Description
Book SynopsisEverything a new parent needs to know about looking after baby.
Trade ReviewFor sensible, practical advice look to further than The Baby Book. Author Rachel Waddilove has plenty of know-how to share. * Inspire Magazine *
Based on her belief that `Babies are a precious gift to be enjoyed as part of family life’. A reassuring and supremely helpful manual. * Methodist Recorder *
The wisest book about families I have ever read. -- Rachel Johnson * The Daily Telegraph *
This book is so popular, it sold out of its first print run. * Practical Parenting *
Rachel’s schedule was just the thing. Apple was sleeping through the night by six weeks. She was a very happy and settled baby because Rachel got us into a routine. Her advice was invaluable. -- Gwyneth Paltrow * NOW Magazine *
The book draws on a wealth of experience to guide a new parent through all areas of their baby’s first year. The order of the day here is a structured yet flexible routine, and a calm level-headed ream of advice from someone who has seen it all before. If you’d like a maternity nurse and can’t afford one, this book isn’t a bad substitute! -- Hilary Cockshaw * Home and Family *
I’m sent piles of health and well-being books to read, and the ones that stand out talk directly to the reader with warmth and authority. The Baby Book does just that. -- Sarah Stacey * You Magazine, Mail on Sunday *
I found this book to be extremely informative, going into detail over teething problems, winding and most importantly sleep-training and crying - how to understand it, how to deal with it and that it is okay to let your baby cry. There is no oracle that can tell you how to get your newborn to sleep through the night before six weeks, or what to do when he is creaming his head off for hours at a time, but this book gets pretty close. With Waddilove’s focus on getting your baby to fit into your life and not the other way around, while still putting strong emphasis on a routine, on top of her attention to many of the questions that go unanswered in our manuals, it is well worth a look. * Families South West magazine *
May well be seen as the most sensible book ever written on how to bring up a baby. * The Observer *
“When you first bring your baby home from the hospital it can be a very daunting experience. All you can think of is giving your child the best start in life. Having Rachel with us for the first few days helped us to understand and learn the basics. Rachel’s knowledge and understanding is incredible; she completely put us at ease in those early days and gave us absolute trust in her and our ability to be a great parents. Her support in putting our daughter into a flexible routine and getting her to sleep well was life changing. As we can both be away from home frequently, it was important to establish a great routine and have a baby that slept well. With Rachel's help our daughter was sleeping through the night from 6 weeks. Having a baby changes everything, and we found that Rachel’s presence in those early days was invaluable. We have grown into confident parents because of our time with Rachel and the advice she gave us. We believe that this book will do the same for you.” -- Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall
Table of ContentsContents
Foreword 13
1 Introduction 15
My Background 15
The Aims of this Book 16
My Approach 17
Breastfeeding 18
Integrating Babies into Family Life 18
Sleeping through the Night 18
Teaching Babies to Settle Themselves 19
2 Needs for the Nursery 20
What to Take into Hospital for You and Your Baby 20
Clothing 22
Somewhere to Sleep 22
Feeding Equipment 24
Nappies and Changing Equipment 25
Bathing and Washing Equipment 26
Travel Equipment 27
Toys and Playtime 28
Final Thoughts 29
3 Coming Home from Hospital 30
Registering the Birth 30
Your Feelings 31
Bonding with Your Baby 35
Visitors 36
Your Physical Needs 37
Your Emotional Needs 39
Things that Don’t Matter 42
4 General Care of Your Baby 43
General Baby Care, Nought to Six Months 43
General Baby Care, Six to Twelve Months 54
5 Feeding Your Baby 59
Breast or Bottle? Making Your Choice 59
Breastfeeding 60
What if I Can’t Breastfeed? 68
Problems with Breastfeeding 69
Advice for Both Breast and Bottle Feeding 72
Bottle Feeding 75
Using a Bottle When You are Breastfeeding 78
Weaning Your Older Baby onto a Bottle 80
6 Establishing a Flexible Routine 82
Why is Routine Important? 82
Why is Flexibility Important? 83
Daily Plan, Nought to One Month 84
Daily Plan, One to Two Months 88
Daily Plan, Two to Three Months 92
Routine for Three to Six Months 95
Daily Plan, Three to Six Months 96
Routine for Six to Nine Months 99
Daily Plan, Six to Nine Months 100
Routine for Nine to Twelve Months 102
Daily Plan, Nine to Twelve Months 104
7 Sleep 106
How Do You Know When Your Baby is Tired? 106
Length of Sleep 107
Where Should Your Baby Sleep at Night? 109
Where Should Your Baby Sleep During the Day? 109
Your Baby’s Sleeping Environment 110
Swaddling 111
Positioning Your Baby for Sleep 112
Helping Your Baby Settle to Sleep 112
Putting Your Baby Down to Sleep 114
Sleep Training Methods for Night-time 115
Sleep Training for Daytime Naps 117
Why isn’t My Baby Sleeping? 117
Summary 118
8 Crying 119
Reasons for Crying 119
Dealing with Crying at Specific ‘Problem Times’
of the Day 124
Crying and Family Life 127
Conclusion 128
9 Introducing Solid Food 129
When to Start Giving Solids 129
Equipment for Solid Feeding 130
Hygiene When Preparing Food 130
Introducing First Solids 131
Introducing Purées 131
Foods Suitable for Purées 133
How to Freeze and Store Home-Made Baby Food 133
Using Pre-Prepared Baby Food 134
Adding Texture and Variety 135
Moving on to Finger Food (Six to Twelve Months) 136
Foods to Avoid 137
Drinks 137
When to Stop Giving Breast Milk or Formula 138
10 Your Baby’s Development 139
Your Newborn Baby 139
Your Baby at Nought to Three Months 141
Your Baby at Three to Six Months 146
Your Baby at Six to Nine Months 148
Your Baby at Nine to Twelve Months 150
11 Common Illnesses 153
Jaundice 153
Gastro-reflux 154
Colic or Wind 155
Eye Infections 156
Coughs, Colds and Chest Infections 156
Ear Infections 157
Raised Temperature 157
Cradle Cap 158
Eczema 158
Rashes 159
Nappy Rash 159
Thrush 160
Constipation 160
Diarrhoea 161
Urinary Infections 161
Bites and Stings 161
Burns and Scalds 162
Cuts and Grazes 162
Bronchiolitis 162
12 Family Life 163
Integrating Your Baby into Family Life 164
Becoming Parents 165
Becoming a Family 171
13 The Spiritual and Emotional Needs 176
Love 177
Joy 177
Peace 177
Patience 178
Kindness and Gentleness 178
Faithfulness 178
Self-Control 179
Faith in Family Life 179
Conclusion 181
Quotations from Rachel’s Clients 183
Index 188
Further Resources 190
