Babyhood

This is the closest thing to an operator's manual for having a newborn. Not a how to book, but one that provides insight into what is going on in the minds and bodies of these extraordinary inquisitive little beings that come into the world equipped to grow into and devour every bit of it. Penelope Leach is a wonderful companion, guide and teacher to have at each stage of your child's development. I can't say enough good things about this book.

great research providing solid parenting advice.

I was given this book by a friend who already has a child and this book as been invaluable to me as a guide to feeding, crying, pooping, peeing and sleeping times for infants. Even though it was written in the 1970's, babies don't eat, cry, poop, pee or sleep anymore or less than they used to so the book is still very relevant. I also like that Penelope gets to the point and does not have too much touchy-feely nonsense. She gets to the point and tells you exactly what you need to know in words, graphs and pie charts. I would definitely recommend this book to any first-time parents.

The only thing this book left me wishing for - is that that there was anything remotely similar to it today. The book is not written in an easy "a-to-z" or "month-by-month" or any other format for people who don't like to read. It is a textbook... on babies, the only one I have found. With all the controversial advice out there, all I wanted was to understand WHERE it came from, WHY we believe this or that, WHAT the evidence suggests. This book answers these questions as adequately as the research conducted by the 1980's allows it. There are many books which are easier to read, will give you more step-by-step cookbook advice, and are a reference on the brands of food and strollers. So though this book lacks in all of those areas, it is the only one which can be used as a pure source of knowledge about the baby's development.

This book enriched my experience of my first child's early months by making me more aware of all the changes she was going through, and how incredible even tiny new developments are -- such as learning to move her arms and legs intentionally. The book was first published in the 1970s and this is a revised edition from the early 1980s, but in many ways it feels more modern and sensible than many of the books on babies which are most popular today. It addresses the issues of babies' individual personalities and how this can affect how they develop -- a subject which more practical, but less well-informed baby manuals don't even acknowledge.

The book was as promised with one exception. It smelled old and a bit musty...hard to give as a book. All other factors were positive.

This book is supposed to be so great, but as the parent of a newborn, it's not helpful at all. I have no idea what's accurate and what information should have been updated. For example, my daughter had a tongue tie that was preventing her from latching correctly, and the lactation doctor's snipping it a few days ago has made SUCH a difference. Yet Penelope Leach says that tongue ties can be ignored for the first year. Also Leach says stools are very different colors for the first month and just to relax, but we've been told elsewhere that violent green frothy poop explosions mean that the baby is just getting foremilk, not hindmilk, and could explain why she wants the breast >20 times a day. These are important things to include! I was given this book by someone whom I really respect, and I've heard the child development stuff is good, so I'l give it 2 starts for that, but right now I wish I'd used my limited awake/not-doing-baby-laundry-time to read something more useful.

I honestly enjoyed reading this book. Unlike the majority of books about babies, this one is written for those who enjoy understanding the research behind the advice. It also contained many ideas and pieces of information that I doubt I would have found elsewhere. But be forewarned that the book is by no means "unbiased". This author has as many opinions as any other- the difference is that she frequently cites the studies that influenced her opinion, which give the reader a better understanding of where she's coming from. On the negative side, this book is older, and not much effort has been made to update it. For example, I would definitely *not* follow any of the feeding advice, with the possible exception of that pertaining to infants over one year of age. In addition, the book is written with relatively dense language, that some may find hard to read and fairly dry. To sum up, I used this book mostly for its extensive information on the progress of child development from birth to age two. I definitely did not agree with all of the author's ideas about child raising, and would recommend it only as a supplemental resource.

Excellent book for people who want to know about the real research into baby behaviour. It isn't an advice book, thank goodness! This is for people like me who want to know the evidence and detail about how babies and their senses/awareness/abilities develop over the first two years. Fascinating!

I got this book when I had my first baby. In anothrr country, with no family or friends around, this book answered many questions I had a out the normal things to expect from a baby. Now I bought it to my daughter who just had a baby and is away from family. Gret book!

I was lucky enough to find this book 29 years ago when my son was a baby. It's like a day to day "instruction manual" for raising a baby in a way that allows them to grow into their highest potential. Penelope Leach answers all possible questions you may have. Trust me!

Book arrived in good time and good condition. Very reasonable price. I found the first edition very helpful when I had my first baby in the 1970s and hope this will help my daughter. As the intro says this is not about what you do when you have a baby but WHY you do it.

A classic excursion into the necessities for every soon to be parents.