Book Review On Becoming a Wise Baby

In fact, I’m a little nervous about reviewing this book. This highly debated approach to parenting is often either loved or hated. Baby Wise uses an eat-play-sleep cycle and parent-directed feeding. Eat-play-sleep is simply getting your child to eat, having your child stimulated for a while (length depends on age), and then having your child sleep until it’s time to feed again. Baby Wise states that most babies do not sleep well and that it is important to have a regular feeding and sleeping schedule for your child. Baby Wise also claims that babies will sleep through the night by 8 weeks if she uses this method. Although the book states that direct feeding from parents is not a clock feed or demand approach, you will soon understand through further reading that it is basically a clock feed approach with a little leeway.

Pros: There are a lot of great parenting tips out there and I have found it helpful to read Baby Wise. I try to use an eat-play-sleep cycle (not like Baby Wise does, see Cons). Baby Wise is strict about teaching babies to fall asleep on their own. I don’t nurse my son to sleep and I personally think it’s healthy for babies to learn to fall asleep without the help of others. When my little one was born, I used a feed-on-demand approach. Now I use more of a clock feeding approach because I’ve learned how often you need to eat and it’s good to have a schedule. This transition was slow and a learning process for me.

Another thing I appreciate about Baby Wise is her caution to instinctively feed her child when she is crying. If my little one is crying and she’s not likely to be hungry, feeding her may end up being worse for her. It could be gas or colic or something else. It could also mask the real reason for her irritability. Personally, she doesn’t initially feed her when she’s fussy. I want to find the root cause.

Cons: I think the reason this book is either loved or hated is because of the rigidity of its approach. If you’re not successful with this method after weeks or months or trying, many people will become bitter and think it’s all nonsense.

First of all I will say that my baby sleeps through the night wonderfully; she has done this since 7 weeks. (I know I’m hurt.) This is not because of Baby Wise. She hadn’t even read the book then. I like the eat-play-sleep cycle. My baby eats then plays then sleeps but doesn’t sleep until her next feeding. I have tried and tried to get my little one to take 45+ minute naps. she won’t Eat, play, sleep, play, sleep (sometimes), then eat.

My son is not a sleepyhead. He doesn’t meet the “expectations” of the Baby Wise method. At first that made me feel like a failure because I heard all the stories from parents who were raving about how great the methods in the book are.

Baby Wise leaves no room for individual differences in a baby’s personality or habits. Yes, I certainly believe that babies are different even when they are so young. Not all children fit the Baby Wise mold. That’s my biggest critic after reading the book and trying his methods. My other caution is to use the parent led feeding approach (basically clock feeding). Until you know your child, I would not recommend clock feeding. And really always be flexible with your schedule based on your child’s needs.

Price: You can find this book for $15 or less. The Kindle version costs around $10. Used can be cheaper.

I could go on a lot more about this book, its reviews and its praise, but if you’re so interested, give it a read for yourself. I think you will find it useful. If your child doesn’t fit the Baby Wise mold, don’t worry. Certainly DO NOT base your parenting skills on this book. However, it is worth reading.