Best Start

Deborah D. Stewart,
Linda S. Ungerleider, R.N., M.S.N.
Illustrated by Christine Thomas

Shorter hospital stays-not much time for new mothers to learn. That's the reality of birth in today's hospitals. Young mothers need sound and supportive material on infant care and this companion book to Baby & Me is designed to guide new mothers through the especially difficult experience of dealing with a new baby in its first year. Written with the same care and concern for accessible content, Best Start is meant to appeal to this same audience of women as an easy-to-use resource for these crucial first months of development

• Targeted at the same reading level as Baby & Me
• Covers one topic at a time
• Bibliography, glossary, resource guides and index

The success enjoyed by Baby & Me is based on the support of health professionals throughout the country. Best Start has been designed and produced with a specific need in mind: Guidance for young mothers who may not have the maturity, education, or experience to care for an infant easily. It is carefully constructed to deliver the basics on care and development from birth through an infant's first year. What makes Best Start unique and effective is that it emphasizes the basics of health, infant care, and the prevention of problems.

Rave Reviews

"Here's a book that will help new moms and dads be the great parents their new baby deserves." —Adrienne B. Lieberman, co-author Nine Months and a Day

"Deborah Stewart has a unique ability to make information accessible to a wide range of adult readers. She is always respectful of her audience." —Mark Widone, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University

Table of Contents

Part I - Getting The Best Start
1    Giving Your Family the Best Start
2    Decisions to Make Before Birth
3    Getting Health Care for Your Baby
4    Mom's Recovery
5    Especially for Dad

Part II - Basics of Baby Care
6    Basics of Newborn Care
7    Breast and Formula Feeding
8    Your Baby's Growth and Development
9    Preventing Illness
10   Preventing Injury

Part III - Baby's First Year
11   Your Baby's First Week
12   Your Baby's First Month: Weeks 2 to 4
13   Your Baby at 5 Weeks to 3 Months
14   Your Baby at 4 to 6 Months
15   Your Baby at 7 to 12 Months

Part IV - Tools for New Parents
16   If Your Baby Gets Sick or injured
17   Babies Needing Special Care
18   Resources for Parents

Index

Authors

Deborah Davis Stewart has focused on making complex information understandable throughout her career as a health professional and advocate for children's safety. She was in the Peace Corps in India and with Planned Parenthood in Washington, DC working in family planning and nutrition in both organizations. She ran a national advocacy group focused on child safety in motor vehicles and continues her leadership in this field. In the last decade she has written low-reading-level material materials focused on the health issues of mothers and children from pregnancy through the early years of childhood.

Linda S. Ungerleider, R.N., M.S.N., began working with families as a nurse in the Peace Corps in India. For many years there-after she was a childbirth educator and professor in maternal child health, and she now teaches an international course on pregnancy and the first year of life in Sweden each year. She is currently a Ph.D. student in international primary health at the University of Illinois, Chicago.