Just a mom’s take on things… Review- November 13, 2008

Just a mom’s take on things… Review- Posted on November 13, 2008 by Deb

Review: Baby Lists

When I was pregnant with our first daughter, I thought I had everything ‘under control’. I read up on what was happening with and inside my body. I knew how she was developing from week to week and month to month. And I read the ‘pregnancy’ and ‘new baby’ guides that I could get a hold of to make sure that we were as prepared as possible.

One thing I realized afterward though, is that many of the books and websites have redundant information that is listed in several different places and you have to wade through a lot of extra text to find what you really need to know in order to prepare and get ready for baby. I’m a ‘list’ type of person, so I tend to look for lists, preferably ones that break things down as simply and easily as possible. That’s why I really like the idea of ‘Baby Lists’.

What it is:

“Baby Lists – What to Do and What to Get to Prepare for Baby” was written by Elaine Farber, a newborn consultant and mother of three who has coached hundreds of families through early parenting. She has worked in hospital nurseries, ran a daycare center and provided consultation to expectant parents, and served as a nanny for families with newborns (90% of whom were multiples) for more than twenty-five years.

The book is a resource full of – lists. Lists for everything that you can think of that has to do with babies and kids. There are suggested questions to ask a potential pediatrician or nanny (complete with fill-in-the-blanks), lists for what to pack in a diaper bag (for various ages of babies), lists of various styles and designs of all kinds of baby gear from swings and jumpers to strollers, nursing pads and safety products. Each item on the lists is described – and many items include specific brand or product recommendations as well, along with a website to check for further information. There are lists of things to look for when choosing a child safety seat, and even lists of other parenting and pregnancy reference books. If you could possibly need or want it for your baby, it’s sure to be on one of these lists!

Here’s my take on it:

Wow, this book is thorough. And chock full of useful advice, information and recommendations in a format that’s easy for a ‘list person’ like me to understand. Need to decide what kind of bottles to use for your baby? Check out Chapter 21 (Feeding Time) for thirteen pages of information (list style, of course) that explores the various types (disposable vs. re-usable), brands (Munchkin, Dr. Browns, Playtex and more), sizes (4 oz, 8 oz) and accessories for all kinds of baby bottles. Unlike many books that give general information and very few specific recommendations, this book tells you what you’re going to see on the store shelves and helps break down the different options so you can make the best choice for you and your baby.

Sprinkled throughout the pages are quotes from moms listing things that were helpful for them or other pieces of real-world advice. I thought those were really helpful and started watching for them as I read through the book. I also really like the color scheme – the blue text with orange accents really makes the lists ‘pop’ and easy to read. All section headers and website addresses listed are shown in orange as well, so they are easy to pick right off of the page.

This is the kind of book that changes over time – as baby products, advice and recommendations change. Even so, much of the items listed are timeless – as new moms will always need to be choosing which hospital (or other option) to give birth at or deciding the best way (disposable or cloth?) to diaper their babies.

The bottom line:

Baby Lists is an invaluable resource for new moms – and one I wish I’d had back when my first baby was born. I can see it being filled out and marked up with prices, items crossed out or circled – it’s a very ‘hands on’ kind of book, packed with lots of essential information and things to think about both before and after baby is born. If you’re expecting – or need a great baby shower idea, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Where can you find it?:

Baby Lists is available in major retail book stores such as Borders, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million – and also online at retailers like Amazon.