Babywatching (Crown)

This book is a very interesting read. Desmond Morris does a great job of delving into the nature of the human baby. It was fascinating and hard to put down. It would even make a great gift to parents-to-be, or new parents. I love this book.

Desmond Morris had a simple way of explaining things ... and presenting scientific evidence to help people understand ourselves. In this book about babies, we develop a compassionate view of the smallest of our species: their needs, their loves, what makes them laugh ... But what you could learn from the book is not just about babies. It is about us, even adults. Think why we laugh, think why we cry. Think what makes us happy. Think what makes us sad. We were all babies once ... and a baby is inside all of us from time to time. Most of Morris's books bring us back down to our awareness of our animal selves ... our innocence, stupidity, disguises, most basic needs and wants. This is just another one. Perfect for the parents who like to understand their babies in "principle", not just in a large set of rules of "dos" and "donts".

I love the text and pictures in this book. It would make a wonderful new baby gift for any couple. I wish it were still in print so that I could find more copies. I would keep a 'stash' and have one ready as soon as I found out a friend was having a baby.

This book is a must for all people who have anything to do with babies. It explains why babies and parents behave the way they do and where this behaviour comes from. Myths like "babies can be trained" are explained and disposed of in a scientific, yet extremely easy to read and often humorous manner. Read this and you'll know how to respond properly to your baby

After the birth of my now-four-year-old daughter, this was the only "baby book" I read that made any sense at all. Morris' describes the mother-child contract, a reciprocal exchange of the baby making his/her needs known and mother fulfilling those needs. He puts into words the joy each mother finds in responding to her baby, and the incredible base of life-long security established in an infant whose needs are met by a loving, playful, and competent mother. I read the chapter "Why do Babies Cry?" every other day to remind myself that what I did instinctually with my baby (i.e., pick her up whenever she cried and figure out what she needed) was exactly right. Reading "Babywatching" always boosted my confidence, and made me feel like part of a competent mother-child pair. Reading other baby books (Spock, Brazelton) always made me feel unsure and question whether I was doing the right thing. The chapters "Where do Babies Sleep?" "What do Babies Eat?" "Why do Babies Cry?" and "What Comforts a Baby?" should be issued to every parent before they take baby home from the hospital. Truly caring for a baby means connecting to your baby on many levels: physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual (baby intellect being the mimicking and copying they employ to learn human communication.) Babywatching describes, in simple terms, how to make these connections with your baby, and, by extrapolation, with all of the people in your lives