Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality.

This book was very informative. The authors Dr. Laura A. Jana and DR. Jennifer Shu are both pediatricians as well as mothers. The authors seem to cover everything (and I mean just about everything) that you need to know about taking care of a baby during the first year. When I was reading this I found it to be very interesting and very educational. This book covers the basics like breastfeeding, bathing, sleeping and crying. In addition they even go over ways to take care of yourself, the art and science of diapering (yes there is one), car safety, choosing correct toys and even flying on an airplane with a baby.

 

I love the layout of this book, the table of contents is well organized by sections, then by chapter titles and it even goes further by including the subheadings for everything else that is covered in the chapter. In the end of the book they have a thorough index so it is easy to find a topic you are wondering about. This book has thirty three chapters and is 350 pages. It does not feel like 350 pages as it is an easy read and the added humor makes it fun.  At times I felt like the information was common sense. For instance, there was a section about not leaving a baby in the car when you run into the store. It does seem like something that should not be done, but not everyone may feel the same way (in fact I have seen babies left in the car a couple times in the grocery store parking lot….eeek!). Therefore, I am glad that it is included in the book. 

 

One chapter that I enjoyed was on clothing and accessories. This chapter covers everything from socks to undershirt onesies and baby gowns. They also state to purchase clothing that is practical and not just because it looks “so cute”—which is hard to do. In this chapter, they also have pictures and details for beginners on how to dress a newborn—remember to support the head and the back. My friend, the stay at home dad, was not around babies growing up and was an only child. He was worried and stressed about being the caretaker while his wife was at work. He said that this book has been very helpful. He really liked the chapter on changing a diaper correctly; I know it sounds silly but if you haven’t changed a diaper before it can actually cause some anxiety. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a new baby.  

  -Laura

Jana, Laura A., & Shu, Jennifer (2011). Heading Home with Your Newborn From Birth to Reality (2^nd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.