First Time Mom - helped me feel like "I can do this"
Customer Rating: 
I loved this book! I read it before my son was born (first and only child). I was very scared about becoming a mom because of all the horror stories I heard. This book really helped me to feel like hard times were completely normal and to be expected but that I could handle them without being a failure.
One of the most important things to know before reading ANY parenting book is that every child is different. No child will respond the same way and not everything will work for every child. The key is to find what works for you and your child. Be openminded. For that reason I think it is important to take parenting advice as an outline/template and not to expect to replicate it exactly. Tracy Hogg's suggestions worked great for us.
Most of the book focuses on learning to discern the needs of your baby in order to make life easier for baby and mom and dad. I use many of Tracy's techniques and I feel like I am more capable of meeting my sons needs, which help him to feel loved and comfortable and also help me to feel like a more competent mother. It boosts my confidence and helps me to love being a mom.
Breastfeeding: Contrary to other reviewers, I felt like Tracy Hogg favored breastfeeding, but made it a point to help bottle feeding mothers feel like they weren't ruining their child's life. My sister tried breastfeeding, but had troubles and wasn't able to continue and it was very hard for her. Tracy was just reassuring those mothers who choose formula that their child can still be happy and healthy. It is true that she does not believe in on-demand feeding. But I also don't think she would tell a mom not to feed her child if he/she is hungry. I feed my son whenever he is hungry, but when I am reading his cues correctly, his body NATURALLY conforms to a regular schedule (exceptions during growth spurts of course).
EASY Program: Tracy suggests putting your child on a schedule, but I don't think she ever intended it to be strict. The purpose behind the EASY program is to make it easier for mom or dad to determine what baby needs. If the EASY program is implemented to fit YOUR family, it will help to establish a sense of routine and calmness, which will help your baby feel safe and comfortable as he settles into life.
Many reviewers felt Tracy's ideas were rigid and cruel to babies. I don't agree. I think they can be if they are followed too strictly, ignoring the needs of your baby in order to follow a program. I don't believe that is the way Tracy intended her ideas to be implemented. Not every baby will adopt the kinds of problems that Tracy encountered in her career, but many babies may and her suggestions are intended to help prevent those problems if your child is prone to them. I don't think there is anything wrong with rocking your child to sleep, letting them sleep in your arms, nursing them to sleep, etc. as long as it doesn't become routine everyday/all day, because that is when the problems will begin to establish themselves.
Another major idea behind Tracy's advice is that you must take care of yourself in order to properly take care of your child. Many reviewers see her ideas as selfish, but I see them as an important part of being a mom. I think it is increasingly more difficult to meet the needs of your baby if you don't meet the needs of yourself especially if you are breastfeeding. Tracy's ideas encourage mothers to find a happy medium between spending time with baby and spending time for yourself so that you can also be physically and emotionally healthy. I love my son more than anything, but I still need time to be me and enjoy things for myself and I don't think there is anything wrong with putting a little time aside for me. It keeps me sane so I can continue to enjoy being a mom without feeling like my son is taking away everything I used to enjoy.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I would also recommend reading additional books and not sticking to just one.
Reviews Send to a Friend
