Great help and ideas/solutions for new moms and stressed nannyies!
347052
Dont let the little ankle biters win! Get some help! Get this book and find new solutions to old problems along with anecdotal humor and support! As a part time, long time Nanny, I loved it!
3904196
I love this book!!! I've referenced it endless times throughout my baby's first year. One thing it did was give me the confidence to follow a lot of my own instincts. . .as in, you can't spoil a newborn. Duh, right? But there are so many people trying to give you all kinds of advice in the beginning (like "it's good for them to cry") it can be hard to know what's right and wrong. And every new mother wants to be 100 percent right. Right? Besides giving me confidence, and details about motherly instincts, the book also really helped with problem solving. It gives advice in scientific detail, which I really appreciated. I did NOT have to run to the doctor's office all the time like many other new parents I know. It explains in detail several problems babies can run into and how to solve them. I've referenced it over and over again for health concerns like eczema, spitting up, gas, diaper rash, temperatures, types of coughing, and food allergies. So, I was confident caring for my baby, and I didn't have to take her to the germ infested hospital, which I really wanted to avoid when she was small. The book also explains in detail when and if you need to take your baby in to the doctor. Loved it!
3690418
This book is a must read for first time parents. As a soon to be mother with basically no experience in baby care this book was the ultimate life and sanity savior.

As soon as I picked up this book (about 2 weeks before my daughter was born) and started reading I knew it was the book for me. It outlined a simple plan that I could follow to care for my baby. Finally, I was able to move from fear and anticipation of becoming a mom to breathing a big sigh of relief. This book was exactly what I needed - a game plan - with simple steps and tried and true methods to guide both me and my baby.

My daughter ended up being born 5 weeks early and spending the first week of her life in the special care nursery at the hospital. Even at the hospital they were basically following the schedule outlined in this book --- why? --- because it works and the nurses know it.

When we got home from the hospital, I continued to followed the schedules and advice in this book. I don't know how I would have been able to get through our baby's first months with out this book. We had no baby care help from family or friends and my husband went back to work full time, 2 weeks after my daughter's birth. So I was basically on my own but this book helped me find time to rest and shower while still giving my baby everything she needed.

I did stick with the schedules a bit longer instead of moving from week to week so I followed the 1st week schedule for a couple weeks then moved on to the 2nd week schedule for a couple weeks, excreta. (I did this partly because my baby was a preemie). But by 8 weeks (2 months) my baby was pretty much sleeping through the night. The book worked and I was transformed into a calm confident parent and my daughter is a very happy baby. I can honestly say that I love being a mother and I'm good at it (thanks to this book). Plus, it is always nice when people ask me why I don't look tired and stressed out! The answer of course is because I'm following this book, I know when the baby is going to do what, and I can schedule my day around it. Plus, she is happy and sleeps through the night.

Tomorrow, I dropping off this book to my friend who has a 9 month old who still isn't sleeping through the night.

I do have to admit that the author should do a better job at explaining risk factors for SIDS and that she does misrepresent some of the other baby books out there. But neither of these things should stop you from buying and using the tips in this book. I used this book in combination with the tips from The Happiest Baby on the Block. Combining the calming techniques from that book with the scheduling of this one worked awesome for us.
638756
Oh where to begin! I absolutely loved reading this book! The advice in this book is not only practical but super helpful for the overwhelmed, busy, and just flat-out tired mom. The section on cleaning I found to be super valuable as Ruth gives amazing homemade cleaner recipes for you to use and an amazing challenge of speed cleaning!
838187
The Organic Nanny is an excellent resource for parents. Many of us are juggling so many things in our lives, and though we may know , in theory, all the right things to do to raise healthy balanced kids, it is far more difficult to actually establish consistent routines and habits into our daily lives. I like the slow unobtrusive approach to changing diet  and lifestyle habits that Barbara recommends. The recipes at the end of the book are quite practical. I picked up a few really good ideas there for lunchbox and quick, healthy snacks. As a teacher, artist and divorced mother of two teenage girls, I have little time to conjure up healthy snacks and meals that everyone will eat. I love the sneaky way Barbara infuses a simple tomato sauce with veggies and the peanut butter tortilla wrap slices. I also love the voice of  "Tata". This book is a great gift for any parent or caregiver. Just open it up, flip through the pages, and you'll find a useful tidbit of information that might help you through your day.
3617152
I first read this book after several turbulent years with our teenager. I was at my wit's end, and reading it reminded me that we weren't alone. It offers many practical suggestions, such as, "From about the time your child enters 6th or 7th grade, your primary task as a parent is learning to "let go." This book would also be useful for new parents who worry whether or not they are "doing it right". Advice such as, "When your baby cries, it doesn't mean you've done something wrong," reassures new parents that their baby may simply be trying to communicate. Some of the advice made me chuckle out loud, as I recalled our baby and toddler days. Page after page, I thought, "You've sure got that right!", or, "That really makes sense." This little book is a treasure-trove of down to earth, common sense advice, written in a format that's easy to read. Enjoy, and give a new copy as a baby gift! Personalize it by writing inside the front cover, "I know you're going to be fantastic parents!"
1198025
This is a fabulous book with tons of helpful info and I'm glad I bought it.

Most of these types of books are written by stay-at-home moms (what working mom would have the extra time to write a book?!) so there are very few resources about breastfeeding and pumping once you're back at work.  And yet, it's such a challenging thing to do, that I believe every working mama needs this kind of support.

La Leche League wasn't very helpful because all the LLL leaders are stay at home or part-time moms (lucky them) and have no personal experience with working outside the home 40 hours a week.  The breastfeeding support group meetings are during working hours so that was no help to me either.

But my opinion is that without some helpful resources (like this book, an online support group, or, if you're lucky, a local support group for working moms with meetings on weekends or evenings), most women who go back to work will give up pumping and ultimately breastfeeding earlier than they otherwise would.  It's a really hard thing to do and having support makes all the difference.

This book is packed full of helpful info and I really wish I had it when my first child was born and I had to go back to work.  Now that I'm about to have my second child, I just know I'm going to be a lot more successful this time around.

I will be forever grateful to the author for writing this book and creating the online support group for working moms!

My only (teensy weensy) complaint is that the author clearly didn't have an editor and the finished product would have been better with a professional editor.  The writing style is very casual and that gives it kind of a personal feel.  But it's kind of annoying to have typos here and there, and also to wade through some sentences that just aren't well written and thus cause confusion for the reader until you go back and read it a second time.  Hopefully there will be a 2nd edition that will have an editor.  But let this not deter you from buying this book.

If you're working and pumping, please do yourself a favor and get at least one book that can provide you with the support you're going to need.
4457566
What a great book! It gave me a great understanding of how to use the skills I knew properly. I had a new baby the first night! This will be my go to gift for any new moms!
3981165
I am in my third trimester with twins and with their impending arrival coming anytime, I thought I'd better brush up on breast-feeding techniques. And thankfully, someone from La Leche recommended this book to me! I even made my husband read it.
It is chock full of good suggestions and little things to keep one aware of what breast-feeding twins really consist of. It gives one an idea of the average time of breastfeeding ... how often, how to handle both of them at once, what to do when only feeding one of them at a time ... it just gives a good idea of what to expect. And it's extremely helpful for this first-time mother! It helps allay the panic that I've been feeling ever since the doctor said, well, they can come anytime, so be prepared!
I highly recommend this book to everyone ~~ even though my copy was dated from 1985 ~~ it is still sensible advice for new moms.
6-7-02
1644978
Fabulous source of information and amusement for the more health-conscious mama. A great read! I love how it normalizes natural approaches to birth. Crazy that this is the only week-by-week guide that normalizes normal birth! I read a lot of other pregnancy books and they all seemed to harp on things to worry about, so Mama Natural is a real breath of fresh air. Each chapter includes a fabulous "birth affirmation" to think about. I've been saying them out loud and they are really powerful.
I am more of a minimalist than this book's approach to baby-raising, but this is still a pretty great guide since it acknowledges not all the baby gear and stuff to-do is "necessary."
I think the strongest, most unique offering here is the food-related content. The "Natural" is really referring to amazingly traditional and healthy ways of eating. It's great to have so many yummy, healthy, traditionally-inspired recipe ideas! And a lot of them are quick and easy to make, always crucial.
I'm so grateful for this book!
4722791
I am thrilled Kelly Pietrangeli published her amazing book, Project Me for Busy Mothers.  Ive been fortunate to work first hand with Kelly through her work shops, and find her emails, website, Facebook posts, and worksheets helpful and encouraging.  She always has great ideas to share to help mothers find balance in their lives.  Its great to have all these suggestions and tools all in one place with her book.  It will remain at my bed side as I transition through different phases of life with my children.
1632427
Such a wonderfully eclectic compilation of articles!  There is something here to make me smile every day.  There is such beautifully written support for breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing, attachment parenting, and more.  Friends of mine who hadn't ever heard of Attachment Parenting commented about the support for their parenting choices that they found in these pages.
I wish this book had been around when I was pregnant.  There are things that I have read that I would have wanted to do - and hope to do if I am blessed to have baby #2.  Thanks to Tiffany Palisi, I keep learning more and more ways to be a Loving Mama!
1390722
This book is a great resource for anyone who is overwhelmed by the stuff of life. I'm a work-at-home mom, but I'm extremely organizationally challenged. Because my "work" and my "home" all involve a multitude of jobs, I'm constantly sidetracked and distracted. I run around a lot, but often have little show for it. I did like "Leave the Office Earlier", but "Find More Time" was really what I was looking for as it covers everything that clogs up my brain and helps me sort it out with easy to follow tasks. I saw myself in the section about how "to-do's" are often "projects" and don't get done because they require too many steps. Now, my challenge is to implement and USE the ideas offered by Laura.
4445170
As a previous review said, I too wish I had this book with our first child! We did a decent job of saving money with Freecycle and Craigslist, but I realize now how much better we could have done! Great tips for new parents!! The tips are laid out very well, and I love the end-of-chapter "cheat sheets" (perfect if you're in crunch time!)
2262089
The realization of motherhood was pretty scary to me.  I hardly had any experience with infants and desperately needed some guidance!  When I heard of this book, I immediately rushed out to purchase it with the hopes of learning the many aspects of infants' needs and how to basically establish a daily flow to our new lives together.  Although some of the basic concepts are helpful, this book did not offer me the overall 'guide' I was in search of in order to establish a daily flow, including feeding and sleeping routines.  Instead, I found that the book 'On Becoming Baby Wise' was the exact resource I needed!  It is wonderful and has been a lifesaver to me!!  Although it is less expensive than 'Secrets of the Baby Whisperer', it is worth far much more!
1433471
This wonderful book got me through a rough time being the mother of small children.  It was easy to read in the middle of diapers, naps, and playtime. She makes you laugh and feel good through her escapades as a mother.  Jen Singer expresses "Mommy Hood" in a new light.  Jen's website is an excellent source for Mommies who need a five minute break to brighten there day.  Jen's book helped me realize there are other moms out there going through similar trials.  I will forever be a loyal reader to her work.  Thank you, Jen!
3662332
I've loved passing this book on to all the new moms in my life! Sleep deprivation can be so challenging and Baby Codes offers hope to parents of young children. Love it!