Linda J. Murray - The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Your Babys First Year: Expert Advice and Mom-to-Mom Wisdom from the Worlds Most Popular Parenting Website

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milestone reality check 100,000 new moms tell you what really happens when

Linda Murray, Anna McGrail, Daphne Metland, and the BabyCenter Editorial Team

To Mary McDermott Scott
Whose love of family inspired us all

Notice

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your babys health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your babys doctor. If you suspect that your baby has a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2007 by BabyCenter

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

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Rodale Inc. makes every effort to use acid-free , recycled paper .

Illustrations 2007 by Mark Watkinson

Photographs on : Anke Weiss

Photograph on : Comstock

Photographs on : Getty Images

Photograph appearing in The Bottom Line sidebars: Getty Images

Photograph on : Anna Palma

Book design by Joanna Williams

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The BabyCenter essential guide to your babys first year : expert advice and mom-to-mom wisdom from the worlds most popular parenting website / Linda Murray... [et al.].

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13 9781594864117 paperback

ISBN-10 159486411X paperback

eISBN-13 9781609617073

1. InfantsCarePopular works. 2. Child carePopular works. I. Murray, Linda, date

RJ61.B123 2007

Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck Publishers

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 paperback

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them

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part one: the firsts
getting to know you

part two: life with a newborn
birth3 months

part three: settling in
46 months

part four: on the move
79 months

part five: first steps, first words
1012 months

The authors wish to thank everyone whose efforts and talents contributed to giving birth to this book.

Jim Scott, BabyCenters vice president of editorial, whose keen, consistent editorial and parenting insights helped keep our vision clear.

Bruce Raskin, executive editor at BabyCenter, whose enthusiasm and indefatigable editing helped keep us and the project on course.

Writer and parenting expert Paula Spencer, who played a strong role in the books development and made sure that it reflected the cares and concerns of its audience.

Our medical reviewers, pediatricians Nancy Showen, MD, and Paul Young, MD, who reviewed and helped us clarify the medical and baby development information in these pages.

The many writers, editors, and BabyCenter community staff who contributed so many important sections and details to the book: Chess Thomas, who combed through academic journals and papers to track down the real facts and figures on child health; Scott Adler, BabyCenters managing editor, who vetted and added words of wisdom to all the new dad material; Jennifer Scully, who helped with research; Heidi Kotansky, who added key links to babycenter.com; Katie Motta, who worked tirelessly in developing the polls throughout the book; and, in alphabetical order, our team of dedicated community managers and administrators who handpicked the many insightful quotes from our bulletin boards to create the Buzz throughout the book: Lisa Bartels, Melissa Byers, Heather Davis, Laura Larsen, and Katie Schiavo.

Our agent, Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management, who consistently provided excellent guidance and advice.

The staff at Rodale, including our editor, Mariska van Aalst, who brought to bear not only her considerable talents as an editor in helping to shape this book, but her firsthand knowledge as the parent of a 4- and 1-year-old; our project editor, Lois Hazel, warm and wonderful doula to books and babies alike; our copy editor (and mother of a 2-year-old and a brand-new baby), Jennifer Reich, who asked all the right questions; and our designer, Joanna Williams, who translated the BabyCenter look and feel to the book page with the same care she shows to her own 3- and 1-year-old.

If youre a new parent looking for expert advice, theres no shortage of sources. The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Your Babys First Year is a special kind of resource, because it offers not only the collective insights of trusted experts, but also the wisdom and support of moms and dads whove been there, too. Millions of parents around the world visit BabyCenters family of Web sites and books for its comprehensive advice and guidance, and to share their firsthand experiences. This guide reflects the distinctive reassuring authority that were uniquely able to provide.