Undermines your parenting confidence - Rated 
Like many other 1-3 star reviewers I felt that Tracy's constant referral to accidental parenting caused more problems because I started to constantly doubt myself.
Her avoidance of applying the advice to age made it difficult to understand and I ended up using techniques that were not appropriate to my baby's age. IE - as a newborn it is absolutely appropriate to rock, cuddle, pick up counter to Tracy's advice to start as you mean to go.
Tracy's basic structure/routine was helpful for a total novice but it took a lot of reading to get to the nuance & age appropriate bits of it. After many months of struggling I found that Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Paediatrician Mar Weissbluth to be far more helpful in terms of helping me to understand the science of sleep and child development - without all the judgement and knuckle-wrapping. I also liked The No Cry Sleep Solution which was far more empowering.
Good luck
The sensible, sensitive approach - Rated 
I read this book just after the Gina Ford book. Having tried Ford's methods, albiet briefly, and finding them to be against my own instincts I read this book and found it much more in line with my views. There is no controlled crying, instead a calm and effective way of getting your baby to sleep. The guidelines for routines are flexible to suit you and your child and are easy to follow...literally!
I would whole-heartedly recommend this book if you are at all uneasy with other approaches so popular at the moment.
Another great book by Tracy Hogg! - Rated 
This book is a great companion to the Baby Whisperer book, and really works for me. The example guides in this book are simple to follow, and my baby seems to follow EASY to a t. I highly recommend this book as my baby is far more contented!
The must have Baby Book - Rated 
I don't believe the reader is expected to follow baby books like a manual, but cherry pick the advice which is useful, relevant, feasible, or practical. Of all the baby books I have dipped into The Baby Whisperer is really the most abundant in useful advice. Like the invaluable 'dream feed' which many parents I have come across have implemented whether they have read The Baby Whisperer or not. In terms of feeding schedules, for breastfeeding mums I didn't feel the book really offered any relevant advice for the first few weeks. But on the whole, I would say this is the baby book to get hold of.
Brilliant !! - Rated 
This book has made such a difference to our family !! My baby daughter was a nightmare. We had no routine, and as such I had a grumpy, over tired, poor feeder, unable to settle to sleep, up all night 5 month old. I bought this book in exhausted desperation. I found it easy to follow, and I realised immediately what I had been doing wrong.
With the books' help, I established a routine, and using the 'pick up/ put down' sleep technique taught my daughter to settle herself to sleep. Don't get me wrong, these are no miracle cures, but on the second day, my daughter went to sleep alone in her cot, without being rocked, cuddled or fed, something she has NEVER done. This on just the second day.
The health visitor told me that my daughter was fidgeting during feeding because she was distracted, and I needed to cover her with a muslin cloth (ha ha, she'd have tried to stuff it in her mouth). Through the baby whisperer I learnt I was mistaking hunger for tiredness, and feeding too often. This meant smaller feeds, and so she was waking hungry at night. The first day of the routine, I kept to 4 hourly feeds, and she fed properly, at length and slept all night !!!
I WISH I had found this book earlier. It is a shame that Tracy died in 2004, but she clearly had a gift, and is able to communicate this in her books. I'm going to buy her toddler book next !
|