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Title: On Becoming Birthwise by Anne Marie Ezzo, Sharon Nelson, Diane Dirks, Pam Harer, Sharon Augustson, Kathy Hoefke ISBN: 0-9714532-6-8 Publisher: Parent Wise Solutions Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95

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Average Customer Rating: 1.24 (25 reviews)

Rating: 2
Summary: An early introduction to the Baby(un)wise books
Comment: This book gives no information that isn't readily available elsewhere form a more reputable source, except a positive endorsement of Gary Ezzo's disproved infant training theories. Before considering further on what birth and baby care books to purchase, people need to realize that the Ezzo's are ostensibly religious figures, removed from ministry in multiple churches and credited with authoring the secular version of the religious books that have led to Failure to thrive infants, and children with attachment disorder. I really hope no one really wants to start on that path with their infant.

The subtitle of this book is mentions birthing "by Design". Physiologically oriented parents need to understand the "Design" is referring to Creation "Science" "intelligent" design, not to anything based on biological fact.

The information given here wasn't written by Gary Ezzo but by a consortium of a couple nurses, a few MD's and a couple CNM (certified Nurse-Midwives). It's a medical model book on birth, with no entries in the index for "homebirth" or "doula", so expect no discussion on anything outside of hospitals and birth centers. The sections on labor read pretty much like the soft "What to expect when You're Expecting", a book renowned for it's lack of empowering information. There are a couple pages on positions for pain relief, but not enough to help a woman avoid a medicalized birth or to even understand why drugs in labor are dangerous to her and her baby.

One brief chapter on feeding infants includes the tired statement "there are advantages and disadvantages to both bottle feeding and breastfeeding", disregarding the 100+ citations on the risks of formula feeding at the end of the AAPediatrics Statement on the Use of Human Milk. I wonder what disadvantages to breastfeeding there might be other than this absurd statement, paraphrased, "deciding how to feed an infant needs to me a family decision based on whether or not the mother can be well nourished and well rested enough to breastfeed the baby." !!! Well, the last time I looked, it was metabolically more difficult to be pregnant than to breastfeed, and if the mother is so darned worn out from baby care, she most certainly does not have the extra energy one needs to bottle feed! Bottle feeding is expensive, difficult to do safely and a mother has the constant worry of whether or not the pharmaceutical company has made a manufacturing mistake. Certainly a mother would be better rested knowing that her baby is fed the food that God or Nature intended!

The final pages of the books contain various "scientific" appearing charts, including a goal sheet for post-partum. By one week post partum, moms are supposed to shower by noon, by two weeks they need to be dressed by noon and by 3 weeks, they need to have their make-up on by noon! Whoa! In the real world of nurturing, the baby really doesn't care what the mom is wearing and probably prefers the un-made-up face anyway. Oooops! In the Baby(un)wise series, DAD is the all important God designated family head and decider of all things. I guess that's why Mom needs to worry about those things. Here's a tip Mom- throw out the schedules, attend to baby, your rest and nursing. Everything else will follow in it's time. After all, Mary (remember, the Mom who gave birth to Jesus?) didn't have a clock, a schedule or make-up to put on. She had a baby who needed her love, her milk and her physical presence. The Ezzos will appear truly Godly when they realize that those are the important things in life. Just don't get caught up in the Ezzo plans before *or* after birth.

Rating: 1
Summary: Ezzo really needs to get with it or get out.
Comment: Everything I'd like to say has already been said by all of the one and two star reviews on this page.
Suffice it to say, Ezzo needs to get out of where he doesn't belong.

Rating: 2
Summary: Mistitled: Should be Pregnancy, Birth and Infancy "Wise"
Comment: I picked up this book because I saw the subtitle "Birth by Design" and am always enthralled to see books that actually accentuate women taking a primary or at least partnership role with the caregiver in bringing their child through the birth process.

Unfortunately, the book covered very little about the birth process itself.

In fact, that is the primary short coming of this book: everything is very minimal, clinically written and dry.

I was very disappointed to say the least.