The Expectant Parents' Companion: Simplifying What to Do, Buy, or Borrow for an Easy Life With Baby

by Kathleen Huggins

Simplifying what to do, buy or borrow for an easy life with baby.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2006

About the author

For more than twenty-five years, Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S., I.B.C.L.C., has dedicated her medical career to helping mothers care more effectively for their newborn babies. A registered nurse with an M.A. in perinatal care from the University of California at San Francisco, Huggins has spent the past two decades as a perinatal clinical specialist and board-certified lactation consultant at San Luis Obispo General Hospital in California. During this time she co-directed Breastfeeding Warmline, a telephone counseling service for nursing mothers. Huggins has also worked as a college instructor of fetal-newborn development, and has lead seminars on a variety of topics related to perinatal care and breastfeeding.

Huggins is owner of the maternity store Simply Mama. She is the author of several books on breastfeeding and has sold more than one million copies. She lives in California with her husband and youngest child.

Reviews

[Michelle Eng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good product information but a lot of the advice is outdated and goes against current recommendation

[Emueller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book offers some good advice, but some information is outdated and goes against current safety recommendations. For example, the author recommends drop-side cribs, which are no longer considered safe because many babies have become trapped in them and suffocated. She also suggests using a pillowcase instead of a bassinet sheet, which could be another suffocation hazard. Also, her complete bias against epidurals and strong language used in association with mothers who choose to have one is a little disturbing. I appreciate the information on risks and side-effects of an epidural, but it was very one-sided.

[Julie Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very handy and concise book that outlines ideas for every step of a pregnancy, what to consider in terms of questions to ask, safety regulations for equipment, what you really need vs. what you can go without, how to wash cloth diapers if you choose to use them etc. etc. With index and a further readings bibliography.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

helpful. makes good points abt items you don't really need. when it seems like everyone else is upselling baby items, it's good to have a voice of reason.

[DeShea Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has basic information on pretty much every topic. It is a good book if you are looking for simple lists and instructions for pregnancy and about a year after.