Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality

Most infant care books fall into two groups: those written by doctors and those written by moms. The books by doctors are usually dry and boring but are packed with information - lots of which you'll never need. The books written by moms are easier to read but are usually one sided - if you don't do things their way, you're a bad mother. This book is written by two doctors who are also moms. They know what is best for most babies but they also know that new parents live in the real world - a world that doesn't always work out just like the text book says it should and that not all babies fit into a mold. In fun, short chapters they quickly tell you what you need to know to care for your newborn (0 to 4 months). The book is an easy read and a great reference during the first, chaotic, sleep-deprived months of a baby's life.

There are people who already have a great depth of infant care experience when they have their first child--have changed so many diapers they can do it with their teeth, can get a onesie over a newborn's head without waking her, can swaddle a baby into immobility with a flick of the wrist. We are not those people. We needed help, and we found a lot of it here. My husband and I both read this book cover to cover before we brought our son home from the hospital, and referred to it often afterward. It has terrific practical advice for the new parent, with informative illustrations--such as demonstrating how to get those cute new outfits on your infant when they have clearly been designed by someone who has never actually dressed a baby-- and is written in a casual, clear style that makes it easily readable and memorable. We went back to it often: "What colors of poop did it say were okay?" "What did it say about the difference between projectile spit up and vomiting?" (Asked as something ran down a wall two feet away.) "Is it possible the baby really wants to eat every 45 minutes?" We suspect its discussion of growth spurts saved our sanity, if not our lives. This book focuses on the nitty-gritty of the new obsessions you'll have with the bodily functions and sleep habits of your new arrival, and how to balance them with your own. It is a cheerful, engaging, sympathetic and nonjudgmental guidebook, and we appreciated it tremendously in our early weeks home. Highly recommended.

I registered for this book after having read great reviews of it. My mom laughed at the name, "from birth to reality!?" but she was so wrong. This is my first child, and although I knew I didn't know everything there is to know, I did have the opportunity to watch my brother be born when I was 12 and help take care of him as a newborn. Now, of course, this book doesn't (and couldn't) cover every facet of raising a brand new baby, but it gets 5 stars because it is so enjoyable to read and it is a great reference book! I know I will bring it with me to the hospital and when at home it will always be nearby on the coffee table. I couldn't imagine not being able to easily figure out what to do in certain tricky situations when under loads of stress and suffering mind blanks from very little sleep! The writers don't try to sell you on breastfeeding, which as far as I have seen is pretty rare; they just give you tips on either breastfeeding or bottlefeeding, and you quickly learn the pros and cons of each. They also do a very good job informing you about pacifiers. They go into great detail about poop and pee, and whether your baby is doing enough etc. Also some pretty good info on gas, spitting up and vomiting. The doctors who write the book help you understand what will really happen as you try to get enough sleep for you and your baby, bathe, and soothe crying. They even have great diagrams on how to wrap up your baby to sleep, change diapers, dress your newborn, and bathe her too. The section on leaving the houseis invaluable! I would have never felt ok with staying in for weeks, even though I already knew I would probably have to. Most mothers go through this very dilemma. You even get great ideas on flying with your baby! The end is full of doctor visits, and body part care, sickness, etc., and also really helpful. I can't suggest strongly enough that any mother (or father) to be reads this book before going home. I will make sure any friends or family that are preparing for their first baby read it, and you should too!

I have been working as a neonatal intensive care clinical pharmacist for the past 5 years and I learned a lot from this book! Instead of giving you a bunch of medical jargon, this book is written for real parents who don't have time to sort the day to day info from the worst case scenario stuff. It is very well written, to the point, and funny! I was able to read the whole thing after my baby was born and only skipped the chapter on formula (exclusively breast feeding). The authors seem very knowledgable about current recommendations of the AAP on many topics. A must have for new parents!!!

As a mother of two boys, ages 8 and 10 years, I found myself expecting a third child. This time it was a girl... I felt like a first time parent again and this book gave me the 'refresher' course that I needed. It was an easy read but provided excellent information. Many of the topics were items that most new mothers have trouble discussing, such as poop and baby private parts. The information is given in a fun, conversational way and provided practical tips to make life easier with your newborn. I HIGHLY recommend this book for ANY expecting parent, first child or third!