Baby Basics: A Guide for New Parents

I got this book for my son and daughter-in-law for their first baby. They use it for a reference for all things to do with their new son and my beautiful first grandchild.

Me and my wife are having out first baby in March. I bought this book after reading previous reviews. This book was very helpfull in pointing out the basics on every aspect of having a baby. It really gives you information on every subject and provided me and my wife with a list of decisions we needed to make. I would highly recommend this book for first time parents who want a non biased approach on baby care.

I loved this book! I liked how the author doesn't focus this book to moms, but refers to "parents" in everything she writes (with the obvious exception of breastfeeding). Her advice is good, practical, and non-judgemental. She discusses issues such as cloth vs. disposable and breast vs. bottle without pushing a particular point of view. She covers important topics many new parents don't think of, like wills and insurance coverage. This is an excellent guide for new parents and non-traditional couples (singles and gays).

Ms. Blocker's book goes beyond basics in the friendliest format I've ever seen. This is the book I send all my friends who are expecting whether for the first or fifth time. Even after 5 of my own, I learned from it and found it simple to locate anything I wanted to look up. Her solid advice on pre-birth clothing and supply buying, on what to look for in pre-owned items (practical!) and on almost everything else is fresh and accurate. Only one wish: more about breastfeeding, especially for working women. Ms. Blocker's high degree of professionalism and practical experience shine through on every page -- it's like having a conversation with a knowledgeable, favorite friend who's the best mom you know. Her "Practical Parenting" sidebars add a special touch to this book not found in other 'raising baby' manuals. This isn't 'how to', it's 'why to' and 'have you considered' and 'maybe you might want to think about...' She doesn't give orders, only bright, sensible suggestions. Buy -- enjoy -- apply what she says. You can't go wrong!

I am a 69 year old grandmother who would have greatly appreciated this book when I was raising my children. After reading the book I gave a copy to my daughter who has two small children. Pointing out the importance of the safety aspect of baby products without leading parents to spent beyond their budget should be high on the priority list for new parents. This book is a common sense, easy to read book covering most aspects of raising a baby.