The book Baby Wise by Ezzo and Bucknam

[poisonivie2]

Hi all,
Has anyone read and followed this book? A couple of my friends rave about it. In your opinion, does this philosophy really work? Parent directed feeding makes sense to me as opposed to demand feeding or watching the clock, but I was just wondering what the consensus is out there.
Thanks for the input!

Ivie
Mom to Spencer due 4/13/03

[Momof3Labs]

You might want to do a search on the Lounge for this book - it's been discussed in the past. There are a lot of critics of this book, and following it too religiously may actually be dangerous to the baby.

[Rachels]

Definitely research this. There are lots of dehydrated, failure-to-thrive Ezzo babies! Babies need to eat frequently, and their needs change with their changing growth rates. Enforcing a schedule is counter to their biology and can be harmful. Having a baby isn't about convenience. I know it can be hard, but hang in there! They grow up so fast.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[agomalley]

I received this book from a friend who loved it. There is a discussion board at Parentsplace.com. It is under the heading of DEBATES and is called EZZO PARENTING. There is a lot of information there. I haven't read all of the book yet, but I think that I will take the stuff that seems to make sense and use my instincts on which things don't. I'd also be interested in hearing other opinions on the book.

[parkersmama]

Ezzo and his techniques are extremely controversial (failure to thrive, starving babies, etc). I do know people who swear by him but I honestly don't think he's a good one to go by for newborn advice. From what I know, he is a minister, not a doctor and therefore I find his advice on feeding newborns to be suspect. He has several other books that address parenting as the child gets older and he is the inspiration/leadership for a series of classes that lots of churches present called "Growing Kids God's Way". Although I am a Christian and use that daily in raising my kids, I don't necessarily think that Ezzo has the inroad to "God's Way", if you know what I mean! Anyway, I guess from my experience there are much better experts out there for you to rely on for parenting/baby health advice.

Denise
mom to:
Parker, 9/1/1997
Wesley, 3/9/2000
and #3 (a girl!) due 4/29/2003

[4justice]

I just thought I'd add my 2cents. I work in a bookstore here in Honolulu, and apparently the guy Ezzo teamed with in writing his books left him, I guess there was some bad blood, disagreements with methods, something to that effect. A pediatrician i interviewed strongly suggested his book. I had already read thru it and knew that it and the pediatrician were not for me. Let your instincts take over and as the other post suggested there are other "experts" that provide more sound advice. Personally I love the Dr. Sears books and without knowing the proper term for it had already adopted "attachment parenting" as what worked for us in our family.

Maluhia
mom to Justice (two 1/2)
who is still 'attached';)

[LisaS]

Read it, along with lots of other baby books with different viewpoints and take what you like best from each of them.
Personally, I do believe in having a baby on a routine and did so with my DD from an early age, BUT, I also believe in being flexible and making exceptions as necessary.

I thought babywise did have some valid points, but overall, the book did not make as much sense to me as some others did. If you think you would be interested in routines, try The Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford - it is very breast-feeding friendly and she give you a run-down, week by week, hour by hour (as examples) of how you can structure your babies feeding and sleeping to maximize the benefits for both the baby and the parents. She also has troubleshooting guides for each 2 week period that I found to be right-on-target.

I also read Dr Sears and thought his ideas were very warm and fuzzy but a lot if it is also just not practical and not for everyone either and can lead to long term sleep problems. That said, I followed a modified version of CLBB routine to the extent that I could and had a great experience doing so.

You'll find that you may change your mind about what different methods will be best for you. Best thing is to read as much as you can and speak to as many friends with babies as you can(keeping in mind that a lot of it won't really "click" till you have a real live baby to apply it to) and pick and choose what you like from each source - there's lots of valuable info out there. Its not all in 1 book or 1 method, though.

[emilyf]

I know I am in the minority, but I actually find a lot of this book pretty useful. I am definitely more on the scheduled side of things (with a lot of flexibility). If you look for the recent post about the Baby Whisperer (similar ideas), you will find a pretty balanced discussion of this issue. If I knew how to post a link I would!
Emily
mom of Charlie born 11/02

Edited to add:
The title of the post is Nursing: one breast or two

[poisonivie2]

Thanks All!!!
I really appreciate all of the information. I am a first time mom due April 13th. I find that a lot of the info in this book is a little too structured for real life, but I do think trying to stick to some sort of schedule with lots of flexibility will probably work for me. Who knows? Until I have Spencer, it's really hard to know what will work for me and my baby. But, after reading all of the post, I think that I will keep more of an open mind about what I will do. I will check out the other books mentioned and I did actually read some of the post on the Baby Whisperer and that is why I posted this topic. I wasn't sure if they were basically the same parenting techniques or not. I will go back and read it in more detail.
Once again thanks for all of the info and keep it coming!!!!

Ivie
Mom to Spencer due 4/13/03

[lisams]

I have not read the book, but I have visited the board at parent's place out of curiousity. I must say that I am a strong believer in feeding a baby when they are hungry for two main reasons. First, if you are breastfeeding, feeding on "demand" builds your milk supply. The more often your baby nurses, it is sending a signal to your body to make more milk. I'm afraid the Ezzo style could ruin a BF relationship. Second, I would worry about failure to thrive. I stay at home and it doesn't bother me that we are not on a "schedule". If I had to put her in daycare, it may be a little more important I suppose.

Here's a thought, and it's just my opinion, no scientific study to back it up: I breastfeed my 3 month old, and she usually eats about every two hours. She also sleeps 6-9 hours at night (without any training or crying it out). I really think she is able to go this long at night because she eats frequently during the day, storing up on nutrients that allows her to go this long stretch without eating. I don't know if she would sleep this long if I put her on a 4 hour eating schedule. Just a thought.

[abigailsmom]

Just my .02. I happen to have found the book helpful. I read it and Sears breastfeeding. I think any literature that you read had to be tailor to your needs. I found the idea of following any concept ot a "T" very scary. I found that Abigail and I need a "frame" of a schedule b/c it's a comfort to her and me. I am working and still BF at almost 7 months.
I found, for my little creature of habit, that she is comforted by knowing that when she is hungry she gets up, gets her diaper changed, we sit down to snugle and nurse, then it's playtime , and then nap time. She has been sleeping at least six hrs a night (except for growth spurts) since about 3 months. Now at almost 7 months... She usually sleeps 12-14 hrs at night and still takes 3 naps a day.
She is the furthest from a failure to thrive baby (18 lbs @6 mo)!
I know the book had not gotten the greatest reviews, but I think if you interpret it the best way for you and dd/ds then it can be a great help. And remember if all else fails... GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING!!! It and you know your baby better than anyone else ever will. (Even if you feel like you don't know ow to do anything!)

[somedayamommy]

My 2 cents: I have many friends that have used this book successfully. I have read the book and plan on using it. It does allow for flexability. All the babies I have seen are THRIVING wonderfully and are very content.

[AngelaS]

I have not read Baby Wise, but I've read other materials by the Ezzos. I have many friends who put their babies on STRICT schedules and had very happy and healthy babies.

I followed the schedule thing loosely. Basically, if my baby acted like she wanted to nurse again within two hours of her last feeding, I would try a pacifier or change of scenery before feeding her again. It always worked!

I like knowing what our daily routine would be. We get up, baby nurses, we play, baby naps, baby gets up and eats, you get the idea. It's nice to know what's going to happen when. Even my teenage baby sitter said one night, "you were right, she started fussing right at 5:30 and I laid her down and she went right to sleep!". LOL

Like ANY parenting book, read it with a grain of salt and use your common sense. I don't agree with all things Ezzo, but my two girls and any future babies will all be on a schedule! :D

[egoldber]

This tends to be a topic that people feel very strongly about. I don't particularly like Ezzo's book for a lot of reasons. That being said, I think most people think that routines are terrific for babies. Babies love to know what is coming next and what to expect. But having a routine does not preclude feeding on demand (or on cue as many prefer to call it).

It is always important when reading this or any book to remember that all babies are different. Many babies are content and thrive on the 3-4 hour routine/schedule advocated by books like the Baby Whisperer and Ezzo. But NOT all babies.

My DD was born with a high palate, which means that she had a very weak suck and literally could not get enough milk at a single nursing session to sustain her for 3-4 hours. She needed to nurse pretty much every 1 1/2 hours. That was our routine. If I gave her a bottle, she could go 3-4 hours. But not when nursing. I used to nurse during the day, give bottles in the evening to give myself a break and nurse again at night. By putting her on a 3-4 hour schedule, she would not have thrived.

Also, a baby's temperament is a big factor in this. About half of all babies are considered "easy" babies, which means among other things that they tend to naturally drift to a 3-4 hour routine with little effort. Another 1/3 are considered "slow to warm up" and the rest are considered "difficult" or "high needs". How well your babies responds to a particular schedule or routine depends in great part on their temperament.

Every baby is an individual and getting to know them and their little personalities is one of the most amazing things about becoming a parent. Any advice that treats all babies alike and tries to be one-size fits all could be a disaster for any particular baby.

HTH,

[Rachels]

Well said. I'm glad some babies do well even if they're not fed on demand, but statistically it's not a safe practice to withhold food when a baby expresses hunger. The fact that you know some babies who tolerate this doesn't mean yours will, so it's really critical not to adopt that philosophy without knowing which child you've got.

Just for another perspective, it's one of my very most important values as a parent to let my daughter know that I understand and respect her needs and her communication. It's not always instantly convenient for me, but I do think I maximize the convenience in the long run by making sure that her needs are met on her clock rather than insisting that she operate on mine. We have a 30 year age difference, after all. I feel very good about the communication we've developed together, and her confidence that I'll respond to her if she needs me.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02