Baby's Here...Now What?

CONGRATS TO ERICA C! 

I remember frantically searching through my baby books when Dayne first arrived home to see if the earth would truly stop if I gave him a pacifier when he was four days old.  You could see him struggle to get his thumb in his mouth but with that ever so endearing poor hand/mouth corridanation it wasn't working and this made him angry!

He screamed because he wanted to suckle and I needed him off my boob for five seconds just to breath!  He didn't want food, he wanted to sooth himself.  All my books told me were "some kids need them, others don't.  It may cause nipple confusion."  No!  I needed "been there, done that" answers from a real mom!

In The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH and Jennifer Bright Reich there are four pages of advice from doctors who are also moms themselves!  They go over what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about them (A-OK! by the way) and what studies have shown, both the pros & the cons.  After that, pages of "this is what I did and why it did or did not work for me" advice.

By the way - I did end up giving Dayne a pacifier and as soon as he figured out how to get his thumb in his mouth he had zero interest in his soother.  He just needed something to get by until then.

The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year starts at Birth & 1st Month with chapters including Meeting your Baby for the First Time, Treating Jaundice and Adjusting Your Insurance Policies and finishes up at the 12th month with chapters including introducing finger foods, coping with tantrums and celebrating your baby's first birthday! 

Just like with the The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth this book reads like a wonderful collection of tips & ideas from family & friends vs a medical book giving you an umbrella look at what to do with each stage your child reaches.

Each chapter starts off with an overview of your baby's development for the month and followed by a section about taking care of YOU.  And my favorite, Justification for a Celebration!  For example in month two the justification for a celebration is you made it through your first month!  Any new mom can tell you that's plenty to celebrate!

Each month delves in a little deeper into areas of motherhood you may be wondering about and follows up each section with tips and stories from 70 doctors who are also mothers about their first year with their children.  In Month 4 they discuss safely taking your baby swimming going over safety along with what they should & should not wear in the water.  That section follows with six different doctors stories about swimming with their children.  How they started introducing them to water, when, why and what worked & didn't work.

In each chapter there is a Mommy MD Guides-Recommended Product that pertains to something they are discussing.  Like in Month 5 they talk about teething and the recommended product is Orajel Tooth & Gum Cleanser - a special infant toothpaste that contains no fluoride to help with new teeth and tender gums.

There are also the When To Call Your Doctor boxes in each chapter on different sections to help you decide if your fussy baby warrants a visit to your MD or if it's something to just keep an eye on at home.  And just like their The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth book, the Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year also has the MomMy Time - tips to help mommy relax and feel "normal".  In Month 9 they suggest trying yoga as a way to tone your body, build strength and gain flexibility after having a baby.

Buy:
Purchase their books here for yourself or a family or friend for this holiday season!  Or just to say congratulations!  This is a must have for all new moms!

Win:
Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH & Jennifer Bright Reich has offered one of my readers a copy of The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year.  Drawing ends at 12:01 AM on Wednesday November 23. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Wednesday November 23. I will send an email to the winner & you will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Please be sure to read the rules!

Use the Rafflecopter form below. If you don't see it - click on the title of this post. Otherwise email me at tarah716[at]ymail.com for instructions on how to enter.



I wasn't paid or swayed to write this post, I was sent the above mentioned products and asked to provide an open and honest review and giveaway!