What to Expect Your First Year as a Parent
America's bestselling guide to
caring for a baby is now better than ever since authors Heidi Murkoff, Arlene
Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N. have released their
two-years-in-the-making, cover-to-cover, line-by-line revision and update of the
6.9-million-copy “What to Expect the First Year,” considered the parent’s bible
for taking care of a newborn through their first year of life.
This daughter/mother/sister team
has included the most recent developments in pediatric medicine. Every question
and answer has been revisited, and in response to letters from readers, dozens
of new questions and answers have been added. The book is more reader-friendly
than ever, with updated cultural references, and the new material brings more
in-depth coverage to issues such as newborn screening, home births and the
resulting at-home newborn care, vitamins and vaccines, milk allergies, causes of
colic, sleep problems, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), returning to work,
dealing with siblings, weaning, sippy cups, the expanded role of the father, and
much more. Chapters focus on month-by-month development, and there are
additional chapters that focus on other broader subjects, such as health issues,
special needs children, and postpartum recovery. The authors also ingeniously
include comprehensive information on developmental milestones. Information
empowers a new parent, the authors surmise, and though too much information or
conflicting information can cause confusion and frustration, having a reference
book such as theirs to consult whenever the need arises alleviates insecurity
and worry.
The authors encourage parents to utilize their most
valuable resource – their instincts – and learn to trust in them, and remind
readers that there is no such thing as a “perfect parent” and that we will all
continue to make mistakes through our journey as parents. The trick is to learn
from them, thereby coming ever closer to the ideal of the perfect parent.
