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Some are longer than others; some of the elements within each cycle vary from one instance to the next; but the pattern is always the same - and THAT has eliminated all of the guesswork and made it possible for us not to be slaves to crying, screaming, and fussiness. Instead, I think of it as "cycles" that my daughter goes through during the day. Finally, one day - while searching for answers to why my baby was breastfeeding every 30 minutes to an hour - I came across a link to Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. After just a few excerpts I realized how much I had been missing of what my baby had been trying to tell me.
Or, if you have other kids and are comfortable with how you raised them, this might seem a silly method to try now. This book was a godsend for me, a first-time mom who was at the end of her rope with our 8-week old baby. FYI - This is the method that Supernanny, Jo Frost, is a big proponent of. - My baby started going 2-3 hours between feedings.- She started taking naps during the day. It has helped me understand how to breastfeed more effectively and give my daughter more of what she needs from a feeding. My daughter was crying CONSIDERABLY MORE before I started using these techniques.
THEY WORKED ALMOST INSTANTLY. I had always prided myself on being able to handle just about any challenge in stride. but then again, if that was working well for you, you probably wouldn't be looking into this book. I will agree that this is probably not the approach for those that want to do attachment parenting. We can now quiet and calm her relatively quickly because we know EXACTLY what she needs. I also do not agree that this is just 'one step better' than crying it out. She does one EASY cycle, then she does another, and another, and another. I, for one, LOVE Supernanny so her recommendation was as good as gold for me.
As cute as she was at times - my baby was simply kicking my butt. at least 45 minutes long- She was happier when awake- I was able to leave the house again- I was able to shower, make lunch, just sit and watch TV again.- My husband and I were able to enjoy each other's company- I stopped being confused about "what was wrong"- I finally felt confident that we could leave our little one with someone else and have a night out.- My husband and I spent a lot less time frustrated and exhausted- We started truly loving being parents - because we finally felt effective. Despite what some reviewers have said (which makes me wonder how carefully they read) this book DOES NOT advocate "schedules" that need a time associated with everything. I was losing every battle and starting to lose confidence in myself and my ability to deal with things. and the author says as much. I do NOT agree with the view of some reviewers that this book is biased towards formula feeding - quite the opposite. I bought the book - read it (over a screaming baby) in an afternoon - and started putting the strategies to work. In short - this book saved my sanity.
They made sense, especially her advice about following the "EASY" schedule and your little one's cues. Two friends recommended it and since, their little ones were happy, flourishing & sleeping well, we thought we'd give it a try. At four weeks our little one was all confused about day & night, fusy. Having consistency, paying attention to one's needs, and lots of love is good for anyone.
I heard stories of people driving around for hours, sleeping with a bouncer seat in the middle of their bed, running the dryer over and over again. This book brought peace to our family within three days of following it, making everyone happy :-) and leaving behind all the desperate measures we were trying. Talking to friends who are still struggling, makes me feel thrilled that I was pointed in the direction of this book. He's now 6 months, still breastfed, which I never felt discouraged from doing, and pacifier free.
We needed a fix. Our little one is happy, and has been sleeping through the night since about two months, on average 8-10 hours. It became our baby bible. Not depending on props, but instead giving your child a flexible routine that gives them comfort, and catching the window of sleep before it closes to an overtired disaster.
if you can sort through "Luv" and "nappy" were full of wisdom. and we were rocking him in his bucket car seat for hours in the middle of night. Her words.
My twins both had different personalities - one is an Angel or a Textbook baby, and the other is more of a Touchy baby - and her techniques are working for both of the babies. Learning to distinguish my babies' cries and responding appropriately has critical to my success. I skimmed a few other newborn advice books, and found them too extreme. Within eight weeks of bringing my premature sons home from NICU, they were sleeping for 6-hour stretches at night, and within 12 weeks they started sleeping 10-12 hours at night, all because of the tips that I gleaned from this book. I recommend this book to all my new mother friends. Tracy Hogg's approach (if not voice, "luv") was the most in tune with my natural instincts about parenting - that babies prefer a routine (not a schedule) - and gives you practical advice on how to set a course for your baby. My experience is that when I get a little off-course with my now 6-month old twin boys, I skim the appropriate chapter in the book and we all get back on track.
we all do better when we know whats coming next, don't we. what we liked most was how Tracy taught us to implement a predictable routine. that way the baby knows what is coming next and is therefore at ease. we call this book the Bible. bottom line: best baby book, take what you want, leave what you don't want. like any other baby book, with this one you have to take what you want and leave what you don't want. of course parenting ultimately comes from instinct and common sense, but this book helped direct us towards trusting our instincts, and helping us make a decision when we didn't have strong feelings one way or the other. we recommend this book over any other baby book, but we definitely didn't agree with everything she said or all of her very strong opinions.
What wereally need are more books like "The Baby Bond: How to Raise anEmotionally Healthy Child" by Dianna Hine and " The Baby Book:Everything You Need to Know about Your Baby from Birth to Age Two, "by Dr. Hogg's theories on infant sleep are also unfounded. Think how many editions ofDr. Spock's book have been sold over the years.
While she is entitled to her ownpersonal opinions, they are not based on any scientific studies orresearch. Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your BabyHyped by Random House publishers as "this groundbreaking book,"readers are enticed by offers of "Tracy's Three Day Magic--how tochange any and all bad habits (yours and the baby's) in just threedays." Which mother would not be happy to "get baby to eat, play, andsleep on a schedule that will make every member of the household'slife easier and happier." The very unpredictability of babies is whatmakes new mothers' lives so chaotic. William Sears and Martha Sears. Tracy Hogg's"Secrets of The Baby Whisperer" is the latest in a long line of bookspurporting to know "the right answer" to parents' concerns. in 1992. She had, asthey say in the movie industry "great word of mouth" and soon Hoggopened her own baby-equipment store in Encino, CA.
We have gone from strict scheduling topermissiveness and now we are back to scheduling again. Mothers don't get coffee breaks,lunch breaks, or go off duty at 6pm. And a "stint with the World Health Organization in India"turns out to refer to a two-week trip she took there in 1989."This leads us to ask, how good is the advice she gives.Not very.Despite being endorsed by celebrities like Los Angeles stage actressKate Mulligan who can afford $250.00 for "1 Hour Intense Consultation"or $350.00 for "Baby's First Feed," the information offered by Ms.Hogg is out of date and inaccurate. But a University spokeswoman saysthey have no record of her. Her book and herWeb site claim that she got a Master's degree in hypnotherapy from theUniversity of California, Irvine. Unable to use hernursing license here, she began taking care of babies. They owe muchto the teachings of Gary Ezzo, the discredited author of "Babywise"and "Preparation for Parenting," which have also been heavilycriticized by the AAP.Do we really need another parenting book that tells us that ourinstincts are useless and if we would only follow this author'stheories all of our problems would be solved.Rather, mothers - and fathers, too - are the real experts on theirparticular baby because they live with him 24 hours a day. These books help new parents tomeet their baby's basic needs through a loving, nurturing, attachmentstyle of parenting.
It is plain, hard work takingcare of a baby.Look in any bookstore or library and you will see pregnant women andnew mothers searching eagerly for advice on child raising. As anyexperienced parent will tell you, there is no "right" answer. Moreover, much of her advice conflicts with that given bythe American Academy of Pediatrics who advocate feeding babies whenthey indicate hunger rather than on artificial schedules.Ms. I rememberdoing this myself, devouring every morsel. Earlier, according to her book and Website, Hogg was "assigned" to the Great Orman Street Children'sHospital," an apparent reference to London's famed Great Orman StreetHospital, where she, in fact, attended a three-weekend-long trainingcourse. Listeningto your baby is the first step towards understanding him.So who is this wonderworker who can tell instantly whether a baby ishungry, tired, in real distress, or just in need of a little TLC.According to Newsweek magazine (.).(Feb 26, 2001 issue):"A registered nurse in England, Hogg left her two daughters, then 8and 11, with her mother and moved to L.A. Fashions change inchild rearing as in all things. Whatworks for one child will not necessarily work for another.
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