The Attachment Parenting Book A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

by Sears, Martha; Sears, William

• ISBN13: 9780316778091
• ISBN10: 0316778095
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-08-07
• Publisher: Little, Brown Spark

Summary

Might you and your baby both sleep better if you shared a bed? How old is too old for breastfeeding? What is a father's role in nurturing a newborn? How does early attachment foster a child's eventual independence? Dr. Bill and Martha Sears -- the doctor-and-nurse, husband-and-wife team who coined the term "attachment parenting" -- answer these and many more questions in this practical, inspiring guide. Attachment parenting is a style of parenting that encourages a strong early attachment, and advocates parental responsiveness to babies' dependency needs. "The Attachment Parenting Book" clearly explains the six "Baby B's" that form the basis of this increasingly popular parenting style: Bonding, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Bedding close to baby, Belief in the language value of baby's cry, Beware of baby trainers.Here's all the information you need to achieve your most important goals as a new parent: to know your child, to help your child feel right, and to enjoy parenting.

Author Biography

Martha Sears, RN and William Sears, MD, are the pediatrics experts to whom American parents turn for advice and information on all aspects of pregnancy, birth, childcare, and family nutrition. Martha Sears is a registered nurse, certified childbirth educator, and breastfeeding consultant.

Dr. Sears was trained at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, the largest children's hospital in the world. He has practiced pediatrics for nearly 50 years. Together, the Searses have authored more than 40 pediatrics books.

Table of Contents

A Word from Dr. Bill and Martha	ix
Becoming Attached---How to Get There	1	(10)
What Is Attachment Parenting?	2	(1)
Seven Attachment Tools: The Baby B's	3	(5)
What Attachment Feels Like	8	(3)
The Benefits of Attachment Parenting	11	(15)
AP Babies Are Smarter	11	(3)
AP Babies Are Healthier	14	(2)
AP Babies Grow Better	16	(1)
AP Babies Behave Better	17	(5)
AP Promotes Intimacy	22	(1)
AP Parents and Children Work Together Better	23	(1)
AP Promotes Empathy	24	(1)
AP Is Contemporary	25	(1)
The Payoff for Parents	25	(1)
What Attachment Parenting Is Not	26	(10)
Clearing Up Misunderstandings	26	(6)
Myths About Attachment Parenting	32	(4)
Bonding at Birth and Beyond	36	(17)
Bonding at Birth	36	(1)
Eight Tips for Better Bonding	37	(3)
Rooming-In: The Attachment Continues	40	(3)
How Rooming-In Builds Attachment	43	(2)
Bonding Blues	45	(2)
Homecoming: Ten Tips for Staying Attached the First Month	47	(6)
Breastfeeding	53	(12)
Breastfeeding Makes Attachment Parenting Easier	53	(4)
Attachment Tips for Successful Breastfeeding	57	(5)
The Benefits of Long-Term Breastfeeding	62	(2)
Beware of the Breastfeeding Schedulers	64	(1)
Babywearing	65	(16)
The Background to Babywearing	65	(3)
The Benefits of Babywearing	68	(10)
Siblings and Babywearing	78	(1)
Babywearing and Wearing Baby Down	78	(1)
Work and Wear	79	(1)
Babywearing for Subs	79	(2)
Belief in the Signal Value of a Baby's Cry	81	(8)
Crying Is an Attachment Tool	81	(3)
Should Baby Cry It Out?	84	(2)
Advice for Parents Whose Babies Cry a Lot	86	(3)
Bedding Close to Baby	89	(17)
Continuing Your Attachment at Night	90	(1)
Our Co-Sleeping Experiences	91	(1)
Why Bedding Close to Baby Works	92	(3)
Sharing Sleep: How to Make It Work	95	(2)
Moving Out: Weaning from Nighttime Attachment	97	(1)
Night Weaning from the Breast: Eleven Alternatives for the All-Night Nurser	98	(4)
Current Research into Sleep Sharing and SIDS	102	(4)
Balance and Boundaries	106	(13)
Is Your Parenting Out of Balance?---How to Tell	106	(6)
Avoiding Mother Burnout	112	(4)
Rekindling the Flame	116	(1)
Stick With Attachment Parenting	117	(2)
Beware of Baby Trainers	119	(11)
What's Wrong with Baby Training?	120	(2)
Does Baby Training Really Work?	122	(1)
Why Is Baby Training So Popular?	123	(2)
Handling Criticism	125	(5)
Working and Staying Attached	130	(13)
A Tale of Two Mothers	130	(3)
Ten Tips for Working and Staying Attached	133	(8)
How a Baby Can Change a Mother's Career Plans	141	(2)
Attachment Fathering	143	(16)
My Story: How I Became an Attached Dad	144	(2)
Nine Attachment Tips for Fathers	146	(6)
Where's Dad?	152	(3)
Father Feelings About Mother-Infant Attachment	155	(4)
Attachment Parenting in Special Situations	159	(9)
Single and Attached	159	(1)
Adoption	160	(2)
Attachment Parenting the High-Need Child	162	(2)
Attachment Parenting a Child with Special Needs	164	(2)
Attachment Parenting Multiples	166	(2)
Attachment Testimonials	168	(9)
Could a Mother Not Want This?	168	(1)
What Is a Good Baby?	169	(1)
A Gift for Dad	170	(1)
Working and Staying Attached	170	(1)
Sensitive Night Weaning	171	(1)
Understanding ``Cries''	172	(2)
Compassion for Others	174	(1)
When Babies with Teeth Nurse and Sixteen-Year-Olds Drive	175	(2)
Resources	177	(2)
Index	179