On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo

 

 

Out of all the advice (both solicited and unsolicited) I have received from family, friends, strangers, doctors and other mothers, the most powerful advice I ever absorbed to help with the newborn age, is from Gary Ezzo’s book, Babywise.

 

Synopsis:

 

Ezzo’s suggestion is to provide scheduled eat, play, and sleep cycles for your newborn.  Once your newborn is accustomed to this schedule, it becomes routine.  With a structured and predictable day and night, he suggests, parents are able to focus on themselves, each other, and other family members or life obligations.  In return, the newborn appreciates the predictability such a routine provides, learns to independently fall asleep on his or her own without the reliance of a feeding (a skill that will translate to happy bedtime routines further into childhood) remains well rested, and enjoys “awake/play” time with parents or other family members.

 

 

Who this book is for:

Any parent can appreciate the idea behind Babywise.  After all, what parent doesn’t want their child to sleep through the night at 6 months? However, only parents who are serious about implementing the system Ezzo suggests will succeed. 

Work at Home moms can especially appreciate Babywise, as it provides a solution for daily structure and for a good night sleep for the entire family.  Personally,  it would have been 10,000 times more difficult for me to awake each morning, ready to work at home, had it not been for my child’s ability to sleep through the night and for scheduled daily naps.

 

Who this book is not for:

 

If you cannot tolerate hearing your child cry without immediately providing comfort, this book is not for you.  Ezzo suggests to let babies “cry it out,” as he believes this to be a normal–even necessary component–to infant sleep cycles. I took a middle of the road approach to this, not letting my child cry for too long, yet not picking him up at the first whimper, either.

 

If your family practices co-sleeping, this book is also not for you.  Lastly, if your child has special needs, I would not think this arrangement would satisfy your family’s situation.  For example, a friend of mine had a child born deaf.  Worried that she couldn’t hear in the night, and really couldn’t see because of the darkness, they chose a co-sleeper.  I have also had friends with coalachie babies who said it made it difficult to implement Ezzo’s suggestions.

 

My Final Rating: 5 Stars 

By following this book, I became a happy, confident, and well-rested mom (well-rested being a relative term).  It allowed me and my son (who is also happy, confident, and well rested) to enjoy our first few months of his life together with structure and stability. 

 

The book receives criticism by many for its “overly structured schedule” or “unrealistic” expectations for newborns.  Yet, millions of us Moms are Babywise fanatics, proof that Ezzo’s theory can work on a variety of newborn and parent temperaments.

What do you think of Babywise? Leave a comment and let us know!