When I first got pregnant, I was completely lost. I had spent 3 years battling infertility, and had actually gotten comfortable there. I knew what to expect and how my body would react. Now that I was part of the fertile world, I was completely lost. I had my son 10 years ago, but that seemed like a lifetime away. So I did the usual things. I bought "What to expect when you are expecting" and talked to friends. A number of people told me how wonderful William Sears was and how great Attachment Parenting is, and on and on and on. It all seemed a little too "touchy-feely" to me and they way people spoke of it was almost militant. So I thought Dr. Sears was a little too much for me to handle.

I then decided to have a drug-free birth. My OB was great, but wasn't really supportive of the idea ("that's fine, but if we see that you are in pain we are going to want to give you drugs…") so I switched to a midwife at 26 weeks. At the first consultation she told me to throw out anything that started with "What to Expect…" and read anything by Sears instead. I didn't actually throw away "What to Expect…" since it was useful for some things, but I did decide to go to the bookstore and browse the Sears selection. I realized that I was really too far along in the pregnancy to need his Pregnancy Book, so bought "The Baby Book" instead. It has proven to be an indispensable resource.

William and Martha Sears have 8 children (one is adopted) and they have truly seen it all. Despite the fact that some of his followers are sometimes vigilant, he seems very easy going, and gives you advice on all your options. And, most importantly, does not make you feel bad about choosing differently. He stresses throughout that you have to do what is instinctual for you and what is best for you and your family. For example, he is very pro-breastfeeding. Despite this he has a full chapter on how to feed a baby formula.

In the book he describes a parenting philosophy called Attachment Parenting. Attachment Parenting is empathic, respectful parenting designed to develop trust and communication between you and your baby. The basic tools of attachment parenting are "wearing" your baby (in a sling), breastfeeding on demand, and the family bed. These practices help meet the need all babies have for close physical contact and nurturing.

I read the book before my baby was born, and really enjoyed it. I found that a lot of what was in it, I had done "on my own" with my son, and was really already practicing the Attachment Parenting concept. The book was very well written and gave me a lot of good ideas and a lot of information that I hadn't really thought about. I wanted to breastfeed (I knew that before buying the book) and I was fine with the sling, but I didn't really want to do the family bed. For various reasons, it didn't seem comfortable to me. I had previously decided to get a bassinet in our room for those late night feedings. The Baby Book said that was an option for people that didn't want a family bed, so I proceeded with that plan. To this day, my daughter has not slept in it.

Hannah was born wanting to be held - ALL the time. Anytime she was put down at all she began to scream. She could have been completely asleep and would immediately wake up upon leaving my arms. I once literally went 48 hours without putting her down. I slept sitting on the couch, holding her. Some said she had colic, but I don't think so. She was perfectly happy as long as her needs were being met.

It wasn't until she was about a month old, that I was awake enough to hand her over to my husband long enough for me to go look at the Baby Book. What do you know, he had a whole section on dealing with high needs babies and colic! I tried some of his ideas, and they worked. Suddenly my life became much easier - and my baby much happier.

So I decided to try the family bed, and immediately we all started sleeping better. In just the past few weeks, Hannah pretty much decided that she is now ready for her own crib and now sleeps through the night in her own room (7pm to 6AM!!) I must say though, that I now miss her. The bassinet is holding laundry…

As a full time working mom, I can tell you that his methods are ideal. He goes into great depth about how to work outside the home and still attachment parent. Using his methods, you will develop a closer bond with your baby that will make your time with him/her that much more precious. And your baby will be secure in your love and support, even when you are not there.

This is truly the only parenting book I have, and even now that my daughter is 5 months old I still look something up in it at least once a week. If I ever am lucky enough to get pregnant again, you can be sure I'll be buying the Pregnancy book.




Recommended: Yes