After the First Six Weeks

by Midwife Cath

Midwife Cath has delivered more than 10,000 babies over the last 40 years, but her care of mothers and babies doesn't end when they leave the hospital. She strongly believes that all families need ongoing support, particularly in their first crucial year of parenting. After the First Six Weeks is a follow-up to Midwife Cath's book The First Six Weeks . Week six is a major milestone for both babies and parents, and this comprehensive guidebook will provide a roadmap to "what's next"—starting at six weeks and taking you through to the end of the first 12 months. Midwife Cath covers all the joys and challenges of your child's first year at home, focusing on such issues as breast and bottle feeding; the introduction of solids; sleep; growth and development; the importance of play; safety; and her Bath Bottle Bed (BBB) routine, and how it evolves over these 12 months. Midwife Cath's invaluable experience and wisdom will help you establish routines that will ensure a healthier, happier baby and better-rested, more confident parents.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Lauren Hessey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband teases me when we're talking about baby stuff and says "what does the bible say?" He's referring to this book. And he's right. This book has been my bible from the point my boy was 9 weeks old and it arrived in the mail. I'll never forget the first night I wasn't awake between midnight and 4am after my son was born because I followed Cathy's bedtime routine and my boy slept for hours. It was heaven.

The best thing about this book, apart from the bedtime routine that I've now been following for months, is that it makes you feel less alone. It's not so rigid that if you don't do a certain prescribed routine then you're a bad mother. It's flexi, like every day of motherhood needs to be. Your bub can nap when he needs to nap. You can breastfeed or do formula or both. This book doesn't make you feel bad about any of it. In fact it empowers you in your decisions. Because sometimes the decision is made for us and we just have to live with it, and it's nice that there's just a little bit less guilt to feel in our parenting, because there's enough of it already.

[steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few helpful hints in this book but otherwise it was a waste of time.

The first half is basically a total repeat of Midwife Cath's first book. Maybe that is helpful if you read the first one ages ago but since it is centred on the first six weeks of your babies life and this is for straight after that, I can't imagine there has been a big gap. Also, if you didn't read the first one and jumped straight into the second after your baby is six weeks old, quite a lot of the recap would also be redundant by the time you are reading so I can't think what the point of that was. Maybe to make the book a reasonable size?

[Diego Atterbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Can highly appreciate the confidence with which Cath lays down her recommendations. All credibly supported by years and years of experience. Won’t be for everyone however there are very few ‘should, potentially, maybe’ references in the book. At least the direction is clear. As a parent I thoroughly enjoy this approach. Pick a course and stick. Thanks Cath. We used many of your suggestions and can’t fault them.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the first book, a fine overview and helpful to remind parents to go back to basics and not get too overwhelmed.

But again, a lot of outdated advice, but an easy read to pick out things that work for your family

[Katherine Guarino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read with helpful guidance. Some repetition from her first book, The First Six Weeks, but still a worthwhile guide to read and have on hand.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good summary of general infant care for the first third then each two months is summarised with specific feeding, sleeping and developmental goals for that time period. Australian based but mostly international content.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A practical guide, however, I strongly disagreed with the section on sleep training which is grossly outdated and unsupported advice to be giving parents in 2019. I was extremely disappointed to see this information presented as “passive settling” and it changed my opinion on the whole book, and sadly Midwife Cath’s practices overall. There is readily available, up to date evidence supported advice that demonstrates sleep training is detrimental to the mental health of people long term. Furthermore, sleep training is (as it should be) against the naturalist instincts of mothers (parents).