The Essential First Year

I love this book and especially enjoyed it as a first time mom. She does a great job describing all the new feelings and emotions that come with having your first baby. I also like how she breaks the book into segments (new baby, settling in, a member of the family, etc.). The boarder categories help you to not try to squeeze your baby into a one-size-fits-all developmental sequence. Obviously there are things in this book not everyone agrees with or wants to follow, but like any baby book you take what you want and make it work for your family!I'm disappointed that this is only available from third party sellers and no longer with amazon prime. It really is a great book to add to your collection! :)

The child and baby care manual I used for my own kids ... bought this for one of my daughters when she had her first baby.

I ordered this when my daughter was a month or two old. She is just about 12 months now. I turn to it when I am struggling to choose good strategies for sleep and eating and for ideas to enrich playtime. Leach helps me understand my baby's point of view with scientific evidence and a description of how the first year unfolds. I have sometimes read it for encouragement when I am not sure that hanging out with a baby is really the most important thing I could do. Leach emphasizes the significance of steady connections with key adults. And another plus: my daughter really likes looking at this book. She loves to turn the pages and see pictures of other babies, so it will continue to be useful past the first year.

Good reference material for new parent, by a wonderful writer, mother, and physician/pediatrician. I have used her books for decades as solid advice for parenting as a nurse in a pediatric practice.

I had the larger volume of birth to age five, but I found this to be a big help to new parents.It provides much information without it being an encyclopedia .

My midwife and pediatrician recommended Dr. and Martha Sears' "The Baby Book." While I found it very useful, Penelope Leach goes into much more detail on behavior, what to do with your infant, and doesn't focus quite so fervently on attachment parenting. Her writing and examples are excellent. That being said, I actually prefer her book "Your Baby and Child from Birth to Age 5." It contains almost all of "The Essential First Year" and so much more! Spend the extra money on the full version.

Solidly based in developmental research and also readable and practical.

Very comprehensive and insightful! I love it!

Order a few book on the same line and I found this to be at the bottom of the pile to read. Didn’t really enjoy the reading style compared to other but I’m sure other reader may enjoy it and find it extremely helpfull.

So helpful and informative! Definitely worth buying before baby is born and is easy to read!

Is there a better book to give an expecting mother? I doubt it, lovely. Wish every mum could read this....

Good for reference

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