Baby on the Way: A Book Review

I’m always on the lookout for books that portray breastfeeding in a positive manner, or frankly, at all! Occasionally I’ll review such books here at Breastfeeding 1-2-3.

Fans of William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N., and attachment parenting will not be disappointed by Baby on the Way, co-authored with Christie Watts Kelly and illustrated by Renee Andriani.

My rating: 5 out of 5.
Details: Children’s hardcover book published in 2001.
Subject: Becoming a big brother or sister.
Appropriate age of child: age 3 and older.
Price: Retail price U.S. $12.99, Amazon.com price as of this writing $10.18.

Cons:
~ Age level. My husband wanted to give this book fewer than five stars because it simply has too much text for very young children. If your child can sit through a longer book (mine liked this one when she was two-and-a-half and still does now that she’s four-and-a-half), this book is fine. The authors acknowledge that different parents and children will be comfortable with different levels of content about pregnancy and birth, and they encourage parents to modify the text as necessary, using words tailored to a child’s maturity level.

Pros:
~ Very positive nursing statement accompanied by a discreet illustration:

Your mommy will hold the baby a lot of the time. Tiny babies just sleep and nurse all day long–nursing is how babies get milk from their mommies’ breasts.

~ Charming illustrations.
~ Positive, pro-active discussion of becoming a big brother or sister. So many books focus on how a child might feel left out of the pregnancy and birth process and be jealous of a new baby. This book suggests many ways in which a child can participate and feel loved and included.
~ Natural mothering. It’s hard to find alternative images in children’s books. Natural mothering advocates will be happy to see images of cloth diapers and a birthing center.

For more information or to buy the book, see Baby on the Way.