When, some fifteen years ago, the authors of this book’s popular predecessor, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, decided to venture beyond pregnancy to publish a book for new parents, they must have known that they were stepping into crowded and competitive territory. Since Benjamin Spock published his first edition of Baby and Child Care in 1946, many authors had tried their hand at writing a book to help us raise happier and healthier children. Among authors following in Dr. Spock’s footsteps, there was no shortage of experts: pediatricians, child psychologists, academics, and assorted specialists. Ironically, these authorities were following in the footsteps of a person who repeatedly reminded parents that, when raising children, one should not rely too heavily on experts; that it is often better to trust your instincts.
What to Expect the First Year was different. It was a project that was both bold in scope and unique in perspective. It promised to explain “everything parents needed to know about the first year of life.” And rather than being written by experts, it was written by a team of accomplished authors whose only real claim to our attention was that they were parents like ourselves. They set out to provide for other parents answers to questions that they themselves had—or might have had—about raising their own children.
What to Expect the First Year has been very well received and extraordinarily successful. With over 7 million copies in print, it delivers on its promise, and readers have surely validated its parent-centered approach. But its success—and the success of this revision—is due, I believe, not only to its broad coverage and unique approach, but also to the careful research that has gone into each topic, the thoughtful and reasoned discussions of everyday problems, and an attention to detail that is often striking.
Written from a parent’s point of view, First Year offers the kind of advice that parents often appreciate but that professionals seldom think to include. Heidi Murkoff, who originated the idea for What to Expect When You’re Expecting when she was pregnant with her daughter Emma, no doubt got many of the ideas for this book as she was figuring out how to best feed Emma, dealing with her crying spells, and watching and wondering as Emma grew and progressed through the developmental milestones of the first year. Were Heidi and her coauthors pediatricians as well as parents, they could have drawn on clinical experience and thinking, but perhaps at the expense of their experience and thinking as parents. They may have still mentioned all of the advantages of breastfeeding and the rationale of not starting baby foods until a baby is developmentally ready. But would they have covered the advantages of choosing a name for a baby that is easy to say and to spell, and avoiding names that are trendy or political? They would still have talked about the foods that comprise the “Baby Daily Dozen” to help assure good nutrition, but would they have told us about saving empty baby food jars to warm and serve small portions? They stress the importance of taking the full dose of a prescribed medicine with all the conviction of your child’s doctor, but they add that you might consider chilling the medicine, a trick to make it more palatable without affecting potency. And try using a shallow medicine spoon … well, you can read about why.
The scope of What to Expect the First Year puts it almost in a category of its own. While some authors do quite well with medical advice, they skimp on the developmental side, or fail to go beyond the basics of nutrition. Others that emphasize child development are unconvincing—and therefore unreassuring—on issues of physical health and disease prevention. This book covers almost everything a parent could want to know about raising an infant. Whether you are preparing formula, removing splinters, considering the advantages of teaching a baby sign language, or are curious about whether the rash is due to Fifth Disease, this book will be of help. It may not always replace more definitive and specialized sources of information, but it probably will. More often than not, First Year will get you through until morning!
Readers will appreciate the attention to detail in First Year. Among the list of environmental hazards are the seldom-mentioned sewing and knitting supplies that are too small and too sharp to safely occupy the same space as an active and inquisitive eight-month-old. If you want to know about baby acne, how and where to find good in-home child care, what the outlook is for a premature baby with chronic lung disease, or just need a dosage chart for common fever medicines, it’s here. The authors’ time-tested month-by-month approach, including the reassuring “What your child may be doing” section, remains in this second edition. There is also a special section on seasonally appropriate advice, a section on first aid, on premature babies, and on adopted babies. There is special advice for fathers and for siblings. And, as in the past, there is an excellent reference section that covers recipes, home remedies, and common illnesses.
While most of what made the first edition of First Year so popular remains, many sections have had important updates. This second edition updates child safety seat information, child CPR recommendations, information for parents of children with special needs, including small prematures, and there is updated information on immunizations and common childhood illnesses. Chapters such as “Becoming a Father,” “The Adopted Baby,” and “The First Postpartum Days” continue to provide parents with the kinds of practical, reassuring information that keeps this book a top seller year after year.
What to Expect the First Year has not only aged well, it has gotten better. I have long advised new parents to keep several books on their reference shelf, if possible. But if they had to choose just one book to keep on hand, this should be the one. What to Expect the First Year stands alone as well as, if not better than, any current book on infant care.
—MARK D. WIDOME, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Pediatrics
The Penn State Children’s Hospital
Hershey, Pennsylvania