I think this is a very good informative book. It explains things in a simple and understandable manner.

This book is pretty general and its sections are broken up into newborn, 0-3 months, 4-7 months and so on. What I wanted was a book that talked about each month individually since baby's change and develop so much so quickly. This book is just too general for me. It does have good info, just not as much as I'd like.

As a father, I have had to put up with several books that are "meant" for dads. In Norway, that means having to read through a lot of semi-funny and useless knowledge.

This book is exactly what I have been looking for!
It is to the point and easy to read, with a good reference section. Covers everything I wanted to know. Highly recommended for all parents!

This book is not as great as I had hoped. I am a first time mom and wanted a book that would help when I have questions, like how to help baby feel better when he has a cold, when to take him to the doctor, and how to get through teething. This book did not really offer much on what I've had questions about so far. I would choose something else next time.

I really appreciate this "baby owner's manual." Published by a large professional group effort of the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is down to earth, up-to-date, and clearly written. They cover everything-- physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development, safety issues including products and food safety, and of course, health information.

I just call it 'the book.'

Highly recommended, especially for first-time parents. Great value for the price. (Who can spend more when there are diapers to buy???)

This is it a complete instruction book for the first year. It has everyting you need to know from feeding to changing to when to take you little one to the dr.

Even as an experienced mom this helped me. I got this with my 5th child and it was an indespensible help, since all babies do different things and it is all in this book.

An excellent gift for new parents. Add to a gift basket for baby shower, or buy your self. Great to have avaliable for the babysitter wether it is grand parent or neighborhood girl,

My friend threw her used copy of this book in with a couple of baby presents for me when I was pregnant. I picked it up for the first time when I was learning how to nurse and REALLY needed help. I'd waited I guess because I thought that it would be kind of old fashioned and not "hip" enough for me or something. (Because of its yellowed pages, line drawings, and because it was put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics?) But I LOVE THIS BOOK. It's is so refreshingly practical. So informative. I feel satisfied after reading it, like I've had my questions answered. So I'd definitely recommend making the $7 splurge and picking up this book for you, or anyone you know with a new baby.

this was my second option but i think i liked the "what to expect the first year" book better. this book is filled with a lot of good information. however, don't expect a large book in size. it is small in size, like a pocket book. this does metter if you want to see the picture details etc. i would recommend this book as a supplement if you disregard it size.

I agree that this book has an agenda and does not acknowledge some of the newer theories on parenting. However, it does contain some very good, practical advice on how to care for a newborn. The section on breast-feeding, for example, is quite helpful. For the price, you certainly can't go wrong with this book.

Published about 10 years ago. The information is okay, but I wish I had bought something more recent.

Great reference, but difficult and dry to read. I bought a few baby books for my first child and I liked "Baby 411" much better.

I received this book as a gift from my first child's pediatrician. It saved me - and it had little to do with the advice it offered on parenting. Little did I know, I was suffering from post-partum depression, and there is an incredibly helpful section in this book that I read over and over again. It helped me to maintain my sanity during a very confusing time.

One of the things I like about this book is that it comes directly from the American Academy of Pediatrics, so the content is very fact-based rather than based on opinions or child-rearing method preferences.

However, the reason I've given the book only 4 stars rather than 5 is that I've found over the years that the AAP changes its opinions quite a lot on certain topics (vaccinations, circumcision, etc). In just the 3.5 years between my 2 kids, the AAP has issued varying opinions on the same topics, so I'm not sure this book would be consistently accurate across time.

All-in-all, this book is a great reference, and will have at least a basic answer to almost any first-time parenting question.

It is very in depth, provides great, easy-to-process information and pretty much has answered any questions I've had so far. It written informatively but not preachy and gives you what you want to know without giving too much or too little info. I think this should be a staple purchase for any new parent.

Well, maybe I could have, but the pediatrician's office would have been inundated with my calls. This book was an excellent reference guide for me during my first child's first year. Hiccups, rashes, what to expect (physically/developmentally/emotionally) at month 3 - it seemed to cover every question.

I found this book to be old fashioned in some of its info. Buy Baby 411 instead.

I have found the health care related advice in this book to be an absolute God-send. The multitude of Dr's that participated in the creation of this book provide an expansive, yet clear and concise guide to caring for, understanding the development of and handling emergencies involving your baby. From what to expect immediately preceding and during birth, on through the end of the first year, you will find practical advice on what to expect and how to care for your baby. Common illness, disease and emergencies are covered as well as what you can expect to be able to cope with on your own, and what situations can't be coped with on your own. While my overall rating is very high, I want everyone that reads my review to understand that there are some very strong opinions stated as fact, particularly in regards to politics. One non-political issue that concerned my wife and I, is that my wife does not breast-feed. This is due to a few very personal issues and with the consensus and support of Doctors and Nurses, yet we felt brow-beat, derided and harangued for not breast feeding thanks to the scolding breast-feeding rhetoric throughout the book. Additionally, they delve into opining about gun control among other issues, all of which are not supported by any statistical reference. I was frustrated that such a good work that utilizes study after study and centuries of medical experience to provide outstanding health care advice would resort to baseless sensationalism to try and scare parents into compliance with their ideas in areas unrelated to health care. A hesitant 4/5 stars that could easily be 5/5 were the rhetoric deleted.

I purchased this as a gift and as it turned out, it was a duplicate. She received one from her doctor. He said it was a must have. The book arrived quickly and was in great shape. Very good experience.

A very through, all-inclusive book. No scare stories, just teh facts---which is what we moms need.....beats the diapers off of the What to Expect book

It's unfortunate that the American Academy of Pediatrics would use this book to push their political agendas about gun control. On page 389 it says

"The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports gun control legislation. We believe that handguns, deadly air guns, and assault weapons should be banned. Until handguns are banned, we recommend that handgun ammunition be regulateed, that restrictions be placed on handgun ownership, and the the number of privately owned handguns be reduced."

People who are buying this book are looking for baby advice, not political garbage. It's sad that AAP would stoop so low to include comments such as this.

They also make dangerous recommendations about how to put your child in the car seat on page 411:

"Place a small rolled up diaper or receiving blanket bewteen the crotch strap and your baby to prevent his lower body from sliding too far forward."

This is contrary to manufacturer's recommendations with car seats and any seat that uses a seat belt. In an accident the rolled up diaper/blanket would compress and cause the belts to be too loose, potentially causing additional injury or even allow the baby to come out of the belts/seat altogether.

My friend said this book helped her, I'm going based on her review of it...I bought it for her a year ago and I seen it in her bathroom recently. So she's been reading it!

My pediatrician gave me this book before my daughter was born. Similac pays for them. It was a helpful resource to know what she should be doing and signs of problems. While I wouldn't buy it, it was nice to have while she was little.

My daughter's pediatrician gave me this book at my New Mom appointment before she was born. It helped me out a lot. I recommend this book to anybody. It has all the information you need. In my experience, it covered ALL of my questions. It's the only book you'll need.

I refer to this book ALL the time. It has everything you could possibly need to know in it. It is a MUST for any parent, especially your first.

This is a very good book for a first time Mom. I bought it for my daughter.I would highly recommend this book.

I'm still working my way through it. There's a ton of information, and I find myself re-reading sections. Well-organized with easy to find headings under each section for eating, health and developmental expectations.

This book is invaluable to any new parent. It is organized by your child's age and outlines what you as a parent should expect from your child and when to be concerned. From motor skills to intellectual progress, this books dismissed my paranoia regarding my child's development and allowed me to ask the right questions during routine exams by our pediatrician.

It has a very concise index that is written in simple terms allowing you to find the topic easily. From bee stings to allergies, rolling over to walking and a very comprehensive section on safety, I have given this book to every friend that is becoming a parent for the first time. It's the closest thing to a user's manual I have found.

This book is invaluable to any new parent. It is organized by your child's age and outlines what you as a parent should expect from your child and when to be concerned. From motor skills to intellectual progress, this books dismissed my paranoia regarding my child's development and allowed me to ask the right questions during routine exams by our pediatrician.

It has a very concise index that is written in simple terms allowing you to find the topic easily. From bee stings to allergies, rolling over to walking and a very comprehensive section on safety, I have given this book to every friend that is becoming a parent for the first time. It's the closest thing to a user's manual I have found.

I bought this book after reading its good reviews on Amazon. I agree that it is a very good book. its not a fancy kind of book printed on nice paper with lots of colour and pictures. But its jammed packed with lots of information that any parents will need. I especially like the first part where it tells you what to expect of the new baby a checklist of what to get. There are even suggestions of what kind of crib and pram is good and what kind is not so good.

I think its extremely helpful and I will definitely recommend this.

Excellent resource--a definite partner to the lighter advice books, more in depth than most.

Very complete and accuarate information. I was amazed when all the symptoms described in the book were manifested on the baby.

Great resource, easy to read, gives a nice idea of milestones for my son.
It's organized nicely. All in all a good resource.

This book covers everything, and it covers it thoroughly and well! I'd definitely recommend this book to any new mother.

We love this book as first time parents. It is like having your Pediatrician in your living room! Even better, I received this book free with a formula sample from my Pediatrician's office. What a deal!

Our daughter's pediatrician gave us this book when we interviewed him before she was born and I have used it like a Bible! Great book and TONS of information.