On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep - Softcover

28 year Pediatrician Robert Bucknam, M.D. has directed 5 revisions of his #1 best selling baby sleep guide since the early 1990s when it was released.   The first version had 160 pages and today's edition contains 279 pages as Babywise has been refined and supported by more doctors and pediatricians over its incredible 25 years on the market.  Today, with more than 5 million copies sold in its best selling series, Babywise is gaining momentum now translated into 20 languages around the world.     On Becoming Babywise continues to gain global recognition for its common-sense approach to parenting a newborn. The infant management plan offered by Pediatrician Robert Bucknam, M.D. and co-author Gary Ezzo in this book helps parents successfully and naturally synchronize their baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime cycles. The results? Happy, healthy and contented babies who sleep through the night on average between seven and nine weeks of age. 
     The best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis. End results speak clearly. Let your eyes confirm what works and what doesn't. You will be most confident in your parenting when you see the desired results lived out in other families. Stage One:  Birth to 5 months -- On Becoming BabywiseStage Two:  5 - 12 months --      On Becoming Babywise 11Stage Three: 12 - 18 months --    On Becoming PretoddlerwiseStage Four: 18 - 36 months --     On Becoming ToddlerwiseStage Five: 36 - 84 months --     On Becoming Childless
      The principles of On Becoming Babywise were first shared in 1984.  Sarah was the first baby girl raised with the principles; Kenny was the first boy.  Both thrived on mother's milk and a basic routine, and both slept through the night by seven weeks.  It was that easy.       As with previous editions, this update does not provide parents a list of do's and don'ts.  We wish parenting were that easy. Rather, our larger objective is to help prepare minds for the incredible task of raising a child.  We believe the preparation of the mind is far more important than the preparation of the nursery.  Both can be a lot of fun.  Your baby will not care if his head rests on designer sheets or beside Disney characters, nor is your success tied to his wardrobe or bedroom accessories, but rather to the beliefs and convictions that will eventually shape your parenting experience.  It is our opinion that the achievements of healthy growth, contented babies, good naps, and playful wake times, as well as the gift of nighttime sleep, are too valuable to be left to chance.  They need to be parent-directed and parent-managed.            These are attainable conclusions, because infants are born with the capacity to achieve these outcomes and, equally important, the need to achieve them.  Our goal is to demonstrate how this is done, but only after we explain why it should be done.  We realize there are a number of parenting theories being marketed today, most of which come gift-wrapped with unrealistic promises and unnecessary burdens. In light of the many options, how can new parents know what approach is best of their families? Since every philosophy of parenting has a corresponding outcome unique to that philosophy, we encourage new and expectant parents to consider, evaluate, and decide which approach is best for their families.  This can be accomplished by observing the end results.       Spend time with relatives and friends who follow the Attachment Parenting style of infant care.  Observe who practices hyper-scheduling, and certainly evaluate the outcomes associated with On Becoming Babywise.  In which homes do you observe order, peace, and tranquility?  Don't take any marketing plug or some strangers word for truth.  Search for yourself.  Consider the marriages as well as the children.  Is mom in a perpetual state of exhaustion?  Is she nursing every two hours or less?  Is Dad sleeping on the couch?  What is the family life like when a child is 6, 12, and 18 months old?  Is Mom stressed, frustrated, or lacking confidence?  Is the baby stressed, exhausted or insecure?  When the baby is nine months old, can the parents leave the room without the baby falling apart emotionally?  We believe the best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including the one found in On Becoming Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis but in the end results.  Let your eyes confirm what works and what does not. You will be most confident in your parenting when you see the desired results lived out in other families using the same approach.  Look at the fruit and then trace it back to its seed source.  The principles contained within the pages can help parents develop workable strategies that meet the needs of their babies and the rest of the family.        These have worked for millions of parents, and when faithfully applied can work wonderfully for you!  However, your pediatrician or family practitioner should always be consulted when questions arise about the health and welfare of your baby.  Enjoy the journey of parenting!

Over the 25 years and 5 million copies sold of Babywise, we have seen a common misunderstanding between the over-used phrase "cry it out" and the simple & carefully monitored allowance of "some crying" when applying a loving routine and flexible schedule that are the proper and proven sleep training methods of Babywise.  Hundreds of medical professionals not only endorse the successful methods of Babywise, but also employ these wonderful methods with their own clients.  Here are some more clarifying comments by 16 of the worlds leading experts on pediatric sleep when it comes to the proven methods of a flexible routine, loving schedule, and where the allowance of "some crying" can be appropriate in helping your infant to self-soothe:"The most important aspect of getting a baby to sleep through the night is to have your baby learn to soothe herself to sleep. Babies need to be able to put themselves to sleep without your intervention.  The reason is that all babies, as well as all adults, wake during the night.  This is normal.  What is problematic is not the nighttime wakings but the inability to return to sleep.  Your baby needs to learn to soothe herself to sleep so that when she wakes for a moment in the middle of the night, she can immediately put herself back to sleep.""Sleep is a natural process and we all know how to sleep.  However, good sleeping habits need to be developed.  Bad sleeping habits, especially when trying to fall asleep, are what become problematic for many babies and toddlers.""Start establishing a sleep schedule. This schedule should include a set bedtime, a set wake time, and set nap times. (either following the clock or using the two-hour rule). A consistent feeding schedule will also help set a more general daily routine.""The more practice that your baby gets putting himself to sleep, the quicker the process works.""During the night, when you hear your baby begin to stir, walk, don't run to him.  You will be surprised how often he'll fall back to sleep on his own.  Remember, all babies naturally wake up throughout the night.  Your baby may simply be stirring, ready to return right back to sleep.  By going to him too quickly, you may actually be waking him up.""Every night your baby should be going to bed at about the same time.""Babies and children love routines and relish schedules.  They like to know what is going to happen next.  They are also better behaved when things follow a known pattern.  Routines provide your child with a sense of security, and they enable your child to have a sense of control in a world governed by adult demands.  Routines also give a framework in which to learn new skills.""All babies and adults wake throughout the night, anywhere from two to six times.  There doesn't have to be any particular reason other than going from one sleep stage to another."Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D. - Associate Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and also Professor of Psychology at Saint Joseph's University."A lot of parents nowadays cringe at the word routine, but by routine I don't mean a rigid, minute by minute regimen.  I mean a commonsense framework with time mapped out for eating, napping, sleeping, playing, and wake time--  a framework that you can adapt as you grow more adept at reading your baby's signals and cues.""If you aren't consistent, you aren't just making it harder for yourself.  You are making it harder for your child.""Setting limits does not mean that we don't give our children some choices or autonomy.  It means giving age-appropriate choices within healthy boundaries."Kim West, LCSW-C;  she has helped thousands of tired parents gently and effectively teach their babies how to sleep.  She has appeared on Dr. Phil, the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and Good Morning America."Every day I get phone calls from parents who are anxious, confused, overwhelmed, and, most of all, sleep-deprived.  They bombard me with questions and beg me for solutions because the quality of their family life is suffering.  No matter what the specific problem, I always suggest the same remedy:  a structured routine.""Crying is your baby's language.  This moment of hesitation is not to suggest that you should let your baby cry.  Rather, listen to what he's saying to you.""Stand back and wait a heartbeat;  you don't have to swoop down and pick up your baby the moment she cries. Take three deep breaths to center yourself and improve your own perception.  It will also help you clear your mind of other people's voices and advice, which often make it hard for you to be objective.""You need to foster your baby'e self-soothing skills."Tracy Hogg was a British nurse. Her experiences as a nurse at St. Catherine's Hospital for the Mentally Handicapped and other hospitals led to a long career as a child care expert."And while it is normal for a child (or an adult) to wake briefly a few times during the night, these arousals should last only a few seconds or minutes and the child should go back to sleep easily on his own.""...if you are in the habit of rocking your child to sleep (or rubbing his back, or any similar custom) for twenty to thirty minutes each night, and you need to repeat the ritual once or twice in the middle of the night to get him back to sleep, you may actually be interfering with his sleep and delaying his ability to sleep through the night.""... it is very important for some children to be put down awake so that they can learn to settle themselves and fall asleep alone both at bedtime and after nighttime wakings.""Consistent schedules are especially important in treating sleep disorders."Richard Ferber, M.D.  Director, Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders, Children's Hospital- Boston AND Associate Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School"Everyone should have a sleep routine- adults included.""There are a variety of ways to approach sleep training, and it really depends on what you as the caregiver are comfortable doing.  No matter what anyone tells you, there is no "right"way to sleep train your child.  Since every parenting style and every child is different, the key is picking the solution that you can stick to.  The two most important aspects to picking a solution are:  determining how comfortable you are with crying and how quickly you want the problem solved.""Caregiver guilt is a common reason why sleep training fails.  If a child is crying, the natural response would be to console him or her.  But remember, sleep training is not for you.  Although you will benefit as well, the main reason to sleep train is for the health and well-being of your child.  Not being able to self-soothe and go to sleep independently can be a burden for the child.""I DON'T WANT MY CHILD TO HATE ME-- This is a fear for many parents. We worry that our child will feel abandoned and therefore become distant from us.  You can rest assured that studies show this is not true.  In fact, the exact opposite may be true:  an infant's level of security can actually be better after going through sleep training, not worse.  And remember, children don't start forming long-term memories until around the age of three, so they will not remember anything from this process.""Sleep training calls for a level of authority and rigidity that may feel uncomfortable.  However, you care capable of making it through this process.  Persistence is the key.  If your persistence can outlast that of your child, you will successfully sleep train your child.""Consistency is critical to success.  Once you start sleep training, don't turn back.  The process can take several days to weeks.  Don't give up on sleep training after just a few nights.  The most effective and proven sleep training solutions do involve some crying.  But remember that it is for the health and well-being of your child."Sugar Kansagra, M.D.  Director, Duke Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program