On Becoming Baby Wise
A couple at our church told us about a book that really helped get their baby on a schedule. Their child was probably 12-18 months old when she told me about On Becoming BabyWise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. She did say that you take what you want from the book. She couldn't do the "whole-cry-it-out-thing". I don't think I mentioned anything about needing advice as I wasn't looking to put Lincoln on a schedule. I was practicing Attachment Parenting, which I didn't know that is what I was doing. (Another post to come soon on Attachment Parenting).
I didn't go out and buy the book immediately. I actually saw it at reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop on their bookcase of used books about a month later. I think it was .99 cents. The owner told me to let her know how it was. Well, I started flipping through it, but skipped to Chapter 6 because the previous chapters were about establishing breastfeeding and weight gain, etc. I already had that down.
So Chapter 6 was about establishing a eat, play, sleep schedule. That's what we were doing with Lincoln, but I like to call it a "routine" because ours was not by the clock, but rather Lincoln's cues. Soon into reading the book, I started feeling very stressed out and paranoid because what I was reading was contrary to how we were raising Lincoln. I started feeling confused, questioning if what I was doing was wrong or harmful for Lincoln. I remember telling Joe that we were horrible parents.
I called up a woman whose opinion I trust when it comes to birth, breastfeeding, and infant care. She is the owner of Full Bloom Pregnancy & Early Parenting Center in Athens and a nurse at Athens Regional Hospital. I told her that I started reading a book and I'm questioning how I am caring for Lincoln. She said, "Let me guess. Babywise?" She told me to throw the book in the trash and don't even bother recycling it because the world would be better with one less copy." She reassured me that I was doing a great job taking care of Lincoln and she knew that because he was a happy baby. She reminded me to go with my gut when it comes to decisions. She said if I don't mind him not sleeping through the night, then don't worry about having a schedule. I felt encouraged when I got off the phone from her.
The guy that wrote the book, Gary Ezzo, developed parenting material for a church. There is a lot of controversy about the book. The link below is one review.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/reviews/parenting_books/on_becoming_babywise.html
Some quotes that really bothered me from the book include:
"Whether it is blocking a baby's cry by offering food at each whimper or wearing baby in a sling all day to eliminate crying, beware. Indeed, babies who are allowed unlimited feedings, who are carried in a sling during the day, and who sleep with their mothers at night, do cry very little. This is true. However, this is not a result of love, training, and an abiding sense of security. Such babies cry less because this parenting philosophy calls for the suppression of all crying." page 139
"A mom who picks up her baby and offers the breast each time her baby cries is teaching her baby that food is the source of comfort, not mom. This explains why Marisa is not easily comforted by secondary caregivers. It may also help explain the obesity problem of our nation's youth and why so many adults turn to food for stress relief." page 140
He fails to mention that breast fed babies are actually leaner than their counter parts, not obese.
Do you not just boil when you read that? Needless to say, that is as far as I read in the book. I haven't picked it up since either (except to type his quotes). Just remember you can't believe everything you read and there are so many different opinions out there so do your research and go with your gut!
R
I'll be writing about attachment parenting soon so check back!
I didn't go out and buy the book immediately. I actually saw it at reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop on their bookcase of used books about a month later. I think it was .99 cents. The owner told me to let her know how it was. Well, I started flipping through it, but skipped to Chapter 6 because the previous chapters were about establishing breastfeeding and weight gain, etc. I already had that down.
So Chapter 6 was about establishing a eat, play, sleep schedule. That's what we were doing with Lincoln, but I like to call it a "routine" because ours was not by the clock, but rather Lincoln's cues. Soon into reading the book, I started feeling very stressed out and paranoid because what I was reading was contrary to how we were raising Lincoln. I started feeling confused, questioning if what I was doing was wrong or harmful for Lincoln. I remember telling Joe that we were horrible parents.
I called up a woman whose opinion I trust when it comes to birth, breastfeeding, and infant care. She is the owner of Full Bloom Pregnancy & Early Parenting Center in Athens and a nurse at Athens Regional Hospital. I told her that I started reading a book and I'm questioning how I am caring for Lincoln. She said, "Let me guess. Babywise?" She told me to throw the book in the trash and don't even bother recycling it because the world would be better with one less copy." She reassured me that I was doing a great job taking care of Lincoln and she knew that because he was a happy baby. She reminded me to go with my gut when it comes to decisions. She said if I don't mind him not sleeping through the night, then don't worry about having a schedule. I felt encouraged when I got off the phone from her.
The guy that wrote the book, Gary Ezzo, developed parenting material for a church. There is a lot of controversy about the book. The link below is one review.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/reviews/parenting_books/on_becoming_babywise.html
Some quotes that really bothered me from the book include:
"Whether it is blocking a baby's cry by offering food at each whimper or wearing baby in a sling all day to eliminate crying, beware. Indeed, babies who are allowed unlimited feedings, who are carried in a sling during the day, and who sleep with their mothers at night, do cry very little. This is true. However, this is not a result of love, training, and an abiding sense of security. Such babies cry less because this parenting philosophy calls for the suppression of all crying." page 139
"A mom who picks up her baby and offers the breast each time her baby cries is teaching her baby that food is the source of comfort, not mom. This explains why Marisa is not easily comforted by secondary caregivers. It may also help explain the obesity problem of our nation's youth and why so many adults turn to food for stress relief." page 140
He fails to mention that breast fed babies are actually leaner than their counter parts, not obese.
Do you not just boil when you read that? Needless to say, that is as far as I read in the book. I haven't picked it up since either (except to type his quotes). Just remember you can't believe everything you read and there are so many different opinions out there so do your research and go with your gut!
R
I'll be writing about attachment parenting soon so check back!
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