Your Amazing Newborn

Only 30 minutes old, and a baby stares at her mother's face, then begins maneuvering downward toward mom's nipple. A few days old, and she can track a ball, and "dialogue" with her limbs. Newborns are extraordinary beings, with innate abilities far beyond what is commonly believed. In Your Amazing Newborn, authors Marshall and Phyllis Klaus, renowned experts and authors in the field of newborns (Bonding and Mothering the Mother), combine information gained from decades of research with clear explanations geared toward new parents. The authors begin with the fetus. Through descriptions and ultrasound photography, they discuss the dialogue between mother and fetus and demonstrate the development of touch and hearing. Klaus and Klaus then explore the first minutes of life (the quiet, alert state immediately after birth) and the first few days, including descriptions of the newborn's innate senses and the ability to imitate, reach towards a parent, and enjoy sound and smell. Later chapters focus on adoption, fathering, grandparenting, and sibling responses to a new baby. Enhanced by black-and-white photographs capturing a newborn's remarkable abilities, this beautiful book is for anyone enchanted by babies. For new parents and parents-to-be, it provides insight and useful information about associating with and loving a newborn, and introducing him to the world. --Ericka Lutz