All Things Baby

Best agency for baby nurses and nannys:
The Help Company
thehelpcompany.com

Blog roll:
Weelicious has great recipes for baby.
http://weelicious.com/

Cheapest diapers:
It’s a close call between Amazon mum and diapers.com.

Recommended reading.
For Pregnancy
The Nursing Mother’s Companion
All thing breastfeeding. It also has helpful clear pictures illustrating proper positions. No one tells you how hard breastfeeding can be. It’s not just a matter of slapping them on your breast for everyone. I’ve studied this stuff and because I had breast issues it took me 6 months of painful feeding to get to where it was easy.

Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy
This is just plain funny, although I read it years before I was pregnant and wouldn’t necessarily want to read about all the possible symptoms whilst pregnant, fearing I would focus on them.

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Shelia Kitzinger
(This covers everything you need to know about birth. It provides details of all possible procedures and drugs and potential ramifications. An invaluable read before you write your birth plan.)

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
(Ina is the most influential and important person in midwifery in Northern America. If you have any interest in a natural birth this is the book for you).

For New Parents

Secrets of a Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
(Fantastic for guidance around sleeping training and scheduling and learning to read your baby. It was my bible as a baby nurse.)

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
By Elizabeth Pantley (This one provides some great tools for helping baby sleep through the night such as sleep logs. This is NOT the Ferber method.)

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

Caring for Infants with Respect by Magda Gerber

Your Self-confident Baby by Magda Gerber
As the founder of Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) she bases her method on the allowing the child to develop at their own pace. You may have heard of the RIE method. It’s built around trusting the child to be an initiator with their own style and way of discovery.

The Baby Book:
Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age 2. By Dr Sears (Most of you would have already heard of this) This is my personal preference to the “What to Expect Series” because it has a slightly more optimistic view point, but I do have the whole “What to Expect” series as well.

Baby 411:
Clear Answers & Smart Advice For Your Baby’s First Year by Denise Fields (This is a good one because it’s easy to use as a reference books and access specific info quickly)

Reading for For Parents of Toddlers and Pre-schoolers
Bringing up Bebe
An enlightening comparison of the American and French ways of raising children. A great read, I highly recommend.

Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 basic skills for turning conflict into cooperation
Words of wisdom abound in this one. It’s about modelling self control for your children so they can learn from you. So its a self-help and parenting book rolled into one. I refer to this one often when issues arise with my daughter and I need reminding of how to view and help guide her through them.

Positive Discipline. (there are several books, ‘A-Z’, ‘for pre-schoolers’, ‘the first 3 years’.
Avoid power struggles that often come with mastering sleeping, eating and potty training. See misbehaviour as an opportunity to teach nonpunitive discipline – not punishment. Great stuff if you have the desire and patience for it.

Great websites for all things pregnancy and baby:

http://www.babycenter.com
http://www.thebump.com
http://www.diapers.com