Baby Books - Find Answers To Your Baby's Health And Safety Issues

Go into any major bookstore these days and you'll find the shelves in the health section are literally groaning under the weight of baby books and pregnancy books. On the one hand, it's great that expecting couples and parents of babies and toddlers have so much choice when it comes to finding baby health and nutrition information. On the other hand, the sheer number of publications on the market makes choosing not only the best book for you but also a reliable and accurate baby book more difficult.

Why Buy A Baby Book?

When it comes to pregnancy, birth, baby safety and newborn care, it's not good for a parent to be ill-informed. After all, our children depend on us for their survival. This makes it our responsibility to know about their needs.

But, you may say, humans have been raising babies since forever, and they did it without baby books for a very long time. Aren't baby books really just a contemporary fad? Isn't it possible to maintain baby wellness using your own instincts and common sense as well as the childcare knowledge that has been passed down, woman to woman, for generations?

The answer is of course yes. Even if you don't ever buy or read a baby book, the chances are, if you have your wits about you and you keep in regular contact with your pediatrics clinic, you'll raise a very healthy and happy child.

However, if you have perhaps just one reliable, comprehensive pregnancy guide or baby health book, it could potentially make the difference between a panicked, unnecessary 3 am trip the emergency room, or knowing how to relieve your child's symptoms and letting him sleep comfortably until you can get a doctor's appointment in the morning. On the other hand, a baby book could be the exact thing that lets you know in a genuine emergency that you need to be on your way to the emergency room, right now.

In short, it's advisable not to fill your house with baby books, but one or two reliable publications will provide you with much needed reassurance and advice. Now, how do you pick one that you can trust?

Choosing A Baby Book

Many mothers swear by publications that have been around for years ("What to Expect When You're Expecting" is a title that comes to mind) whereas other women prefer to choose something that has been published more recently. (Although it's worth bearing in mind that even the "old fashioned" baby books often release new editions to incorporate the latest developments in baby health research).

Whichever option you prefer, you should look for a book that has been written by a credible author with real knowledge of infants, and who has a good, established reputation. Thanks to the internet, practically anyone with a pregnancy theory can write a book these days and even pay to have it published if no reliable publishing house will accept the manuscript. Some of these writers have real crackpot theories, and if you listened to all of them you'd be hiding at home for 9 months of pregnancy too scared to go out or to eat anything. By contrast there are qualified and experienced pediatricians who write baby books - these are probably the most accurate and the most trustworthy publications.

Using Your Baby Book

How much information is too much? This is a question that pregnant women and parents have been asking about baby books since the first one was published.

The books have to be thorough, because they aim to prepare you for the things that may go wrong as well as all the things that will go right. But is it really helpful to read extensively about potential problems that may never affect you? Aren't you just creating needless worry for yourself?

No one can decide for you how much you should read or whether you should turn to your baby book only when there is a pregnancy problem, or to confirm your suspicions about a baby illness or symptom. Just remember that avoiding stress is important for a healthy pregnancy, and that babies thrive when they have happy and relaxed parents.

Specialist Baby Books

There are many specialist baby and pregnancy books that focus on child developmental conditions such as autism, or pregnancy risks such as pre-existing diabetes in the mother. Before you buy such a book, it's probably best to get a recommendation from your doctor. In the case of autism in particular, some fairly controversial theories have been developed in recent years, about which not all medical specialists agree.