Baby on the Way by William & Martha Sears

Hey there! Let’s chat about this book called Baby On The Way by the Sears couple. Now, I know most of us have heard about the Sears baby book, even though it wasn’t one I personally used with my own children. But hey, it’s been around for a while, published back in 2001, so it’s been 16 years. But you know what? When it comes to pregnancy, not a whole lot changes, right? Babies still come into this world through either the vagina or a Caesarean section. This book doesn’t cover things like surrogacy, IVF, sperm or egg donation, but it does focus on pregnancy itself.

At the beginning, there are some notes for parents, which is pretty handy. The book starts off by explaining how a baby grows in a mummy’s tummy. It doesn’t go into the details of how babies are made, so you don’t have to worry about explaining sex or conception to your little ones. But it does cover a lot of other important stuff. It talks about the changes that happen when a new baby arrives, like how mummy might feel more thirsty or tired. It also mentions some common symptoms of pregnancy.

Then it dives into what’s happening inside the tummy as the baby grows, and even talks about how you can feel the baby kicking. There’s also some touchy-feely stuff about making room for the baby and when it’s time for the baby to be born. And yes, it does answer the curious question of how the baby actually comes out – through the vagina. It doesn’t mention Caesarean births, but it does talk about squeezing. It also mentions that while mum and dad are busy at the hospital, you might be at home with your grandparents or someone looking after you.

Now, I should mention that this book assumes a heterosexual couple, like most books in this category do. It doesn’t specify who will be helping with the birth, whether it’s a doctor, nurse, or midwife. But hey, it’s written by a doctor-nurse couple, so they definitely know their stuff.

The book doesn’t show pictures of the baby coming out or anything like that, but it does have a picture of a baby breastfeeding. It explains that babies get milk from their mummies’ breasts. It doesn’t cover bottle feeding, but there are other books out there that do.

Towards the end, it answers some curious questions like why the baby is wrinkly, why it cries, and what that thing on its belly is (the umbilical cord). It also touches on the topic of attachment parenting, although I can’t vouch for how accurate that information is, considering things have changed quite a bit over the years.

So, all in all, it’s another book that talks to kids about pregnancy. It doesn’t mention sex or any of the less common stuff, but it’s a good starting point. I hope this helps! Cheers!