All babies are individuals, as are all parents, so there is no ‘one approach suits all’ as some would have us believe. Books that advocate set schedules for feeding and sleep, especially in the first 3 months of life, not only jeopardise the establishment of breastfeeding. They can also undermine the confidence of parents, discouraging them from using their instincts and growing knowledge about their own unique child, to meet their child’s needs. Books advocating techniques such as controlled crying, also neglect to acknowledge the detrimental effects these kinds of methods have been shown to have on a baby’s developing brain and the long term impact on emotional and psychological well being.

The following books have been chosen carefully as sources of information for parents. I hope they will provide you with information to support you as a parent, without telling you what to do, how to do it and when to do it!