On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo, Robert Bucknam (2001, Paperback, Revised)

I love the method given in this book! A friend gave it to me, and between myself and the friends who have used this method, we have a 100% success rate 4/4 so far (and there are two more on the way) with getting our babies to sleep 8-9 hours through the night at 9 weeks. It's as though right at the 9 week mark they suddenly are just ready. My son did it TO THE DAY!!! It was amazing. It does take some sorting through the book to get down to the actual method and really figure out what you're doing. But it is well worth it. My baby was the happiest, healthiest baby I could have asked for. People CONSTANTLY commented on how happy he was. Why? Because he got enough sleep!! How many people do you know who're happy when they don't get enough sleep? I don't think I know any.. Babies are the same way! Even now at the age of 20 months my son is more than happy to go down for his naps. A friend and I have discussed how happy our children look to be going to bed. They seem to understand that it's good for them, and they appreciate what we're doing for them. *Note* That's not how it is in the very beginning. They do cry a lot at first as you're getting them used to the schedule (or some do.. one friend has a girl that just adapted right to it without crying much). Most of the crying has to do with them expelling energy though, rather than them being emotionally upset. Babies younger than about 4 or 5 months have no way at all the expel energy, and they have plenty. That milk we're giving them has all kinds of good energy giving stuff in it. Crying is the best most healthy way a tiny baby knows how to get rid of its energy. It's nothing to worry about. Some mothers worry that their baby will think they're abandoning them, I don't believe that to be true at all. My son, and the other children I know who've been raised on this method are the happiest, and securest of all children I know. I've heard many, many people speak against this system, saying you should demand feed, but I couldn't disagree more. Most of the mothers I know who went that way with their babies have come to me asking what I did with my son, and they all fully intend to do it differently with their next ones.
Good luck everyone. You won't regret the purchase/read of this book!!

I had the four happiest babies ever, because of this book. So many people are against scheduling, but they are the ones with the fussy babies. My babies were HAPPY because they knew how to go to sleep by themselves. And I was happy because I slept 8 hrs a night! Post partum is more likely to set in if you are exhausted all the time. My oldest is now 12, and EVERYDAY I get compliments on how well behaved and happy my children are, and how well they get along with each other, and I give all the credit to Dr. Ezzo for helping me raise children who are not self centered and constantly battling with me. This way I can relax and really enjoy being a mom. My sister in law chose Dr. Spock method, and it is exhausting to be around her kids. Only take advice from people who have well adjusted, well behaved, happy children!

This book is a great tool for all parents! When I had my second baby, he refused to sleep. This book was a lifesaver! It really explains the rhyme and reason behind newborn behavior. We now have a third baby, and he is great! I credit this book with helping us get him on a schedule. He is two months old and already sleeping through the night (8-10 hrs)!!!

This book is fantastic, it shows how to welcome a baby into your family and build your family as well as instill wonderful prinicples into your children from day 1. Its a 'parent led parenting' kind of book, not a 'children led parenting' so if you want your children to run your home, its not for you but if you want to allow you as parents to run the home its a great book! I am on my 4th child and its hands down the best book on parenting next to the Bible!

This is also a great book for breastfeeding moms, there is so much telling us that not feeding on demand will all but kill our babies, simply not true, this book shows well how to feed on a schedule while still letting life happen, its not a 'schedule is more important then anything' kind of book as some people seem to say it is, it actually shows well how to have a schedule so you can manage your whole family at one time and not just baby while letting your other children and husband fall by the way side. We are managers of our families, we welcome children into our families, this book shows how to show them their place while still meeting all of their needs and bonding with them and allowing all members of our family to bond with the new addition as well.

A+++++++++++ book!

I read this book when my son was just a few days old. I followed it as best I could and he was on a schedule in no time. I buy this book for all my friends when they have babies. I highly recommend it for anyone with their first baby! My son has been a very easy, happy baby and I give some (not all) of the credit to this book.

I am an OB nurse and a mother of twins. This book saved my sanity. I recommend it for many of my patients that I think will actually follow through. Anyone who has anything bad to say about this book is not following it the right way.

Interesting. I really enjoyed reading it. Some parts I laughed out right out loud at some of the claims he made. I like how it suggests a schedule with flexibility. We had a really hard time getting our first child on a regular routine so I am excited to try this approach with our next one. We will see if it is a fit for our family.
By the way he says several times about how if you don't use this program your child will have problems. We have raised a happy and healthy child without the use of this book.

I purchased this book because it was recommended to me by my sister-in-law. The book contains some wonderful insight about how to get your child on a schedule, but it's slightly controversial in that it's a little regimented for a newborn infant. It's unrealistic that a child can be sleeping through the night at two weeks. I hope new parents don't feel like failures because their child is still needing comfort/nourishment at 9 weeks of age! However, one strength of this book is the contention that the baby should complete his/her feeding (get a full tummy) each time. The child should be stimulated to continue feeding until he or she is full, and not just sleep off a snack for an hour.

Just as importantly, parents should nurture their relationship for the benefit of the infant. One mistake I made as a new mother was placing the child's needs over my husband's needs, and that was a big mistake.

Overall, this book is good, but use what you feel is good information and chuck the rest. (As a side note, my childbirth educator did NOT like this book, but I chose to continue reading it and taking what I considered to be of value).

Even though this is a tough read...meaning you really have to concentrate and THINK about what he's explaining...it is SO WORTH IT. We had our baby sleeping 6 hours a night by 6 weeks and 8 hours by 9 weeks. FABULOUS!!

The one thing that no one can teach you is not to cave in for emotional reasons. If you're the type of person who says, "I just can't stand to here them cry, I have to do something about it." Then you're doomed. If you can't hear them cry, then accept your fate and be sleep deprived for the next few YEARS.

Gary makes it clear what we need to do as parents to help our babies get into a healthy pattern, which in turn makes healthy, happy parents.

You need to read this, give it an honest effort and take back your nights.

This book is very helpful in trying to put your baby on a schedule. However, it took me a while for it to work. My baby loves to fall asleep nursing and she is 8 weeks and still hard to keep her awake, but she is now sleeping through the night. The key is to let them cry if you know nothing is wrong. That way when they wake up in the middle of the night, they will fall back asleep and not seek you to comfort them. I would recommend this book, but use it to fit your lifestyle.

Someone gave me this book right after I had my first child. While I did not adopt 100% of the author's philosophies, the main message he communicates saved me!! He emphasizes getting your baby into a routine and that routine cycles in a particular order... and it makes life MUCH MUCH easier! I had worked in daycare prior to having my child... and babysat.... but nothing prepares you for those first days and nights and trying to help that little one sleep and eat and in a manner that they are happy and that YOU don't lose your mind! I had been feeding my baby every hour for parts of the day and night and letting it go to sleep afterwards.... NOT the way to go!! After a week of this I was a mess. Baby Wise helped me tremendously... I purchased this book for a friend who is expecting! I couldn't help but pass along the book that made me sane again!

I bought this book to give to a mother-to-be because I used it with both of my children. It is a wonderful guide for new parents, especially if you are breastfeeding. My babies slept through the night at 8 and 11 weeks, respectively and they were, and are still healthy, happy children, some of which I attribute to this book. Babywise definitely made motherhood a more pleasant and less surprising adventure and I would highly recommend it to any new, and especially first time moms.

I love this book! It taught me how to be a wonderful mother and give my son structure in his life. He is now almost 15 months and still sleeping through the night and taking two 2-hr naps a day. I LOVE IT!
People just need to remember to still follow their instincts and their Dr's instructions. If you do this, you will be able to take wonderful advice from this book and use it to you and your child's benefit.

I bought the book to give to a friend, I had a copy and liked it so much I had to pass it on! It's very helpful for first time moms and dads. Gives a guide to help with the baby stages. I am not a strict schedule person so I basically used this as a general guideline and not so much to the "T".

I have used this book with all 3 of my kids with fabulous results. They all nursed well, slept through the night by 6-8 weeks, napped consistantly and were bright, cheerful and alert when awake.
I bought this one because I'm expecting #4 in a few weeks and needed to refresh my memory and I have given away all the other copies I had.
Fabulous book. Common Sense approach.

I did this with my first son and he slept 9-10 hr.'s thru the night at 12 weeks. I gave the book away and had another baby 10 years later; thought I remembered enough so I didn't get the book right away. I haven't slept in 6 months! Buy this book for everyone you know before you buy anything else!!!!!!

I know many moms who used this book who now regret it. Many feel guilty for letting their child cry as much as they did - please research this book before using at www.ezzo.info. Especially read the Voices of Experience portion.

I lived with this book by my side for the first 6 weeks of my daughters life! I looked over it and over it to make sure I was doing everything right. I must have read this book 6 times all together! It was well worth it too! She has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks old, and by 12 weeks she was sleeping 12 hours! She loves being on her schedule! I love it too because I know what each day is going to be like. I don't have to wonder if she is going to be fussy one day and then fine the next. I don't know how anyone could parent without this book! It is a must have for first time parents! I tell everyone I know about this book! It's amazing!

This book was purchased for my daughter who had used it for her first child with wonderful results and we had recommended it to many of her young friends, in fact she had given her only copy to a friend who also loved the results. So when she had her baby daughter in July, I ordered a replacement copy for her.The paperback is very inexpensive and the information is so helpful and REALLY works. As a mother and grandmother I had my douts when my daughter asked me to read this book and tell what I thought about the content and suggestions in the book. I told her "It's worth a try, what do you have to loose!" She had great success and her son was sleeping through the night before 6 weeks and continued to sleep as has her baby daughter. I would recommend this book to any new parents ecpecially first time parents. The information is so vauluable even if you adapt it and use only some of the information.

It actually was a gift for my stepdaughter, It gave her a lot ideals to get the baby on a sleeping schedule before she went back to work after her maternity leave. She loved the book and read it cover to cover.

We were given this book when we were expecting our first (who is now 8 years old). It was the closest thing to a baby manual that everyone wishes for. It's truly a great book, filled with excellent advice! I now buy it for any new parents or baby showers. As a new mom (or dad), it covers so many things that you don't know about yet and that make up the baby's life - sleeping, eating, playing... I feel like it saved our sanity and let us truly enjoy those early months with our babies instead of crying through them with the babies. It's easy to read and I suggest reading it before the baby's here if possible to understand it and have a plan ahead of time instead of just trying to wing it.
We now have four - ages 8, 6, 4, and 11 months, and they're all excellent sleepers. They've all slept through the night somewhere between 3 and 5 weeks, and I do credit the book with that.
I HIGHLY recommend this book!! =)

Book has some interesting points about feeding, crying, and getting your baby to sleep, but as with all newborns - you can't expect your child to fit perfectly into this books mold.

The book was recommended to me by my sister, and I found it to be very informative. As I enter into the last trimester of my pregnancy, I feel confident that, with this book, I will be better equipped to handle the first stages of having my first child.

We used Baby Wise for our first child, now 8 yrs old. It has set the course for his entire childhood. He eats and sleeps very regularly, and I would credit the principals laid out in Baby Wise to a large degree for our success with #1. We are now expecting a second child soon, and have since given our original copy away to another expecting couple. We highly recommend "On Becoming Baby Wise", it truly made us feel 'Baby Wise'!