The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two

by William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert W. Sears

The classic guide of the post-Dr. Spock generation has been revised to include the latest information on virtually every aspect of infant and baby care. THE BABY BOOK is unrivaled in its scope and authority, and presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today. Focusing on the essential needs of babies--eating, sleeping, development, health, and comfort--it addresses the questions of greatest concern to parents. The Searses acknowledge that there is no one way to parent a baby, and they offer the basic guidance and inspiration you need to develop the parenting style that best suits you and your child. THE BABY BOOK is a rich and invaluable resource that will help you get the most out of parenting--for your child, for yourself, and for your entire family.

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

770 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 1993

About the author

Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his "little patients" call him, is the father of eight children as well as the author of over 30 books on childcare. Dr. Bill is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Bill received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto -- the largest children’s hospital in the world, where he served as associate ward chief of the newborn nursery and associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Sears is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Pediatricians (RCP).Dr. Bill is also a medical and parenting consultant for BabyTalk and Parenting magazines and the pediatrician on the website Parenting.com.

Reviews

[Kelly Madewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

dr. sears is not for everyone but he may be for you. are you distressed or angered or bewildered by modern parenting advice? do you prefer to rock and sing or nurse your baby to sleep rather than make her cry herself to sleep? does it seem weird to you that baby sleep "experts" implore you not to pick your baby up (whatever you do!) when she's crying at night? do you prefer a baby sling to wearing a f*$%ing 30 pound car seat on your arm? (i have seen women do this while shopping. it's bizarre.) dr. sears will make you feel sane again.

i'm being...something. something annoying. but seriously, if you are into more "natural" ways of parenting (wearing your baby so she's close to you a lot, breastfeeding, nighttime parenting, cosleeping, etc.), then you should read lots of dr. sears. if you are not into that stuff, dr. sears will piss you off. but, he and his wife and sons are extraordinarily helpful to many parents who have waded through lots of parenting books that have made them cry.

the thing i like most about dr. sears is that he says that "attachment parenting" is really just how you would parent if you were on a desert island, away from parenting books and people who have negative things to say about how you are parenting. and i think that's true. i don't like that "attachment parenting" is considered a "method." i think it's just "parenting."

[Elyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thankfully, I did not buy this. I read most of it at my sister-in-law's house. Dr. Sears provides some good practical advice. I will give him credit (in the form of 2 stars) for that.

A huge part of the book promotes attachment parenting (with little proof of its effectiveness) and the book is easier to digest if you agree with him. My big problem is that his theories are very mother-centered, so the father (or partner) are relegated to support the mother as she is caring for the infant, i.e. wearing the baby in a sling, exclusively breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and not working outside of the home. Personally, I found this method to be sexist, but I don't share the belief that mothers should be the primary parent. I think fathers are often left out and not given the opportunity to be active parents and that equally-shared parenting is the goal.

I don't recommend this book unless the parents are clear that they want to subscribe to his theories and that the mother is ready to commit fully to the primary role of being a parent and the other parent is okay with taking a secondary role.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The key thing I learned from this book and the key thing I wish to pass on to any parent or parent-to-be looking for THE magical answer book is this: Trust your instincts. They will truly serve you better than anything written in a book. That said, this book will time and again ask you to do just that. Listen to your gut and your heart when it comes to your baby. Many of us have been doing what is called "attachment parenting" all on our own without the fancy label for years. I found many things about AP (attachment parenting) worked well for me and some others did not. I took what I needed from it as a parenting approach and in the end I followed what was best for my family. Something to keep in mind because mixing with so-called AP parents in real life proved very much a downer for me as I was not "AP" enough for them. It's not an all-or-nothing deal. This book will be a radical departure from the "solutions" offered by other mass market parenting tomes. It posits a great deal of what seems like "duh" advice such as hold and rock your baby when he or she is crying. But let's face it: some people need to be told it's okay to do this and not an outright attempt by a days-old infant to cruelly manipulate them. Some of the advice is truly life-altering. For me it was the sidebar about GERD (infant reflux) that explained why my tiny newborn was crying like the damned after being put down after feeding. This book is filled with a lot of wonderful, simple ideas that will help you stay sane in the trenches. Very reassuring. These people had a lot of babies and they learned what really worked. They make a lot of claims about the beneficial effects of AP-style parenting and though they do not back these claims up with a great deal of cited research my own anecdotal experience bears out their claims. I've got a very happy, healthy, clever and well-adjusted 7 year-old and another baby on the way. Happy parenting!

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book less stars. Aside from the Sears family's love of soy, I think they do a great injustice to society. The expectations they put on women to do things exactly the way they did is insane. People need to tak ethis book with a grain of salt before it make sthem crazy, insecure and unhappy.

[Janey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a fan of "Babywise" or "What to Expect When..." books. This is my go-to baby book. It has, literally, everything you need to know. Time and time again I'd check the awesome table of contents and there was the answer to my question or challenge. I call it my baby bible. I love their focus on "The Seven Baby B's of Attachment Parenting".

1. birth bonding
2. belief in the signal value of your baby's cries Quote: "Pick up your baby when he cries. As simple as this sounds, there are many parents who have been told to let their babies cry it out, for the reason that they must not reward "bad" behavior. But newborns don't misbehave; they just communicate the only way nature allows them to. Imagine how you would feel if you were completely uncoordinated -- unable to do anything for yourself -- and your cries for help went unheeded. A baby whose cries are not answered does not become a "good" baby (though he may become quiet); he does become a discouraged baby. He learns the one thing you don't want him to: that he can't communicate or trust his needs will be met." This is one reason I fell in love with this book. I did not want to let my baby cry it out when he was obviously trying to tell me something.
3. breastfeeding
4. babywearing (I tried this and went through a couple baby carriers that I did NOT like. I did enjoy the carrying part, so next child I will look again for a more comfortable carrier.)
5. bedding close to baby (Tried this. Didn't quite work for my new-mom-anxiety at every little sound, worried that he was waking up for another three hours. Hopefully, I'll be more relaxed next time.)
6. balance and boundaries
7. beware of baby trainers

I did about 5 out of 7 of these and truly loved it.

More quotes: "Remember, while attachment parenting is not the easiest style of parenting, if practiced properly it should be the most joyful one."

"Be prepared to be the target of well-meaning advisers who will shower you with detachment advice, such as: "Let her cry it out," "Get her on a schedule," "You shouldn't still be nursing her!," and "Don't pick her up so much, you're spoiling her!"

The last quote is so true; so many people would tell me these things and it would go against my motherly instinct. I think I was the one being spoiled by attachment parenting and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your babies are only babies for a short time.

[Inder · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love this book and refer back to it often. But then, we are generally unapologetic co-sleeping baby-wearers. My hippy parents and their friends practiced attachment parenting before the term "attachment parenting" was coined. I spent my early years in a commune where small babies slept with their parents, were never left to "cry it out" in a crib down the hall, and spent most of their time in someone's arms. This approach may not be for everyone, but because I was raised this way, it feels natural and right to me.

So, stepping away from the politics of child-rearing for a second, what I love about Dr. Sears is not that he converted me to his parenting method, but that his books are supportive of and elaborate on my existing parenting philosophy. I take some aspects of his methodology with a grain of salt, naturally, but what a relief to read a book that actually recommends co-sleeping for a change!

Of course, if you want to get your baby to sleep through the night in a crib in their nursery (and there's nothing wrong with that), this is not the book for you!

[Marie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been a great resource book for my first year as a mom. I've used it mainly as a reference book when I have a specific topic I want to look up. It really does a good job of covering the main areas and providing me with the information I'm looking for. I've really appreciated the developmental section which includes ideas on how to play with your child at each stage and what some of their favorite games and activities will be. This has been so helpful for me and I have received some great ideas on how to interact with Lauren in a way that will be helpful for her development. One note about the book - Dr. Sears believes in attachment based parenting and thus the book is obviously focused this way, encouraging things like baby wearing, cosleeping, breastfeeding etc. While I don't agree with all of his suggestions/beliefs, the book has still been a great resource for me, especially at 2:00 a.m. when the baby has a fever or won't stop crying and you don't know what to do.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information. Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, the Sears ABSOLUTELY state over and over again that you need to do what works for YOUR family. The information is NOT presented in a way that should make anyone feel bad about that caregiving. Nor is "my way is the only and right way" preached or expected. Attachment parenting is the foundation of the book and if you are not comfortable with this kind of parenting, then perhaps this isn't a great book for you to read, however, there is alot of good information not related to parenting style. I happen to be this attachment kind of parent, so the ideas weren't "out there" for me. I initially decided to check this book out after some media coverage of attachment parenting gave a name to what I was already doing. I am a full time, working mom and this is what works for our family. After reading this book, I felt empowered to continue to do what we think is best for our child, regardless of what the norm of this country is. Anyway, to each their own.

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to ban this book from my household as it was only pushing me toward PPD with its impossible expectations towards young mothers to become round the clock slaves to their babies.
I'm giving it two stars as I assume that some of its content was groundbreaking and useful 20 years ago, when formula was promoted as the better nourishment and crying-it-out was standard, but I don't see what the book could provide to any of today's educated women except guilt. I do respect some aspects of attachment parenting (baby wearing worked wonders) but cannot in clean conscience endorse a book that asks mothers to ignore their most basic needs and desires in order to raise a child, based on wildly unscientific claims.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read The Baby Book -- an earlier edition, when my son was a newborn in 2001 -- I found it incredibly reassuring. At last, someone who could provide logical reasons that everything I was doing (for example, refusing to just ignore it when my baby cried) was RIGHT! I continued to use it as a general medical reference long past the time my younger child turned 2. Sears assumes that parents have a clue, and his advice about handling various illnesses is a lot more helpful than "call your doctor" (which seems to be what the AAP book gives as the answer to every question on which I've ever consulted it).

Later, I discovered that many of my mom-friends hated TBB for what they considered a judgmental tone and for rampant sexism. In retrospect, I see their point. But still, I think this is overall the best baby-care book out there.

I actually liked the older edition better than this one, which is a bit more "slick". The pull-quotes and bullet-point lists are present in the earlier one but are taken to something of a ridiculous extreme in this one. But most of the actual information is the same, so it's not a huge practical difference.

[Gretchen Decker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great from the practical standpoint of figuring out how and when to take your baby's temperature or what the signs of an ear infection are, but don't get me started on parenting advice given by pedeatricians and based on their own personal experiences. The Sears corporation is a big proponent of what they call "attachment parenting," which if you read before your baby is born makes you think everything will be very smooth and wonderful if you just "learn to read your babies cues," wear a sling, and rock your baby to sleep. Be warned it's a lot harder to learn your babies cues, and something the Sears won't tell you is that sometimes your baby doesn't want to be held. When you decide on a parenting style that works for you remember that it's a personal, often cultural, decision. Also, if you find yourself freaking out about your parenting style remember that if you're reading books on parenting you are at least thinking about how to parent, which means your baby will most likely benefit from you being self-aware.

[Joni Cochrane]

I wonder if anyone else noticed that the negative comments about this book were hostile and aggrivated. I used to be like that, before treatment and counseling. I was a "cry it out baby". This book changed my life. It is full of scientifically based information on what babies need most. My daughter has been on antibiotics two times in her eleven years, strep throat and swimmers ear. She is self-confident and fun. She is a joy to be around. I didn't have to do anything but follow my instincts and ignore the negativity of parents who are against attachment parenting. I feel these parents are just mad because they feel attacked by the views presented. Dr. Sears and company, merely make suggestions and talk about baby psychology. Read any Human Growth and Development text book if you doubt his findings to seek the relevance and find the truth.

[Alisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book while expecting my first son and put it's theories to the test. Short story: they didn't work. I was exhausted and cranky and so was my son. Now that I have 3 children and I'm feeling well rested, I can't believe what terrible advice he gives!! The book could be renamed "Forgetting Yourself: How to Let Children Tear you Down and Ruin Your Marriage". Following this book is not good for the mother, baby, or family.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to rate The Baby Book more highly — but I can't. That's a shame, since it's full of incredibly practical tips I might never have thought of on my own. But here's the problem, and it's a big one: I can't trust this book.

The Sears family is quite clear in their intro: this is not an all-purpose baby guide. It is instead a work of 100% advocacy for one particular child-rearing style: attachment parenting. (Imagine a book called "On Cooking: Everything You Need To Know About Food" that only dealt with raw vegan cuisine.) By itself, that's not an awful thing. There's are quite a few elements of AP — first-year breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby slings — that we're planning on incorporating into our own lifestyle. The Baby Book, however, has almost no factual backing for these theories, despite claims to the contrary in the intro. Instead, there's page after page of shoddy anecdotal evidence — "I tried this on our 6th kid and it seemed to work" — presented as firm fact. Sears bangs the gong for AP at every opportunity. Anything that could possibly go wrong with your baby can either be alleviated through AP or, even better, is your own fault for not having practiced AP in the first place.

The book wears its biases on its sleeve. It doesn't subject them to objective scrutiny, and as a result, I can't trust what it says.

A final note: there is a less-than-subtle thread of sexism that runs through the entire book. The Sears universe is very much one in which Mom stays at home 24/7 to raise the kids. She could go back to work after a while, but golly-gee, that would be really selfish of her. Why would she want to find fulfillment in anything in addition to her children? If she really needs a career for some reason, maybe she could stay at home at home and work as — I kid you not — "a typist." Dad is just as pigeonholed: he's relegated to working, giving Mom backrubs, and giving the baby "warm fuzzies." (Don't ask. The less said about how obsessed Dr. Sears is with "warm fuzzies," the better.) Single parents get about a page. Same-sex couples don't even exist.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some of the things in this book are a bit over the top as in Dr. Sears' other books, I really like his approach that parenting should be about the baby and not about fitting the baby into your schedule as a parent. This may be because I'm happy to find someone actually write in print that if Sarah naps better on me and I need a nap too, it's perfectly fine to let her sleep on me rather than in her cradle where she will awaken in approximately 5.4 minutes. But as a parent the overall tone that your baby is just trying to communicate their needs and you need to be flexible in meeting those needs resonates with me much more than most of the things we were taught in residency (especially anything to do with Ferber & sleep just seems mean at this young age now that I've been faced with it in real life).

[Katy · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you do not have PPD (post-partum depression), this book will help you suffer from it. Its so-called "attachment parenting" philosophy revolves around making you feel guilty about everything you do "wrong" as a new parent, including choosing not to co-sleep because it's unsafe.
I'm happy to report that my now 7-year-old slept in his own bed the whole time, and does not suffer from the many ills and evils the Sears franchise warns unsuspecting new mothers against. Oh, and he's very attached to both of us, thank you very much. A child does not need to be physically attached to his mother by a piece of cloth to create the bond: love creates the bond, not a sling. This fact, although blatantly obvious, seems to be the one crucial point that Sears fails to identify in the so-called "attachment" thing.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems the consensus pick for the modern Dr. Spock is Dr. Sears. There's a lot of good stuff here, and I largely agree with his philosophy, although I don't buy into everything he promotes. Much of this book's material is available online on his website, last time I checked, so one doesn't even have to own the book, necessarily.

Dr. Sears focuses on nurturing the newborn. The first big thesis of this book is establishing a physical bond with the baby, which is essential for any new parent. Dr. Sears specifically promotes baby-wearing--slings, baby carriers and the like--which I approve of in theory, although my wife and I never really adopted it in practice. The baby-wearing pitch does get kind of preachy after a while, too.

The book's second big thesis is co-sleeping, which my wife and I wanted to do even before buying the book. We slept with our daughter from day one, with absolutely no regrets. We thought it was very important to have the baby close to us so we could feed her and change her quickly, and calm her down right away, when needed. To us, putting our baby in a separate room would have literally put a distance between her and us, and it just felt wrong--at least to us.

Probably the book's third big thesis encourages parents not to let babies 'cry it out,' which I also strongly agree with. It's an instinct to me, so I can't justify it on an intellectual level. I felt it was my mission to solve what made our daughter cry, and do so as quickly as possible--and I still stand by that feeling. I thought it wouldn't be fair to stand by and let our baby cry in the belief that it's good for her in the long run. It sure doesn't seem good in the short run, that's clear enough to me. For toddlers, 'crying it out' becomes an open question, but for babies, I have no tolerance for it.

I wish Dr. Sears was stronger at addressing common situations with newborns, such as the reasons why babies cry and providing a list of priorities in helping to calm crying babies--information I craved as a new parent. And in the hospital, I was afraid of being clumsy with my newborn, so I wanted a section on different ways to hold the baby, but there's nothing like that here. Those two topics seemed academic to me, so I think the book suffers from their under-coverage.

There were other fairly common issues, such as colic, unexplained cries and pain management, that we were trying to solve with our newborn but could not find fully addressed here. (Side note: Just try to find a baby book that will honestly tell you the doctor-recommended dose of Tylenol to give an infant--I'd bet they all defer you to your pediatrician due to the variety of dosage possibilities. Try calling your pediatrician about an infant Tylenol dose at two o'clock in the morning and see how that goes. I think the FDA needs to better standardize how specific pain medicines are dosed, so there's no confusion, especially with children.)

It was at that point I realized there's probably no such thing as a one-stop-shop baby book. Dr. Sears is a good book by itself, but it's better when paired with another good baby book. Maybe Dr. Spock couldn't be all wrong after all these years.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very complex & conflicted opinions about this book. I did read it cover to cover, and that took me several months to do. It probably wasn't necessary as the second half of the book was mostly reference-y, but it was also really the only quality part of the book. The first half of the book was mostly Dr. Sears' opinions on various parenting topics. Whether I agree or disagree with his opinions, I was infuriated by the way he presented them. He said he had done 'research', but then would proceed to give some anecdote about a mother in his office or about his own children as the 'proof' of his research. He repeatedly supported his opinions with his experience as a parent. I was reading the book because he is a pediatrician, not because he has had a lot of kids. If the latter were why I cared about his advice, I'd go ask the Duggars instead. The second half of the book was scientifically strong and conveyed multiple sides of the issues presented, but in the first half of the book when he was conveying his own opinions, he did so at the exclusion of other opinions, including opinions of professional pediatrics societies and the current research in pediatrics (at least insofar as I could check such topics on Google scholar). If you were to rely on this book as your only source of information on how to safely care for a baby, you would be misinformed and perhaps even engaged in some dangerous habits. I get that no book is perfect, but when a book is touted as being cutting-edge and accurate and people are going to rely on it to safely care for their child, I think that such self-serving writing that doesn't convey the actual risks involved in these behaviors is criminal more so than simply irresponsible.

The bottom line? Keep the second half of this book on the bookshelf for when you need to know exactly what dosage of exactly what medicine should be given for exactly which medical condition. The reference half of the book is excellent and far more thorough than any other book I've encountered. But don't read the first half. The breastfeeding chapter was fine and accurate and up-to-date, but I wouldn't bother with much of the rest of the first half.

[Irina Rizaeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide to parenthood. If only it was all this easy in real life...

[Елена Суббота · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ну как-то ни о чём, одна вода. Но уважаю Сирзов и их подход к воспитанию детей.

[Einar Nielsen]

This book has a ton of useful tips for baby care, it is also massively sexist!

[Jennifer]

One mans well intentioned error of opinion. Quoted and misquoted so often it is now touted as fact. I've even heard it often mistakenly referred to as the "Bible" of child rearing books. I read the book and was sorely disappointed that I had given into popular opinion and bought the useless thing. The book cites no studies to support his views other than his own opinion and observation of his own family. Also, there is no actual proof offered as to the efficacy or psychological benefit of attaching your infant to your body all day in a sling as if you grew a new appendage and allowing your infant to nurse from you whenever they might, offering a feeding to stop any crying, to induce sleep, etc. Would you feed your 5 year old on demand, or to stop crying, or to communicate love and comfort, or to help them sleep? Hello obesity. It does not make sense to me that what we would teach our infant to be dependent on as a baby would not continue to be good for them throughout the rest of their childhood years, and the rest of their life. I think if women were intended to carry child around every minute of daylight in a sling, next to her body, our creator would have included a carrying pouch on our bodies, such as a Kangaroos, or an extra set of arms. To those who do not believe in a divine creator of all of us, then why after all these thousands of years have women's bodies not evolved to this?

[Saeideh Bakhshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the best advise this book has for a new parent is to trust their parental instincts. The book highly promotes attachment parenting which emphasizes on co-sleeping with your infant, breast feeding and attending to your child as soon as he/she cries. I've read conflicting information about this style of parenting in other books and to be honest there was not enough evidence to support what is best for both child and parents. However, I personally believe going back to being emotionally available for your child and a lot of concepts of attachment parenting make complete sense.

My main criticism for this book is extreme traditional view of parenting to the extent that it feels like mothers should become slaves to their children. There is also a lot of pressure on mothers compared to fathers in his book. Dr. Sears, solely based on his own experience with his own family, suggests that it is the best for mothers to stay at home or if financial situations does not allow to start a business from their garage. He also suggest carrying the baby in sling everywhere with you. I personally think many women are better mothers when they maintain their jobs and social lives outside of the home as well.

Overall, I suggest if you are reading this book, read it critically as not all the advice is tractable (except for Sears household).

[bird]

i had to stop reading this bcs he kept saying shit like "cosleep with baby just following your instincts! hold that baby all night long! btw if you're using a crib LOAD UP THAT CRIB with cute stuff!!!" and it made me suspicious of everything else he said. don't wanna get any murder advice caught in the ole noggin.

anyway i don't think anyone with eight children should be giving parenting advice, and i say this as one of six and the child of one of eight. i say this even if they're NOT out here like "i caught our sixth baby and that's why our relationship is still so special to this day" but in this case they are.

that said my mom (who definitely read this alongside all my younger aunts) did keep my younger siblings' and probably my cloth diaper safety pins in a bar of soap and it was an unparalleled sensory experience and vibe.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book before I had my baby. I figured the thing is huge so it must have all the information I need in it. Plus I'm into attachment parenting so this book will be great.

After I had the baby I felt guilty whenever I read the book. I can't wear my baby all the time and I don't want to be a night-time parent. Plus, its hard to find what I'm looking for ever when I use the index.

Now, I'm just not buying what Dr. Sears is selling.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when my daughter was an infant. Dr. Sears is such a practical man. He made being a new parent easier, and made me feel comfortable with the things that I always knew I wanted to do with my baby, things like co-sleeping, baby wearing, breasfeeding, and other attachment parenting things. I would recommend this book to any first time mom.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great in theory, lousy in practice. Unless you want to be a human pacifier, pass on this book. It's obvious it was written by a man.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No lies, did not read every single word. It is a massive book and I was borrowing it from a friend while visiting USA for a few weeks.

What I did read was a few hundred pages of really great insight, ideas, methods and reminders of baby care. Didn't make it through the toddler section. Might visit and borrow it again next year after our baby is born.

[Nick Thorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally helpful & I learnt many things. Many sections are really for reference only and some of the information is rather out of date.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un adevărat curs de puericultură. Informații foarte utile pentru părinții ce sunt la început de drum.