Babies and Toddlers for Men: From Newborn to Nursery by Mark Wood

Becoming a father is a moment in a man's life like no other. The love, the pride, the joy and occasionally the fear stirred up inside us by the complex little being that moves into our home and our relationship takes some serious getting used to. And then there's the really tough stuff like putting up a travel cot and installing a car seat. Despite all this though we are often given more advice when we buy a phone than when we become a Dad...until now. This is the indispensable manual every new dad needs from newborn to nursery, this is Babies and Toddlers for Men. Written by Mark Woods, author of the best selling Pregnancy for Men and proud father of two, this utterly readable guide tells you how it is in a frank and funny way that will leave you educated and energised to take on the next amazing stage of being a Dad.

There are many books on the market about pregnancy and looking after a baby and/or toddler, however alot of them are written from the woman's point of view, however this book does what it says on the tin - it's written by a man for other men.

Starting from the cover, it shouts out for men. The purple cover with silhouetted images of babies and toddlers is great for men. Most books have cute babies or pregnant mums, not what men want to be seen reading.

The book starts right from day one - what happens after the baby is born, one criticism of the book is that it doesn't cover pregnancy, however there are plenty of books about this subject, written for men, on the market already. I am not sure that I have seen any books for a child's first year of life written for men, there may be some out there but I can only remember books re pregnancy. As I said, the book starts from day one - what happens in the hospital, after delivery, when your partner/wife is exhausted and there is a new person needing attention.

The advice in the book is to the point and written in a easy to understand manner but there is lots of great information included. The book covers newborn babies and all the checks done in the first minutes, hours, days of a babies life, aswell as checks for the new mum. It covers what may happen in special care.

Each chapter ends with words from fellow fathers, giving recollections from other new fathers, showing that others have been through what has been written in the book.

The book covers the first three years of your child's life and it is full of great hints, advice and tips of the trade. It is great to dip into each month to see what to expect that month.

I would recommend that it would make a great gift for a prospective or new father, however I would also say that I suggest reading one of the more traditional style books What to expect in a babies first year etc to get all the information about their development - Although i do add a word of caution, remember babies all develop at different rates and in different orders, some may hit physical targets earlier than other, or they be more vocal. These books should be read as a guide but do not expect your child to do what they say, exactly when they say!




I received this book through the Amazon Vine Programme.