Product Description

Gina Ford's bestselling The Contented Little Baby Book established Gina as one of the UK's most influential voices in baby and childcare issues. Her groundbreaking routines have been the salvation of hundreds of thousands of parents and her sound advice on weaning and sleep has guaranteed contented little babies in households around the world. In The Contented Baby's First Year Gina takes you through your baby's first year in a month-by-month guide. From physical and mental development through to changes in feeding and sleeping patterns, this wonderful book is packed with practical advice. There's information here on soothing, breastfeeding, weaning and bathing your baby together with suggestions for encouraging key developmental milestones: holding a toy, rolling over, sitting up and crawling. Additionally, for each month there is a handy Q&A that offers reassuring solutions to particular problems that can occur at each stage in your baby's development. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photography, including step-by-step guides to caring for your little one, The Contented Baby's First Year is essential reading for guaranteeing a contented little baby in year one.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3094 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
Gina Ford is the Delia Smith of parenting...while Delia tells you how to make the perfect omelette, Gina Ford in her baby-care manual The Contented Little Baby Book, draws on 30 years' experience to tell you how to nurture the perfectly happy baby --You magazine

For an astonishing number of mothers she has proved a saviour --Daily Telegraph

For me she was an absolute Godsend
--Kate Winslet

From the Publisher
A beautifully illustrated guide to your baby's first year from Britain's bestselling childcare expert.

About the Author
Gina Ford has over twenty years' experience of looking after babies and young children. She has worked as a maternity nurse all over the world for all kinds of people, from lawyers and bankers to newspaper editors, pop stars and other high-profile media personalities. She is the author of nine parenting titles and has her own website, www.contentedbaby.com

Customer Reviews

Beautiful illustrated guide
I was under the initial impression that "The Contented Baby's First Year" was actually an elaborated version of "The Contented Little Baby Book", however was quickly proven wrong. It is in fact, a beautiful book, easily understood and with superb photographs illustrating main points, techniques and levels of a baby's development over its first year, which greatly enhance the adjoining text.

The useful information is presented in an easy-to-read manner with simple bullet points relating to the chapter and coloured text boxes highlighting helpful tips, which are great for quick reference purposes, although there is a complete index at the end.
Many questions and common problems are tackled and answered in an explicit, clear and concise manner providing not only a realistic solution but also an explanation as to why these problems occur in the first place so as to avoid them in the future.

Though it could be read alone, I feel that "The Contented Baby's First Year" would be much better appreciated as an accompaniment to "The (New) Contented Little Baby Book". It offers wonderful and easy suggestions and advice, which genuinely help the development of a child and positively enhance the experience of raising one.

Not a single aspect of a baby's first year - for both mother and baby - has been overlooked. This is a book to keep and treasure.

Highly recommended.

A Must Have for all parents...
Is how this book has been described, and I have to agree. It is beautifully written and illustrated, and packed full of information useful to not only first time parents, but to second and third timers too! I already have one pre-schooler and found myself wondering just how useful this book would be with my second due in 6 months time....surely I knew it all right? Wrong! I found myself saying things like "ooohh, so THAT's what that was" and "ah-ha - that's what I need to do when this happens!" Even my husband (yep, he read it too!) "exclaimed aloud" a few times....!

But seriously, this book is for everyone. It does sit side by side quite sweetly with the Contented Little Baby book series', but if you're not a fan of these, or any other routines, then you can take heart and buy this book with confidence, as it really isn't wholly focused on routines at all. Plus, it would make a delightful gift to any parent - mum or dad!

In summary, whether you're a first time parent or a tenth timer, this book will be a welcome addition to your parenting bookshelf, and by the time the twelve months are over, a well thumbed one at that!

Just one more thing, I couldn't possibly review this book without mentioning the babies that are featured in it. They're simply too cute and squishy to forget, and the photography, lighting and illustration is simply, well, stunning!

An Excellent Book
I got this book when my daughter was six months old and wish it had been available from her birth. As a second time Mum I wasn't sure how much I would get from it, however the pictures are fantastic at showing holding positions etc that I had misunderstood.

The book is full of helpful tips - like lying the baby on it's tummy on the towel when drying which I tried and my baby loves.

Each month's guide is packed with relevant information and it is simle but detailed. I am finding if I have a problem I can refer to the book, locate the answer I need quickly and easily - especially this month as I am weaning.

I will be purchasing this book for my pregnant friends.