Tuesday, March 2, 2010

All things baby....sort of

I recently had a friend ask me for recommendations of pregnancy books. That question has spawned this post. PLEASE comment if you have anything to add, disagree with, or complain about in regards to my opinions on all things baby (that I can think of right this minute).

Pregnancy Books:

I love to read. Unfortunately, while prego I was working (which already requires plenty of reading) and I was getting my gifted certification (which required a ridiculous amount of reading). Therefore, I was tapped out. BUT, I did manage to narrow the vast section of pregnancy books down to a few based on recommendations.

1) I know she's absolutely crazy and no I don't think vaccines gave her child autism, but Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy is a funny, quick read that is a scary kind of honest. I like people to be straight with me and Jenny was one of the few who was, crazy or not.
2) What to Expect When You're Expecting....the standard guide to pregnancy. I used it as a guide and not a cover to cover read because it is LONG. The best part about the book is that if you are feeling it, thinking it, or crying over it, they have you covered. They also have a great website which is where the link will take you so I'm not going to include it under the websites section below.
3) The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy came the most highly recommended. I have to admit I didn't finish it, but what I did read also gave me the honesty I felt was lacking in the pregnant world.  Again, the website is great too!

Baby's First Year:

So, even though my time for reading became less available, the necessity for it took over.

1) All Books Baby Wise - Let me start by saying that the Baby Wise method isn't everyone's cup of tea. I have said before that I have seen it work enough times to know that it was the way to go for me. If you want more information email me and let me know. I can give you an entire dissertation that not everyone may want to read in this post!
2) Baby 411 - This book has been a great "ages and stages" sort of book. I can pick it up at any random point and get a quick, yet detailed amount of information that always satisfies my need for info. For instance, Lila started eating baby food but then I felt like she was ready for more finger foods instead. However, my "on her own time" child didn't have teeth yet and I was concerned about choking. I looked it up and they said that any food that is in the stage for her age and is cooked correctly can be gummed well enough to do the job and no teeth should not be a reason to wait. Done and done!
3) Touch Points - Diapering, feeding, and clothing a child are pretty easy things to learn. Understanding and dealing with "the witching hour" or separation anxiety, not so much. This book does a great job of helping you conqeur the ever changing emotional needs of an infant.
4) What to Expect and the Girlfriends Guides listed above also have great "sequels"!

Websites:

On these sites you go in and put your due date or your child's birthday and they send you emails (weekly or monthly). If you are pregnant they email you 3D pictures of what your baby is looking like every week and tell you about what you might be experiencing. I loved getting these emails every week. It was better than any book I could have read! Some people don't like emails, but I LOVE them. I love that I can skim them, see if there is anything I care about in regards to me or my child, and then read on if I so choose. Sometimes there are forums or chats you can join too where the wealth of firsthand knowledge is amazing. For instance, I joined one for moms that teachers. LOVE IT.
www.parents.com 
www.babycenter.com
http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com (this is the one I read the most during pregnancy)

Lastly, in regards to all things baby, I would like to make a few suggestions dealing with money. These are things you can do before baby comes too and stock up! There are insane deals to be had if you look for them...

1) Join EVERYTHING you can think of that has to do with babies and things you might use. I shop at Publix. Publix has a baby club that sends me coupons with insane amounts of money off of products. Join diaper company websites, formula websites, get a Babies R Us Rewards membership (you typically get this if you register there). Do any of those things you can think of. Worst case they will send you emails or coupons you don't need that you either delete or recycle. Publix also takes competitor coupons that seriously add up, but couponing is another post for another day.

2) www.kidswoot.com   They have a daily item up for sale. Some of it is total crap. Some of it is not. I once saw a sleep sack for $3.99 on a two for Tuesday! Two sleep sacks (typically over $15 each) for $4!

3) www.babyhalfoff.com  They have one item daily that is half off, if not more. Great stuff like Robeez, cloth diapers, and more.

Alright, I think I have exhausted myself with this post. Again, please comment with any other suggestions!

4 comments:

  1. i have to disagree with your book choices, but i'm happy you've found some that work for you! i think you've inspired me to write a similar post...so you'll have to wait and see what my picks are ;)

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  2. I also like Caring for Your Baby and Young Child from the American Academy of Pediatrics--I always trust their opinions and information the most! Baby Wise was not for us, but I also LOVED the 3d pregnancy website/emails while I was pregnant! Also--what the heck from chicago invisalign???

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  3. Baby Wise was not for us either, but I know people that loved it. I loved Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

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  4. I always liked "Whole Child, Whole Parent" and pretty much any book by Brazleton.

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