Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for any constructive advice, 16 Oct 2008
This book is really not what it's cracked up to be. The title is completely misleading as it does not provide any solutions. I bought it when I read some of the reviews recommending it as a must have and I really would love to know what possessed people to think it was of any use. The author provides no definative advice and says things like 'if you think you can't do it just give up' (the problems here are that she does not provide you with anything to give up on as she tells you nothing....) and this is not what a parent in dire straits (hence buying her book in the first place) needs to here. Really I cannot put too fine a point on it...you really can live WITHOUT this book.

In praise of a relaxed approach!!, 14 Oct 2008
I found this book extremely useful. I thought I was a "routine person", and based on my first child's behaviour, thought every baby-related problem could be solved with a pithy abbreviation and some steely resolve.

Not so with my second child!! First time round I was a devotee of the Baby Whisperer. This time round, E.A.S.Y. was not a word I would have associated with our lives.....

Firstly she cried alot more than I ever remember my son crying.Secondly she seemd a lot more "clingy" that he did. (Seems daft to describe a baby as clingy when their main job is to stay close to their mummies). Thirdly, I was completely frazzled and unable to cope with the noise, disruption and downright cheek - how dare she not comply and do things by the book?!
I tried Gina, re-visited the Baby Whisperer, we even resorted to full-on attachement parenting for a while until I realised my constant dull back pain was due to carrying her around all day for fear of another burst of hysterics.

Finally we found this book and there was hope...we focussed on the bits that were working and we stopped panicking about the bits that weren't. She relaxed, we all relaxed. I stopped worrying about what I "should" be doing, and started doing whatever worked for all of us - me included.

This book helped me look at her with new, more compassionate eyes and gave me a gentle plan for eliminating some of the aspects of the so-called routine that either weren't working for her, or for the rest of the household.

She is 6 months old now, goes to bed easily, sleeps twice in the day, doesn't need to be breast fed to drop off and is a much happier baby. If you had asked me if I would have beleived this possible before we bought this book , I would have laughed at you (and then cried at the same time, due to being nutty with sleep deprivation)
Its a brilliant book if you need some help and nothing else seems to be working as the main message is one of reassurance - you'll never regret giving it a try.

Brilliant book, 10 Sep 2008
The No-cry Sleep Solution is a brilliant buy. Even if you don't follow her advice it is superbly reassuring and makes you realise that there are millions of parents with night-time feeders and wakeful children. I have huge issues with 'crying down' and it is something I would not advise or 'sign-up' to with my baby. However, this book will give lots of tips for sleeping, give you as a parent a deeper understanding of sleep patterns and will utlitmately shed some light on all those unanswered questions about 'why does my baby wake up every 40 minutes?'

Lovely in theory but doesn't have a solution for every baby, 04 Sep 2008
As a parent I've always been firmly in the Sears camp rather than the Gina camp, and this book seems to be considered as a sacred text by practically everyone I know with similar parenting styles. My 9 month old has been a poor sleeper from the start and so naturally I got hold of a copy. I do love the style of the book and it is indeed initially very reassuring. Unfortunately, it does seem very much geared to fixing specific sleep problems that relate to babies that are unable to fall asleep by themselves and hence need to be nursed or rocked again every time they wake. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to my baby, who wakes frequently despite being perfectly able to put himself to sleep quickly and easily initially. It also doesn't cover 'tension releasing' crying vs 'tension increasing' crying. After much agony I have discovered that my baby actually NEEDS to have a short cry in order to fall asleep. Now I understand that he actually needs to be put down awake to cry, he will be asleep in a few minutes, whereas previously with all of my 'loving' nursing, rocking and singing he would still be sobbing in exhaustion and hour later. If I'm honest I think I might have found this out sooner if I hadn't been brainwashed by all the attachment parenting books that letting your child cry practically was akin to abuse.

So, if you have a baby with the 'right' kind of problem, this might be the book for you. But as always, you need to remember that no one has written a book about YOUR baby yet.

routine without tears before bedtime, 27 Jul 2008
Elizabeth Pantley's book is especially great for those parents co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It fills in the gaps where the Sears Attachment Parenting and Baby Sleep books fail on this angle. It mentions the co-dependancy of daytime naps and night-time sleeping.

BUT having specifically mentioned two mothers with lap-napping babies that were cured of this sleeping preference, guidance on how to achieve success was not supplied. Another mother was cured of taking bedtime with her baby due to separation issues but again this was frustratingly not addressed.

A major factor in Elizabeth's advice is the emphasis on placing your baby down to sleep when still awake but without satisfactory guidance on how to manage non-conformity. Placing baby down when 'almost asleep' is not detail enough for me. Information on how to achieve a self-settled baby (without rocking, feeding, singing etc) and avoid any upset followed by missed nap/overtiredness etc is lacking.

However, Elizabeth's book helped cure my baby of hourly night waking with very simple advice on limiting daytime naps to two hours long - common sense when one thinks about it!

This book would probably more suit parents who need routine out of necessity rather than desire. We found it more stressful attempting to structure our daytime to add any benefit, so remain fluid on how each day progresses. My baby is breastfed and benefits from nightfeeding, so I would not wish for her to sleep through the night which this book helped me appreciate. Still, a much kinder method to that of the Tracy Hogg, Faber or Gina Ford's of this world.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for any constructive advice, 16 Oct 2008
This book is really not what it's cracked up to be. The title is completely misleading as it does not provide any solutions. I bought it when I read some of the reviews recommending it as a must have and I really would love to know what possessed people to think it was of any use. The author provides no definative advice and says things like 'if you think you can't do it just give up' (the problems here are that she does not provide you with anything to give up on as she tells you nothing....) and this is not what a parent in dire straits (hence buying her book in the first place) needs to here. Really I cannot put too fine a point on it...you really can live WITHOUT this book.

In praise of a relaxed approach!!, 14 Oct 2008
I found this book extremely useful. I thought I was a "routine person", and based on my first child's behaviour, thought every baby-related problem could be solved with a pithy abbreviation and some steely resolve.

Not so with my second child!! First time round I was a devotee of the Baby Whisperer. This time round, E.A.S.Y. was not a word I would have associated with our lives.....

Firstly she cried alot more than I ever remember my son crying.Secondly she seemd a lot more "clingy" that he did. (Seems daft to describe a baby as clingy when their main job is to stay close to their mummies). Thirdly, I was completely frazzled and unable to cope with the noise, disruption and downright cheek - how dare she not comply and do things by the book?!
I tried Gina, re-visited the Baby Whisperer, we even resorted to full-on attachement parenting for a while until I realised my constant dull back pain was due to carrying her around all day for fear of another burst of hysterics.

Finally we found this book and there was hope...we focussed on the bits that were working and we stopped panicking about the bits that weren't. She relaxed, we all relaxed. I stopped worrying about what I "should" be doing, and started doing whatever worked for all of us - me included.

This book helped me look at her with new, more compassionate eyes and gave me a gentle plan for eliminating some of the aspects of the so-called routine that either weren't working for her, or for the rest of the household.

She is 6 months old now, goes to bed easily, sleeps twice in the day, doesn't need to be breast fed to drop off and is a much happier baby. If you had asked me if I would have beleived this possible before we bought this book , I would have laughed at you (and then cried at the same time, due to being nutty with sleep deprivation)
Its a brilliant book if you need some help and nothing else seems to be working as the main message is one of reassurance - you'll never regret giving it a try.

Brilliant book, 10 Sep 2008
The No-cry Sleep Solution is a brilliant buy. Even if you don't follow her advice it is superbly reassuring and makes you realise that there are millions of parents with night-time feeders and wakeful children. I have huge issues with 'crying down' and it is something I would not advise or 'sign-up' to with my baby. However, this book will give lots of tips for sleeping, give you as a parent a deeper understanding of sleep patterns and will utlitmately shed some light on all those unanswered questions about 'why does my baby wake up every 40 minutes?'

Lovely in theory but doesn't have a solution for every baby, 04 Sep 2008
As a parent I've always been firmly in the Sears camp rather than the Gina camp, and this book seems to be considered as a sacred text by practically everyone I know with similar parenting styles. My 9 month old has been a poor sleeper from the start and so naturally I got hold of a copy. I do love the style of the book and it is indeed initially very reassuring. Unfortunately, it does seem very much geared to fixing specific sleep problems that relate to babies that are unable to fall asleep by themselves and hence need to be nursed or rocked again every time they wake. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to my baby, who wakes frequently despite being perfectly able to put himself to sleep quickly and easily initially. It also doesn't cover 'tension releasing' crying vs 'tension increasing' crying. After much agony I have discovered that my baby actually NEEDS to have a short cry in order to fall asleep. Now I understand that he actually needs to be put down awake to cry, he will be asleep in a few minutes, whereas previously with all of my 'loving' nursing, rocking and singing he would still be sobbing in exhaustion and hour later. If I'm honest I think I might have found this out sooner if I hadn't been brainwashed by all the attachment parenting books that letting your child cry practically was akin to abuse.

So, if you have a baby with the 'right' kind of problem, this might be the book for you. But as always, you need to remember that no one has written a book about YOUR baby yet.

routine without tears before bedtime, 27 Jul 2008
Elizabeth Pantley's book is especially great for those parents co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It fills in the gaps where the Sears Attachment Parenting and Baby Sleep books fail on this angle. It mentions the co-dependancy of daytime naps and night-time sleeping.

BUT having specifically mentioned two mothers with lap-napping babies that were cured of this sleeping preference, guidance on how to achieve success was not supplied. Another mother was cured of taking bedtime with her baby due to separation issues but again this was frustratingly not addressed.

A major factor in Elizabeth's advice is the emphasis on placing your baby down to sleep when still awake but without satisfactory guidance on how to manage non-conformity. Placing baby down when 'almost asleep' is not detail enough for me. Information on how to achieve a self-settled baby (without rocking, feeding, singing etc) and avoid any upset followed by missed nap/overtiredness etc is lacking.

However, Elizabeth's book helped cure my baby of hourly night waking with very simple advice on limiting daytime naps to two hours long - common sense when one thinks about it!

This book would probably more suit parents who need routine out of necessity rather than desire. We found it more stressful attempting to structure our daytime to add any benefit, so remain fluid on how each day progresses. My baby is breastfed and benefits from nightfeeding, so I would not wish for her to sleep through the night which this book helped me appreciate. Still, a much kinder method to that of the Tracy Hogg, Faber or Gina Ford's of this world.

Awful, 28 Nov 2008
Patronising American book.

As first time parent this book wasn't useful at all.

Tries to be funny, but misses the mark. When you've been up all night with a new born and need advice the jokes are even less "funny"

Babies aren't robots as this book refers to them as.

Kaz Cooke Kid Wrangling is far superior - and makes for far more enjoyable reading.

Excellent Manual!, 19 Feb 2008
This is an incredibly funny and extremely informative read. I have to give it 5 stars for it's innovation alone. We have a number of books in this area, all well written but none as enjoyable to learn from as this. Highly recommended. I'll be buying the toddler version once we're at that stage!

Not bad, but get's annoying quite quickly, 09 Feb 2008
As the book description states, this book reads as an operating manual which I thought may make it different to any 'normal' baby book, but this style of writing gets old and annoying very quickly, and I couldn't finish the book. There are also some factual errors he states generalities as cast iron "should be's"

Recommended, 11 Jun 2007
My husband found this book and loved it because it is written in what he would describe as a "male friendly" way, light hearted yet gets the serious point across and he read it without losing interest and understood every word without being daunted by the whole experience!

Quirky but flawed..., 26 May 2007
..says it all really. This is a really nice idea, a book that tells you how to unpack, programme and operate your new baby, just like that sparkly new HD TV.

The presentation is excellent and some of the humour gave me a number of wry smiles - but didn't make really laugh.

Please note that this is an American book so makes reference to diapers, pacifiers etc. etc. so I was sceptical whether the information given was consistent with UK guidelines (car seats etc.). However, there were some gems of information that I hadn't read elsewhere - I guess, ultimately, babies are babies no matter which country you live in!

This is probably best given as a present to an expectant father. He'll love reading it, until the baby actually arrives and he has no time left for such luxuries and his HD TV is covered in fingerprints.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for any constructive advice, 16 Oct 2008
This book is really not what it's cracked up to be. The title is completely misleading as it does not provide any solutions. I bought it when I read some of the reviews recommending it as a must have and I really would love to know what possessed people to think it was of any use. The author provides no definative advice and says things like 'if you think you can't do it just give up' (the problems here are that she does not provide you with anything to give up on as she tells you nothing....) and this is not what a parent in dire straits (hence buying her book in the first place) needs to here. Really I cannot put too fine a point on it...you really can live WITHOUT this book.

In praise of a relaxed approach!!, 14 Oct 2008
I found this book extremely useful. I thought I was a "routine person", and based on my first child's behaviour, thought every baby-related problem could be solved with a pithy abbreviation and some steely resolve.

Not so with my second child!! First time round I was a devotee of the Baby Whisperer. This time round, E.A.S.Y. was not a word I would have associated with our lives.....

Firstly she cried alot more than I ever remember my son crying.Secondly she seemd a lot more "clingy" that he did. (Seems daft to describe a baby as clingy when their main job is to stay close to their mummies). Thirdly, I was completely frazzled and unable to cope with the noise, disruption and downright cheek - how dare she not comply and do things by the book?!
I tried Gina, re-visited the Baby Whisperer, we even resorted to full-on attachement parenting for a while until I realised my constant dull back pain was due to carrying her around all day for fear of another burst of hysterics.

Finally we found this book and there was hope...we focussed on the bits that were working and we stopped panicking about the bits that weren't. She relaxed, we all relaxed. I stopped worrying about what I "should" be doing, and started doing whatever worked for all of us - me included.

This book helped me look at her with new, more compassionate eyes and gave me a gentle plan for eliminating some of the aspects of the so-called routine that either weren't working for her, or for the rest of the household.

She is 6 months old now, goes to bed easily, sleeps twice in the day, doesn't need to be breast fed to drop off and is a much happier baby. If you had asked me if I would have beleived this possible before we bought this book , I would have laughed at you (and then cried at the same time, due to being nutty with sleep deprivation)
Its a brilliant book if you need some help and nothing else seems to be working as the main message is one of reassurance - you'll never regret giving it a try.

Brilliant book, 10 Sep 2008
The No-cry Sleep Solution is a brilliant buy. Even if you don't follow her advice it is superbly reassuring and makes you realise that there are millions of parents with night-time feeders and wakeful children. I have huge issues with 'crying down' and it is something I would not advise or 'sign-up' to with my baby. However, this book will give lots of tips for sleeping, give you as a parent a deeper understanding of sleep patterns and will utlitmately shed some light on all those unanswered questions about 'why does my baby wake up every 40 minutes?'

Lovely in theory but doesn't have a solution for every baby, 04 Sep 2008
As a parent I've always been firmly in the Sears camp rather than the Gina camp, and this book seems to be considered as a sacred text by practically everyone I know with similar parenting styles. My 9 month old has been a poor sleeper from the start and so naturally I got hold of a copy. I do love the style of the book and it is indeed initially very reassuring. Unfortunately, it does seem very much geared to fixing specific sleep problems that relate to babies that are unable to fall asleep by themselves and hence need to be nursed or rocked again every time they wake. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to my baby, who wakes frequently despite being perfectly able to put himself to sleep quickly and easily initially. It also doesn't cover 'tension releasing' crying vs 'tension increasing' crying. After much agony I have discovered that my baby actually NEEDS to have a short cry in order to fall asleep. Now I understand that he actually needs to be put down awake to cry, he will be asleep in a few minutes, whereas previously with all of my 'loving' nursing, rocking and singing he would still be sobbing in exhaustion and hour later. If I'm honest I think I might have found this out sooner if I hadn't been brainwashed by all the attachment parenting books that letting your child cry practically was akin to abuse.

So, if you have a baby with the 'right' kind of problem, this might be the book for you. But as always, you need to remember that no one has written a book about YOUR baby yet.

routine without tears before bedtime, 27 Jul 2008
Elizabeth Pantley's book is especially great for those parents co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It fills in the gaps where the Sears Attachment Parenting and Baby Sleep books fail on this angle. It mentions the co-dependancy of daytime naps and night-time sleeping.

BUT having specifically mentioned two mothers with lap-napping babies that were cured of this sleeping preference, guidance on how to achieve success was not supplied. Another mother was cured of taking bedtime with her baby due to separation issues but again this was frustratingly not addressed.

A major factor in Elizabeth's advice is the emphasis on placing your baby down to sleep when still awake but without satisfactory guidance on how to manage non-conformity. Placing baby down when 'almost asleep' is not detail enough for me. Information on how to achieve a self-settled baby (without rocking, feeding, singing etc) and avoid any upset followed by missed nap/overtiredness etc is lacking.

However, Elizabeth's book helped cure my baby of hourly night waking with very simple advice on limiting daytime naps to two hours long - common sense when one thinks about it!

This book would probably more suit parents who need routine out of necessity rather than desire. We found it more stressful attempting to structure our daytime to add any benefit, so remain fluid on how each day progresses. My baby is breastfed and benefits from nightfeeding, so I would not wish for her to sleep through the night which this book helped me appreciate. Still, a much kinder method to that of the Tracy Hogg, Faber or Gina Ford's of this world.

Awful, 28 Nov 2008
Patronising American book.

As first time parent this book wasn't useful at all.

Tries to be funny, but misses the mark. When you've been up all night with a new born and need advice the jokes are even less "funny"

Babies aren't robots as this book refers to them as.

Kaz Cooke Kid Wrangling is far superior - and makes for far more enjoyable reading.

Excellent Manual!, 19 Feb 2008
This is an incredibly funny and extremely informative read. I have to give it 5 stars for it's innovation alone. We have a number of books in this area, all well written but none as enjoyable to learn from as this. Highly recommended. I'll be buying the toddler version once we're at that stage!

Not bad, but get's annoying quite quickly, 09 Feb 2008
As the book description states, this book reads as an operating manual which I thought may make it different to any 'normal' baby book, but this style of writing gets old and annoying very quickly, and I couldn't finish the book. There are also some factual errors he states generalities as cast iron "should be's"

Recommended, 11 Jun 2007
My husband found this book and loved it because it is written in what he would describe as a "male friendly" way, light hearted yet gets the serious point across and he read it without losing interest and understood every word without being daunted by the whole experience!

Quirky but flawed..., 26 May 2007
..says it all really. This is a really nice idea, a book that tells you how to unpack, programme and operate your new baby, just like that sparkly new HD TV.

The presentation is excellent and some of the humour gave me a number of wry smiles - but didn't make really laugh.

Please note that this is an American book so makes reference to diapers, pacifiers etc. etc. so I was sceptical whether the information given was consistent with UK guidelines (car seats etc.). However, there were some gems of information that I hadn't read elsewhere - I guess, ultimately, babies are babies no matter which country you live in!

This is probably best given as a present to an expectant father. He'll love reading it, until the baby actually arrives and he has no time left for such luxuries and his HD TV is covered in fingerprints.

Please read - DO NOT buy this book!, 15 Nov 2008
My husband bought this book for me with the best of intentions the day i gave birth to our first baby. I read it and was appalled at the content.

I don't wish to offend but i feel sorry for any baby/child raised according to Gina Ford's ideas. No baby ever benefitted from being breastfed by the clock and left to cry.

Believe me, the only 'expert' you will ever need is Dr William Sears, an advocate of 'Attachment Parenting'. This style of parenting is so much more loving than the strict routine style that Gina pushes. Do yourself and your baby a favour...avoid this book like the plague. I'm just sorry i have to give 1 star just to be able to review it.

Nice book but made me feel inadequate..., 09 Aug 2008
I bought this just a few weeks before my first baby was born at the end of last year, I found the first couple of chapters on general baby care and newborn very useful but then as the months went by, Gina seems to imply your baby 'should' be doing this and that and I sometimes felt that my baby didnt measure up to her exacting standards and her patronising tones made me feel inadequate as a first time mother. Her strict routines are well known and of course they are in here, not as detailed as in some of the other books but detailed enough for those of us who seem to muddle through and have babies not so suited to routines.
I thought the photos were nice and some of the babycare information was good however this could all be got elsewhere in more detail, i.e. Miriam Stoppard, 'What to expect' books etc.
If you are a fan of Gina and would like to get your baby into a routine as early as possible this book is for you. However be warned it may make you feel a little inadequate as the months go on!!

a nice book but disappointing advice, 20 Jul 2008
I bought this book because of all the wonderful reviews it had gotten and read it cover to cover while pregnant. When baby appeared however i soon realized that the advice in this book did not suit my baby at all. To begin with there is absolutely no helpful advice given on colic.. we get one paragraph relating to the colic of a breastfed baby where Gina tells us its to do with how long we breastfeed our babies and that none of her babies ever had colic (making us feel like bad parents thank you!). Most colicky babies are formula fed (mine is as well, for medical reasons) and thus this paragraph isn't even applicable. She also advocates a 3 hour routine of feeding, burping, changing and sleeping and gives advice on how long naps should be. Since my baby has colic then this routine went out the window, as i found that as soon as i managed to settle my baby to sleep then according to Gina i would have to wake her up again for another feed. Obviously that was not going to work! I also found her advice abit conflicting - in one section she says to feed the baby every 3 hours, waking them up if necessary. In another section it states that formula fed babies can go up to 4 hours between feeds, which would then wreck the 3 hour routine. I also found that the advice for burping a baby - holding the baby in a sitting position and rubbing its back in an upward motion, is actually not recommended by physiotherapists here in Norway as it can cause spinal compression (in fact, it is not recommended to put a young baby in a sitting position at all here!) so i was quite confused by this book.
Don't get me wrong, i wanted to like this book as i had heard great things about Gina, and the book itself has lovely colour photographs and is split up into sections for each month. I just found that it was abit confusing and impractical and not suited to all babies. I would borrow this book from a library if you can before deciding to buy. I think i will be selling mine...

Gorgeous book, perfect gift, 17 Jun 2008
Agree with all that has been said previously!!!!!! Perfect gift for any new mum (First, fith), gorgeous pictures and lots of simple tips. Perfect addition to the Contented Little baby series, but also excellent as a stand alone book.

Wonderful guide to the first year, 04 Apr 2008
This is a lovely book,packed with so much useful information that will guide you through the first year of a newborn.
I found that I not only read it cover to cover but returned to it time and again to read up on various milestones. I particularly liked the easy layout interspersed with beautiful photography.
Whether a Gina follower or not this is a great book to have and to give as a gift.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for any constructive advice, 16 Oct 2008
This book is really not what it's cracked up to be. The title is completely misleading as it does not provide any solutions. I bought it when I read some of the reviews recommending it as a must have and I really would love to know what possessed people to think it was of any use. The author provides no definative advice and says things like 'if you think you can't do it just give up' (the problems here are that she does not provide you with anything to give up on as she tells you nothing....) and this is not what a parent in dire straits (hence buying her book in the first place) needs to here. Really I cannot put too fine a point on it...you really can live WITHOUT this book.

In praise of a relaxed approach!!, 14 Oct 2008
I found this book extremely useful. I thought I was a "routine person", and based on my first child's behaviour, thought every baby-related problem could be solved with a pithy abbreviation and some steely resolve.

Not so with my second child!! First time round I was a devotee of the Baby Whisperer. This time round, E.A.S.Y. was not a word I would have associated with our lives.....

Firstly she cried alot more than I ever remember my son crying.Secondly she seemd a lot more "clingy" that he did. (Seems daft to describe a baby as clingy when their main job is to stay close to their mummies). Thirdly, I was completely frazzled and unable to cope with the noise, disruption and downright cheek - how dare she not comply and do things by the book?!
I tried Gina, re-visited the Baby Whisperer, we even resorted to full-on attachement parenting for a while until I realised my constant dull back pain was due to carrying her around all day for fear of another burst of hysterics.

Finally we found this book and there was hope...we focussed on the bits that were working and we stopped panicking about the bits that weren't. She relaxed, we all relaxed. I stopped worrying about what I "should" be doing, and started doing whatever worked for all of us - me included.

This book helped me look at her with new, more compassionate eyes and gave me a gentle plan for eliminating some of the aspects of the so-called routine that either weren't working for her, or for the rest of the household.

She is 6 months old now, goes to bed easily, sleeps twice in the day, doesn't need to be breast fed to drop off and is a much happier baby. If you had asked me if I would have beleived this possible before we bought this book , I would have laughed at you (and then cried at the same time, due to being nutty with sleep deprivation)
Its a brilliant book if you need some help and nothing else seems to be working as the main message is one of reassurance - you'll never regret giving it a try.

Brilliant book, 10 Sep 2008
The No-cry Sleep Solution is a brilliant buy. Even if you don't follow her advice it is superbly reassuring and makes you realise that there are millions of parents with night-time feeders and wakeful children. I have huge issues with 'crying down' and it is something I would not advise or 'sign-up' to with my baby. However, this book will give lots of tips for sleeping, give you as a parent a deeper understanding of sleep patterns and will utlitmately shed some light on all those unanswered questions about 'why does my baby wake up every 40 minutes?'

Lovely in theory but doesn't have a solution for every baby, 04 Sep 2008
As a parent I've always been firmly in the Sears camp rather than the Gina camp, and this book seems to be considered as a sacred text by practically everyone I know with similar parenting styles. My 9 month old has been a poor sleeper from the start and so naturally I got hold of a copy. I do love the style of the book and it is indeed initially very reassuring. Unfortunately, it does seem very much geared to fixing specific sleep problems that relate to babies that are unable to fall asleep by themselves and hence need to be nursed or rocked again every time they wake. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to my baby, who wakes frequently despite being perfectly able to put himself to sleep quickly and easily initially. It also doesn't cover 'tension releasing' crying vs 'tension increasing' crying. After much agony I have discovered that my baby actually NEEDS to have a short cry in order to fall asleep. Now I understand that he actually needs to be put down awake to cry, he will be asleep in a few minutes, whereas previously with all of my 'loving' nursing, rocking and singing he would still be sobbing in exhaustion and hour later. If I'm honest I think I might have found this out sooner if I hadn't been brainwashed by all the attachment parenting books that letting your child cry practically was akin to abuse.

So, if you have a baby with the 'right' kind of problem, this might be the book for you. But as always, you need to remember that no one has written a book about YOUR baby yet.

routine without tears before bedtime, 27 Jul 2008
Elizabeth Pantley's book is especially great for those parents co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It fills in the gaps where the Sears Attachment Parenting and Baby Sleep books fail on this angle. It mentions the co-dependancy of daytime naps and night-time sleeping.

BUT having specifically mentioned two mothers with lap-napping babies that were cured of this sleeping preference, guidance on how to achieve success was not supplied. Another mother was cured of taking bedtime with her baby due to separation issues but again this was frustratingly not addressed.

A major factor in Elizabeth's advice is the emphasis on placing your baby down to sleep when still awake but without satisfactory guidance on how to manage non-conformity. Placing baby down when 'almost asleep' is not detail enough for me. Information on how to achieve a self-settled baby (without rocking, feeding, singing etc) and avoid any upset followed by missed nap/overtiredness etc is lacking.

However, Elizabeth's book helped cure my baby of hourly night waking with very simple advice on limiting daytime naps to two hours long - common sense when one thinks about it!

This book would probably more suit parents who need routine out of necessity rather than desire. We found it more stressful attempting to structure our daytime to add any benefit, so remain fluid on how each day progresses. My baby is breastfed and benefits from nightfeeding, so I would not wish for her to sleep through the night which this book helped me appreciate. Still, a much kinder method to that of the Tracy Hogg, Faber or Gina Ford's of this world.

Awful, 28 Nov 2008
Patronising American book.

As first time parent this book wasn't useful at all.

Tries to be funny, but misses the mark. When you've been up all night with a new born and need advice the jokes are even less "funny"

Babies aren't robots as this book refers to them as.

Kaz Cooke Kid Wrangling is far superior - and makes for far more enjoyable reading.

Excellent Manual!, 19 Feb 2008
This is an incredibly funny and extremely informative read. I have to give it 5 stars for it's innovation alone. We have a number of books in this area, all well written but none as enjoyable to learn from as this. Highly recommended. I'll be buying the toddler version once we're at that stage!

Not bad, but get's annoying quite quickly, 09 Feb 2008
As the book description states, this book reads as an operating manual which I thought may make it different to any 'normal' baby book, but this style of writing gets old and annoying very quickly, and I couldn't finish the book. There are also some factual errors he states generalities as cast iron "should be's"

Recommended, 11 Jun 2007
My husband found this book and loved it because it is written in what he would describe as a "male friendly" way, light hearted yet gets the serious point across and he read it without losing interest and understood every word without being daunted by the whole experience!

Quirky but flawed..., 26 May 2007
..says it all really. This is a really nice idea, a book that tells you how to unpack, programme and operate your new baby, just like that sparkly new HD TV.

The presentation is excellent and some of the humour gave me a number of wry smiles - but didn't make really laugh.

Please note that this is an American book so makes reference to diapers, pacifiers etc. etc. so I was sceptical whether the information given was consistent with UK guidelines (car seats etc.). However, there were some gems of information that I hadn't read elsewhere - I guess, ultimately, babies are babies no matter which country you live in!

This is probably best given as a present to an expectant father. He'll love reading it, until the baby actually arrives and he has no time left for such luxuries and his HD TV is covered in fingerprints.

Please read - DO NOT buy this book!, 15 Nov 2008
My husband bought this book for me with the best of intentions the day i gave birth to our first baby. I read it and was appalled at the content.

I don't wish to offend but i feel sorry for any baby/child raised according to Gina Ford's ideas. No baby ever benefitted from being breastfed by the clock and left to cry.

Believe me, the only 'expert' you will ever need is Dr William Sears, an advocate of 'Attachment Parenting'. This style of parenting is so much more loving than the strict routine style that Gina pushes. Do yourself and your baby a favour...avoid this book like the plague. I'm just sorry i have to give 1 star just to be able to review it.

Nice book but made me feel inadequate..., 09 Aug 2008
I bought this just a few weeks before my first baby was born at the end of last year, I found the first couple of chapters on general baby care and newborn very useful but then as the months went by, Gina seems to imply your baby 'should' be doing this and that and I sometimes felt that my baby didnt measure up to her exacting standards and her patronising tones made me feel inadequate as a first time mother. Her strict routines are well known and of course they are in here, not as detailed as in some of the other books but detailed enough for those of us who seem to muddle through and have babies not so suited to routines.
I thought the photos were nice and some of the babycare information was good however this could all be got elsewhere in more detail, i.e. Miriam Stoppard, 'What to expect' books etc.
If you are a fan of Gina and would like to get your baby into a routine as early as possible this book is for you. However be warned it may make you feel a little inadequate as the months go on!!

a nice book but disappointing advice, 20 Jul 2008
I bought this book because of all the wonderful reviews it had gotten and read it cover to cover while pregnant. When baby appeared however i soon realized that the advice in this book did not suit my baby at all. To begin with there is absolutely no helpful advice given on colic.. we get one paragraph relating to the colic of a breastfed baby where Gina tells us its to do with how long we breastfeed our babies and that none of her babies ever had colic (making us feel like bad parents thank you!). Most colicky babies are formula fed (mine is as well, for medical reasons) and thus this paragraph isn't even applicable. She also advocates a 3 hour routine of feeding, burping, changing and sleeping and gives advice on how long naps should be. Since my baby has colic then this routine went out the window, as i found that as soon as i managed to settle my baby to sleep then according to Gina i would have to wake her up again for another feed. Obviously that was not going to work! I also found her advice abit conflicting - in one section she says to feed the baby every 3 hours, waking them up if necessary. In another section it states that formula fed babies can go up to 4 hours between feeds, which would then wreck the 3 hour routine. I also found that the advice for burping a baby - holding the baby in a sitting position and rubbing its back in an upward motion, is actually not recommended by physiotherapists here in Norway as it can cause spinal compression (in fact, it is not recommended to put a young baby in a sitting position at all here!) so i was quite confused by this book.
Don't get me wrong, i wanted to like this book as i had heard great things about Gina, and the book itself has lovely colour photographs and is split up into sections for each month. I just found that it was abit confusing and impractical and not suited to all babies. I would borrow this book from a library if you can before deciding to buy. I think i will be selling mine...

Gorgeous book, perfect gift, 17 Jun 2008
Agree with all that has been said previously!!!!!! Perfect gift for any new mum (First, fith), gorgeous pictures and lots of simple tips. Perfect addition to the Contented Little baby series, but also excellent as a stand alone book.

Wonderful guide to the first year, 04 Apr 2008
This is a lovely book,packed with so much useful information that will guide you through the first year of a newborn.
I found that I not only read it cover to cover but returned to it time and again to read up on various milestones. I particularly liked the easy layout interspersed with beautiful photography.
Whether a Gina follower or not this is a great book to have and to give as a gift.

Soap Box Opera drones on, 28 Nov 2007
I am assuming that the review below, copied from the `Comments' area of this item, was the original review that the other two reviews refer to - so well done to all who got it deleted from the system.
I couldn't agree more with these two reviews on this item - this is a blank baby book for parents to fill in, with photos and text, as their baby develops over those precious first 12 months.
What does puzzle me is the fact that it got a positive vote in the first place - unless the author is also guilty of voting for his own reviews which is quite possible given how his `helpful' votes whizz up - you only need to look back at the review pages to see how obtuse the subjects are and how suspicious the voting is, especially on items that have other reviews which have no votes at all?

<< Still One of the Best Children's Stories of all Time, 8 May 2007
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was written in 1900 and has stood the test of time very well. Generations of children have loved the story and treasured the books of Beatrix Potter. It is up there among the greats of children's literature with Wind in the Willows, The Water Babies, Peter Pan, Treasure Island and many others.

In these days of computer games and electronic toys of one kind or another, books sadly are sometimes not as high on the list as they were a few years ago, perhaps that is why literacy in schools is not all that it could be. Personally as a child books were always my first love and Christmas would not have been the same without a Rupert annual.

Stories that involve animals as the main characters in books always seem to fascinate young children and Peter Rabbit has always been up there with the best. Next time you have to buy a present for a child, or even want to treat one of your younger grandchildren for no particular reason. Instead of looking for the latest DVD why not buy them a book. Peter Rabbit is a good one to start with.>>



First Review is not relevant, 11 Nov 2007
This is a baby book, so how on earth has this review got on here?
It bears no resemblence whatsoever to the text in this book, I hope, and is harfly an encouragement to buy.
Reporting as inappropraite, as advised.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.

Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for any constructive advice, 16 Oct 2008
This book is really not what it's cracked up to be. The title is completely misleading as it does not provide any solutions. I bought it when I read some of the reviews recommending it as a must have and I really would love to know what possessed people to think it was of any use. The author provides no definative advice and says things like 'if you think you can't do it just give up' (the problems here are that she does not provide you with anything to give up on as she tells you nothing....) and this is not what a parent in dire straits (hence buying her book in the first place) needs to here. Really I cannot put too fine a point on it...you really can live WITHOUT this book.

In praise of a relaxed approach!!, 14 Oct 2008
I found this book extremely useful. I thought I was a "routine person", and based on my first child's behaviour, thought every baby-related problem could be solved with a pithy abbreviation and some steely resolve.

Not so with my second child!! First time round I was a devotee of the Baby Whisperer. This time round, E.A.S.Y. was not a word I would have associated with our lives.....

Firstly she cried alot more than I ever remember my son crying.Secondly she seemd a lot more "clingy" that he did. (Seems daft to describe a baby as clingy when their main job is to stay close to their mummies). Thirdly, I was completely frazzled and unable to cope with the noise, disruption and downright cheek - how dare she not comply and do things by the book?!
I tried Gina, re-visited the Baby Whisperer, we even resorted to full-on attachement parenting for a while until I realised my constant dull back pain was due to carrying her around all day for fear of another burst of hysterics.

Finally we found this book and there was hope...we focussed on the bits that were working and we stopped panicking about the bits that weren't. She relaxed, we all relaxed. I stopped worrying about what I "should" be doing, and started doing whatever worked for all of us - me included.

This book helped me look at her with new, more compassionate eyes and gave me a gentle plan for eliminating some of the aspects of the so-called routine that either weren't working for her, or for the rest of the household.

She is 6 months old now, goes to bed easily, sleeps twice in the day, doesn't need to be breast fed to drop off and is a much happier baby. If you had asked me if I would have beleived this possible before we bought this book , I would have laughed at you (and then cried at the same time, due to being nutty with sleep deprivation)
Its a brilliant book if you need some help and nothing else seems to be working as the main message is one of reassurance - you'll never regret giving it a try.

Brilliant book, 10 Sep 2008
The No-cry Sleep Solution is a brilliant buy. Even if you don't follow her advice it is superbly reassuring and makes you realise that there are millions of parents with night-time feeders and wakeful children. I have huge issues with 'crying down' and it is something I would not advise or 'sign-up' to with my baby. However, this book will give lots of tips for sleeping, give you as a parent a deeper understanding of sleep patterns and will utlitmately shed some light on all those unanswered questions about 'why does my baby wake up every 40 minutes?'

Lovely in theory but doesn't have a solution for every baby, 04 Sep 2008
As a parent I've always been firmly in the Sears camp rather than the Gina camp, and this book seems to be considered as a sacred text by practically everyone I know with similar parenting styles. My 9 month old has been a poor sleeper from the start and so naturally I got hold of a copy. I do love the style of the book and it is indeed initially very reassuring. Unfortunately, it does seem very much geared to fixing specific sleep problems that relate to babies that are unable to fall asleep by themselves and hence need to be nursed or rocked again every time they wake. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to my baby, who wakes frequently despite being perfectly able to put himself to sleep quickly and easily initially. It also doesn't cover 'tension releasing' crying vs 'tension increasing' crying. After much agony I have discovered that my baby actually NEEDS to have a short cry in order to fall asleep. Now I understand that he actually needs to be put down awake to cry, he will be asleep in a few minutes, whereas previously with all of my 'loving' nursing, rocking and singing he would still be sobbing in exhaustion and hour later. If I'm honest I think I might have found this out sooner if I hadn't been brainwashed by all the attachment parenting books that letting your child cry practically was akin to abuse.

So, if you have a baby with the 'right' kind of problem, this might be the book for you. But as always, you need to remember that no one has written a book about YOUR baby yet.

routine without tears before bedtime, 27 Jul 2008
Elizabeth Pantley's book is especially great for those parents co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It fills in the gaps where the Sears Attachment Parenting and Baby Sleep books fail on this angle. It mentions the co-dependancy of daytime naps and night-time sleeping.

BUT having specifically mentioned two mothers with lap-napping babies that were cured of this sleeping preference, guidance on how to achieve success was not supplied. Another mother was cured of taking bedtime with her baby due to separation issues but again this was frustratingly not addressed.

A major factor in Elizabeth's advice is the emphasis on placing your baby down to sleep when still awake but without satisfactory guidance on how to manage non-conformity. Placing baby down when 'almost asleep' is not detail enough for me. Information on how to achieve a self-settled baby (without rocking, feeding, singing etc) and avoid any upset followed by missed nap/overtiredness etc is lacking.

However, Elizabeth's book helped cure my baby of hourly night waking with very simple advice on limiting daytime naps to two hours long - common sense when one thinks about it!

This book would probably more suit parents who need routine out of necessity rather than desire. We found it more stressful attempting to structure our daytime to add any benefit, so remain fluid on how each day progresses. My baby is breastfed and benefits from nightfeeding, so I would not wish for her to sleep through the night which this book helped me appreciate. Still, a much kinder method to that of the Tracy Hogg, Faber or Gina Ford's of this world.

Awful, 28 Nov 2008
Patronising American book.

As first time parent this book wasn't useful at all.

Tries to be funny, but misses the mark. When you've been up all night with a new born and need advice the jokes are even less "funny"

Babies aren't robots as this book refers to them as.

Kaz Cooke Kid Wrangling is far superior - and makes for far more enjoyable reading.

Excellent Manual!, 19 Feb 2008
This is an incredibly funny and extremely informative read. I have to give it 5 stars for it's innovation alone. We have a number of books in this area, all well written but none as enjoyable to learn from as this. Highly recommended. I'll be buying the toddler version once we're at that stage!

Not bad, but get's annoying quite quickly, 09 Feb 2008
As the book description states, this book reads as an operating manual which I thought may make it different to any 'normal' baby book, but this style of writing gets old and annoying very quickly, and I couldn't finish the book. There are also some factual errors he states generalities as cast iron "should be's"

Recommended, 11 Jun 2007
My husband found this book and loved it because it is written in what he would describe as a "male friendly" way, light hearted yet gets the serious point across and he read it without losing interest and understood every word without being daunted by the whole experience!

Quirky but flawed..., 26 May 2007
..says it all really. This is a really nice idea, a book that tells you how to unpack, programme and operate your new baby, just like that sparkly new HD TV.

The presentation is excellent and some of the humour gave me a number of wry smiles - but didn't make really laugh.

Please note that this is an American book so makes reference to diapers, pacifiers etc. etc. so I was sceptical whether the information given was consistent with UK guidelines (car seats etc.). However, there were some gems of information that I hadn't read elsewhere - I guess, ultimately, babies are babies no matter which country you live in!

This is probably best given as a present to an expectant father. He'll love reading it, until the baby actually arrives and he has no time left for such luxuries and his HD TV is covered in fingerprints.

Please read - DO NOT buy this book!, 15 Nov 2008
My husband bought this book for me with the best of intentions the day i gave birth to our first baby. I read it and was appalled at the content.

I don't wish to offend but i feel sorry for any baby/child raised according to Gina Ford's ideas. No baby ever benefitted from being breastfed by the clock and left to cry.

Believe me, the only 'expert' you will ever need is Dr William Sears, an advocate of 'Attachment Parenting'. This style of parenting is so much more loving than the strict routine style that Gina pushes. Do yourself and your baby a favour...avoid this book like the plague. I'm just sorry i have to give 1 star just to be able to review it.

Nice book but made me feel inadequate..., 09 Aug 2008
I bought this just a few weeks before my first baby was born at the end of last year, I found the first couple of chapters on general baby care and newborn very useful but then as the months went by, Gina seems to imply your baby 'should' be doing this and that and I sometimes felt that my baby didnt measure up to her exacting standards and her patronising tones made me feel inadequate as a first time mother. Her strict routines are well known and of course they are in here, not as detailed as in some of the other books but detailed enough for those of us who seem to muddle through and have babies not so suited to routines.
I thought the photos were nice and some of the babycare information was good however this could all be got elsewhere in more detail, i.e. Miriam Stoppard, 'What to expect' books etc.
If you are a fan of Gina and would like to get your baby into a routine as early as possible this book is for you. However be warned it may make you feel a little inadequate as the months go on!!

a nice book but disappointing advice, 20 Jul 2008
I bought this book because of all the wonderful reviews it had gotten and read it cover to cover while pregnant. When baby appeared however i soon realized that the advice in this book did not suit my baby at all. To begin with there is absolutely no helpful advice given on colic.. we get one paragraph relating to the colic of a breastfed baby where Gina tells us its to do with how long we breastfeed our babies and that none of her babies ever had colic (making us feel like bad parents thank you!). Most colicky babies are formula fed (mine is as well, for medical reasons) and thus this paragraph isn't even applicable. She also advocates a 3 hour routine of feeding, burping, changing and sleeping and gives advice on how long naps should be. Since my baby has colic then this routine went out the window, as i found that as soon as i managed to settle my baby to sleep then according to Gina i would have to wake her up again for another feed. Obviously that was not going to work! I also found her advice abit conflicting - in one section she says to feed the baby every 3 hours, waking them up if necessary. In another section it states that formula fed babies can go up to 4 hours between feeds, which would then wreck the 3 hour routine. I also found that the advice for burping a baby - holding the baby in a sitting position and rubbing its back in an upward motion, is actually not recommended by physiotherapists here in Norway as it can cause spinal compression (in fact, it is not recommended to put a young baby in a sitting position at all here!) so i was quite confused by this book.
Don't get me wrong, i wanted to like this book as i had heard great things about Gina, and the book itself has lovely colour photographs and is split up into sections for each month. I just found that it was abit confusing and impractical and not suited to all babies. I would borrow this book from a library if you can before deciding to buy. I think i will be selling mine...

Gorgeous book, perfect gift, 17 Jun 2008
Agree with all that has been said previously!!!!!! Perfect gift for any new mum (First, fith), gorgeous pictures and lots of simple tips. Perfect addition to the Contented Little baby series, but also excellent as a stand alone book.

Wonderful guide to the first year, 04 Apr 2008
This is a lovely book,packed with so much useful information that will guide you through the first year of a newborn.
I found that I not only read it cover to cover but returned to it time and again to read up on various milestones. I particularly liked the easy layout interspersed with beautiful photography.
Whether a Gina follower or not this is a great book to have and to give as a gift.

Soap Box Opera drones on, 28 Nov 2007
I am assuming that the review below, copied from the `Comments' area of this item, was the original review that the other two reviews refer to - so well done to all who got it deleted from the system.
I couldn't agree more with these two reviews on this item - this is a blank baby book for parents to fill in, with photos and text, as their baby develops over those precious first 12 months.
What does puzzle me is the fact that it got a positive vote in the first place - unless the author is also guilty of voting for his own reviews which is quite possible given how his `helpful' votes whizz up - you only need to look back at the review pages to see how obtuse the subjects are and how suspicious the voting is, especially on items that have other reviews which have no votes at all?

<< Still One of the Best Children's Stories of all Time, 8 May 2007
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was written in 1900 and has stood the test of time very well. Generations of children have loved the story and treasured the books of Beatrix Potter. It is up there among the greats of children's literature with Wind in the Willows, The Water Babies, Peter Pan, Treasure Island and many others.

In these days of computer games and electronic toys of one kind or another, books sadly are sometimes not as high on the list as they were a few years ago, perhaps that is why literacy in schools is not all that it could be. Personally as a child books were always my first love and Christmas would not have been the same without a Rupert annual.

Stories that involve animals as the main characters in books always seem to fascinate young children and Peter Rabbit has always been up there with the best. Next time you have to buy a present for a child, or even want to treat one of your younger grandchildren for no particular reason. Instead of looking for the latest DVD why not buy them a book. Peter Rabbit is a good one to start with.>>



First Review is not relevant, 11 Nov 2007
This is a baby book, so how on earth has this review got on here?
It bears no resemblence whatsoever to the text in this book, I hope, and is harfly an encouragement to buy.
Reporting as inappropraite, as advised.

Fascinating and Entertaining, 27 Nov 2008
I really enjoyed this. It's intelligent, thoughtful and heartwarming. So much is written about mothers and their children that it's great to have a different perspective. There's lots of really interesting child development research that I knew nothing about, but it's far from being a dry text book read. This is a book that should be essential for anyone working with young children or interested in Psychology, but it's not just for students or practitioners, it's a good read.
I'd recommend it to anyone without children and everyone with them!


Well written; very enjoyable read, 22 Jul 2008
I bought this book after an excellent Guardian Family section piece, with an interest in psychology (and psychotherapy) - I wasn't disappointed. It is beautifully written and interweaves scientific detail with a touching, at times funny and personal father's account of his own child's journey of discovery and mental growth. The level of understanding, as the previous reviewer states, is perfect for trained psychologist and layman alike and the text is written in a non-patronising and non-assuming manner. Charles Fernyhough's passion for this subject and his personal investment in this project shines through in this book and although there are times you know he wishes he could put the camera/notebook/tape recorder down and just enjoy the moment, his commitment to sharing his findings is to be applauded.

What a fascinating insight!, 18 May 2008
As a parent, grandparent and teacher I am fascinated by this amazing book. We put our own interpretations on to what we think babies are thinking and feeling and this super book gives a completely different story. It is highly informative, funny and fascinating. It is also very accessible for lay people like me. If you have any involvement with babies and very young children, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.

Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.

Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.

Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.


Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'

An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.

Rock solid scientific evidence and