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The Blissful Baby Expert: Everything You Need to Know for Easier, Happier Parenting
An essential guide for happy parenting and blissful babies, with an emphasis on flexibility—from birth to two years There are few life experiences more joyful than becoming a parent, but caring for a newborn can be daunting, particularly when you're not sure whose advice to follow or what your baby really needs. In this guide, Lisa Clegg draws on her own experience of motherhood and her professional life as a nanny and maternity nurse to share her essential, trusted advice. Gentle, reassuring, and practical, her book guides you every step of the way from birth to two years. It discusses what equipment is essential and what is helpful, how to cope and bond in the early days, flexible plans to help your baby settle and sleep, guilt-free breast- and bottlefeeding, when and how to start weaning, common worries and what to expect as far as development. Every baby is different and this is why Lisa's book isn't a restrictive one-size-fits-all plan. Instead, she gives you the knowledge you need to trust your own instincts, build your confidence, and learn to recognize what is best for your baby. With this knowledge, you'll enjoy calm, happy parenting and a blissful, settled baby.
- GenresParenting
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2013
47 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 3, 2021
To avoid
I read this book thinking that it would help and actually when my baby was born I understood that it was very bad advice. The author doesn’t understand breastfeeding at all. It can put your breastfeeding journey on risk if you follow it’s advice, I.e mothers are not dummies because they give comfort to their babies, and babies shouldn’t be sleep trained. This book is cruel and lack of respect for babies. Read books from La leche league or Carlos Gonzalez instead and don’t waste your time leaning how to be an awful mother!
I read this book thinking that it would help and actually when my baby was born I understood that it was very bad advice. The author doesn’t understand breastfeeding at all. It can put your breastfeeding journey on risk if you follow it’s advice, I.e mothers are not dummies because they give comfort to their babies, and babies shouldn’t be sleep trained. This book is cruel and lack of respect for babies. Read books from La leche league or Carlos Gonzalez instead and don’t waste your time leaning how to be an awful mother!
February 16, 2019
Very useful and sound advice. I found that, to some extent, the guidance Lisa Clegg provides is at odds with other books, for example her views on demand feeding. However, there is good cause for this - it is practical and realistic advice for parents who need to live and work.
In particular I have found the section on sleeping useful, along with the suggested feeding times. My 7-week old learnt to self-settle in the space of one afternoon after I followed Lisa’s advice on controlled crying (which is gentle and not to be confused with ‘crying it out’).
I would definitely buy this book as a gift for any prospective parents in the future.
My only criticisms are that the information is sometimes hard to locate when you want to refer back, and that there are several proofreading errors that have not been picked up on.
In particular I have found the section on sleeping useful, along with the suggested feeding times. My 7-week old learnt to self-settle in the space of one afternoon after I followed Lisa’s advice on controlled crying (which is gentle and not to be confused with ‘crying it out’).
I would definitely buy this book as a gift for any prospective parents in the future.
My only criticisms are that the information is sometimes hard to locate when you want to refer back, and that there are several proofreading errors that have not been picked up on.
April 28, 2019
This is a useful book for advice to prepare for your baby and the first few months (the forth trimester) etc. However this book is probably best for formula fed babies and those who need strict routines.
The breastfeeding advice deviates from current advice as it reccomends a schedule instead of demand feeding. Schedule breastfeeding has been shown to be associated with increased neonatal period weight loss and reduced success of breastfeeding long-term (they stop earlier) - see WHO evidence for more info. However I understand the appeal of this advice and to each their own style parenting - you need to do what works for your family.
So there is some well reasoned thoughts in her on why she suggests alternatives to the advice about feeding and sleep position and even moving baby to their own room and thankfully she caveats most of it with the knowledge that this is not the reccomendation.
Yet one piece of advice I cannot condone caused me to put this book down and STOP READING IT! This lady is prideful enough to tell all mothers about their babies and how we are doing it wrong. In the sleep section it says "it is not luck of the draw as some parents suggest, as to whether to get a good baby who is a good sleeper or bad sleeper. All babies have the potential to continue being good sleepers after the initial two week post-birth sleepy phase."!
She doesn't even state this as opinion she makes it fact! Has she met and worked with all babies? This makes no room for understanding physiology and that we are all different with our natural hormonal cycles and levels of cortisol etc.
As a mum of a 4 month old baby that sleeps her allotted 12 hours at night but wakes every 2-3 hours I know physiology matters. We do all the sleep advice and still she wakes wanting to feed or cuddle or just wanting us. I am a 30 year old adult and i practice yoga/meditation and probably have the best sleep hygiene of all my friends yet my natural physiology prevents me from sleeping through the night so why would my child?! My own mother thought she had it all figured out with my brother who slept well and all the techniques and routines worked with but then along came me - she did all the same stuff and yet to no avail. So I feel this advice is fairly tone deaf to those mums who are struggling.
Yes I believe there are things to help babies sleep and make it easier but no I do not believe there is a magic fix or that one person knows how to help my child better than I do.
The guidance in this book is good to know. The routines are great to see what your baby should be aiming for but the tone is off as it comes off judgemental and tough love style. Even the mention of the necessicity for 'a little cry it out' completely misses the mark for those of us who have made the choice to avoid controlled cry.
In summary this book is not something I would reccomend as even though some advice is useful there are so many other sources out there you can get this from without the added infuriating judgement.
The breastfeeding advice deviates from current advice as it reccomends a schedule instead of demand feeding. Schedule breastfeeding has been shown to be associated with increased neonatal period weight loss and reduced success of breastfeeding long-term (they stop earlier) - see WHO evidence for more info. However I understand the appeal of this advice and to each their own style parenting - you need to do what works for your family.
So there is some well reasoned thoughts in her on why she suggests alternatives to the advice about feeding and sleep position and even moving baby to their own room and thankfully she caveats most of it with the knowledge that this is not the reccomendation.
Yet one piece of advice I cannot condone caused me to put this book down and STOP READING IT! This lady is prideful enough to tell all mothers about their babies and how we are doing it wrong. In the sleep section it says "it is not luck of the draw as some parents suggest, as to whether to get a good baby who is a good sleeper or bad sleeper. All babies have the potential to continue being good sleepers after the initial two week post-birth sleepy phase."!
She doesn't even state this as opinion she makes it fact! Has she met and worked with all babies? This makes no room for understanding physiology and that we are all different with our natural hormonal cycles and levels of cortisol etc.
As a mum of a 4 month old baby that sleeps her allotted 12 hours at night but wakes every 2-3 hours I know physiology matters. We do all the sleep advice and still she wakes wanting to feed or cuddle or just wanting us. I am a 30 year old adult and i practice yoga/meditation and probably have the best sleep hygiene of all my friends yet my natural physiology prevents me from sleeping through the night so why would my child?! My own mother thought she had it all figured out with my brother who slept well and all the techniques and routines worked with but then along came me - she did all the same stuff and yet to no avail. So I feel this advice is fairly tone deaf to those mums who are struggling.
Yes I believe there are things to help babies sleep and make it easier but no I do not believe there is a magic fix or that one person knows how to help my child better than I do.
The guidance in this book is good to know. The routines are great to see what your baby should be aiming for but the tone is off as it comes off judgemental and tough love style. Even the mention of the necessicity for 'a little cry it out' completely misses the mark for those of us who have made the choice to avoid controlled cry.
In summary this book is not something I would reccomend as even though some advice is useful there are so many other sources out there you can get this from without the added infuriating judgement.
March 14, 2018
It worked for us. We followed official advice until it clearly stopped working. We then turned to Lisa's method, which led to a much happier baby and saner parents.
Two minor gripes with the book:
1) Immunisations - The author says they are a parent's 'personal choice' based on 'any research they decide to do'. A missed opportunity to state that there is clear evidence they are safe, get your kid vaccinated. Full stop. To do otherwise not only endangers your child, it endangers others (vaccines are not 100% effective - MMR is about 97%).
2) Layout - Can be hard to look back and find required information quickly. Breaking solid blocks of text down, more headings, and a better index would help.
Two minor gripes with the book:
1) Immunisations - The author says they are a parent's 'personal choice' based on 'any research they decide to do'. A missed opportunity to state that there is clear evidence they are safe, get your kid vaccinated. Full stop. To do otherwise not only endangers your child, it endangers others (vaccines are not 100% effective - MMR is about 97%).
2) Layout - Can be hard to look back and find required information quickly. Breaking solid blocks of text down, more headings, and a better index would help.
October 14, 2022
I was recommended this book by a Mum who had found it to be useful with her newborn.
I’m definitely a parent that goes more on instinct than rules, but I have found this book useful as a support. It was an absolute godsend when I was settling my little girl into a routine for feeding and sleeping, and I think a huge contributory factor to the content, chilled and happy little girl she is now!
I used the book as a guide not as a rule book…for example whilst I chose to pick up the meal times for weaning onto solids, I didn’t follow it for food choices.
I’m definitely a parent that goes more on instinct than rules, but I have found this book useful as a support. It was an absolute godsend when I was settling my little girl into a routine for feeding and sleeping, and I think a huge contributory factor to the content, chilled and happy little girl she is now!
I used the book as a guide not as a rule book…for example whilst I chose to pick up the meal times for weaning onto solids, I didn’t follow it for food choices.
September 12, 2018
Got this book from the library on a whim as my baby is 8 weeks old and struggles with trapped wind and this book had a section on colic and I am so glad I did, the advice is brilliant and honest, I just wish I had read it when I was pregnant!!! I don’t necessarily agree with the cry it out method but you don’t have to use that technique and the author is honest about the fact that it is controversial. I will be gifting it to any of my friends who get pregnant in future.
October 4, 2022
A good crash course into babies, emphasising the importance of getting to a rhythm and schedule. The author goes into a lot of detail on her reasons for having her babies sleep on their sides, against SIDS guidance. She also blames Colic on "snack feeding" without considering that maybe Colicky babies are more likely to be fed on demand as it’s the only time they can be fed. Lists all measurements in imperial first.
September 7, 2014
An absolute godsend. Transformed our colicky restless baby to a peaceful son sleeping through the night at thirteen weeks old. Practical, sensible advice, and extremely helpful. So so glad I bought this book!
June 10, 2014
Good, clear advice, which on the whole seems to work (so far).
As with all baby books though, you have to find one that fits your philosophy.
As with all baby books though, you have to find one that fits your philosophy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews