Helen Moon’s “Cherish the First 6 Weeks” is the ultimate survival guide for all parents to follow after the birth of their child. After reading this book, I now have the confidence and key take-away points needed for my own first baby’s precious first 6 weeks, as he is due in early August.
Moon has incorporated her expertise to create the ideal master plan referred to as CHERISH, which will be my most used and “cherished” acronym.
“One of the primary characteristics of the CHERISH approach is to learn to pay attention to the needs of your baby, so that you can follow your instincts, think for yourself, and turn to accurate, reliable information about your baby’s health when necessary.”
This ultimate plan, written by an expert who has extensive experience teaching parents in the UK and United States, delivers the message to truly enjoy the first weeks that the baby is home. Instead of viewing the primary steps of parenting as a stressful and anxious time, she share insight on how to enjoy every minute and allow your baby to teach you his/her own personality in the process.
As a first time parent, I learned a significant amount of important tips on how to appreciate and enjoy those precious first weeks, while creating a strategic schedule for my baby.
Some key points and takeaways from the book:
– Deciding ahead of time who will handle which feedings helps enormously in cultivating a calm home environment.
– Don’t feel guilty about wanting some time for yourself. It’s good for the soul, and you and your baby both benefit when you feel good about yourself.
– When you put your baby in her crib before she falls asleep, you’re telling her that it’s safe to go to sleep.
– Your baby looks to you for signs of how to react to situations. When you arrive at his or her crib calmly and with a smile, instead of rushing in when he wakes up, you signal that all is right with his little world.
– Your new baby’s brain is on overdrive, and it requires enough good-quality sleep to develop to its full potential.
Upon reading this week-by-week guide on how to maintain a pleasant attitude while enduring the most tiresome weeks of a parents’ life, it’s obvious that Helen Moon’s experience has successfully helped thousands upon thousands of parents out there.
I can’t wait to incorporate these lessons into my own experience, and I finally feel comfortable and ready after reading this.
Helen provides readers with detailed information – not only on “how” to survive the first 6 weeks – but “why” her recommendations are crucial to follow, along with the sensible reasons for every tip she offers.
Moon’s guide outlines how to prepare for the baby with all the items needed, how to maintain a tight and meaningful schedule for the baby, and last but definitely not least, the importance of going back to yourself and focusing on your body and lifestyle before the baby.
I will leave you with this last quote from Sir Elton John and David Furnish who successfully summarizes the her work: “Helen Moon helped us understand the needs and wants of our newborn son. She’s like the baby whisperer.”
Cherish the First 6 Weeks is available on Amazon.
