, "why are you choosing to do things that way?" Additionally, it had some excellent recommendations I had not considered and will probably incorporate into our parenting style (depending on the needs of our child). Attachment parenting focuses on birthbonding, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cosleeping, believing in the baby's cry, establishing balance and boundaries, and basing parenting on the individual child as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach. Two crucial areas that I found especially helpful were how to approach baby's cry and establishing boundaries. I also appreciate how this book discusses what typically are called fussy or difficult babies as high need babies. I like the shift to a positive language and approach to these babies. Instantly at the mention of a fussy baby, I cringe, picture an ill-behaved child with a haggard looking parent nearby. However, the much more accurate description of a high need baby, while maybe its crying is very trying, instantly produces an image of a baby that is a little extra sensitive and needs a little more attention to cope with the discomforts of life. This is such a different image of the same child and parent. Instantly the high need baby brings about a sense of empathy in how one would approach this child. Here are some parts of the book that I found helpful:[From a parent testimonial on the effect of believing baby's cry in an older child] "'I believe that he is this way because he's always been given empathy and love when he cries. His injuries, his pain, his fears are taken seriously. Becuase he has received such loving concern for his emotions, he is able to show that same concern towards others.'"[On the importance of establishing boundaries] "Attached parents are attentive to their children, but not to the point where they neglect their own needs. Mothers and fathers who are completely worn out and don't take care of themselves are not balanced attachment parents.""When helpers come to visit, be sure they actually help you. Don't be the one to wait on them while they hold and play with your baby. You should be the only [people] acting like the baby's [parents]. It's a good idea to make this clear before anyone comes to spend a week or two.""To a baby trainer, a baby's cry is an annoying, inconvenient habit, which must be broken to help baby fit more conveniently into the adult environment. To an attachment parent, a baby's cry is a language to be listened to.""Babies who are 'trained' not to express their needs may appear to be docile, compliant or 'good babies." These babies could in fact be depressed babies who are shutting down the expression of their needs."Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It just makes a lot of sense. As with any of the parenting books I am reading, I am only going to take the parts that work for our child as an individual, but I foresee us using much of the ideas in this book as part of our daily lives and interactions. ( )

I would recommend this book to anyone that is having or adopting a baby. Many of the guidelines and theories in this book evoked the "well, of-course" response from me as I think (hope) they would for most people, but it provides support and back up for some of the ideas I might have questioned had someone asked me, "why are you choosing to do things that way?" Additionally, it had some excellent recommendations I had not considered and will probably incorporate into our parenting style (depending on the needs of our child). Attachment parenting focuses on birthbonding, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cosleeping, believing in the baby's cry, establishing balance and boundaries, and basing parenting on the individual child as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach. Two crucial areas that I found especially helpful were how to approach baby's cry and establishing boundaries. I also appreciate how this book discusses what typically are called fussy or difficult babies as high need babies. I like the shift to a positive language and approach to these babies. Instantly at the mention of a fussy baby, I cringe, picture an ill-behaved child with a haggard looking parent nearby. However, the much more accurate description of a high need baby, while maybe its crying is very trying, instantly produces an image of a baby that is a little extra sensitive and needs a little more attention to cope with the discomforts of life. This is such a different image of the same child and parent. Instantly the high need baby brings about a sense of empathy in how one would approach this child. Here are some parts of the book that I found helpful:[From a parent testimonial on the effect of believing baby's cry in an older child] "'I believe that he is this way because he's always been given empathy and love when he cries. His injuries, his pain, his fears are taken seriously. Becuase he has received such loving concern for his emotions, he is able to show that same concern towards others.'"[On the importance of establishing boundaries] "Attached parents are attentive to their children, but not to the point where they neglect their own needs. Mothers and fathers who are completely worn out and don't take care of themselves are not balanced attachment parents.""When helpers come to visit, be sure they actually help you. Don't be the one to wait on them while they hold and play with your baby. You should be the only [people] acting like the baby's [parents]. It's a good idea to make this clear before anyone comes to spend a week or two.""To a baby trainer, a baby's cry is an annoying, inconvenient habit, which must be broken to help baby fit more conveniently into the adult environment. To an attachment parent, a baby's cry is a language to be listened to.""Babies who are 'trained' not to express their needs may appear to be docile, compliant or 'good babies." These babies could in fact be depressed babies who are shutting down the expression of their needs."Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It just makes a lot of sense. As with any of the parenting books I am reading, I am only going to take the parts that work for our child as an individual, but I foresee us using much of the ideas in this book as part of our daily lives and interactions. ( )

What Dr. Sears makes sense. The only part of this book that I question is sleeping with your baby. You just hear so many news reports about babies that have been suffocated by sleeping parents rolling on them. We have an Arm's Reach co-sleeper next to the bed because I don't want to roll over on the baby. This co-sleeping arrangement works well for breastfeeding - she is close by to nurse but not in the same bed.

I personally am a huge fan of babywearing. We have a Moby sling, and it works wonders for calming her down. Sometimes being in the Moby is the only thing that works. Babywearing is a lifesaver for my sanity, and it is also wonderful for going out in public and in nature with baby.

If you have been told to schedule your baby by "experts," or told you are spoiling your baby, go ahead and read this book. It will help you trust your instincts again! ( )

Before I read this book, "attachment parenting" was just a phrase I'd heard thrown around--with good and bad connotations. This book explains the principles of attachment parenting, the benefits of it, and the challenges. When I reach a time in my life where I'm ready to have a baby, I am definitely going to try out some of these techniques. I already knew I was going to try breastfeeding for at least a year, but now I'll add to that trying out the baby sling and bed sharing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who's heard about attachment parenting (especially if all you've heard is other peoples' opinions). Read this book and decide for yourself what parenting style you'd like to try. ( )