Product Description

WHAT TO EXPECT THE 1st YEAR is a comprehensive and practical month-by-month guide that clearly explains everything parents need to know - or might be worrying about - in the first year with a new baby. Featuring dozens of Q&A sections, as well as a first aid guide and charts on monthly growth and development, feeding and sleeping habits, this is the only book on infant care to address both the physical and the emotional needs of the whole family. Covering the most up-to-date knowledge, both medical and developmental, WHAT TO EXPECT THE 1st YEAR is, above all, down-to-earth and reassuring - and an invaluable aid for all parents of new babies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #443 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 832 pages

From the Publisher
WHAT TO EXPECT - THE FIRST YEAR has sold a phenomenal 6,500,000 copies worldwide

About the Author
Heidi E. Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee E. Hathaway are the authors of the bestselling WHAT TO EXPECT series. Arlene Eisenberg is also co-author of THE RECOVERY BOOK. Heidi Murkoff is also author of the WHAT TO EXPECT KIDS series.

Customer Reviews

Answers ALL of your questions
This is THE most useful book you can buy as a first time parent.

It's a kind of Baby-bible really and I would suggest you buy it BEFORE junior arrives as it has lots of useful advice about what you need and what you'll be doing in the first weeks. (And lets face it you won't have time to read books in those early days...)

It's written like a list of FAQs for each month of baby's first year, but rather than presenting only one viewpoint or answer, it describes all current views on a subject, gives you the facts then lets you decide what's appropriate advice for YOU and YOUR baby.

Sometimes it's just enough to know that something you're experiencing is completely normal and has been experienced by other people. Sometimes you have questions that seem too trivial to bother the health visitor with so this book provides a useful back up.

It covers health topics, behaviour, and likely development stages for each month. A useful book for dads too - especially in the first few weeks when they can feel like they're reliant on the women-folk to know what's going on (don't know why - first time mums feel as clueless as everyone else at times!!).

The only down-side, and the reason I've only given the book 4 stars, is that it was obviously written for the American market but has been 'Anglified' and almost all of the examples have been re-written to cover English views/laws etc, however now and then you find a bit of the American lingo still hanging around. The examples are still useful though, but you just get a feel that they're not quite as relevant.

Great book, shame about the index
This would be a great reference book were it not for the index, which consistently directs the reader to the wrong page. This is extremely frustrating at times. The content, however, is very informative and comprehensive.

I bought this book on the back of owning "What to Expect When You're Expecting", which was my pregnancy bible. As a first-time mum, I've found the book equally as invaluable. As well as the twelve chapters on what to expect month by month, there are excellent sections on baby health, ailments, first aid, baby care, breastfeeding, diet (for baby and mum), and fatherhood.

A helpful book with lots of useful information, without being biased
What I like about this book is that it gives you all the information without being biased one way or the other. For example, it gives the pros and cons of dummies, and isn't at all "preachy" about one view point being better than the other, unlike many other books which are pushing the author's own agenda and plan for sleeping/feeding/dummies etc.

The information is presented as questions, based on the age of your baby in months. Of all the books I have, this is the one I look at to get comprehensive information and the full picture on any subject or question, from when to use a highchair, through to what to do if I think my baby has a temperature. I've found it invaluable.