Book Reviews

Book Reviews by Carolee Stearns

Baby on the Way
by William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly, illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book, intended for expectant siblings as young as two, prepares children for the pregnancy and birth of a new baby. It features a Mom and Dad with two young children, girl and boy, who are expecting their third. The authors talk about what pregnancy is, how it makes Mommy feel, what the children can do to help, and what to expect at the time of the birth. It does not, however, prepare a child for actually attending a birth. In the book, the children stay with a friend or relative while the parents go to a freestanding birth center that looks remarkably like Birth Care. The pictures show the family using cloth diapers and breastfeeding exclusively (no bottles in this book!). The text refers to both doctors and midwives and is ambiguous enough to allow you to adapt the story to your own situation. It is written in easy-to-understand language, and special boxes include more complex information for older children. The last page includes information for parents on attachment parenting and lists other resources available. I highly recommend this book to other Birth Care families because of its portrayal of a birth-center birth. If you are planning a home birth, you can easily adapt the story to fit your needs. If your children will be attending the birth, you will need to give them more information than this book provides, although it would still be worth reading to them.

What Baby Needs
by William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly, illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book continues the story of the family from Baby on the Way. It prepares new siblings for what life with a baby will be like. The authors talk about what the baby will need, what Mom and Dad will do for the baby, how the children can help, and how the children might feel. The authors are proponents of attachment parenting, so the text and illustrations show Mom breastfeeding, using a co-sleeper crib next to her bed, Dad carrying the baby in a sling, and both parents holding the baby close and responding to the baby as soon as he cries. The parent notes at the beginning offer suggestions on dealing with the natural feelings an older sibling might have. Again, the story is written in easy-to-understand language, and is appropriate for children as young as two. I recommend this book to other Birth Care families because of its portrayal of attachment parenting.