Lifestyle Books > Family & Baby Lifestyle Books

Baby & Toddler Meal Planner

Advantages: Simple to follow. Lovely presentation.
Disadvantages: Your baby may not want to follow it!

As every parent knows, the stage of weaning a baby from a milk diet onto solid foods can be a very daunting experience. I had heard the name 'Annabel Karmel' many times in reference to weaning/recipe books & was strongly advised to invest in one of her many publications. I opted for the 'Baby & Toddler Meal Planner'. This best selling hardback book has been around for over 20 years now, but has been recently updated & has a clean, modern feel to ...
...is split into several chapters: Chapter 1 - 'The best first foods for your baby' talks about general nutrition for babies, allergies & other helpful information such as storage of baby foods. Chapter 2 - 'First stage weaning' lists the fruits & vegetables which are best suited to a young baby at the start of the weaning process. The book explains how to prepare each product, & the approximate number of servings each 'recipe' will provide. Slightly ...

sambam000 03.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner - Annabel Karmel

From Here to Maternity - Mel Giedroyc

Advantages: Light Hearted and Quick to Read!
Disadvantages: Would have liked some diary entries for how Mel coped after the birth!

...was looking for something different from all the pregnany help guides out there which looked abit intimidating. This book appealed to me as it is a diary by someone rather than a book describing exactly what happens at week 10, etcc. I enjoyed this book as it was quick to read but also easy and funny enough to keep me interested. It was also refreshing as it is down to earth and made a change from pregnancy books by most celebrities who describe ...
...tiny bumps! I think most people can relate to how Mel feels during certain times in her pregnancy. The book starts when Mel doesnt yet know that she is pregant and chapters are simply.. Monday, Tuesday.. then when she finds out the chapters change to the format 200 days to go.. and so on... The only bit that annoyed me about this book was at the end as I would have liked a few chapters about how she had coped in the days after the birth which makes ...

chellie81 04.02.2007 · Read full review
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Review of From Here to Maternity - Mel Giedroyc

Gina Ford Gets It Right

Advantages: Well laid out and easy to understand routine
Disadvantages: 7 days doesnt take into account possible preparation stage

Potty training is one of those inevitable events when you have children, sooner or later you have to do it. Christopher was my first child and I had no idea how to start potty training him. My mum was very old school in her approach and believed he should have started training at a year old, however he was a slow developer and wasn't even walking at that point, he certainly wasn't able to string together a sentence or tell me he needed to wee. So ...
...the control to be able potty train, their bladders just aren't strong enough, it also gives a list of signs to look out for such as the child being aware of when they need to go or are going, that their nappy is dry after the daytime nap, that they can identify parts of their body, that they are able to follow simple instructions and also be able to remove their own clothes. At 2 Christopher was able to do these things and so i knew the time was ...

piggypine 30.08.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Potty Training in One Week - Gina Ford

Baby Whisperer reassured me!

Advantages: Lots of suggestions that really do work, accessible style, humerous
Disadvantages: at times appeared slightly patronising to the Mums she wrote about ("luv")

I read this book among the many, many others I looked at before my baby was born. It is one of the few I actually referred back to once baby was here, and as any new parent will know, time is precious, so spending time getting to grips with this book must have been time well spent. To begin with I was reassured to find that Tracy Hogg was a midwife with many years' experience of childcare and unlike some other experts, had children of her own. Her ...
...of parenting. I didn't like the idea of controlled crying and didn't want to impose too much of a routine on my baby. I did want to find a way of ensuring that I could get my breakfast down in the morning, maybe have a shower, and go out once in a while! One of the most important principles espoused by Tracy Hogg is that of listening to your baby. To begin with I was frustrated by her crying and would say things like "But she can't need feeding ...

EmmB 05.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Secrets of the Baby Whisperer - Tracy Hogg, Melinda Blau

Nct First Foods and Weaning- must have for mums

Advantages: Reassurance that you are giving your baby the right things.
Disadvantages: You have to make the meals yourself!

This book outlines ideal foods to wean your baby on and to progress them onto as they get oder. The advice is all sound and reasonable, as are the recipes- the ingredients are not far fetched or difficult to get hold of, as in some baby recipe books. Preparation instructions are clear and easy to understand with useful alternatives like using a microwave or how to puree without a blender. There are lots of healthy snack suggestions as well as drinks ...
...alot different foods especially for older children- Chicken, Banana and Apple Curry or Morrocan Lamb, for example. There is excellent information on nutrition and where your child gets vitamins and minerals from, and I was very impressed with the advice on food allergies and intolerances, having had both in the family. Also the section on what's good for babies is very informative. The weaning at -a-glance calendars are double page spreads for ...

jessicat1211 24.10.2007 · Read full review
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Review of NCT First Foods and Weaning