The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Your Baby's First Year: Expert Advice and Mom-to-Mom Wisdom from the World's Most Popular Parenting Website

The authors—all editors at the popular BabyCenter Web site—provide the resource for which so many parents yearn: an instruction manual to accompany their newborn baby. Devoted to baby's first year, this guide is divided into three-month segments, each covering development, feeding, sleep, baby care (i.e., coping with colic) and tips for the self care of exhausted moms and dads. “Just for Dads” sections address ways in which fathers can be actively involved from birth. New parents will find “Part One: The Firsts” particularly helpful, with instructions on everything from how to pick up a baby and place her down again to the first diapering and bath. The authors leave no question unanswered—no matter how obvious (e.g., “Your baby will need diaper changes from the first day”). They've also taken advantage of a number of polls and surveys conducted by the BabyCenter staff, so parents can compare their experiences on such subjects as falling in love with their baby at first sight or how many times the baby awakens during the night. This practical primer will be especially invaluable for first-time parents. (Aug.)